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Jen7
Guest
My parish does that. I’m fairly sure they wouldn’t unless it was allowed.
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Mi_Rose
Guest
Our cathedral instituted acolytes for a while. I don’t know if they still do since the rector who started the practice has moved on. All the senior servers were instituted acolytes.
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Pattylt
Guest
Could you or someone explain what an acolyte is and what responsibilities he would have? I just assumed they were seminary students getting some on the job training…obviously wrong!
Acolyte used to be one the Minor Orders of the Church (Tonsure, Porter, Lector, Acolyte) that were conferred on men as they progressed through the seminary. There were three Major Orders that followed (Subdeacon, Deacon, and Priest).
Following Vatican II, all the orders except Deacon and Priest were suppressed. Pope Paul made Lector and Acolyte ministries in the Church but opened them up to laymen as well as candidates for the priesthood. (As these ministries are part of the seminary preparation for the priesthood, they are open to men only.)
Most dioceses in the U.S. (if not the world) confer the ministries of Lector and Acolyte only as part of the seminary formation program. My diocese (Lincoln, Nebraska) has had an extensive training program for laymen in these ministries for decades. A few other dioceses have similar programs.
Following is a post I made about this back in March of 2006:
I have been installed (that’s the term used on the certificates I received from the Diocese, both of which hang proudly in my office) as both a Lector and an Acolyte. I was installed in those ministries in 1983 and 1985 respectively and have served in those capacities in several different parishes since then.
Our late Bishop Flavin, in 1981, issued a decree that effective January 1, 1984, only installed Lectors and Acolytes could perform functions normally reserved to them at Masses in the Diocese of Lincoln. That is to say, to read at Mass, one had to be an installed Lector; to distribute Communion, one had to be an installed Acolyte. No readers, EMHCs, etc. The only exceptions to this decree were for Masses at or for Catholic schools and at convents. He also stipulated that all men who wished to be installed as a Lector or Acolyte had to be at least 21 years of age, and if they had children of school age, that those children be enrolled in Catholic schools (if available in their area). Bishop Flavin was a tremendous champion of Catholic schools.
Since the ministries of Lector and Acolyte are reserved to men only, this of course meant all women were “moved off the altar”, so to speak. Naturally, this caused a huge controversy, but Bishop Flavin remained firm and the Diocesan policy remained unchanged through his retirement in 1992.
Sometime after Bishop Bruskewitz came to Lincoln that in 1992, he relaxed the decree somewhat - allowing for non-installed readers to read the Scriptures at Mass. However, he continued the Diocesan training classes for the ministries of Lector and Acolyte. Today, it is the pastor’s option to allow readers (non-installed) to read the Scriptures at Mass, or to require Lectors (installed). I believe that the Bishop requires that at Masses where he is the celebrant, that only installed Lectors be used.
The way the two ministries function in most parishes is that the Lector acts as a reader would in your average catholic parish - announcing hymns, reading the Scriptures, General Intercessions, etc.
(continued in next post)
Following Vatican II, all the orders except Deacon and Priest were suppressed. Pope Paul made Lector and Acolyte ministries in the Church but opened them up to laymen as well as candidates for the priesthood. (As these ministries are part of the seminary preparation for the priesthood, they are open to men only.)
Most dioceses in the U.S. (if not the world) confer the ministries of Lector and Acolyte only as part of the seminary formation program. My diocese (Lincoln, Nebraska) has had an extensive training program for laymen in these ministries for decades. A few other dioceses have similar programs.
Following is a post I made about this back in March of 2006:
I have been installed (that’s the term used on the certificates I received from the Diocese, both of which hang proudly in my office) as both a Lector and an Acolyte. I was installed in those ministries in 1983 and 1985 respectively and have served in those capacities in several different parishes since then.
Our late Bishop Flavin, in 1981, issued a decree that effective January 1, 1984, only installed Lectors and Acolytes could perform functions normally reserved to them at Masses in the Diocese of Lincoln. That is to say, to read at Mass, one had to be an installed Lector; to distribute Communion, one had to be an installed Acolyte. No readers, EMHCs, etc. The only exceptions to this decree were for Masses at or for Catholic schools and at convents. He also stipulated that all men who wished to be installed as a Lector or Acolyte had to be at least 21 years of age, and if they had children of school age, that those children be enrolled in Catholic schools (if available in their area). Bishop Flavin was a tremendous champion of Catholic schools.
