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joseph125
Guest
When is the old Paschal candle removed from the Church? Before Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper? After the Mass? Or just before the Vigil
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Fauken
Guest
It varies on the parish probably. What do you mean by removed?
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Maximilian75
Guest
It doesn’t necessarily have to be removed from the church altogether.
My church has the Pascal Candles of years past on display in the baptistery.
If you mean to ask where the Paschal Candle is on Spy Wednesday, it’s usually wherever your parish does baptisms, as that is where (rubrically) it ought to reside when it’s not Easter.
My church has the Pascal Candles of years past on display in the baptistery.
If you mean to ask where the Paschal Candle is on Spy Wednesday, it’s usually wherever your parish does baptisms, as that is where (rubrically) it ought to reside when it’s not Easter.
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joseph125
Guest
Let me clarify, when is the old paschal candle taken out from the sanctuary or spot near the baptismal font? For example, when is the 2018 candle to be moved to make way for the 2019 candle. Our font is right in the sanctuary, and it seems odd for the paschal candle to be there for Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
My parish does not keep them on display, we bury them.
My parish does not keep them on display, we bury them.
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Maximilian75
Guest
Sounds like a parish-by-parish thing to me…
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UpUpAndAway
Guest
We have a multi-church parish, but obviously there is only one Easter Vigil. It alternates each year between two of the three churches (the third is too small), and the new candles for all three churches are blessed at the same time. I will call these churches A and B. I was head sacristan in B. This is what happened during my tenure.
When the Vigil is held in A, the Paschal candle at B remains in the sanctuary until after the Vigil, when someone who has the keys to B brings the candle blessed at A and switches the previous year’s Paschal candle for the new. The new candle is thus ready for use beginning with the Easter Sunday Mass.
When the Vigil is held in B, the outgoing candle remains in the sanctuary until mid-afternoon on Holy Saturday, when its stand is decorated ahead of the Vigil.
We keep the outgoing candle in place this long in case of funerals. While it’s preferable to delay funerals until Easter Monday or later, sometimes it’s just not possible. We can’t keep people from dying. (Any funeral held during the Triduum is obviously not a Mass.)
Once removed, the old candle is donated to a local convent. The sisters remove the decoration and burn it in their replica Lourdes grotto.
When the Vigil is held in A, the Paschal candle at B remains in the sanctuary until after the Vigil, when someone who has the keys to B brings the candle blessed at A and switches the previous year’s Paschal candle for the new. The new candle is thus ready for use beginning with the Easter Sunday Mass.
When the Vigil is held in B, the outgoing candle remains in the sanctuary until mid-afternoon on Holy Saturday, when its stand is decorated ahead of the Vigil.
We keep the outgoing candle in place this long in case of funerals. While it’s preferable to delay funerals until Easter Monday or later, sometimes it’s just not possible. We can’t keep people from dying. (Any funeral held during the Triduum is obviously not a Mass.)
Once removed, the old candle is donated to a local convent. The sisters remove the decoration and burn it in their replica Lourdes grotto.
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dochawk
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commenter
Guest
I’m curious about that, since my diocese had a massive downsizing. My parish could be affected too.UpUpAndAway:
That’s about as obvious as what time Midnight Mass will be . . .
Is there a liturgical reason why there can be only one Easter Vigil in a parish? Or is it the practical reality that there is only one priest, and he wouldn’t have time to do it in two places?
In my diocese some “churches” are kept open as “worship sites” in a merger, but others that share a pastor and sometimes other staff are designated as separate, but “linked” parishes.
The Easter Vigil has a liturgical significance somewhat different from ordinary Easter Sunday Mass.
I work at a Catholic mission that isn’t a parish,
but has Sunday Mass, with permission of the bishop. It has Easter Vigil, with the Paschal candle.
I’m guessing other non parish Catholic “communities” can do this?
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7_Sorrows
Guest
May I ask what Spy Wednesday is? I have been a convert of over 10 years and never
heard that before @Maximillian75
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Maximilian75
Guest
The Wednesday of Holy Week. I’m pretty sure it’s a reference to the betrayal by Judas. It’s just a pious custom - not official in any way.
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commenter
Guest
When the diocese is downsizing, sometimes parishioners from parish A will sneak over to the nearby parish B to count the attendance, to make sure the number reported doesn’t get inflated. Spy Sunday.Maximilian75:
May I ask what Spy Wednesday is? I have been a convert of over 10 years and never
heard that before @Maximillian75
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7_Sorrows
Guest
Thanks for the reply. It is the first time I have heard of Spy Wednesday.
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UpUpAndAway
Guest
While I’m unaware of any rubric or instruction that prohibits multiple EVs in a cluster parish, the faithful should gather as one for the EV so splitting the members of a parish into separate churches for separate EVs runs counter to to this objective.
That said, since it doesn’t appear to be strictly forbidden my use of the adverb “obviously” is erroneous and I apologize for any misunderstanding its inclusion may have caused.
The CDW’s Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts (1988) strongly encourages a single EV but as far as I can tell it does not say there can’t be more than one.
In any event, a lack of available priests wouldn’t be the reason for the single EV in my own parish since we have had at least four priests since I moved into the parish, and currently have five.
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commenter
Guest
Thanks. Another reason for having a single EV in a parish is that this is often when new persons enter the Church, so the community is there to greet them
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Your parish might look into donating the retired Paschal candles. They are made into candles for mission, poor parishes who cannot afford candles.
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paperwight
Guest
That depends on your locality. I tried donating them to the local Carmelites, but they said they didn’t have the time, and the local Ecclesiastical Supplies factory didn’t want them either as they weren’t geared up for it.
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