Ash Wednsday

[Romie]

I really need an open and honest, but absolutely correct answer to this----
Last Ash Wed.( my former) Parish held an Ecumenical service.
The priest wore his black pants, black shirt, and Roman collar.
A lady Minister read the Gospel .another minister gave the homily. and later on all the other men of the cloth distributed the ashes,
It was like nothing I have ever seen before.These people were very nice but didn’t have a clue as to what to do first. Then Father got up out of his chair and instructed them. and proceeded to return to his seat.I was extremly upset and wanted to have a word with Father, I felt best to just return home, due to the state I was in.
Please can you ease my mind on this? It has been popping up in my thoughts ever since.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Ease your mind? No, I can’t because what happened is totally inappropriate.

Deacon Ed

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Romie:

I really need an open and honest, but absolutely correct answer to this----
Last Ash Wed.( my former) Parish held an Ecumenical service.
The priest wore his black pants, black shirt, and Roman collar.
A lady Minister read the Gospel .another minister gave the homily. and later on all the other men of the cloth distributed the ashes,
It was like nothing I have ever seen before.These people were very nice but didn’t have a clue as to what to do first. Then Father got up out of his chair and instructed them. and proceeded to return to his seat.I was extremly upset and wanted to have a word with Father, I felt best to just return home, due to the state I was in.
Please can you ease my mind on this? It has been popping up in my thoughts ever since.

If this Ecumenical service was approved by the Bishop then it could be acceptable. Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day and usually no Mass is celebrated. It is a Liturgical Prayer service and could be used with the Bishops permission as an ecumenical prayer service. Fr. should not have been sitting down, but distributing ashes and should have read the Gospel himself.

 

[smn]

Br. Rich SFO:

If this Ecumenical service was approved by the Bishop then it could be acceptable. Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day and usually no Mass is celebrated. It is a Liturgical Prayer service and could be used with the Bishops permission as an ecumenical prayer service. Fr. should not have been sitting down, but distributing ashes and should have read the Gospel himself.

Why do you say that usually no Mass is celebrated on Ash Wednesday?

And whether or not the Bishop approves, replacing the Catholic ceremonies of Ash Wednesday – which should be a solemn beginning to the season of Lent – with ecumaniacal goofiness is never acceptable.

Scott

 

[MeaCulpa]

Perhaps they meant that no Mass is necessary for the distribution of ashes.

The ashes may be distributed before Mass, during Mass or just as a separate rite. I think local custom today is usually during Mass

 

[Sir_Knight]

smn:

Why do you say that usually no Mass is celebrated on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is a day of prayer and fasting. Going to Mass and receiving ashes is NOT required now, nor has it ever been (at least in my lifetime). It is nice to receive ashes because it reminds us of our own mortality and it is always spiritually beneficial to attend mass but just like you are not required to go to mass today, you are not required to go to mass on Ash Wednesday.

 

[Joan_M]

Sir Knight:

Ash Wednesday is a day of prayer and fasting. Going to Mass and receiving ashes is NOT required now, nor has it ever been (at least in my lifetime). It is nice to receive ashes because it reminds us of our own mortality and it is always spiritually beneficial to attend mass but just like you are not required to go to mass today, you are not required to go to mass on Ash Wednesday.

I agree - we are not required to go to Mass on Ash Wednesday. However, the ashes are normally distributed at Mass. It is most unusual to have just a prayer service for distribution of ashes. And, I believe it would require specific authorization by the Bishop to have any sort of ecumenical service in a Catholic Church.

What was described does not sound right. Even if the Bishop approved an ecumenical service, why would the priest not be one of the people distributing ashes? And why would he have invited non-Catholics to distribute the ashes without, at least, instructing them before hand on how, exactly, to do it.

I would have been disturbed by this.

 

[puzzleannie]

Joan M:

I agree - we are not required to go to Mass on Ash Wednesday. However, the ashes are normally distributed at Mass. It is most unusual to have just a prayer service for distribution of ashes. And, I believe it would require specific authorization by the Bishop to have any sort of ecumenical service in a Catholic Church.
.

Not true, at least around here, where more people come to church on AW than on Easter. There is the regular morning mass, with ashes afterward, not during, and an extra evening mass, with ashes after, not during, and at least 4 other times for distribution of ashes (and confessions all day between times). At these services there is a liturgy of the word using the readings of the day and distribution of ashes.

Since many protestants accept this beneficial penitiential practice this would be an ideal time for an ecumenical service, if as you say the Bishop approves and guidelines are met. It seems this was done because the priest did not wear liturgical vestments, as long as the woman minister did not proclaim the gospel but another reading. if there was preaching it would not be a homily, because this was outside Mass, so it could be offered by anyone as long as teaching presented was orthodox.

Pope John Paul has urged us to look for and use opportunities for ecumenical worship where it is appropriate. another time would be Thanksgiving, which is not a church holiday, where ecumenical services could be very appropriate.

 

[Joan_M]

puzzleannie:

It seems this was done because the priest did not wear liturgical vestments, as long as the woman minister did not proclaim the gospel but another reading. if there was preaching it would not be a homily, because this was outside Mass, so it could be offered by anyone as long as teaching presented was orthodox.

If you re-read the original post, it states that “A lady Minister read the Gospel”. This, to me, indicates that it did not follow the guidelines.

 

[kmktexas]

If you re-read the original post, it states that “A lady Minister read the Gospel”. This, to me, indicates that it did not follow the guidelines.

It is only illicit if it was during Mass. Lay people (including women) are authorized to read the Gosple outside of Mass. Even at a Communion Service that is said instead of Mass (when no priest is available) it is permissable to have a woman reader for the Gospel.

Many parishes have one Mass for Ash Wednesday and then schedule other times for distribution of Ashes. As long as this service did not supplant a Mass and was approved by the Bishop (as I think all ecumenical services - especially those in Catholic churches must be), I don’t see a problem.

Problems could arise if the parishioners were not sufficiently informed so that they came expecting Mass and got this instead. Too bad for the ones who don’t go to Mass on Sundays but show up for AW. Also problematic would be if the priest did not say a regularly scheduled daily Mass and did this instead.