Seeking to try Byzantine Catholic Liturgy one of these Sundays

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rickpitt49

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Hey, I’m looking to go to a Byzantine Rite church in the next month or two for a liturgy just to see the differences with the Latin Rite for myself, but I would like to see how it works beforehand. Can anyone point me in the direction of a Byzantine missal or something that outlines the liturgy? Thanks.
 
Rick,

I see you are attending Univ of Pittsburgh. Which parish(es) were you looking to visit? There are some fantanstic, truly “eastern” parishes in the area. I always enjoy visiting Holy Ghost in McKees Rocks (my parish away from home). St John the Baptist on the South Side is also good. Heck, there are lots of good Byzantine Catholic churches in Pittsburgh!
 
In my sig, you’ll find a link to the current Ruthenian Divine Liturgies people’s book.

If the parish in question is part of the the Eparchies of Parma, Van Nuys, Passaic, or the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, that’s the book that is supposed to be in use.
 
I can see this is going to be an interesting trip using Port Authority buses… I’ll have to do my research on how to get to McKees Rocks. lol
 
Aha! I’ve found one in Oakland. Anyone visit Holy Spirit before? If so, let me know if it’s a good one at which to experience the liturgy or not… thanks. 🙂
 
In all my trips to Pittsburgh I hadn’t gotten to Holy Spirit in Oakland. It is the easiest to get to from the university. Yes, McKees Rocks is a stretch by bus from the University, but very much worth going to the 9:00 Sunday Divine Liturgy. When I was travelling back to Pittsburgh WEDO was broadcasting the Divine Liturgy live from Holy Ghost in McKees Rocks on Sunday morning (9:00 am).

Video of interior of Holy Ghost, McKees Rocks.

I would suggest go to Holy Spirit first since it is more practical.

Steve
 
rickpitt49 said:
Hey, I’m looking to go to a Byzantine Rite church in the next month or two for a liturgy just to see the differences with the Latin Rite for myself, but I would like to see how it works beforehand. Can anyone point me in the direction of a Byzantine missal or something that outlines the liturgy? Thanks.
Click to expand...
I am a Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic who has to attend a
Roman Rite church because there is no close Byzantine
church where I live. Pittsburg yellow pages has alot of
Byzantine churches listed! You are fortunate.
One thing about our Eastern Rite churches different from
the Roman…you can go anywheres and the Liturgy
is the very same. No guess work here. Latin Rite, well,
depends on the priest, some do this and some do that.
Confusing and frustrating and very sad.
You will always find a prayer book in the pew to follow the
Liturgy because the people respond continually to the priest.
 
Mary_SHAV said:
One thing about our Eastern Rite churches different from
the Roman…you can go anywheres and the Liturgy
is the very same.
Click to expand...
not entirely true. The DL of St John is very very similar in almost all cases, but differences do arise. Like: certain Ukrainian priests SAYING the DL in English rather than singing it; the truncations of the Ruthenian version (Shorter litanies, mostly); or the priest’s choice of the Antiphon hymns or the typical psalms; Melkites occasionally using Intinction by dipping strips of the precious body into the precious blood instead of immersing the particles and using a spoon; whether the entrances are out the deacon door and straight to the royal doors, or out the deacon doors, around the congregation, and back to the royal doors; DL of St. John or DL of St. Basil; Matins, Divine Praises of the Third Hour, Simplified Divine Praises, or no Divine Praises prior to Divine Liturgy.

Lots of little differences.

True, most of them on par with the differences between the Roman Missal of 1962 and the Dominican Missal, or the Carmelite Missal… if you are not paying attention, and know them, it may surprise you; if you don’t know them, you may even not notice the differences.
 
Aramis said:
not entirely true. The DL of St John is very very similar in almost all cases, but differences do arise. Like: certain Ukrainian priests SAYING the DL in English rather than singing it; the truncations of the Ruthenian version (Shorter litanies, mostly); or the priest’s choice of the Antiphon hymns or the typical psalms; Melkites occasionally using Intinction by dipping strips of the precious body into the precious blood instead of immersing the particles and using a spoon; whether the entrances are out the deacon door and straight to the royal doors, or out the deacon doors, around the congregation, and back to the royal doors; DL of St. John or DL of St. Basil; Matins, Divine Praises of the Third Hour, Simplified Divine Praises, or no Divine Praises prior to Divine Liturgy.

Lots of little differences.

True, most of them on par with the differences between the Roman Missal of 1962 and the Dominican Missal, or the Carmelite Missal… if you are not paying attention, and know them, it may surprise you; if you don’t know them, you may even not notice the differences.
Click to expand...
Hi again,
Sorry, I was speaking of the Ukrainian church, you seem
to have clumped the Eastern Rites altogether. As you know
there are several different Eastern Rites, all with slight
differences.
Usually when the priest sings the responses it is more
like a high Mass. The Mass (Liturgy) will last longer.
When I cannot find a Ukrainian Catholic church I will
attend a Byzantine Church, Ruthenian usually. I feel
confortable and at “home.” The Liturgy of St. Basil is
used on various occasions and longer, usually sung.
Not confusing to me and always very beautiful.
God bless.
 
Mary_SHAV said:
Hi again,
Sorry, I was speaking of the Ukrainian church, you seem
to have clumped the Eastern Rites altogether. As you know
there are several different Eastern Rites, all with slight
differences.
Usually when the priest sings the responses it is more
like a high Mass. The Mass (Liturgy) will last longer.
When I cannot find a Ukrainian Catholic church I will
attend a Byzantine Church, Ruthenian usually. I feel
confortable and at “home.” The Liturgy of St. Basil is
used on various occasions and longer, usually sung.
Not confusing to me and always very beautiful.
God bless.
Click to expand...
No, I’m just mentioning the Byzantine churches. The Ukrainians are not the ONLY byzantines in the Catholic Union.

