Any Novus Ordo Masses celebrated Ad Orientem?

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lyoncoeur

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Just curious if anybody has attended a Novus Ordo Mass celebrated Ad Orientem {Priest facing away from congregation}.

I read someplace that VII actually never abolished this practice, and that in the GIRM this posture is actually suggested by terms of action such as…

“Then, facing the people and extending his hands, the priest greets the people, using one of the formulas indicated. The priest himself or some other minister may also very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.” (GIRM Chapter IV:124)

Anyway…I was curious.
 
Yes, I have been to many Novus Ordo masses celebrated with the priest not facing the people.
 
Just out of cusiosity, where are these parishes located? I know of only a handful such as the Assumption Grotto and St Joeseph patrish, both in Detroit, the Novus Ordo Latin mass at St. John Cantius in Chicago, St. Agnes in St. Paul MN and St. Joeseph in Toldeo OH.
 
The Eastern Catholic Churches have never abandoned this practice with regard to the celebration of the Eucharist in the context of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the standard format of communal worship in the Eastern Church ( the Eastern Catholic version of the Roman Catholic “mass”).

For me, there is a subtle, yet definite, difference in “feel” when participating in a Eucharistic Celebration wherein the priest faces the people, and one in which he too, along with the congregation, faces the East. In the former, the perceived sense is that the priest is interracting with the people; in the latter, the priest is one of the people, leading the rest of us as we all interract with the Creator.

…just seems to “work” better for me!

a pilgrim
 
JNB, I was at Assumption Grotto last year for Corpus Christi, a very nice church indeed. I am happy to have Fr. Perrone, the pastor coming to my area to give a talk at a conference here in about two weeks.

I live in the Arlington diocese of Virginia, and most of those masses that have been to, were done by a chaplain of an apostlate here, and not part of a parish, though I know that some parishes do this on occassion in the diocese.
 
Wasn’t there a bit of controversey about this a couple of years ago at EWTN? I thought that the local bishop required the masses to be celebrated facing the people and was backed up on this by the Vatican. If anyone knows anything different let me know, I would love to have the option.
 
It is a shame that your Bishop, the Bishop of Arlington has taken such a hard and in possible violation of canon law, stand against kneeling for communion. I understand it has damaged the liturgical life of the parish at Christendom college.
 
The Mass is celebrated ad orientem at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville, AL.

There is a picture if the Mass (at the consecration, with a server lying prostrate) at ewtn.com/pilgrimage/gallery/index.asp (entitled “Consecration at the Shrine”).
See also www.olamshrine.com

The EWTN televised Mass (in the EWTN chapel) used to be ad orientem, but their bishop made them celebrate ad populum when televised.
 
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JNB:
It is a shame that your Bishop, the Bishop of Arlington has taken such a hard and in possible violation of canon law, stand against kneeling for communion. I understand it has damaged the liturgical life of the parish at Christendom college.
Click to expand...
About half of the Student Body of Christendom still kneels to receive communion though we are no longer permitted to use the Communion rail.

😉
 
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malta:
Wasn’t there a bit of controversey about this a couple of years ago at EWTN? I thought that the local bishop required the masses to be celebrated facing the people and was backed up on this by the Vatican. If anyone knows anything different let me know, I would love to have the option.
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Come to think of it, that DID happen…It was a big deal.
 
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Trevelyan:
The EWTN televised Mass (in the EWTN chapel) used to be ad orientem, but their bishop made them celebrate ad populum when televised.
Click to expand...
**Does Hancville have a different bishop than Birmingham? I do remember when EWTN was made to change…Are they allowed to celebrate Mass facing the altar if NOT telivised. :confused: **
 
The Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul only has one high altar, making it necessary for Ad Orientem Masses. It is beautiful to see an old Church the way it was designed.
 
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CD4:
Does Hancville have a different bishop than Birmingham? I do remember when EWTN was made to change…Are they allowed to celebrate Mass facing the altar if NOT telivised. :confused:
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Yes. Bishop Foley rescinded his uncanonical decree for public Masses that were not televised. So the Masses at the Shrine that are not televised are celebrated ad orientam.
 
**Ah…Now I understand why the Masses at the Shrine are not longer televised, as they were at first. What a shame…It’s such a beautiful, inspiring place. **
 
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JNB:
I know of only a handful such as the Assumption Grotto and St Joeseph patrish, both in Detroit
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I’ve been to mass at both, very beautiful. I believe in both cases all Mass at both churches are celebrated Ad Orientem. I’ve always wondered why then the altar is not as it is at a Tridentine Mass, instead it is in the same place as any Mass at which the Priest faces the people.
 
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JNB:
It is a shame that your Bishop, the Bishop of Arlington has taken such a hard and in possible violation of canon law, stand against kneeling for communion. I understand it has damaged the liturgical life of the parish at Christendom college.
Click to expand...
His hardline stance is (I believe) actually in support of current canon law, no matter how ridiculous that law might be. I’ve seen the actual norm quoted before, but don’t know how to search canon law/GIRM for it. I had assumed that kneeling was - of course - appropriate but I believe it is actually outlawed in the US because our special exceptions to the GIRM (the bishops have an indult for everything) mandate standing as the normative posture. If anyone can actually find not just the liturgical norm for receiving communion but specifically that in force in the US, that could clear it up.

Even if I’m wrong, I’m willing to give the only bishop not to allow female altar servers the benefit of the doubt (meaning, if he’s so traditional he must have his reasons for this as well).
 
Andreas Hofer:
His hardline stance is (I believe) actually in support of current canon law, no matter how ridiculous that law might be. I’ve seen the actual norm quoted before, but don’t know how to search canon law/GIRM for it. I had assumed that kneeling was - of course - appropriate but I believe it is actually outlawed in the US because our special exceptions to the GIRM (the bishops have an indult for everything) mandate standing as the normative posture. If anyone can actually find not just the liturgical norm for receiving communion but specifically that in force in the US, that could clear it up.

Even if I’m wrong, I’m willing to give the only bishop not to allow female altar servers the benefit of the doubt (meaning, if he’s so traditional he must have his reasons for this as well).
Click to expand...
Norm does not equal canon law, it just means the normative way a rubric is done, but that does not mean a different posture, such as kneeling for communion, is illicit. In fact, the Vatican sent 3 letters to various US bishops on the issue of kneeling for communion, that those who kneel for communion can not be considerd acting in a disobdient manner. Also RS said that a communicant can not be denied communion if he is kneeling.

As for the Bishop of Arlington, in his previous diocese he allowed altar girls, he hasnt made a decsion yet in Arlington, but again, what he has done to Christendom College is unexcusable, I give him no benifit of the doubt what so ever.

I look at it this way, in the liturgical wars that have raged on since the mid 60s, I look at altar girls as t he last major victory in these wars, while the attempt, and yes I do mean attempt to ban kneeling for communion in the US can be seen as the last minor victory.
 
Masses celebrated at Opus Dei centers are usually done ad orientem. I attended Masses at the women’s center in South Bend many years ago and that’s how the Mass was done - however the chapel was so tiny there was no other choice. But I also went on a retreat with Opus Dei at a center in NW Indiana, and although the chapel was much larger, the Mass was still ad orientem. All Masses were Novus Ordo. I really like it, because it makes it feel more like the congregation and the priest are united in the sacrifice - the active participation I think Vat2 REALLY meant!
 
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