Does your priest purify ALL of the sacred vessels at the altar after communion?

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There is a very large parish that I attend occasionally. It has four priests. The newest one arrived from India last August.

Of all the priests that I’ve ever seen saying Mass since distribution by chalice became common about 20 years ago, this new priest is the only one whom I’ve seen purify all of the chalices at the altar. By contrast, all of the other priests only purify the main chalice, while all of the assembly chalices are placed aside for later purification (with only who knows how much precious blood still in them). And of course, this ensures that only those with the proper faculties do the purification.

There are typically 9 or 10 chalices used in a Sunday Mass. His purification process is extremely reverent and deliberate, yet it adds only about two minutes to the Mass. It sounds silly, but I’m just transfixed as I watch him so carefully and thoroughly purify. I don’t know what other parishioners think about this, but I think it’s a wonderful practice. It’s almost like a prayer in motion. (I’m sure that some parishioners think it’s a waste of time and needlessly extends the Mass.)

American seminaries can learn from those in India!
 
Our pastor purifies NONE of the vessels. “We haven’t implemented that document” is his mantra.
 
In our parish the presiding priest purifies his chalice and paten at the altar. The other vessels are brought into the sacristy where the assisting priest or deacon purifies them. The sacristian then washes them if necessary and puts them back in the cabinet.
 
In my parish, the priest purifies his chalice at the altar and all of the other vessels are purified after Mass by instituted acolytes and/or deacon.

Peace

Tim
 
Our priest purifies them ALL. 🙂

But we are a small parish. Though it adds some time, how could anyone care?!?! We could all use some extra prayer time after communion anyway.
 
Our priests purify them all… I think it ticks off all the people that want to hurry up and leave 😃 (the ones that didn’t already leave after receiving, anyway) 😦
 
We don’t offer the cup as a normal practice. But there is one family who cannot receive the host. The priest will prepare a special cup for them to receive. Every priest in our parish purifies that one also. I imagine, given the general reverance of our priests, that if we did offer the cup to all, that they would purify all the vessels.
 
The new ruling is that the priest is to purify ALL vessels used. BUT our new priest says for us E.M. to do it. He says, "if we are able to distribute the host and precious blood…why can’t we purify the vessels? "

I wanted to say, "this is the new rule, Father, "…but didn’t. Is it really that important of a matter? What would Jesus say? :rolleyes:
Hate, is the seed of death to one’s soul. Thomas Merton
 
Our priest purifies them all during mass, right after communion, on the altar. If we have a deacon attending mass, he is actually the one who purifies them, while the priest blesses all the children. If no deacon then the priest does it and blesses the children after.
 
Gosh, that’s one of the things we have deacons for in our parish.

Matthew
 
The priest Old Parish dutifully purified his own, but had to be reminded to do so, unless the deacon was present (then he got the honors).

The priest at New Parish not only purifies his own, but cleans them too!👍
 
At our parish, the celebrant purifies the primary vessels at the altar. The deacon, and any of the retired priests in residence who come out to help distribute communion, purify the remaining vessels and the communion patens at the credence table.
 
We have only the priest’s chalice. Our previous pastor purified it at the altar. Our new pastor - who is every bit as reverent as our previous one - does not purify his chalice at the altar. He does it after Mass. When my altar server sons inquired, he likened it to doing the dishes at the table.
 
lepanto said:
There is a very large parish that I attend occasionally. It has four priests. The newest one arrived from India last August.

Of all the priests that I’ve ever seen saying Mass since distribution by chalice became common about 20 years ago, this new priest is the only one whom I’ve seen purify all of the chalices at the altar. By contrast, all of the other priests only purify the main chalice, while all of the assembly chalices are placed aside for later purification (with only who knows how much precious blood still in them). And of course, this ensures that only those with the proper faculties do the purification.

There are typically 9 or 10 chalices used in a Sunday Mass. His purification process is extremely reverent and deliberate, yet it adds only about two minutes to the Mass. It sounds silly, but I’m just transfixed as I watch him so carefully and thoroughly purify. I don’t know what other parishioners think about this, but I think it’s a wonderful practice. It’s almost like a prayer in motion. (I’m sure that some parishioners think it’s a waste of time and needlessly extends the Mass.)

American seminaries can learn from those in India!
Click to expand...
All of our priests purify after communion. No EMHC’s involved. And I whole heartedly agree it does look like prayer in motion.
 
In our parish, we employ the use of a credence table. This table is located near the altar, but off to one side. When Father celebrates Mass without our Deacon, he purifies all of the sacred vessels at the credence table prior to returning to his chair for meditation. If the Deacon is present, Father retires to his chair and the Deacon purifies the sacred vessels at the credence table. The vessels remain there until after the recessional, at which time the Extra Ordinary Ministers of the Eucharest that have served at Mass retrieve the purified vessels and clean them. (This procedure is done at the direction of our Bishop.)
 
maryj said:
All of our priests purify after communion. No EMHC’s involved. And I whole heartedly agree it does look like prayer in motion.
Click to expand...
The same thing at my parish and it is done at the high altar (which is the only one used). In addition, since communion is done by intinction, there are not separate vessels for the body and blood.
 
Remember, it’s not doing the dishes. Cleaning the vessels could be done by any lay person. Purification is done by a priest, deacon, or instituted acolyte. The prayer accompanying it is:

Quod ore sumpsimus, Domine, pura mente capiamus et de munere temporali, fiat nobis remedium sempiternum.

I believe the official English translation is:

What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, so that what is given to us in time may be our healing for all eternity.
 
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