Liturgy Boards, Do we need them?

[Gloria_Jean]

Forgive me for asking what may be a very dumb question. But, when, where, what and why did they begin.

Some of the folks on our liturgy board know less (really much less) than I do about our Catholic faith before or after Vatican II.

As a returning Catholic I’d like to know what’s their purpose.

 

[BrianDay]

Gloria Jean:

Some of the folks on our liturgy board know less (really much less) than I do about our Catholic faith before or after Vatican II.

I think you’ve answered your own question. Because there is so much lack of understanding, confusion, and a desire to know what a corrrect reverent Liturgy is, this is the reason for the board.

Someone posts, “Hey, this is happening. Is this OK?” Plenty of people help out with good counsel. If there are mistakes, then others are there to correct the errors, hopefully in charity.

In the end everyone learns and becomes better Catholics.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I’m going to take the question in a different way.

Why do we have Liturgy Commissions (boards) in our parishes?

The whole idea of Pastoral Councils and Education, Liturgical, Social, Evangelization/Ecumenism Commissions. was I believe intended to gain more insight into the needs of the faithful. They have however in amy parishes taken over and as you state are stafed with people who have never been trained in those areas. I would venture to guess that if you asked Liturgy Commission members if they have ever read or studied the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy or the latest GIRM or the RCIA rite or any of the Rites of the Church? I believe 98 out of 100 would say no.

 

[pnewton]

I asked my priest just this week why we did not have a liturgy commitee at our church. He stated that he had found it to be a drain in time. The more efficient solution is to address matters of music with the musicians, altar-serving with the head of altar servers, etc. He said in past liturgy committees he had much of the time was explaining to one group why another group was doing something one way or another and nothing every got accomplished.

His policy is to be open to all parishoners on any item in the liturgy. If he needs to confer with someone, he’ll go to the individual in charge and the priest with his advise makes, the decision

 

[Thomas]

I have actually witnessed this in my lifetime:

A lone sacristan opened the church, lit the candles and put out the water and wine, the priest set the missal and it was placed on the altar, the congregation arrived and mass was celebrated.

Then the sacristan put out the lights.

Honestly, I don’t know what we we thinking in those days.