Can Deacons Celebrate Mass? -Need response

[S_V7]

Our parish priests had to go somewhere and I’m not sure if they’ll be back in time for Mass. Would a Mass be valid if it was said by a Deacon or should we look for another parish to attend Mass today?

 

[FAB]

The Decon could preside at a prayer service of even communion service depending on the bishop, but cannot celebrate mass.

Peace,
FAB

 

[Jenny_Z]

Yup, only a Communion service with pre-consecrated hosts. Can’t say the mass by himself.

 

[Phemie]

Our parish priests had to go somewhere and I’m not sure if they’ll be back in time for Mass. Would a Mass be valid if it was said by a Deacon or should we look for another parish to attend Mass today?

NO, a deacon can’t celebrate Mass. He may be celebrating a Liturgy of the Word with distribution of Communion. If you have access to Mass in another parish, that’s where you should go.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Wouldn’t such a liturgy ‘count’ toward Sunday obligation?

 

[Suester]

of course it would. And the future of many parishes will depend on such communion services due to the lack of priests who can say the Mass.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Our parish priests had to go somewhere and I’m not sure if they’ll be back in time for Mass. Would a Mass be valid if it was said by a Deacon or should we look for another parish to attend Mass today?

Why wouldn’t you attend the liturgy your deacon could provide?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Our parish priests had to go somewhere and I’m not sure if they’ll be back in time for Mass. Would a Mass be valid if it was said by a Deacon or should we look for another parish to attend Mass today?

A deacon can preside at a Communion service. It is NOT a Mass and does not satisfy your Sunday obligation IF you can reasonably go to another Mass either at the same parish or at a different parish. If there are no other Mass opportunities within a reasonable distance, or you have no means of getting there, then your Mass obligation is removed.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

A deacon can preside at a Communion service. It is NOT a Mass and does not satisfy you Sunday obligation IF you can reasonably go to another Mass either at the same parish or at a different parish. If there are no other Mass opportunities within a reasonable distance, or you have no means of getting there, then your Mass obligation is removed.

Wouldn’t it be reasonable that something like that would be announced so the parish can make arrangements as needed and not be playing guessing games online?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Wouldn’t it be reasonable that something like that would be announced so the parish can make arrangements as needed and not be playing guessing games online?

This could be a scheduled liturgy if this is a parish that does not have a parish priest but once a month. Usually it is as the OP something prevents the priest from celebrating the scheduled Mass. Those who cannot get to another parish would stay and participate in the Liturgy of the Word and receive Holy Communion.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Wouldn’t it be reasonable that something like that would be announced so the parish can make arrangements as needed and not be playing guessing games online?

Are you sure your pastor isn’t having some one cover for him, while he’s away?

Jim

 

[buffalo]

A deacon can preside at a Communion service. It is NOT a Mass and does not satisfy your Sunday obligation IF you can reasonably go to another Mass either at the same parish or at a different parish. If there are no other Mass opportunities within a reasonable distance, or you have no means of getting there, then your Mass obligation is removed.

In some other countries people walk 15 miles to attend Mass taking 5 hours. In America we have cars.

 

[baltobetsy]

It’s pretty safe to assume that your parish, under the direction of your bishop, will provide a valid way for you and all the other parishioners to meet your Sunday obligation if you show up when Mass is due to be celebrated. Either a visiting priest will celebrate Mass or there will be a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion that will satisfy your obligation.

A parish will not let things slide to the extent that rumors are passed around concerning the priests being away and by having parishioners wonder what they are supposed to do. Your pastor is your shepherd; he will take care of you.

Betsy

 

[puzzleannie]

Wouldn’t such a liturgy ‘count’ toward Sunday obligation?

no it would not
if there is no priest, and no time to get to another Church within a reasonable distance, you have no obligation

 

[Spiller]

A Catholic layperson – male or female, can also conduct a communion service if needed.

 

[Spirithound]

no it would not
if there is no priest, and no time to get to another Church within a reasonable distance, you have no obligation

So in the future (if indeed we are in a vocations crisis), there could be a massive (npi) lifting of Sunday obligations?

 

[Phemie]

So in the future (if indeed we are in a vocations crisis), there could be a massive (npi) lifting of Sunday obligations?

The Sunday obligation is to attend Mass. If there is no Mass, there is no obligation. Several parishes in my diocese only see a priest once every 2 or 3 months.

Yes, it is praiseworthy, in the absence of a priest, to gather as a community for a Liturgy of the Word (with or without Communion) or for Morning or Evening Prayer (which I prefer to a Liturgy of the Word) but there is no obligation to do so.

Our pastor sometimes has to fly to another community for funerals or weddings. If his return flight happens to get weather delayed (it’s been known to be weather delayed for 2 weeks at a stretch) then we celebrate a Liturgy of the Word with Communion which I attend – there is nothing else available except non-Catholic services at a 5 or 6 other churches in town.

OTOH, I was part of language-based faith community in the last city in which I lived. There, a Liturgy of the Word with Communion simply meant that there was no priest available to celebrate Mass in French. I always attended Mass at another parish (I had 7 or 8 English parishes to choose from, none more than a 15 minute drive away, one 5 minutes on foot) and didn’t bother with the French celebration unless I was scheduled to be a reader.

 

[THurifer2]

of course it would. And the future of many parishes will depend on such communion services due to the lack of priests who can say the Mass.

The holy father recently slammed the door shut on PLANNED SCAP services (sunday celebration in the absence of a Priest is what SCAP means)

I am talking about ROUTINE SCAP services.
I

 

[Spiller]

The holy father recently slammed the door shut on PLANNED SCAP services (sunday celebration in the absence of a Priest is what SCAP means)

I am talking about ROUTINE SCAP services.
I

Do you happen to have an official reference? Thanks…

 

[Phemie]

The holy father recently slammed the door shut on PLANNED SCAP services (sunday celebration in the absence of a Priest is what SCAP means)

I am talking about ROUTINE SCAP services.
I

What ‘routine’ are you speaking about?

The routine of parishes that have a regular ‘Sunday Celebration of the Word with Communion’ because they only see a priest every 8-12 weeks? Should they do without Communion for all that time? Of course I understand the danger that without adequate catechesis there will always be those who see no difference between these celebrations and Mass (Sister’s Mass, anyone?)

Or the routine of parishes that schedule these celebrations during the week? The documents never envisioned that pastors would schedule those in order to get a day off during the week. Train some lay people to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours on your days off. Make them look forward to their next Eucharistic celebration.