A deacon presiding over the whole mass?!?

[Evan]

Hmmmmm…I understand priests needing time off…but how long would it take to offer a daily Mass? I mean, this *is *the primary part of their ministry. It seems kindof…wrong, if I can use the word…to have deacons/laypeople hold a communion service simply because its the priest’s off-day.

This assumes the priest is in town. You were quoting:

When our pastor needs time off during the week-the deacon covers several days and a lay person does one day.

Our priest had an ill mother and would sometimes travel out of town to visit her. There is no requirement that there always be a daily mass. And in the case of no mass, morning prayer is all that needs to be offered. I have read somewhere a new form of communion service is being created that is more along the line of morning prayer so there is no confusion of this being a “mass” without a priest.

What is the form that is to be used for a communion service during the week, when taking communion to the homebound or a nursing home where those that can, gather in community.
I have often brought communion during the week to individuals and to communities of up to 10 people… some in wheel chairs, some using walkers, some blind, some nearly deaf. But this is their only option to worship as a community.

 

[DIT]

There is no penance part because only a priest should lead the penitential rite-priests in name of Christ forgive sins-deacons can’t…

While you are correct that a deacon cannot forgive sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, the penitential rite is not an act of forgiving sins. The penitential rite is an act of remembrance that we are sinners and we ask God for forgiveness." That is why we should not make the sign of the cross during this part of Mass or a communion service.

Even laypeople who minister in the ministry to the sick can use the penitential rite as it is written in the rites book for laypeople.

The penitental rite has been misunderstood. Sins can only be forgiven inside of confession.

 

[LilyM]

While you are correct that a deacon cannot forgive sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, the penitential rite is not an act of forgiving sins. The penitential rite is an act of remembrance that we are sinners and we ask God for forgiveness." That is why we should not make the sign of the cross during this part of Mass or a communion service.

Why not? The sign of the cross is made, by priest and congregation, at all sorts of other places during the Mass, why not at this point?

I agree that some people misunderstand the purpose of the prayer the priest says at that time, but there’s still nothing wrong with making the sign of the cross.

My own view is that it’s never inappropriate to do so at any time, and no one should ever be dissuaded from doing so.

The penitental rite has been misunderstood. Sins can only be forgiven inside of confession.

MORTAL sins can only be forgiven inside of confession - or when one makes an Act of Perfect Contrition, of course.

But venial sins can be forgiven in many different ways outside the confessional - by privately praying an act of contrition, receiving communion etc. Hence it is not a requirement that we confess venial sins.

It happens that the priest praying that prayer during the Penitential Rite isn’t one of them, of course.

 

[EdwinAbel]

i agree with u…
[edited]

 

[Michael_Francis]

P&B commercial spammer

 

[RobBahoura]

1st of all no it was not a mass because you have to be a priest to do the mass. But it was a communion Service. Not a Mass. Only a Priest can “Say the Mass”. Notice he did not consecrate anything. He only distributed Eucharist that had already been Consecrated. Normal. Not a mass a communion service it happens a lot

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Why not? The sign of the cross is made, by priest and congregation, at all sorts of other places during the Mass, why not at this point? . …

I have not seen the regulation. I think the priest was no longer to make the sign of the cross at this point, lest people think he was granting absolution. I see no reason why one may not make the sign of the cross for oneself.

Note that the Adoremus document on Gestures and Postures directs one to bow and make the sign of the cross at this point. They are usually quite reliable, though conservative, on these matters. I would regard them as suggestions rather than requirements, unless I could find an official document mandating them.

…
• Strike your breast at the “mea culpa(s)” (“through my fault”) in the Confiteor.
• Bow and make the sign of the cross when the priest says “May Almighty God have
mercy…”
• Bow your head when you say “Lord, have mercy” during the Kyrie.
…

 

[Greg57]

Hi, I just recently attended a friday service over at my parish. Our Priest was from what I head ‘on vacation’, and so a Deacon from another parish was invited. And so What happened was that HE (the deacon) presidede over the whole ceremony.He just rushed through the Kyrie, and didn’t even say the Gloria. And before I knew it, we were already at the homily (if you could even call it a homily). He talked a little on how this country is founded by the laws of God, and how Our Lady is the Patron saint of this great country. But what he did was he called up 2 people, yeah 2 parishiners up to the altar, and he gave them the American Flag and showed them and us how and why we fold up the flag at military funereals. Did I forget to mention this took up 90% of the homily?

After this he rushed over and saidthe prayer intentions. After that he went over to the tabernacle and grabbed the ciborium, and placing his hand over it he said a prayer, and before I knew it, he said the “Agnus Dei”. So I thought to myself “Oh no, you did not just fiddle your fingers in the ciboruim and grabbed Our Lord like that”. He distributed the ‘concecrated hosts’ and he didn’t even have a moment of silence after he just rushed up said ‘peace be with you’ and blessed us like the priest would.

My questions are:
Was this even valid?
Was this even a mass?
Can a Deacon preside over the whole mass?
What does the Church teach?

He sounded kind of sloppy in his approach. Was this for the Memorial Day weekend, by any chance?
It was a Communion liturgy, not a Mass. It was valid.

 

[SimonDodd]

My question is why the OP didn’t approach the deacon with these concerns after the service? “Hi, Deacon X, I’m a little confused by the service we just had; perhaps you could help me understand…” etc.