)Where in Parma? I’m sure I’ve gone past it. There’s a lot of Catholic and Orthodox churches in Parma, and extending south into North Royalton and Broadview Heights.. When the Ukrainian Greco-Catholics in Parma, OH built a new church it was oriented towards the east - even though this meant the back of the church faced a main street. (Thankfully they decided to place a very nice mosaic on this wall - much better than plain brick.
Picture yourself standing at the intersection of State and Snow roads, facing east (of course
). About 1,000 ft to your left (north) you will find St Josaphat Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Cathedral. To your right (south) about 2,000 (?) feet down State Road is St Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. A mile or so to the east, down Snow Road, you will find St John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cathedral.Same for my former Byzantine Catholic parish in Illinois.Some people take orientation quite seriously. When the Ukrainian Greco-Catholics in Parma, OH built a new church it was oriented towards the east - even though this meant the back of the church faced a main street. (Thankfully they decided to place a very nice mosaic on this wall - much better than plain brick.
I can speculate: I think it is appropriate for the priest and congregation to face east together, toward the rising sun which was conceptualized as the direction from which Christ would return.
Anyway, such things were taken more seriously once.That’s the same for the Pope celebrating on the High Altar at St. Peter’s.
The idea is actually both. Priest and people face the same direction, looking as one toward the coming of the Lord with the rising Son. When a church is for geographical/topographical reasons not properly oriented toward the east, priest and people should still be united in their facing toward “liturgical east.”
The orientation ad orientem along with the people actually better preserves the unique role of the priest because having him face the congregation focuses all liturgical action upon him instead of upon God, to whom all individuals present used to be turned along with the priest. I do think our traditional liturgical norms did a better job of maintaining distinctions between priest and lay; while I see where you’re coming from, I don’t think facing the same direction risks a slide into “co-celebration.”
I’m afraid I don’t understand something. Why would the liturgical practice of the Catholic Church impact what you do liturgically in your church? Do you follow the liturgical norms prescribed by Rome and adjust as we adjust?
Good question, within the Synod, our bishops and presbyters are free to use whatever rite in their parish that best fulfills the needs of their congregation. The SST does have it’s own rite that is a mix between east and west, and when we are together we use that Rite, however, when functioning within their own parishes the bishops and presbyters have the authority to use that rite which best meets the spiritual needs of the people in their congregation. For some it’s the Eastern, for others its the Anglican, and yet for others it is the Latin Rite most notably the TLM, but others also use the Novus Ordo, but find some of the things disagreeable. So if the changes were made to the current Mass, our presbyters that desire to use it will adjust.
I guess my question boils down to this: If you’re not united with the Catholic Church, why are you concerned with being united in liturgy?
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