No Lector for Mass

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What is the rule for the readings at Mass if no one can or will do the readings? Can the Priest do them or can He just move on to the rest of the Mass? It’s never happen at any Mass I’ve attended I was just curious as I’ve only been Catholic since April and sometimes these things come to mind.
 
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green7:
What is the rule for the readings at Mass if no one can or will do the readings? Can the Priest do them or can He just move on to the rest of the Mass? It’s never happen at any Mass I’ve attended I was just curious as I’ve only been Catholic since April and sometimes these things come to mind.
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The GIRM requires the Deacon to read them . If no Deacon is present then a con-celebrating priest or the Celebrant is required to read them. They cannot simply be skipped.
 
Just about anyone that can read can do it. The Deacon, a nun or a seminarian can do it. We had so many problems I recomended my pastor contact the diocese to let them know the seminarians were not showing up. We needed someone in a uniform to minister to the problem people of my parish and get them moving. SO we frequently have seminarians. At my local parish we are short alter boys, lectors and Eucharistic ministers. The Diocese has been threatening to close the local parish and we have alot of problems. Making people feel appreciated in their volounteer job as well as sharing responsabilities and christian brotherhood would go along way towards rectifying the problem.

The Gospel and the sermon should be done by a Priest or a Deacon.
 
Funny you should ask. I tried to address this problem yesterday but could not submit my question to this problem for some reason. I have faced this very problem at our church in recent days with the changing of the guard. I used to lector but cannot any more and the Priest keeps asking for volunteers and as there are very few in attendance he just waits for along time, and I squirm until he decides to read. I long for the days when we did not have all these distractions and the Priest celebrated and presided at the Mass in its entirety. My question is it mandatory that a lay person lector?
 
VFA,

As was correctly noted above, if there is no lector the role would fall to an installed acolyte then to a deacon and then to a concelebrating priest and, finally, to the celebrant himself. Note that the directives from Rome strongly suggest that the priest not be a “one man band” taking all the roles unto himself. However, if that’s all there is…

Deacon Ed
 
Let the priest do it, that is read the Gospel and Epistle. Can’t the priest be a priest for once???
 
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Bill_A:
Just about anyone that can read can do it. The Deacon, a nun or a seminarian can do it. We had so many problems I recomended my pastor contact the diocese to let them know the seminarians were not showing up. We needed someone in a uniform to minister to the problem people of my parish and get them moving. SO we frequently have seminarians. At my local parish we are short alter boys, lectors and Eucharistic ministers. The Diocese has been threatening to close the local parish and we have alot of problems.** Making people feel appreciated in their volounteer job as well as sharing responsabilities and christian brotherhood would go along way towards rectifying the problem.**

The Gospel and the sermon should be done by a Priest or a Deacon.
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I have to say that many times the (lay)people in charge of these ministries are either incompetant and/or they have some sort of rancid hidden agenda.

I think the best way to build-up the ministries you described is to place extremely good people in charge of them. Make the training rigorous and long. After a while, the chaff will fall away and the truly dedicated will build some great espirit de crops.

Once the espirit de corps is established, don’t let the same people serve in the ministries forever…
 
Bill, I can identify with you. It is difficult to get altar servers Etc. Folks just want to sit back and have someone else do it. You are lucky to have seminarians. We have one Mass in Spanish and there is a long list of people wanting to help. I try to help at most of the Masses in English, but sometimes Father is totally by himself. Just recently,the Pope and the Bishops have come out with statements concerning the importance of lay-faithful in the Church.

May God send many helpers to all the parishes,
Deacon Tony SFO
 
Deacon Tony560:
Bill, I can identify with you. It is difficult to get altar servers Etc. Folks just want to sit back and have someone else do it. You are lucky to have seminarians. We have one Mass in Spanish and there is a long list of people wanting to help. I try to help at most of the Masses in English, but sometimes Father is totally by himself. Just recently,the Pope and the Bishops have come out with statements concerning the importance of lay-faithful in the Church.

May God send many helpers to all the parishes,
Deacon Tony SFO
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Just the opposite at my parish. People join the “altar ministries” and never leave. The result is a very inbred, extremely ignorant clique of people. Yes, their are certainly exceptions, but the net result is still troubling.

These ministries also seem to attract those that have an abnormal need to be “seen.” Very unsettling to say the least.
 
Deacon Tony560:
Send them over here. Love to have them.

Deacon Tony SFO
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It would be a far better idea to find out why you cannot recruit members from your own parish.
 
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Franciscum:
I have to say that many times the (lay)people in charge of these ministries are either incompetant and/or they have some sort of rancid hidden agenda.

I think the best way to build-up the ministries you described is to place extremely good people in charge of them. Make the training rigorous and long. After a while, the chaff will fall away and the truly dedicated will build some great espirit de crops.

Once the espirit de corps is established, don’t let the same people serve in the ministries forever…
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I have to say I often feel this way, I know it is not true all the time. If yea put trouble makers in charge of all these things. The good will fall away and go somewhere else.

Id also like to say I was an Accolyte for many years. We would wear a cassock and a surplice. Now they just wear a white robe, which I guess is more traditional but I think as the other being more tradidtional. The whole 4-5 years I did it now one ever hardly showed up. I think now the problems you mentioned would definitely keep me from doing any other duties now. I see it as a sign of the times. If I get a sign. Satan is now busy and no ones paying attention. Why should I interupt???
 
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