Since the ministries of Lector and Acolyte are reserved to men only, this of course meant all women were “moved off the altar”, so to speak. Naturally, this caused a huge controversy, but Bishop Flavin remained firm and the Diocesan policy remained unchanged through his retirement in 1992.
Sometime after Bishop Bruskewitz came to Lincoln that in 1992, he relaxed the decree somewhat - allowing for non-installed readers to read the Scriptures at Mass. However, he continued the Diocesan training classes for the ministries of Lector and Acolyte. Today, it is the pastor’s option to allow readers (non-installed) to read the Scriptures at Mass, or to require Lectors (installed). I believe that the Bishop requires that at Masses where he is the celebrant, that only installed Lectors be used.
The way the two ministries function in most parishes is that the Lector acts as a reader would in your average catholic parish - announcing hymns, reading the Scriptures, General Intercessions, etc.
(continued in next post)
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(continued from previous post)
A man must be installed as an Acolyte to distribute Communion. He also assists the priest in setting up the altar prior to Mass, preparing the altar at Offertory (unveiling the chalice, getting the Sacramentary ready, etc.). He will then distribute Communion (alongside the priest or priest(s). Following Communion, he will purify the sacred vessels and remove them from the altar. In most parishes, the Acolyte will also serve as a cross bearer if there is a procession at the beginning or end of Mass.
Bishop Bruskewitz has allowed for the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) to be trained and utilized in parishes, but only for the purpose of taking Communion to the homebound. Many Lectors and Acolytes are EMHCs as well.
In my parish, the pastor has asked me to serve as a Lector, which I am happy and honored to do weekly (6:30 a.m. Mass) and on Sundays and Holy Days as scheduled. Occasionally, I “pinch hit” as an Acolyte, but that happens very infrequently.
Perhaps my best summation of what a Lector or an Acolyte does comes from the mouth of my four-year-old daughter. A couple of months ago, she asked me if I was going to work on Sunday. I was puzzled, since I never have to work on Sunday, so I told her no. Then she said, “But aren’t you going to work like you did last Sunday at church when you helped all the people pray?”
I can only hope and pray that I did what she said I did!
A man must be installed as an Acolyte to distribute Communion. He also assists the priest in setting up the altar prior to Mass, preparing the altar at Offertory (unveiling the chalice, getting the Sacramentary ready, etc.). He will then distribute Communion (alongside the priest or priest(s). Following Communion, he will purify the sacred vessels and remove them from the altar. In most parishes, the Acolyte will also serve as a cross bearer if there is a procession at the beginning or end of Mass.
Bishop Bruskewitz has allowed for the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) to be trained and utilized in parishes, but only for the purpose of taking Communion to the homebound. Many Lectors and Acolytes are EMHCs as well.
In my parish, the pastor has asked me to serve as a Lector, which I am happy and honored to do weekly (6:30 a.m. Mass) and on Sundays and Holy Days as scheduled. Occasionally, I “pinch hit” as an Acolyte, but that happens very infrequently.
Perhaps my best summation of what a Lector or an Acolyte does comes from the mouth of my four-year-old daughter. A couple of months ago, she asked me if I was going to work on Sunday. I was puzzled, since I never have to work on Sunday, so I told her no. Then she said, “But aren’t you going to work like you did last Sunday at church when you helped all the people pray?”
I can only hope and pray that I did what she said I did!
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Pattylt
Guest
Thank you for such a complete and educational answer!
One final question. Are there any duties that an Acolyte can or can not perform compared to an EMHC? What is the distinction?
Thanks again!
One final question. Are there any duties that an Acolyte can or can not perform compared to an EMHC? What is the distinction?
Thanks again!
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FiveLinden
Guest
How is the responsibility to pray after communion balanced with such detailed observation of what others are doing?
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on_the_hill
Guest
I was multi-tasking.
Based on what I’ve seen EMHCs do in other dioceses, my first answer would be that an Acolyte can perform all of the duties of an EMHC. The EMHC typically wouldn’t help set up the altar at Offertory or assist in purification of the sacred vessels after Communion.
Haing said that, EMHCs in this diocese are used only for taking Communion to the homebound and there is a separate training for them to do that. An Acolyte who is not an EMHC would not be able to take Communion to the homebound, so in that sense, an Acolyte could not do something an EMHC could do.
I suspect there are wide variations in duties for EMHCs in various parts of the world, so experiences in other dioceses may be far different than what I’ve described here.
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Pattylt
Guest
Thanks again for a complete answer. I appreciate it so much when someone takes the time and effort to answer a question in this manner!
