August 2022 Praenotanda

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear friends and colleagues,

As we near the end of summer break, I hope your preparation for a fall of liturgical and sacramental ministry is going well! Thank you for all your efforts to help make the presence of Christ known in our parishes, schools, and other institutions throughout the archdiocese.

In this month’s issue of Praenotanda, you’ll also find information about our annual evenings of renewal for pastoral musicians, clarification about confessions during Mass, information about our online shop for annual liturgical resources, as well as other resources to assist you.

During Phase 1 of the Pastoral Planning Pathway, the focus is on leadership within the Family of Parishes. Rather than being a time for sweeping liturgical changes or “rushed assimilation”, each Family should focus on promoting from within or hiring a Director of Worship for the Family Leadership Team, and strengthening existing parish Worship Commissions and beginning to think about bring them together.

And if any parish hasn’t already done the Liturgical & Sacramental Parish Inventory and shared it with other parishes in their Family, now is the time! You’ll always find all the resources for pastoral planning on the digital platform. Everyone has access to general information already, and pastors have been invited to give other clergy and staff access to leader-level resources.

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.

Jeremy Helmes
ODWS Director

FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

As the summer begins to wind down it is my hope that you have had a chance to spend some time with family and friends. Back to School also means a return to the choral season (assuming yours takes the summer off).

One of the issues many church music leaders tackle is recruiting new members into their choirs and ensembles. Everyone is looking for that magic button to press that will flood the rehearsal spaces
and choir stalls with new and talented musicians. Alas, no such button exists. And sadly, I have yet to meet the singer who joined a choir because they saw an announcement in the church bulletin. So what can one do?

First and foremost, the choral and ensemble experience is a human experience. Rehearsing and performing music with other musicians requires good people skills and a welcoming environment. And much of the time it requires that extra effort on the part of the parish music leader to reach out and talk with new parish members or attend parish social functions to meet new people. In essence, you will need to network with your parish to help with your recruiting efforts.

The Beacons of Light process is a great way to meet new people in your newly formed families of parishes. I hope all of us can take advantage of this initiative, not for our own ends, but for the greater glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Matthew J. Geerlings
Music Director

PASTORAL MUSICIANS’ EVENING OF RENEWAL
7:00-8:30PM

Monday, Aug. 22: St. Charles Borromeo Church, 4500 Ackerman Blvd., Kettering 45429 (Dayton)

Tuesday, Aug. 23: St. Michael Church, 11144 Spinner Ave., Sharonville 45241 (Cincinnati)

Pastoral musicians from around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will gather for an evening of renewal as we kick off a “new year” of ministry leading our parish communities in sung worship. In addition to sung Evening Prayer, there will be an opportunity to get caught up on upcoming events and new resources and enjoy some fellowship afterwards.

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Parish Liturgies during Presbyteral Convocation

During the upcoming multi-day presbyteral convocation (Sept 26-29), parish liturgical schedules may need to be adjusted. Please seek the assistance of retired and religious priests who are not attending the convocation to maintain, as closely as possible, the weekday Mass schedule in your Family of Parishes. If necessary, weekday Masses may be cancelled. Families of Parishes should collaborate with nearby Families to offer Mass at least once each day within the deanery, publicizing the Masses available at nearby churches. In cases of true pastoral need, when Mass is not available within a reasonable distance, Holy Communion may be given outside of Mass according to this policy using the proper ritual text.

Eucharist-Centered Parishes

The first principle of Beacons of Light is Eucharist: “The Mass is the source and summit of the whole Christian life. Accordingly, the Eucharist is the essential moment for building up and strengthening the parish community, along with the sacraments and other celebrations of the paschal mystery — the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Each month, we’ll look at one of the aspects of the vision for a Eucharist-centered parish and offer a prompt for your reflection upon your own Family of Parishes.

Sunday Mass: The Sunday Eucharist is the essential gathering of the parish community each week and is the “paradigm for other Eucharistic celebrations” (Dies Domini, 34); therefore life-giving, beautiful, and transformative celebration of Sunday Mass is critical.

Question for Reflection: Are all the resources of my Family of Parishes ordered towards ensuring that Sunday Mass is the “essential gathering of the parish community each week”, and towards ensuring that the celebration of Sunday Mass in my Family of Parishes is “life-giving, beautiful, and transformative”? If not, what must change?

Q. At what points during Mass should there be silence? Is this required?

A. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal envisions that periods of silence be observed at specific points during each Mass. GIRM 45 states that the nature of silence “depends on the moment when it occurs in the different parts of the celebration. For in the Penitential Act and again after the invitation ‘Let us pray’, individuals recollect themselves; whereas after a reading or after the Homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise God in their hearts and pray to him.” And, of course, before Mass begins, silence in the church is helpful as people prepare for the liturgy. We should not simply move from one ritual to the next with no opportunity for silence in between; use the GIRM as the guide for incorporating silence into the Mass. As you consider how the liturgy is celebrated in your parish or school, make sure that silence is observed at the appropriate times to allow God to speak to our hearts!