Fall 2003 Liturgical Update

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)	All Saints/All Souls 2003
Order of Christian Funerals	Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 8, 2003
RCIA Training

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM)

Each parish has received from Archbishop Sheehan a set of 23 bulletin inserts on the revised GIRM which should be inserted weekly in parish bulletins so that the assembly may be educated in the liturgy. If your parish has not begun, it is not too late! Just begin inserting the articles in numbered order, one or more each week. The numbers are at the bottom of each insert.

In addition, a GIRM video is being produced that will be given to each parish. This video is primarily intended for liturgical ministers and liturgy teams, but it may be shown and discussed by all. A video study guide will be accompanying the video so that parishes may drive maximum benefit from discussing it.

Additionally, the priests and deacons have been requested to attend special GIRM implementation workshops:

• Deacons - Saturday afternoon, September 27th as part of their annual retreat
• Priests - Wednesday, October 15th from 10am til 3pm at the Catholic Center
• Liturgical Ministers - Sat, November 8th from 9am til Noon - John XXIII Parish, Albuquerque

The Office of Worship has limited copies of the GIRM and the Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds available. Call if you would like to purchase a copy. For multiple copies, order from USCCB at 1-800-235-8722.

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Order of Christian Funerals (OFC)

We are privileged to host a full-day seminar for priests, deacons, funeral musicians, bereavement ministers and funeral home directors on the revised Order of Christian Funerals. Leading this seminar is the internationally-known expert on the OCF, Rev. Richard Rutherford, CSC, professor of pastoral liturgy at the University of Portland and author of The Death of a Christian.

The seminar will be presented twice.

• Friday, September 12, 2003 from 9 a.m. til 4 p.m.
  Risen Savior Parish Hall, Albuquerque
• Saturday, September 13, 2003 from 9 a.m. til 4 p.m.
  Santa Maria de La Paz, Santa Fe

The registration deadline is fast approaching, September 5th. Call the Office to register, and then send in your registration fee!

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RCIA Training

We are offering two training workshops this fall in the RCIA process:

• Which Rite is Right? - Saturday, October 25th from 9:30am til 2:30pm at the Catholic Center; learn about the rites that accompany each stage of the RCIA; get your questions answered; for RCIA coordinators and teams
• Understanding the Role of Sponsor - Sunday, November 16th from 2:00pm til 5pm at the Catholic Center; presented by nationally-known RCIA expert and editor of Catechumenate Magazine, Vicky Tufano. RCIA coordinators, teams, and sponsors are welcome to attend.

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All Saints/All Souls 2003

This year, the Solemnity of All Saints falls on a Saturday. The US Bishops decided a number of years ago, that if certain Holy Days fall on a Saturday or Monday, the Solemnity is still celebrated on that day, but it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. All Saints Day is one of those days. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year.

So the Masses during the day on Saturday, November 1st should celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Anticipatory Vigil Masses on Saturday afternoon/evening and all Sunday Masses should celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day).

1. Weddings on All Saints Day- Ritual Masses, including the Nuptial Mass, are prohibited on solemnities (GIRM #372). So if the Rite of Marriage is celebrated within Mass on November 1st, the Mass of All Saints Day is used (presidential prayers, readings, and preface) with the Nuptial blessing and the special final blessing. The Rite of Marriage Outside Mass may be celebrated with no restrictions.
   
2. Funerals on All Saints Day - A Funeral Mass may be celebrated on any days except Solemnities which are holy days of obligation, Holy Thursday, the Easter Triduum, and the Sunday of Advent, Lent, and Easter…(GIRM #380). Since this year, All Saints Day is not a holy day of obligation, Funeral Masses may be celebrated on this day.

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Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)

The feast of the Immaculate Conception falls on a Monday this year. This solemnity is a Holy Day of Obligation, in accord with the US Bishops decision in 1992.

The question then arises, “If we have a regularly scheduled Mass on Sunday evening, which Mass is celebrated, the Second Sunday of Advent or the Immaculate Conception?” The Bishops Committee on the Liturgy have responded that either Mass can be used, however, the choice must be communicated to the faithful in advance since they have an obligation to participate in both a Mass for the Second Sunday of Advent and a Mass for the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

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