Votive Divine Office

[CathMass]

I have a question regarding votive offices for the Liturgy of the Hours. I read somewhere that there were times for special reasons that a Votive Office can be recited just as there are times where a Votive Mass can be said. On some occassions, I would like to say a votive office in honor of St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now, there is an approved Votive Mass that can be used in honor of St. Anne which I know is used at Ste Anne de Beaupre in Canada and at St. Ann’s Basilica in Scranton PA.
I was wondering if I could use the collect prayer from that Votive Mass with Common of Holy Women in the LOH and still be praying the LOH in a proper Liturgical manner.

 

[John_Lilburne]

From the General Introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours:

“245. For a public cause or out of devotion, except on solemnities, the Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, the octave of Easter, and 2 November, a votive office may be celebrated, in whole or in part: for example, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, a local feast, or the external solemnity of a saint.”
(Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1982, ISBN 0-8146-1281-4, page 1127).

CathMass wrote “Now, there is an approved Votive Mass that can be used in honor of St. Anne which I know is used at Ste Anne de Beaupre in Canada and at St. Ann’s Basilica in Scranton PA.”

I doubt that this is a Votive Mass. The 2002 Roman Missal lists 19 Votive Masses in the contents section, (Missale Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, ISBN: 8820972719, page 1317). The saints with a Votive Mass are: Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph, Peter and Paul.

On 26 July the church has the memorial of “Joachim and Ann, parents of Mary”. The table of "General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar of 21 March 1969 has a “Table of Liturgical Days According to their Order of Precedence”. It includes: “4. … c. Solemnity of the title of a particular church.” (Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1982, ISBN 0-8146-1281-4, page 1165). So perhaps this is the basis for what happens at “St. Ann’s Basilica in Scranton PA.” etc.

The 2002 GIRM has “355. … c. On the weekdays in Ordinary Time, it is possible to choose either a weekday Mass, or the Mass of an optional memorial which happens to occur on that day, **or the Mass of any Saint listed in the Martyrology for that day ** , or a Mass for Various Needs, or a Votive Mass.”

If the Roman Martyrology lists St. Heliconis for 28 May, then the Opening Prayer at Mass today could be from the Common for Holy Women:
“Father, rewarder of the humble, you blessed St. Heliconis with charity and patience. May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us to carry our cross and to love you always. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.”
(Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 821.)

Similarly for the Divine Office, following General Instruction to the Liturgy of the Hours, n. 244:
“On weekdays when an optional memorial is permitted, for a good reason the office of a saint listed on that day in the Roman Martyology, or in an approved appendix to it, may be celebrated in the same way as other memorials …”.

 

[AJV]

I doubt that this is a Votive Mass. The 2002 Roman Missal lists 19 Votive Masses in the contents section, (Missale Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, ISBN: 8820972719, page 1317). The saints with a Votive Mass are: Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph, Peter and Paul.

Isn’t it possible that the votive in question is conceded as an appendix to the missal? Like how it is done for religious orders and the Masses of the Virgin Mary?​

CathMass, I can see GILH no. 246-252 but particularly the last part of 252 as a possible justification for saying the prayer from the Mass.

 

[AlexV]

Any time a saint is celebrated on a day they are not inscribed in either the Martyrology for that day or a calendar for that day, it is considered a Votive Mass.

 

[CathMass]

I think the votive mass is not one for the missal but rather a mass proper only to the shrines that use it with ecclessiastical approval. It must be a supplement since when I have seen it used it is in a skinny book or liturgical binder rather than the missal.

In the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre this votive mass which they call “the basilica votive mass” is for all pilgrimage masses that occur. In Scranton, the votive mass is identical to the one used in Beaupre. It is not the same as the Mass for July 26 since it only mentions St. Anne and even has its own preface for St. Anne.

I wanted to know if I could use the collect from that approved mass text to offer a votive office liturgically in memory of St. Anne privately like say a regular Tuesday in summer with no memorial or feast whatsoever. I would consider myself to be praying the office in union with a shrine that uses the votive mass.

 

[AJV]

CathMass, out of curiosity, have you checked with them whether they have a special office for St. Anne. They *might *have one that is separate from the Ss. Joachim and Anne of July 26.

 

[AlexV]

There would be no problem using such particular texts for a Votive Office. Of course, if the text in question starts saying things like, “We humbly beg your prayers for those of us gathered here in this Basilica”, then it would be a bit odd. But there’s no problem here.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Any time a saint is celebrated on a day they are not inscribed in either the Martyrology for that day or a calendar for that day, it is considered a Votive Mass.

I don’t think it make sense to say “You can celebrate the Mass of any saint on any weekday of Ordinary Time. You just call it a Votive Mass.”

The 2002 GIRM has in 355(c):
“On the weekdays in Ordinary Time, it is possible to choose either a weekday Mass, or the Mass of an optional memorial which happens to occur on that day, or the Mass of any Saint listed in the Martyrology for that day, or a Mass for Various Needs, or a Votive Mass.”

Why bother saying that a saint needs to be listed in the Martyrology for that day, if you can choose any saint?

So my understanding of a Votive Mass is that it is one of the 19 Masses listed as such on page 1317 of the 2002 Missale Romanum. The individual saints with a Votive Mass are: Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph, Peter and Paul.

So in Ordinary Time, unless there is a memorial, feast or solemnity the priest is free to choose, for example, the Votive Mass of St. Joseph. But there is no Votive Mass of St. Ann. My understanding is that the priest cannot celebrate a memorial Mass of St. Ann unless it is listed in the Calendar as her feast day or she is listed in the Roman Martyrology for that day.

 

[CathMass]

Okay, this “Votive Mass” is not a votive mass in the sacramentary. It is a special supplemental votive mass which can be used only in the places where the proper authorities have permitted it. It is used in St Anne’s Shrine in Auray France, St. Anne’s Shrine in Quebec and on rare occassions (Like during the re-dedication of the monastery when Bishop Timilin used this Mass) at St. Ann in Scranton. It has been in existence since the Pre-Vatican period since I have seen in an old pilgrimage prayer book. It is called the Mass and Office of St. Anne and it originated in Auray France. It is completely different from the festal mass of July 26. The collect prayer for example starts “O Lord, You chose St. Anne…”(St. Anne’s Prayer Book, P. 81 Desrochers 2002 Edition). The mass even has its own preface. I guess, this votive mass can only be used in places where it is permitted by the church authorities.

This is not a normal, mainstream votive mass and I guess it cannot be used in just any place without just reason. The only votive masses allowed everywhere would technically be the 12 votive masses. In this case that this special votive mass was created solely for the benefit of St. Anne’s different Shrines where many flock throughout the year for graces. In conclusion, the “votive mass” can be called an “extraordinary votive mass”

I ask that this thread not become a big argument. It is not a debate about votive masses. I have already put an explanation abnout the mass in question.

I have decided for my personal recitation of the Office that I could use the collect with the Common of Holy Women on the days where a votive office is permitted. It can be an office not only in union with the universal church but in a special way with the shrines of St. Anne. I might just do this on a Tuesday since Tuesday is considered a day for St. Anne.

Thanks to all who have put their answers.