Eastertime 2003 Liturgical Update
Solemnity of the Ascension
of the Lord
This year the Solemnity of the Ascension will be observed in our province on Sunday,
June 1, 2003. On Thursday, May 29, 2003 an Eastertime weekday Mass is celebrated with
Lectionary Readings #294. The Easter Candle remains in place and continues to be lit through
Vespers on Pentecost.
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The General Instruction of
the Roman Missal (GIRM)
The approved English translation of the revised General Instruction
of the Roman Missal including adaptations for the United States was released
in early April. Copies of the document will be published by the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops in the next few months.
Archbishop Michael Sheehan has indicated that the GIRM is not to be implemented
in parishes in the archdiocese until a thorough catechesis has taken place. The Office of Worship
will assist parishes in this catechesis by offering parish bulletin articles, by producing a
video, and by holding regional workshops. Specific information on liturgical catechesis will
be sent to each parish. Archbishop Sheehan has set the implementation date for the new
GIRM as November 30, 2003, the First Sunday of Advent.
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Liturgical/Musical Job
Hunting/Position Filling?
During this time of the year, music ministers and parishes begin putting together
job descriptions, seeking parish music directors and liturgists. The Office of Worship would
like to be of assistance to you. Parishes - If you have an opening for
a parish music director, full or part-time, or a parish liturgist, please notify the Office of
Worship and, if possible send a job description. Musicians - If you are
looking for a parish liturgical position, send your resume to the Office of Worship. We will
try to help the process by providing you with connections. The rest is up to you!
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Ordination to the Permanent
Diaconate
This summer, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe will have the honor of celebrating
one of the largest permanent deacon ordinations in the United States. Sixty men will be ordained
on Saturday, July 12, 2003 at the Albuquerque Convention Center at 10 a.m. Because
the space is so large, no reservations are needed and all Catholics of the Archdiocese are invited
to participate. This would be a great opportunity to bring your liturgy committee and ministers
to celebrate a liturgy of the entire church of Santa Fe.
An Archdiocesan Choir is being formed to provide musical support
to the assembly’s song. If you have not yet registered to be in this choir, the time is
short since the first rehearsals are May 17 and 18th. To join the choir, contact Barbara Guenther,
the Music Director for the ordination at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish 298-7553 now!
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Liturgy Planners - Ordinary
Time
This summer’s Sundays of Ordinary Time in Cycle B offer a special opportunity
to liturgy planners. Because of the brevity of Mark’s Gospel, the Church has inserted several
Sundays of Gospel readings from John about the feeding ministry of Jesus and John’s discourse
on the “bread of life”. These Sundays are the 17th through the 21st Sunday of Ordinary
Time. This may be an opportune time to recruit additional Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist,
as needed, to hold a day of reflection for Eucharistic Ministers, to preach and sing about the
mystery of the Eucharist, to set aside time for parish Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration.
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NPM Guitar School Express
(Bi-lingual)
For the past two years the Office of Worship and the National Association of
Pastoral Musicians, (NPM), have successfully sponsored two weekend institutes in music and liturgy:
the NPM Cantor School and the NPM Pastoral Liturgy Express. This summer, we will again sponsor
a music and liturgy school, but this time for Liturgical Guitarists. The NPM Guitar Express
School will be held on Friday, August 22nd from 4 p.m. through Sunday, August 24th at 4 p.m.
at Madonna Retreat and Conference Center, Albuquerque. The weekend will be led by national
known guitarists/instrumentalists, Bobby Fisher (English) and Rudy Lopez (Spanish). Encourage
your guitarists to mark their calendars to plan to come to this wonderful educational and formation
weekend! More details to come!
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2003 Hispanic
Pastoral Musicians Conference
The Southwest Liturgical Conference and the Diocese of Las Cruces are hosting
the third Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference on July 24-27, 2003 at New Mexico State
University in Las Cruces. Presenters include Mary Frances Reza, Rudy Lopez, Tony Alonzo,
Dolores Martinez, Bob Hurd, Jaime Cortez, Fr. Juan Sosa, Peter Kolar and more! Brochures are
being sent to parishes and are available in the Office of Worship. Registration deadline is June
24, 2003. Scholarships are available for parish musicians from the Office of Worship. Call us
for details!
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Liturgical Institute of the
Southwest (LISW)
The first class of the Liturgical Institute of the Southwest (LISW) will be
completing the first year of their two-year certification program in June. As a summer project,
each of the 33 students will be completing a parish liturgical project. Please give your support
and help to them as they work on this project in preparation for certification in June, 2004!
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E-Confessions
In case you were wondering - the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Roman curial
department, clarified earlier this year that electronic means cannot be used to celebrate the
sacrament of Penance. E-mails and faxes cannot be used to confess sins sacramentally. The reason
given was that the need for secrecy and authenticity “might degenerate in the violation
of the very constituative and inherent elements of the sacrament of penance”. Not all things
are advanced by technology!
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