June 2021 Praenotanda

Do you remember how it felt to be together?

As more and more faithful return to Mass, TOGETHER – a new initiative in the archdiocese - will assist parish leaders in encouraging parishioners and catechizing them on the importance of Mass, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the value of Sunday, our obligation to worship and the advantage of being together physically rather than virtually.

For pastors, catechists, teachers, and other parish leaders

Liturgical catechesis resources
Homily helps
Questions for reflection and discussion
Social media posts, bulletin articles, and much more!

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear friends and colleagues,

While Eastertide is my favorite liturgical season, the return of Ordinary Time is also welcome, especially as summer fires up and the pace of parish and school life slows a bit. Thank you to everyone who has served so faithfully in liturgical and sacramental ministries in our parishes, schools, and other institutions during Eastertide. I hope you will now get a chance to breathe a bit.

In the Praenotanda below, you’ll find information about scheduling for Christmas 2021, featured resources from the Office for Persons with Disabilities, and more.

Don’t forget about our new initiative, TOGETHER, which features resources and strategies to encourage and invite your community back to the house of the Church, the house of the Lord through liturgical catechesis, faith formation, small group discussion, preaching, 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.

Jeremy Helmes
ODWS Director

FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

One of the many positives of our Archdiocesan Beacons of Light initiative is the opportunity to re-think our models of ministry in our parishes, especially as families of parishes begin to form. Music plays such a vital role in our weekend liturgies, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions in the life of a parish. New families of parishes might have the opportunity to add to their staff, and this might include a paid organist position.

While most of us are aware of the priest shortage in this country (and praise God for our 7 newly ordained priests along with our 7 newly ordained transitional deacons!), fewer are aware of the acute shortage of trained organists. A recent survey conducted by the American Guild of Organists found 58 percent of its members had been playing for over 31 years, and that the majority of the membership were in the upper 50s to mid-70s.

Schools of music at many universities and colleges have either shuttered their organ departments completely or have reduced the faculty to adjunct status. This is due to the declining numbers of students desiring to take lessons.

Conversely, many churches and institutions are rediscovering the great treasury of music written for the organ and are investing the necessary resources to rebuild and renovate or commission new instruments entirely. Now we just need people who can play them!

This summer I’ll discuss methods and strategies being developed to inspire a new generation of young people to take up the pipe organ. And more importantly, what parishes can do to support these young people.

Celebrating the Bicentennial in Parishes

**NEW** Design Assets for Parish Publications

In addition to the celebration at the cathedral basilica on Saturday June 19, you’ll find suggestions for parish celebrations of the Bicentennial on Sunday June 20 on the ODWS website, including choices of orations and readings, sample Universal Prayer, connection points to Radiate Christ and Beacons of Light, our bicentennial hymn Christ Our Light and more.

**NEW: You’ll find design assets (logos, photos, worship aid covers and templates, and more for designing your parish’s June 19/20 bulletin, worship aid, or social media campaign.**

Since December 25 (The Solemnity of the Nativity) falls on a Saturday in 2021, the question of satisfying one’s obligation to attend Mass for both Christmas and Holy Family arises. Also, the question of scheduling parish Masses for consecutive days of precept can be complicated. A pastoral suggestion is to simply not have an evening Mass on Saturday, Dec 25, enabling all the faithful to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family on the morning of Sunday, Dec 26. You can find more information about this, and liturgies for Mary, Mother of God (also a Saturday)/Epiphany here.

Sensory-Friendly Worship Together

One excellent way to demonstrate that a parish community truly welcomes persons with disabilities is to host regularly scheduled Sensory-Friendly Liturgies. These liturgies are not difficult to implement. They only require some small accommodations such as lower lighting, softer music, and the use of a Children’s Lectionary for a more literal interpretation of the readings. By simply setting aside a regularly scheduled Mass to directly invite persons with sensory needs, you can send a message to persons with disabilities and their families that they are wanted and expected at your parish.

Q. The old Sacramentary had Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children, but they are not in the new Roman Missal. Where did they go? Can they be used?

A. The three Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children were not included in the third typical (“master”, in Latin) edition of the Roman Missal because they are not intended to be used in Latin. The Church continues to permit their use in the vernacular, and they are published in a separate publication available from the USCCB. Their use, like that of the Lectionary for Masses with Children, continues to be governed by the Directory for Masses with Children. Put simply, both the children’s Lectionary and Eucharistic Prayers are intended for Masses where the majority of those participating are children (e.g. school) in which only a few adults take part. They are NOT intended for regular parish Masses, even those in which a focus might be on children (e.g. First Communion, a so-called “Children’s Mass” on Christmas, etc.) The Directory makes clear that the use of the children’s Lectionary or Eucharistic Prayers “must lead children toward the celebration of Mass with adults, especially in the Masses at which the Christian community must come together on Sundays.”