Priest's Entrance at Beginning of Mass

[Calvin_Kool]

Is there a preferred way for a priest to enter the sanctuary at the beginning of Mass? Is it better to have a processional up to the sanctuary from the back of the church or should he enter from the sacristy? Are there any rubrics that should be followed?

Thanks much.

 

[passus]

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal does not specify where the procession should originate.

In many churches, the procession begins at the back, although that varies depending on the logistics of the location of the sacristy (or sacristies) and proximity to the altar.

 

[Joannm]

At our daily Mass the priest comes out from the sacristy,located near the sanctuary, but on Sunday they process from the doors of the church.

 

[John_Lilburne]

I find the General Instruction of the Roman Missal confusing on this point.

It has:
“119. … When there is an Entrance Procession, the following are also to be prepared: the Book of the Gospels; on Sundays and festive days, the thurible and the boat with incense, if incense is used; the cross to be carried in procession; and candlesticks with lighted candles.
A. MASS WITHOUT A DEACON
The Introductory Rites
120. Once the people have gathered, the priest and ministers, clad in the sacred vestments, go in procession to the altar in this order:
a. The thurifer carrying a thurible with burning incense, if incense is used;
b. The ministers who carry lighted candles, and between them an acolyte or other
minister with the cross;
c. The acolytes and the other ministers;
d. A lector, who may carry the Book of the Gospels (though not the Lectionary), which
should be slightly elevated;
e. The priest who is to celebrate the Mass.”

Here n. 119 seems to say explicitly that the procession is optional. But n. 120 seems to say that there will be a procession.

One interpretation is that there are different types of Mass. This includes “Mass At Which Only One Minister Participates”. For this type of Mass it has: “256. The priest approaches the altar and, after making a profound bow along with the minister, venerates the altar with a kiss and goes to the chair.” So for this type of Mass perhaps this is not called a procession.

 

[LUISV]

This is 1 of the liturgical grey areas in the NO. There are, or were two “entrances” in the litury of the mass. These enterences date back to the begining of the church and have always been some what symbolic. Originally they represented the dual nature of Jewish Christianity. Temlple in the Morning and Eucarist after sundown. When the church assumed the Synogue format we are familiar with today the Liturgy of the Word and that of the Faithful became distinguished by the entrances. In the time of the Church Fathers the second entrance was often literally made by the faithful into a separate room where the Eucarist was consecrated. This can still be seen in eastern rite churches where the Iconostasis divides the Sanctuary from the Nave. Some Catholic churches retain their communion rails, though seldom used as such today. These served the same function. The Gospel was walked into the sanctuary during the second, Great entrance.
Novus Ordo brings us back to a more primitive mass forgoing the entrances almost all together. Is it simpler, yes. Have we lost a little reverence for the Word. IMO Yes.

 

[LRThunder]

At my parish, it depends if it’s a Sunday/other Holy Days of Obligation, or if it’s a regular weekday.

If it’s the former, then a procession from the back of the parish where the vesting room is. If it’s the latter, then from the sacristy, with the entrance near the side of the sanctuary.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

I have noticed that the almost universal procedure in American parishes is to process from the back of the church on Sunday Masses or Holy Days, and to process from the sacristy on weekday Masses when the sacristy is in the front of the building. In many German parishes I’ve visited, the procession comes out of the sacristy even on Sundays. In these parishes, the people often begin the opening hymn seated and stand when the sanctuary bell is rung to start the procession.

 

[Phemie]

On Sundays & Holy Days our entrance is always from the back. Our sacristy is behind the sanctuary so there Fr. vests in the alb and brings the chasuble & stole with him to the back of the church.

Vested in the alb, Father is at the back for about 15 minutes before each of the 2 Masses (that’s the extent of his availability for confession). Just before the procession, he dons his chasuble and stole (yes, usually in that order).

On weekdays, Fr. comes in to pray for a few minutes, vested in alb & stole. He sits in the front pew and when the time comes for Mass to start he simply walks into the sanctuary and goes to the chair.