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Office for Divine Worship and Sacraments
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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 issue of Praenotanda, you’ll find information on formation opportunities for liturgical and Christian Initiation ministers, archdiocesan policies for liturgical and sacramental ministry, and more.
Of note, 2026 Annual Resources are now available for sale. Offering these at a deep discount
to liturgical and sacramental ministers is a service the ODWS is glad to provide.
As always, if there’s anything that Matthew, Gloria Ann, or I can do to assist you in your worship and sacramental ministries, please let us know.
Jeremy Helmes
ODWS Director
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FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
I want to take this opportunity to inform you of a couple of exciting opportunities for music and prayer that are on the horizon in our archdiocese.
On February 28, 2026, the Cathedral Basilica will host the regional Pueri Cantores Youth Choral Festival
and Mass. This is for mixed voices for those in grades 4-12. The day begins at 9am and concludes with Mass at 3:00 p.m. celebrated by Archbishop Casey. For more information or to register your choir go to www.pcchoirs.org. With so many children’s choirs in our archdiocese, I hope you can make plans to participate.
Usually in August, the ODWS hosts a Musician’s Evening of Reflection. Over the years attendance has been waning, so a revamp is necessary. Stay tuned for an exciting new vision for sung prayer and community with our archdiocesan musicians in the very near future.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Jeremy or Gloria Ann if you have questions and need some help.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Matthew J. Geerlings
Music Director
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| 2026 Annual Liturgical Resources
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2026 Annual Liturgical Resources
(e.g. Workbook for Lectors, Year of Grace calendars, Living Liturgy, etc.) are available NOW!
As a reminder, these are available at a deep discount and tax-free when you add your tax ID number to your account.
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| Golden Jubilee Masses with Archbishop Casey
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Couples celebrating a jubilee
wedding anniversary (25th, 50th, 55th, 60th, etc.) are invited to Mass with Archbishop Casey on September 6th (Dayton) or 7th (Cincinnati). Family members are welcome to attend as well, and a special blessing will be offered to the jubilarian couples.
Couples should RSVP by August 25.
Use the QR code in print materials such as a Sunday bulletin.
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Archdiocesan Policies on Worship & Sacraments
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Please remember that all policies, guidelines, and
norms issued by Archbishop Casey regarding worship and sacraments are available online, including those on renovating or reconfiguring a church building, Sunday Mass schedules, ad orientem worship, celebrations of Mass according to the 1962 missal, custody and care of sacred oils, Mass outside of a sacred space, and more. With questions or concerns, please contact the Office for Divine Worship and Sacraments.
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New Mass Formulary: Care for Creation
Pope Leo has approved a new Mass formulary for the Roman Missal and ordered that it be promulgated. Missa pro Custodia Creationis (“For the Care of Creation”) will be added as a Mass for Various Needs and Occasions. Please wait for the official translation to be released by the USCCB before using it. The ODWS wlll make the texts available once they are official for use in the dioceses of the United States of America.
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Together Sunday
Sept 14
Together Sunday is more than a moment—it’s the beginning of a movement toward becoming a more welcoming and hospitable community. Every Sunday, we gather to worship Christ in the Eucharist—and every Sunday is an opportunity to open our doors and our hearts more widely.
With Together Sunday, parishes are invited to take a fresh look at how they welcome people: not only through smiles and greetings, but through a culture that sees, accompanies, and invites. With resources for formation and tools for action, this initiative empowers
parish communities to strengthen relationships, foster connection, and become places of belonging for all who enter.
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Suicide Awareness Month
September is Suicide Awareness Month. In addition to a Mass on September 14th celebrated by Archbishop Casey at the Cathedral Basilica, parishes are
encouraged to include this observance in their liturgical celebrations. Resources can be found online.
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Q. If there is no singing at a weekday Mass, should we recite the Entrance and Communion antiphons found in the missal? Who should recite them?
A. While singing is always desirable for Mass, these antiphons can be recited as part of the liturgical celebration. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states that the antiphons are recited by all the faithful, by just some of the faithful, or by a reader; otherwise, they are recited by the priest himself. (GIRM 47)
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CARE FOR CREATION & WORSHIP
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The new Mass for the Care of Creation “is a source of joy” because it "renews our gratitude, strengthens our faith, and calls us to respond with care and love, in an ever-growing sense of wonder, respect, and responsibility...calls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us—in our daily choices and in public policy, as well as in prayer, worship, and the way we live in the world.”
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— Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ
Prefect of the Dicastery of Promoting Integral Human Development
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