Eastern Catholicism, An Appreciation

[hartleymartin]

G’day All!

I’ve just come back from a month-long formation course run by the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Sydney. During the course we had a session informing us on the Eastern Catholic Churches, and celebrated a Melkite Liturgy in place of our normal daily mass. I must say that this has given me a greater appreciation of the diversity of Catholic worship, but at the same time I am amazed that we are unified as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I hope to continue exploring all the different areas of the Catholic church so as to gain a fuller appreciation of the church founded all those centuries ago.

 

[ConstantineTG]

G’day All!

I’ve just come back from a month-long formation course run by the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Sydney. During the course we had a session informing us on the Eastern Catholic Churches, and celebrated a Melkite Liturgy in place of our normal daily mass. I must say that this has given me a greater appreciation of the diversity of Catholic worship, but at the same time I am amazed that we are unified as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I hope to continue exploring all the different areas of the Catholic church so as to gain a fuller appreciation of the church founded all those centuries ago.

Glad you liked it. I am hoping to do something similar for our diocese.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

That sounds neat. I wish we could bring back the “Dies Orientalis” that took place before Vatican II. Each parish in the diocese one day a year celebrated mass with an Eastern Catholic parish in the vicinity together to foster understanding and fellowship. Glad to hear you are doing this! I think I will write to the local Roman Bishop and suggest something similar!

Christ is born!

 

[ConstantineTG]

That sounds neat. I wish we could bring back the “Dies Orientalis” that took place before Vatican II. Each parish in the diocese one day a year celebrated mass with an Eastern Catholic parish in the vicinity together to foster understanding and fellowship. Glad to hear you are doing this! I think I will write to the local Roman Bishop and suggest something similar!

Another good idea.

My idea is to get the students of PREP/CCD to attend Divine Liturgy as part of their class. I chanced upon the curriculum for Grade 6 and one part said, “become familiar with an aspect of the Byzantine Rite.” What better aspect of the Byzantine Rite is there than its Liturgy? I already have the support of two UGCC parish pastors. Just waiting for the Archdiocese Office of Religious Education to get back to me after the Christmas break.

Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Nice!

What is Prep/CCD though?

I have a friend who recently became the youth minister/confirmation director at our parish in town and she had invited my priest to come speak but several of her coworkers think it would be more prudent to not mix up the kids with new things if they don’t even know their own liturgy. = / She still wants him to visit though.

 

[AnotherVoice]

Nice!

What is Prep/CCD though?

I have a friend who recently became the youth minister/confirmation director at our parish in town and she had invited my priest to come speak but several of her coworkers think it would be more prudent to not mix up the kids with new things if they don’t even know their own liturgy. = / She still wants him to visit though.

Your friend may want to request that the Eastern priest spend about 60% or more of his discussion time on the similarities between his Rite and the Roman Catholic.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Nice!

What is Prep/CCD though?

I have a friend who recently became the youth minister/confirmation director at our parish in town and she had invited my priest to come speak but several of her coworkers think it would be more prudent to not mix up the kids with new things if they don’t even know their own liturgy. = / She still wants him to visit though.

PREP = Parish Religious Education Program

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

G’day All!

I’ve just come back from a month-long formation course run by the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Sydney. During the course we had a session informing us on the Eastern Catholic Churches, and celebrated a Melkite Liturgy in place of our normal daily mass. I must say that this has given me a greater appreciation of the diversity of Catholic worship, but at the same time I am amazed that we are unified as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I hope to continue exploring all the different areas of the Catholic church so as to gain a fuller appreciation of the church founded all those centuries ago.

Great post. Thanks. And I’m also amazed regarding our Wonderful, Magnificent Unity.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Nice!

What is Prep/CCD though?

I have a friend who recently became the youth minister/confirmation director at our parish in town and she had invited my priest to come speak but several of her coworkers think it would be more prudent to not mix up the kids with new things if they don’t even know their own liturgy. = / She still wants him to visit though.

