Liturgy Committee

  • Thread starter Thread starter George_Waters
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

George_Waters

Guest
I am curious how many members of this forum are members of their parish liturgy committee?
 
George Waters:
I am curious how many members of this forum are members of their parish liturgy committee?
Click to expand...
I have offered, but no word yet.

PF
 
I am an ad hoc committee member. They usually only call me when they need some muscle to move or lift
 
Our committee is more a liturgy coordinating committee than a real liturgy committee; we don’t invent new liturgies 👍 . We meet about once a month to organize the schedule and decide who will do what - get ushers, EMHC’s, offertory family, choir, etc.

My chief task is to see that RCIA needs are met - processions, seating, Scrutiny masses when appropriate.

We occasionally get extra confession sessions scheduled. I managed to kill the idea of sand in the holy water fonts for lent at the last meeting.
 
I have wondered for a while, what does the Liturgy Committee at a parish do?
 
I’m part of our monthly youth mass liturgy team.
Our youth masses are very good. Only problem I have with them is he band is right in front of the side altar; but our pastor has no problem with it, so that’s gonna stay I suppose. O well.
 
40.png
awalt:
I have wondered for a while, what does the Liturgy Committee at a parish do?
Click to expand...
It’s been my experience that they are often the practical genesis for liturgical abuses on a local level…
 
awalt,

Liturgy committees exist to enhance the living experience of the people as they come together in Jesus Christ to worship.

“The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (G.I.R.M.) notes the importance of “directions about the preparation of people’s hearts and minds, and of the places, rites, and texts for the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist” (No. 1). It clearly acknowledges that since liturgy is the “primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian Spirit…the entire celebration is planned in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active and full participation of the faithful both in body and mind” (No. 17).”

americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?articleTypeID=1&textID=3526&issueID=480

In my parish the liturgy committee does all the decorating and un-decorating, we arrange for all the flowers and music, we assist our pastor with the training of all lectors, cantors and extraordinary ministers, we organize posadas and assist with many other celebrations and details throughout the year. And as stbruno said, we move and lift the heavy stuff! 👍

Alterman,

May I assume that you are not on your parish liturgy committee? If they are among the culprits of liturgical abuses you should consider volunteering to help stop the abuses.
 
George Waters:
awalt,

Liturgy committees exist to enhance the living experience of the people as they come together in Jesus Christ to worship.

“The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal (G.I.R.M.) notes the importance of “directions about the preparation of people’s hearts and minds, and of the places, rites, and texts for the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist” (No. 1). It clearly acknowledges that since liturgy is the “primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian Spirit…the entire celebration is planned in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active and full participation of the faithful both in body and mind” (No. 17).”

americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?articleTypeID=1&textID=3526&issueID=480

In my parish the liturgy committee does all the decorating and un-decorating, we arrange for all the flowers and music, we assist our pastor with the training of all lectors, cantors and extraordinary ministers, we organize posadas and assist with many other celebrations and details throughout the year. And as stbruno said, we move and lift the heavy stuff! 👍

Alterman,

May I assume that you are not on your parish liturgy committee? If they are among the culprits of liturgical abuses you should consider volunteering to help stop the abuses.
Click to expand...
It’s a closed (and extremely inbred) shop. If one is not in the circle, then they don’t have a chance of getting on. Their meetings (which are not posted) are usually on Wednesdays at 10am – during work. They post neither an agenda or minutes, and it is a closed meeting.

Thankfully this sorta garbage has ensured that they will always be a fringe group with little real authority.
 
40.png
AltarMan:
It’s a closed (and extremely inbred) shop. If one is not in the circle, then they don’t have a chance of getting on. Their meetings (which are not posted) are usually on Wednesdays at 10am – during work. They post neither an agenda or minutes, and it is a closed meeting.

Thankfully this sorta garbage has ensured that they will always be a fringe group with little real authority.
Click to expand...
I am really sorry to hear that Alterman. I am grateful we have a strong pastor who does not allow things like that to happen in our parish. I have seen things like that happen in groups and it is never a good thing.
 
I had been a member of the liturgy committee for two years. The agenda included arranging for flowers, who was to write the intentions, and basically discuss what the pastor was doing for various masses.

I resigned from the committee when, after the new GIRM, the pastor chose to ignore what he referred to as the “whims and fancies” of the church magesterium. At one meeting he stated that the church was returning to 1958. His ignoring the new GIRM and doing as he pleases was difficult to deal with. When I questioned his actions (and I had done this in private first then in public at a meeting), I was laughed at by the pastor while others appeared to quitely scorn me for challenging him.

My husband and I now attend another parish where the pastor has stated that he will remain “faithful to the Roman Missal”.

Micki
 
Hmmm…

It seems that there is a generally disfavorable opinion of parish liturgy committees.

I am a part of the parish liturgy committee - as a deacon, I find myself a defacto member of certain committees in the parish. Other members include our pastor, our choir director, our sacristan, our director of religious education and other lay ministers.

Our committee is primarilly responsible for planning the celebrations for holy days of obligation and major feasts. We are meeting tonight to begin our discussion of Lent and Easter.

We did meet for a time to plan the implementation of the few changes that resulted from our reception of the new GIRM. We were already pretty much in line, and so had minor changes to make. We still have one issue of posture to further clarify.

