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Office for Divine Worship and Sacraments
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You can now easily purchase our archdiocesan publications to assist in preparing wedding liturgies, funeral liturgies (for families and bereavement ministers), forming and training EMHCs, Church teaching on cremation, and more!
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FROM THE DIRECTOR
“We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.”
From this entrance antiphon for Holy Thursday, we understand the meaning of the entire Paschal Triduum, and indeed of the whole Christian mystery. Thank you for everything you have done these past 40 days and for everything you will do over the coming 50 to help the faithful encounter the Crucified and Risen Lord in our liturgical and sacramental celebrations.
In the praenotanda below, you’ll find info on the last few EMHC formation sessions, our spring Initiate sessions for RCIA team members, information on care and custody of the sacred oils, and more!
You can always find the latest Covid-related guidance on our Worship Together Safely page, linked below as well. As the situation evolves over the coming months (hopefully for the better!), we’ll keep you updated on changes to protocols.
Don’t forget: you can shop the ODWS online! With our new online store, you can easily purchase our archdiocesan policy and formation booklets for preparing funeral liturgies, wedding liturgies, for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and more!
As always, if there’s anything that Matt, Monica, or I can do to assist you in your worship and sacramental ministries, please let us know.
Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia! Happy Easter!
Jeremy Helmes
ODWS Director
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FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
Last month, Archbishop Schnurr released a letter inviting people back to Mass. With our lowering COVID numbers, now seems a good opportunity to discuss ways to safely have music in our parish liturgies once more.
One of the biggest issues is the use of hymnals. In the early stages of the pandemic, churches were instructed to remove their hymnals from the pews. Where we once thought that this virus could be spread through surfaces such as hymnals and pews, the science seems to indicate otherwise. Hymnals may return to the pews and be used once again.
Choirs and ensembles have been reduced or put on hiatus these past months. The Easter season is an excellent opportunity to start to bring these groups back. Safely bringing these musicians back will mean taking extra precautions. Singers and instrumentalists should still wear masks (not face shields, but masks). They should be spaced 6 feet apart. This might mean limiting your numbers based on the available space set aside in your church for the musicians. Wind instruments should utilize bell covers, while all others continue to wear masks. Rehearsals should be held in a well-ventilated space for no longer than 45 minutes. This might mean rehearsing in more than one location. (You can find all our guidance on music ministry during this time of public health concern and all information needed to worship together safely at the link below.)
Most importantly, please empower your singers and instrumentalists to be okay with saying "no". If a singer feels even the slightest bit sick or has knowingly been around someone who has recently tested positive for COVID, let them know it’s okay to stay away for a bit. Giving them that guilt-free control is one of the safest, and smartest, measures you can take to help keep everyone safe.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Matthew J. Geerlings
Music Director
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Updated liturgical guidance has been issued as of March 12, to help us continue to worship together safely. The fundamental guidance remains in place with regards to masking, social distancing, and cleaning. You can always find the most up-to-date guidance and suggested strategies on this webpage which will be updated as the pandemic (hopefully!) improves.
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Join fellow RCIA ministers – veteran and novice – for our free virtual workshop series, Initiate.
In just 90 minutes:
- Dialogue with your colleagues about best practices for initiation ministry.
- Explore some new ideas from experts in the field.
- Discover new approaches to Christian Initiation, all from the comfort of your own tablet or computer!
Initiate will be held from 1:30 – 3:00 PM on Thursdays April 22, May 6, & May 20
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Sacred Oils: Custody & Care
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The staff of the Pastoral Center are working on an initiative titled “TOGETHER” to encourage the faithful to “come back to Mass” and to help form our parishioners on the importance of Sunday Mass, the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives, and the value of being together in community, not just online. In the coming weeks, stay tuned for more details on this exciting initiative which will include digital and print resources for use in parishes.
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USCCB Spanish Worship Newsletter
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The USCCB Subcommittee on Divine Worship in Spanish has launched a new Spanish-language newsletter, called the Boletín, featuring content exclusively in Spanish in the area of divine worship. Published three times a year (spring, summer, and fall), with eight pages per issue, the back page of every issue will include a “Popular Devotions” feature geared to the respective liturgical season. Available as a free download, the same website features a wealth of liturgical resources available to Spanish speakers.
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This Holy and Living Sacrifice: EMHC Formation
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Online formation and training for new and veteran extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion will take place this spring in both English and Spanish. Some sessions will focus on ministry to the sick, hospitalized, and homebound. Please share this information with EMHCs in your parish and those looking to join this ministry.
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Ministry to Persons with Disabilities
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April is Autism Awareness Month. During this month we celebrate neurodiversity and take time to grow in our awareness of persons with autism and the many gifts that they bring to our Church. Persons with autism need our support. It may be difficult for a person with autism to attend Mass due to overstimulation, and Sensory-Friendly Liturgies are a great solution for this issue. These liturgies require a few adaptations within the legitimate rubrics of the liturgy, but the biggest part of implementing a Sensory-Friendly Mass is to create a stigma-free environment. If your parish is interested in help offering this, please contact the OPD.
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Photos Needed:
Parishes at Prayer
We’d like to feature a photo of one of our parishes at prayer at the top of each new monthly news email. If you can share a photo of your faith community celebrating the liturgy, please email the ODWS with a photo attached. Some basic guidelines:
- Landscape, not portrait
- Hi-res (at least 2MB)
- Focus more on the people than the building
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Q. How is the date of Easter determined? Is it the same for all Christians?
A. Easter Sunday of the Resurrection is the Sunday after the first full moon (the “new moon” or the “paschal moon”) after the vernal equinox. In a sense, before we can celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and the redemption of all creation, the earth must be ready, the sun must be ready, even the moon must be ready…all of creation must be prepared to greet the Rising Dawn! This is the method of computation for Western Christians. The Orthodox continue to follow an older calendar, thus sometimes the Sunday is different.
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