Of which there are at least 8 particular churches, including the Melkites, Ukrainians, and Ruthenians. The Ukrainian and Ruthenian are quite close. With the exceptions of the spoken DL and the intinction of individual strips, all the rest are differences allowed within the Ruthenian Use of the DL of St. John.
 
Mary_SHAV said:
Hi again,
Sorry, I was speaking of the Ukrainian church, you seem
to have clumped the Eastern Rites altogether. As you know
there are several different Eastern Rites, all with slight
differences.
Usually when the priest sings the responses it is more
like a high Mass. The Mass (Liturgy) will last longer.
When I cannot find a Ukrainian Catholic church I will
attend a Byzantine Church, Ruthenian usually. I feel
confortable and at “home.” The Liturgy of St. Basil is
used on various occasions and longer, usually sung.
Not confusing to me and always very beautiful.
God bless.
Click to expand...
Mary, I am a Byzantine without a home parish too for the same reasons as yours. I was glad to read that you ,as a Ukrainian Byzantine, feel at home in a Ruthenian church because my closest Byzantine church would be a Ukrainian one so I might just give that a try.
 
Awesome, guys… thanks. I’ll let you know what I think of the various churches once I see 'em. I’ll also look closely for a Ukrainian Church near Pittsburgh, now that it has sparked my interest… there aren’t huge theological differences there with the Latin Rite, correct?
 
wynd said:
Isn’t this determined by the liturgical calendar?
Click to expand...
Yes and no.

My home parish, for example, has three DL’s for “sunday”:
18:00 Sat Vigil DL
10:00 Sun DL
15:30 Sun DL at the Mission

The requirement in Van Nuys was that one of the Paschal Sunday DL’s be that of St. Basil. So, lacking a deacon, and to hold his voice through Pascha, only one was. The pastor had the OPTION to use St. Basil for any of them. Likewise, same for Nativity of Our Lord. ISTR a couple others where it’s encouraged.

Many of the Great Feasts are encouraged to have the DL of St. Basil, but it isn’t required. Tradition is to use the DL of St Basil for the feast of St. Basil, Pascha, and the Nativity of the Lord.

I’ve been told that the option to use the DL of St. Basil is always there; Tradition is that the DL of St. John is more suitable to normal use, and the DL of St. Basil for more solemn feasts due to its length. (Tho’ the Ruthenian Use DLoSB is only about 15-20 minutes longer than the DLoSJ.)
 
Aramis said:
The requirement in Van Nuys was that one of the Paschal Sunday DL’s be that of St. Basil. So, lacking a deacon, and to hold his voice through Pascha, only one was. The pastor had the OPTION to use St. Basil for any of them. Likewise, same for Nativity of Our Lord. ISTR a couple others where it’s encouraged.
Click to expand...
The Requirement for the PITTSBURGH BYZANTINE RUTHENIAN METROPOLIA is for the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil to be celebrated on the Feast of Christmas, the Feast of St. Basil - January 1, the 5 Sundays of Great and Holy Lent, Holy Thursday and on Holy Saturday.:byzsoc:

The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil IS NOT used on the Feast of Paska!:tsktsk:
 
Patchunky said:
The Requirement for the PITTSBURGH BYZANTINE RUTHENIAN METROPOLIA is for the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil to be celebrated on the Feast of Christmas, the Feast of St. Basil - January 1, the 5 Sundays of Great and Holy Lent, Holy Thursday and on Holy Saturday.:byzsoc:

The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil IS NOT used on the Feast of Paska!
Click to expand...
That sounds like what my (OCA) parish does.
Patchunky said:
:tsktsk:
Click to expand...
:confused:
 
kitkatty said:
Mary, I am a Byzantine without a home parish too for the same reasons as yours. I was glad to read that you ,as a Ukrainian Byzantine, feel at home in a Ruthenian church because my closest Byzantine church would be a Ukrainian one so I might just give that a try.
Click to expand...
It is the same Liturgy, and the interior of the church will
be familiar to you. God bless!
 
rickpitt49 said:
Awesome, guys… thanks. I’ll let you know what I think of the various churches once I see 'em. I’ll also look closely for a Ukrainian Church near Pittsburgh, now that it has sparked my interest… there aren’t huge theological differences there with the Latin Rite, correct?
Click to expand...
We are the same Church, under the Holy Father, and we
follow the same beliefs. Ukrainians have always shown
a great love to the Mother of God.
The interior of our churches is different, Royal Doors,
icons, vestments etc. Our churches are designed more
or less to show a small bit of Heaven here on earth. Royalty,
for the “King” here on earth.
It has always upset me when one of my children would
get married and a Roman Catholic sitting near me would
ask, “Is it okay to receive Communion?” Even to this day
most think we are not Catholic. Though different, we are
the “same.” true Holy Church.
God bless
 
Mary_SHAV said:
We are the same Church, under the Holy Father, and we
follow the same beliefs. Ukrainians have always shown
a great love to the Mother of God.
The interior of our churches is different, Royal Doors,
icons, vestments etc. Our churches are designed more
or less to show a small bit of Heaven here on earth. Royalty,
for the “King” here on earth.
It has always upset me when one of my children would
get married and a Roman Catholic sitting near me would
ask, “Is it okay to receive Communion?” Even to this day
most think we are not Catholic. Though different, we are
the “same.” true Holy Church.
God bless
Click to expand...
Well, that was actually another important question I should have asked… so Roman Catholics are allowed to receive communion in the Eastern Rite Churches? I wouldn’t ask that because the Eastern Rite Churches aren’t Catholic… I would ask that out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. Any church has the right to say who can receive Communion and who can’t.
 
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