My only issue with our liturgy committee is that it usually meets during the day (10:00 AM), when I am at work, though my position has fairly flexible hours, so I can make most of the meetings.
 
So in other words what George and Micki call a Liturgy Committee is really an “Alar & Rosary Society” as opposed to a true Liturgy Committee. Traditionally the Altar & Rosary Society does all the “heavy lifting” and is the manpower behind the liturgy. However, the term Liturgy Committee has taken on the form since the eighties of being a group similar to what Altarman is talking about - a parish committee that is established with the purpose of planning and “adjusting” the liturgy to their designs under the guise of excercising the pastoral duty of the pastor to help make the liturgy more accessable to his parish. Some of the most awful liturgical abuses have come from such Committees.
 
I’m on liturgy committee!

We usually help our pastor determine what the parish’s spirtitual focus should be for each season, suggest what upcoming homilies could focus on to that regard, discuss music and decorations, etc.

My job on the committe is pretty much as theological/liturgical advisor. I usually just listen to the proceedings, and then comment on when a suggestion goes against church teaching or is a violation of rubrics. Its annoying to some of the more liberal members, but luckily our pastor respects my (name removed by moderator)ut.

Josh
 
40.png
mosher:
So in other words what George and Micki call a Liturgy Committee is really an “Alar & Rosary Society” as opposed to a true Liturgy Committee. Traditionally the Altar & Rosary Society does all the “heavy lifting” and is the manpower behind the liturgy. However, the term Liturgy Committee has taken on the form since the eighties of being a group similar to what Altarman is talking about - a parish committee that is established with the purpose of planning and “adjusting” the liturgy to their designs under the guise of excercising the pastoral duty of the pastor to help make the liturgy more accessable to his parish. Some of the most awful liturgical abuses have come from such Committees.
Click to expand...
We also have an Alter Society who cleans the church and purchases most of the linens, vestments, etc., but really has nothing to do with the liturgy. The Liturgy Committee assists the pastor to insure the liturgy is within all guidelines and as I said before do the grunt work.

I am curious how such committees have perpetrated such heinous abuses spoke of here? Does the pastor just let them do what they want and exercises no authority over them?
 
40.png
threej_lc:
I’m on liturgy committee!

We usually help our pastor determine what the parish’s spirtitual focus should be for each season, suggest what upcoming homilies could focus on to that regard, discuss music and decorations, etc.

My job on the committe is pretty much as theological/liturgical advisor. I usually just listen to the proceedings, and then comment on when a suggestion goes against church teaching or is a violation of rubrics. Its annoying to some of the more liberal members, but luckily our pastor respects my (name removed by moderator)ut.

Josh
Click to expand...
My jaw dropped when I read your posting…

Why would laypeople be determining the “spritual focus” of a parish? That’s the pastor’s job. Actually, the Church has already taken care of most of that.

Why is your job “pretty much as theological/liturgical advisor”? That also sounds like a priest’s job.

The potential for problems when a pastor and/or his associate(s) rely on laypeople for critical issues like this is temendous. While your parish might be gifted with smart, orthodox, highly educated laypersons, many are not and the results can be horrible.

You said that your comments often annoy some of the “more liberal” members (whatever that means.) What would happen if one of them held your position within the parish?
 
40.png
Micki:
I had been a member of the liturgy committee for two years. The agenda included arranging for flowers, who was to write the intentions, and basically discuss what the pastor was doing for various masses.

I resigned from the committee when, after the new GIRM, the pastor chose to ignore what he referred to as the “whims and fancies” of the church magesterium. At one meeting he stated that the church was returning to 1958. His ignoring the new GIRM and doing as he pleases was difficult to deal with. When I questioned his actions (and I had done this in private first then in public at a meeting), I was laughed at by the pastor while others appeared to quitely scorn me for challenging him.

My husband and I now attend another parish where the pastor has stated that he will remain “faithful to the Roman Missal”.

Micki
Click to expand...
This is a good example, imho, of pride. All disobedience, even only taking of a piece of forbidden fruit, is rooted in pride.
 
I am an ex officio member of our liturgy committee.

Fortunately they do little more than decide what kind of flowers we put in the sanctuary. The less they do the less damage is done.

I am, with the pastor’s ear, able to steer my traditionally-known “progressive” parish in a more orthodox direction. Of course, that’s before this “five year plan”, which we supposedly are putting together. And who knows how long it will last…this priest will only be here for another five years or so.

The Lord help us.

Adam
 
I don’t know if it’s like this any more (or even if it ever was) but I heard a joke about Liturgists.
What’s the difference between a Liturgist and a terrorist?

You can negotiate with a terrorist.
 
A note I just received (the names have been changed to protect the innocent):

"Mark your calendar! 7:00 PM February 24, 2006
Friday at the Church
For Lector/Eucharistic Ministers

Sr. Barbara Streisand of the Fantasia Diocese,
Department of Worship
Will provide an In-Service Education of the recent
directives given to us by our Bishop on how we celebrate
the Liturgy in our Diocese.

All are strongly encouraged to attend."

This sister has a degree in music (more specifically the pipe organ), yet she is the head of the “Department of Woship” in my diocese. God only knows what innovations she has in store for us…

I swear I could vomit right now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top