Yes, before this started the priest would say a little piece before the baskets were passed. Unless I write it down, I can’t remember it word for word but it mentions how we are to give to God first out of a generous heart, that kind of thing.
No other parish does this, now that I think about it.
the altar boy (guy) may have had lay training by chance? but not sure if that entitles them to bless. only the ordained bless don’t they - whatever rank.
Same thing happened on Saturday night. This is not a deacon. He just assists the priest at that Mass. He got up to the pulpit and did the blessing that the priest usually does. I was going to write it down but the essence is “Bless our tithe, which we know is our offering before anything else…etc.”
It still creeps me out, particularly when he says at the end, “We ask this in the name of the Lord.” And everyone says, “Amen.”
Except it’s done by the altar server, and it’s done while the ushers are coming to the front to pass the collection baskets. And it’s not “We pray to the Lord,” “Lord, hear our prayer,” format.
The pastor came up with it on his own, I believe, but he rarely does the vigil Mass so I guess he delegated it to the altar server.
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) may have had lay training by chance? but not sure if that entitles them to bless. only the ordained bless don’t they - whatever rank.