The Office of Religious Education of the Archdiocese has gotten back to me. The consultant will be visiting the UGCC parish for Divine Liturgy

Although the consultant shares the same concerns as the coworkers of your friends. While it is in the curriculum of the Archdiocese for Grade 6 students to familiarize themselves with an aspect of the Byzantine Rite, she feels we should target more for older kids. Up to her, as long as this program gets going, I’m happy.

 

[ProVobis]

That sounds neat. I wish we could bring back the “Dies Orientalis” that took place before Vatican II. Each parish in the diocese one day a year celebrated mass with an Eastern Catholic parish in the vicinity together to foster understanding and fellowship.

I did not know this. This certainly wasn’t the case in either London or Chicago or at least in the parishes I attended.

That said, why did they discontinue it?

 

[malphono]

I did not know this. This certainly wasn’t the case in either London or Chicago or at least in the parishes I attended.

That said, why did they discontinue it?

It wasn’t a universal thing, but it was the custom in certain dioceses. Whether it was done in a particular place or not seems to have had to do, in part at least, with the disposition of the local Latin bishop, as well as with the concentration of Eastern & Oriental faithful.

Because of the concentration of peoples, that it wasn’t (at least commonly) done in London doesn’t much surprise me, but Chicago does. Yet for the very same reason, Chicago doesn’t surprise me at all.

 

[ProVobis]

It wasn’t a universal thing, but it was the custom in certain dioceses. Whether it was done in a particular place or not seems to have had to do, in part at least, with the disposition of the local Latin bishop, as well as with the concentration of Eastern & Oriental faithful.

Do you think that it was a push of the Novus Ordo which discontinued that practice?

 

[malphono]

Do you think that it was a push of the Novus Ordo which discontinued that practice?

I doubt it, but I really can’t figure out a reason.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

According to an article I read, it was started in the mid 1920s and slowly declined in practice by the early 1950s. This is well before Vatican II and the new mass. The Dies Orientalis were patroned and fostered under Pope Pius XI but I don’t know if his successor had as much of an interest in the Eastern Churches.

 

[malphono]

According to an article I read, it was started in the mid 1920s and slowly declined in practice by the early 1950s. This is well before Vatican II and the new mass.

The custom still existed in the '50 and into the '60s, at least in certain dioceses.

The Dies Orientalis were patroned and fostered under Pope Pius XI but I don’t know if his successor had as much of an interest in the Eastern Churches.

The question about PP Pius XI’s successor I can answer: no, he did not.

 

[ProVobis]

I doubt it, but I really can’t figure out a reason.

Thanks. It is interesting that the interest redeveloped after many felt they felt they needed needed to turn elsewhere from the Novus Ordo though.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Thanks. It is interesting that the interest redeveloped after many felt they felt they needed needed to turn elsewhere from the Novus Ordo though.

Why do you assume that people go to Eastern parishes to turn away from the Pauline Mass?

 

[ConstantineTG]

According to an article I read, it was started in the mid 1920s and slowly declined in practice by the early 1950s. This is well before Vatican II and the new mass. The Dies Orientalis were patroned and fostered under Pope Pius XI but I don’t know if his successor had as much of an interest in the Eastern Churches.

We can always start a new program. I’m glad theres a presedence for this, it would help pushing for this idea.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

I am thinking of writing to the bishop of sacramento about this in the future. I have some friends at the local roman parish and in town and they contacted my pastor and he said he would be happy to come out and discuss the Eastern Churches. I don’t know if he will be celebrating a liturgy though.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I am thinking of writing to the bishop of sacramento about this in the future. I have some friends at the local roman parish and in town and they contacted my pastor and he said he would be happy to come out and discuss the Eastern Churches. I don’t know if he will be celebrating a liturgy though.

What I did is contact the Religious Education Office of the archdiocese. It helped that I am a Catechist in the archdiocese and most of the active Catholics including the contact person in the office is Filipino.