Gloria omitted at my parish?

[AnastasiaRomano]

I recently moved to a rural area where there is only one Catholic parish for the whole county. It’s been quite a liturgical adjustment, shall we say.

So far, I’m perplexed by what I have seen. Every single Sunday, we skip the Gloria. We just go straight from the Kyrie Eleison into the collect prayer. For three weeks, the pastor was on vacation, and we had a substitute priest who included the Gloria. Once the pastor returned, no more Gloria.

Other oddities at this parish are that it usually omits the penitential rite (Kyrie Eleison only), and say the Apostle’s Creed instead of the Nicene Creed. But it’s the absence of the Gloria that bothers me the most – it isn’t Lent, so why is the joy of the Gloria gone?

Any ideas on why the Gloria is being omitted? Is this omission permissible? (I have a feeling it isn’t) And any ideas on how I could talk to the pastor about this?

 

[Vico]

I recently moved to a rural area where there is only one Catholic parish for the whole county. It’s been quite a liturgical adjustment, shall we say.

So far, I’m perplexed by what I have seen. Every single Sunday, we skip the Gloria. We just go straight from the Kyrie Eleison into the collect prayer. For three weeks, the pastor was on vacation, and we had a substitute priest who included the Gloria. Once the pastor returned, no more Gloria.

Other oddities at this parish are that it usually omits the penitential rite (Kyrie Eleison only), and say the Apostle’s Creed instead of the Nicene Creed. But it’s the absence of the Gloria that bothers me the most – it isn’t Lent, so why is the joy of the Gloria gone?

Any ideas on why the Gloria is being omitted? Is this omission permissible? (I have a feeling it isn’t) And any ideas on how I could talk to the pastor about this?

The Creed and Gloria are used at solemn feast but not required at a memorial. Could the pastor be forgetting this important liturgical prescription?

GIRM No. 53 has that the Gloria “is to be sung or said on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, on solemnities and feasts, and in special celebrations of a more solemn character”.

GIRM No 68 has that: “The Creed is to be sung or said by the priest together with the people on Sundays and Solemnities. It may be said also at particular celebrations of a more solemn character”.

If another profession of faith is made in the Mass, such as baptism, baptismal promises during Easter celebration, then the Creed may be omitted.

 

[Phemie]

As VICO said, the Gloria is supposed to be said on all Sundays outside of Lent and Advent.

As for the Creed, since November 2011 either the Nicene or the Apostles Creed are OK. Before that, in the US, the Apostles Creed was reserved for Masses with Children. In Canada it’s always been used.

 

[Inquiringperson]

I recently moved to a rural area where there is only one Catholic parish for the whole county. It’s been quite a liturgical adjustment, shall we say.

So far, I’m perplexed by what I have seen. Every single Sunday, we skip the Gloria. We just go straight from the Kyrie Eleison into the collect prayer. For three weeks, the pastor was on vacation, and we had a substitute priest who included the Gloria. Once the pastor returned, no more Gloria.

Other oddities at this parish are that it usually omits the penitential rite (Kyrie Eleison only), and say the Apostle’s Creed instead of the Nicene Creed. But it’s the absence of the Gloria that bothers me the most – it isn’t Lent, so why is the joy of the Gloria gone?

Any ideas on why the Gloria is being omitted? Is this omission permissible? (I have a feeling it isn’t) And any ideas on how I could talk to the pastor about this?

Actually, the Kyrie Eleison itself can be used for the penitential rite.

 

[Phemie]

Actually, the Kyrie Eleison itself can be used for the penitential rite.

Not by itself. Option 3 includes the Kyrie as follows:
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord, have mercy. **Lord, have mercy.
**
You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:
Lord, have mercy. **Lord, have mercy. **

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

 

[starryheart]

That is odd. Try asking the priest why they’re omitted. I actually wonder why they’re skipping important parts.

 

[curlycool89]

So far, I’m perplexed by what I have seen. Every single Sunday, we skip the Gloria. We just go straight from the Kyrie Eleison into the collect prayer. For three weeks, the pastor was on vacation, and we had a substitute priest who included the Gloria. Once the pastor returned, no more Gloria.

That shouldn’t be happening. I once went to a parish in my hometown that did that during the summer, always omitted the Gloria.

Other oddities at this parish are that it usually omits the penitential rite (Kyrie Eleison only),

The Kyrie can be used as a Penitential Rite (it’s option C, as Phemie said above)

and say the Apostle’s Creed instead of the Nicene Creed.

That is allowed (since the new translation last Advent, either Creed is now allowed at the presiders discretion). Here in Canada, we say the Apostels Creed most (if not all) of the time.

 

[SMHW]

The Kyrie can be used as a Penitential Rite (it’s option C, as Phemie said above)

But as Phemie also mentioned, Option C is not JUST the Kyrie. Option C is invocations with the Kyrie interspersed.

The Kyrie with no invocations is only supposed to be used with options A and B.

 

[Inquiringperson]

Not by itself. Option 3 includes the Kyrie as follows:
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord, have mercy. **Lord, have mercy.
**
You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:
Lord, have mercy. **Lord, have mercy. **

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

It’s still the Kyrie Eleison, but just in the formula of the Penitential Rite. But you are right about the “not by itself” part.

 

[AnastasiaRomano]

Thanks all for the responses.

As for the Kyrie, we sing it without invocations – so it isn’t really Option C as posted above, just the Kyrie by itself.

As for the Gloria, I haven’t yet asked the pastor why it is omitted. Being the new person in a very small parish is tricky, and I don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker so I need to figure out a gentle way of bringing this up. Since I just joined the choir, I did ask the choir director why we sang the Gloria when the substitute priest was visiting, but not when the pastor was there. She told me that “Father just doesn’t like the Gloria.” I’m guessing there’s more to it than that, because even if one doesn’t like the musical setting of the Gloria, it can still be said…

Any thoughts on how, as the newcomer to this parish, I could bring this up with the pastor?

 

[japhy]

She told me that “Father just doesn’t like the Gloria.”

Wow. I can understand choosing one option over others because you don’t like the others, but there’s nothing optional about the Gloria. And what isn’t there to like about it? And, honestly, what weight do our personal feelings toward a particular prayer of the Church have?!

Any thoughts on how, as the newcomer to this parish, I could bring this up with the pastor?

I would pose the question along these lines:

“Hi, Father X. I’m new to this parish, and at my previous parish, we would sing/say the Gloria before the opening prayer, but you don’t do that here. I was curious why.”

Or you could present it from an emotional perspective, saying that you “miss” the Gloria.

 

[AnastasiaRomano]

Wow. I can understand choosing one option over others because you don’t like the others, but there’s nothing optional about the Gloria. And what isn’t there to like about it? And, honestly, what weight do our personal feelings toward a particular prayer of the Church have?!

As I said, I think there has to be more to it than that – and those are the choir director’s words, not the priest’s words directly.

I will try to talk to him today or Sunday and ask him why it is omitted.