J
jvickers
Guest
I wasn’t sure where to put this… Seems pretty casual, though.
I am a new Coordinating Minister (CM) at our Parish. Though I have been initially scheduled to officially serve this coming Sunday as CM, I’ve had to be the ad hoc CM at both Christmas Day and New Years Day masses.
Here’s a question for what other CMs might do… or anyone, really.
During preparing the tray to take to the credence table, there were too many cooks in the kitchen (so to speak). Everyone had an opinion and usurped my “ad hoc-ness” as CM. Well, we got the tray prepared with one ciborium and four chalices (we usually have 3 ciboria and 8 chalices as we have a very large Parish). There didn’t seem to be a huge turnout, so my solution was to have the hosts served to everyone through the Priest and one EM. We’d have one Deacon and one EM with chalices on one side and two EMs with chalices on the other side. So, that’s what we prepared.
As I was listening to the second lector, I glanced at the credence table and realized, with no small amount of horror, that all those cooks (me included) had missed one small item… the PRIEST’S CHALICE!!!
So, I tried not to panic. Instead, I got out of my pew, paid proper reverence to the alter, and virtually sprinted from the church proper. Fortunately, our Sacristy is located in the back of the church. I could retrieve the Priest’s chalice.
After frantically searching for it (a race against time, mind you), I found it. (We have three priests, and each chalice is conveniently stored in a different place. Lucky me.) So, with now-found chalice in hand, I discreetly walked back into the church proper, turned left behind the pews, and walked all around to the pew closest to the credence table. There is a ramp leading up behind the ambo, and the credence table is there. I’d beaten the homily, so I only had to wait. But the problem was - when was I to try to discreetly place the chalice onto the credence table? Clearly, not during the homily as that would put me walking behind the Priest giving the homily.
So, I figured I’d do it during the preparation of the alter. After the homily, the Priest returned to the other side of the alter and we said the Nicene Creed. As soon as that was finished, I proceeded to walk slowly, but with dignity in my mind, carrying the chalice low in my left hand next to the wall, and place the chalice on the credence table. SUCCESS! The alter servers retrieved it and put it on the alter in perfect order.
That’s what happened in my mind, at least.
From my wife’s viewpoint, this is what that last piece looked like. After the Nicene Creed, I started to walk up the ramp with a look on my face akin to a deer caught in headlights. The chalice, a beautiful gold with a lovely blue ring and blue cross, appeared to catch every light in the Parish. I was a beacon of chalice. Apparently, all heads were focused on me… Like a light saber gleaming in the dark, I placed the chalice on the credence table, and the alter servers retrieved it just in time. I turned and, like a whipped critter, slunk back down the ramp.
So. Here’s my question. What would you have done???
I am a new Coordinating Minister (CM) at our Parish. Though I have been initially scheduled to officially serve this coming Sunday as CM, I’ve had to be the ad hoc CM at both Christmas Day and New Years Day masses.
Here’s a question for what other CMs might do… or anyone, really.
During preparing the tray to take to the credence table, there were too many cooks in the kitchen (so to speak). Everyone had an opinion and usurped my “ad hoc-ness” as CM. Well, we got the tray prepared with one ciborium and four chalices (we usually have 3 ciboria and 8 chalices as we have a very large Parish). There didn’t seem to be a huge turnout, so my solution was to have the hosts served to everyone through the Priest and one EM. We’d have one Deacon and one EM with chalices on one side and two EMs with chalices on the other side. So, that’s what we prepared.
As I was listening to the second lector, I glanced at the credence table and realized, with no small amount of horror, that all those cooks (me included) had missed one small item… the PRIEST’S CHALICE!!!
So, I tried not to panic. Instead, I got out of my pew, paid proper reverence to the alter, and virtually sprinted from the church proper. Fortunately, our Sacristy is located in the back of the church. I could retrieve the Priest’s chalice.
After frantically searching for it (a race against time, mind you), I found it. (We have three priests, and each chalice is conveniently stored in a different place. Lucky me.) So, with now-found chalice in hand, I discreetly walked back into the church proper, turned left behind the pews, and walked all around to the pew closest to the credence table. There is a ramp leading up behind the ambo, and the credence table is there. I’d beaten the homily, so I only had to wait. But the problem was - when was I to try to discreetly place the chalice onto the credence table? Clearly, not during the homily as that would put me walking behind the Priest giving the homily.
So, I figured I’d do it during the preparation of the alter. After the homily, the Priest returned to the other side of the alter and we said the Nicene Creed. As soon as that was finished, I proceeded to walk slowly, but with dignity in my mind, carrying the chalice low in my left hand next to the wall, and place the chalice on the credence table. SUCCESS! The alter servers retrieved it and put it on the alter in perfect order.
That’s what happened in my mind, at least.
From my wife’s viewpoint, this is what that last piece looked like. After the Nicene Creed, I started to walk up the ramp with a look on my face akin to a deer caught in headlights. The chalice, a beautiful gold with a lovely blue ring and blue cross, appeared to catch every light in the Parish. I was a beacon of chalice. Apparently, all heads were focused on me… Like a light saber gleaming in the dark, I placed the chalice on the credence table, and the alter servers retrieved it just in time. I turned and, like a whipped critter, slunk back down the ramp.
So. Here’s my question. What would you have done???
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… … … I can relate as one time being Sacristan I too had forgotten something! And pretty much did what you did, except there was the sacristy door which opened onto the sanctuary.