Hope your day is a good one!
Hope your day is a good one!
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Canvas
Guest
This is the norm at a larger Church I attend pretty often. There is the main Chalice and then there are several others to the side that are consecrated with the main Chalice that the Priest drinks from that are given to Extraordinary Ministers at Communion time.
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Phemie
Guest
One of the duties of an instituted acolyte is to be an EMHC, he’s the primary EMHC at Mass. He can purify the vessels while other EMHCs are not allowed to.Pattylt:
Based on what I’ve seen EMHCs do in other dioceses, my first answer would be that an Acolyte can perform all of the duties of an EMHC. The EMHC typically wouldn’t help set up the altar at Offertory or assist in purification of the sacred vessels after Communion.
Haing said that, EMHCs in this diocese are used only for taking Communion to the homebound and there is a separate training for them to do that. An Acolyte who is not an EMHC would not be able to take Communion to the homebound, so in that sense, an Acolyte could not do something an EMHC could do.
I suspect there are wide variations in duties for EMHCs in various parts of the world, so experiences in other dioceses may be far different than what I’ve described here.
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PetraG
Guest
I would suggest the parish keep doing that. I have been a sacristan at parishes that add wine to the common chalices prior to the beginning of Mass. Wine is an acid and the lining of these chalices degrade far more quickly than if the wine is not added to them until the preparation of the gifts. I know that the altar cloth has to be laundered more frequently if the wine comes to the altar in a carafe and is distributed between the chalices there, but there are always trade-offs.
Some places have been slow to get this message.
You’re suggesting that someone who is praying as they “ought” to is going to be oblivious to what is going on around them? If one is paying attention to Our Lord’s continued Real Presence while at prayer, one could easily be aware of the chalices and ciboria, no? Unusual actions would be noticeable.
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FiveLinden
Guest
Well, you see, I don’t believe in the real presence. But if I thought there was a good and all-loving God and that he had been incarnated and then died for me and that he was, at that moment, physically real inside me I think I might show less attention to ritual washing up than is needed for a vessel-by-vessel commentary.
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jimXroberts
Guest
It’s normal for the sacred vessels to be purified by the deacon if there is one, or by the Extraordinary Ministers immediately after Holy Communion. However, if they were left on the side of the altar, they would have been purified later. It was probably done this way to shorten the Mass.
The regular practice is for the wine to be brought to the altar in an ampule, flagon or decanter - depending on whether congregational Holy Communion is under both kinds. Pouring wine into the priest’s chalice forms part of the liturgy, but the supplementary chalices may be filled with wine in advance. Again, this is probably just a way of saving time. The main drawback to this practice is that, depending on the wine used, it could deteriorate. Carrying full chalices as part of the offertory procession is not a good idea because of the likelihood of spillage.
It seems that Mass at your church is designed to be over as quickly as possible. The idea of liturgy is that we worship God by words and actions and it is a shame that some of the actions are omitted in order to speed the end of Mass. Perhaps the priest has taken account of the attention span of his congregation.
The regular practice is for the wine to be brought to the altar in an ampule, flagon or decanter - depending on whether congregational Holy Communion is under both kinds. Pouring wine into the priest’s chalice forms part of the liturgy, but the supplementary chalices may be filled with wine in advance. Again, this is probably just a way of saving time. The main drawback to this practice is that, depending on the wine used, it could deteriorate. Carrying full chalices as part of the offertory procession is not a good idea because of the likelihood of spillage.
It seems that Mass at your church is designed to be over as quickly as possible. The idea of liturgy is that we worship God by words and actions and it is a shame that some of the actions are omitted in order to speed the end of Mass. Perhaps the priest has taken account of the attention span of his congregation.
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Cor_ad_Cor
Guest
Not so; this is expressly forbidden, in fact.
Regarding prefilling chalices other than the presider’s, the reason this is often preferred is that the Eucharist should not be poured or transferred from container to container once consecrated unless necessary - to do so only increases the risk of spillage.
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paperwight
Guest
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Phemie
Guest
AFAIK, only the US had an indult to allow that and Rome opted not to renew the Indult back around 2004, around the same time Redemptionis Sacramentum was promulgated. RS119 makes it clear that the only lay person who can help with the purification is an instituted acolyte.jimXroberts:
Not so; this is expressly forbidden, in fact. (quote)
No, not everywhere. It depends where you live. It’s certainly the practice for EMHCs to do so in my Archdiocese in the UK, including in the Cathedral, and may be elsewhere in the UK, I don’t know.
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