October 2022 Praenotanda

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear friends and colleagues,

As we approach the end of this liturgical year, our thoughts turn to preparation for the Incarnation Cycle of Advent and Christmas. How will the celebration of these seasons truly be a time of grace for us? What will being part of a Family of Parishes mean for our time-honored traditions? Newness brings changes but also opportunities. I look forward to seeing how our Families of Parishes will create new ways of celebrating these liturgical seasons.

In this month’s issue of Praenotanda, you’ll find information about pastoral planning in the Eucharist pathway, details on an upcoming webinar on the new Rite of Penance, the new liturgical calendar, and more. It’s not too late for members of parish worship commissions, liturgical staff, and clergy to join us for With Zeal and Patience, this year being served “Family style!”

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

Last week I had the opportunity to serve as the musician for the priest convocation held in Wheeling, WV. It was nice to meet so many priests and to witness their zeal for the faith and the faithful of our Archdiocese! While there are certainly challenges that lie ahead, I am encouraged the Beacons of Light initiative is here to give us hope in the mission of Christ!

I assured the priests I spoke with that their parish musicians want to be a partner with them in this mission, whether they serve in an urban family of parishes or a more rural setting. But how? This is an important question…how do we help our pastor and priests? I can offer a few suggestions:

1. Pray for them! This is the most important thing we can do for our pastors and parishes. Prayer works, sometimes in profound ways, but more often in less perceptible ways.

2. Be a voice of reconciliation among our parishioners and other staff members. We have all witnessed how gossip and innuendo seeks to destroy someone. When I hear gossip that I know to be false, I will ask, “who did you hear such nonsense from?”

3. Keep communication honest and open. Electronic communication is great, but sometimes the necessary context is needed and can only happen in person. And don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.

4. Stay current on your copyright information (livestreaming or reprint). I know, “there he goes again about copyright!” Aside from the legal obligation to report, there is also a moral imperative to see to it that composers and others are properly compensated for their work.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I am convinced the number one thing we can all do is pray. Pray for our priests, pray for the leadership teams in your family of parishes, and pray for one another.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Matthew J. Geerlings
Music Director

WITH ZEAL & PATIENCE

Weds, Oct 12, 7-9pm, St. Patrick Church, Troy
Tues, Oct 18, 7-9pm, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Monroe
Thurs, Oct 27, 7-9pm, St. Veronica Church, Mt. Carmel

Join new, potential, and veteran members of other parish worship commissions for this workshop on your role in promoting the sacred liturgy in our faith communities with "zeal and patience"!
NEW FOR 2022:
We’ll look at first steps towards a Family of Parishes Worship Commission.

Why a Worship Commission is essential for your Family of Parishes
Essential liturgical principles
How to evaluate your parish liturgies for improvement
Strategies for liturgical catechesis
Preparing the liturgical year
Equipping liturgical ministers
How and when to begin forming a commission for your Family of Parishes.
And much more!

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.

Unity: As the sacrament of unity (1 Cor 10:17), celebrations of the Eucharist within the Family are opportunities for members of the parishes to worship together. The cultural traditions of the members of the Family of Parishes are honored and celebrated, particularly on special feasts.

Question for Reflection: What aspects of our parish liturgical celebrations are unifying? Which ritual elements across the various parishes in our Family bring unity to our Family? Do we unnecessarily strive for uniformity instead of unity?

Q. When may the Book of the Gospels be used?

A. The General Introduction to the Lectionary specifies that “it is very desirable that cathedrals and at least the larger, more populous parishes and the churches with a larger attendance possess a beautifully designed Book of Gospels, separate from any other book of readings.” Since the proclamation of the Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word and stands apart from the other proclamations of sacred scripture, it is appropriate for the deacon (or in his absence, a reader) to carry this book in the Entrance Procession and place it on the altar, and then bring it to the ambo during the Gospel Procession. The Book of the Gospels (or Evangelary) may be used on Sundays and more solemn days. Not every Gospel pericope is included in the book (for example, weekdays are omitted) so if a passage is included, the book may generally be used.