Easter Vigil

The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night.

Overview

Roman Rite Solemn Mass with:

• #Lucernarium.
• Additional #Lessons and [[Collect]]s.
• Ringing of #Bells and lighting of #Candles during the #Gloria.
• #Baptismal Liturgy, including Litany of the Saints, #Profession of Faith, and #Confirmation.
• Lighting of Sanctuary Lamps during #Communion.

Roles

To help organize Servers' different roles, we organize the Mass into four parts, each with separate, contained roles.

1. Lucernarium (Blessing of the Easter Fire through the Exsultet):
   • Tim: Master of Ceremonies.
   • Bernardo: Thurifer.
   • Patrick: Book Bearer.
   • Roman: Ignifer 1 (Taper).
   • Daniel: Ignifer 2 (Weenie roaster, Tongs, Hand Candle).
   • Chao: Ignifer 3 (electric lights, Hand Candle).
   • Everyone else: Ignifers with Hand Candles.
2. Liturgy of the Word (Introduction of Readings through the Homily):
   • Tim: Master of Ceremonies.
   • Bernardo: Thurifer, Ignifer 2, long Taper
   • Patrick: Book Bearer.
   • Roman: Ignifer 1, long Taper.
   • Nick: Ignifer 3, short Taper.
   • Sean: Ignifer 4, short Taper.
   • Chao: Ignifer 5, electric lights and Friars' Chapel.
   • Everyone else: Bell Ringers.
3. Baptismal Liturgy (Litany of the Saints through the Universal Prayer):
   • Tim: Master of Ceremonies.
   • Patrick: Book Bearer 1 (Missal).
   • Thomas: Book Bearer 2 (Ritual).
   • Nick: Garment Bearer, Oil Bearer.
   • Chao: Holy Water Bearer.
   • All other Servers are Ignifers with Hand Candles.
4. Liturgy of the Eucharist (Offertory through Recession):
   • Tim: Master of Ceremonies
   • Bernardo: Thurifer
   • Mario: Boat Bearer
   • Patrick: Crucifer, Book Bearer, Bell Ringer
   • Nick: Acolyte 1, Candle bearer 1
   • Chao: Acolyte 2, Candle bearer 2
   • Alex: Torch bearer 1
   • Daniel: Torch bearer 2
   • Sean: Torch bearer 3
   • Thomas: Torch bearer 4
   • During Communion:
     • Tim, Roman, Bernardo: light the Sanctuary Lamps.
     • Nick, Chao, Sean, Thomas: fill the Holy Water fonts.

Preparation

See Easter Vigil Preparation.

Order of Mass

Entrance

Mass will start when everyone is in place near the firepit on 66th Street near the Rosary Altar entrance. All of the Servers, Ministers, and Schola Cantorum should go there in an orderly fashion, holding what they need for the #Lucernarium:

• MC is empty-handed.
• Thurifer has unlit Thurible with charcoal and Incense Boat.
• Ignifer 1 has short Taper.
• Ignifer 2 has weenie roaster and tongs.
• Book Bearer bears Missal and carries it in procession.
• A Priest, not the Celebrant, carries the Paschal Candle.
• Other Servers carry Hand Candles, plus four extra Hand Candles between them, one each for Celebrant, Deacon, MC, and Ignifer 2.

Form up:

• Book Bearer and MC near Celebrant.
• Thurifer, and Ignifers 1 and 2 with an easy path to the fire.
• Everyone else in two lines out of the way.

Lucernarium

Service of Light.

Mass begins when the Celebrant starts the prayers.

Blessing of Fire and Preparation of the Candle

• Book Bearer holds Missal for the lighting and blessing of the fire and the preparation of the Paschal Candle.
• After the fire is lit and blessed¹, and the preparation of the Paschal Candle is taking place, Thurifer and Ignifer 2 discreetly light Thurible:
  • Both approach the fire. Thurifer holds Thurible open.
  • Ignifer 2 uses tongs/weenie roaster to take charcoal brickettes from Thurible, light them in the fire, and place them back in the Thurible.
  • When finished, Thurifer closes Thurible and Ignifer 2 leaves the weenie roaster and pockets the tongs. Both return to their place.
• MC provides the Celebrant with the stylus, incense grains, and follower as the Paschal Candle is being prepared.
• When the preparation of the Paschal Candle is finished, Ignifer 1 lights the Taper from the fire and hands it to the Celebrant. Celebrant lights the Paschal Candle and hands the Taper back, which Ignifer 1 extinguishes.

Procession

• Thurifer goes to Celebrant to impose incense.
• Ignifer 1 gives Taper to MC.
• Ignifers give extra Hand Candles to Ignifers 1 and 2, Celebrant, and Deacon.
• Formation:
  • Thurifer
  • Priest with Paschal Candle.
  • Celebrant.
  • Master of Ceremonies.
  • Concelebrants.
  • Servers in pairs. Ignifers first, Book Bearer last.
  • Schola Cantorum.
• Route: Three legs, each stopping for Christ our light/Thanks be to God:
  1. Just outside the door on the corner of Lexington Ave. and 66th St.
     • MC lights Taper from Paschal Candle, lights the Celebrant's candle, and extinguishes the Taper.
  2. Into the narthex, into the nave, up the main aisle to the halfway point.
     • Celebrant lights the MC's Taper, who shares the flame with Concelebrants, Server, and Schola Cantorum, who then pass it to the people.
  3. To the foot of the Sanctuary. Thurifer stands off to the North side during intonation.
     • Paschal Candle goes to its stand in front of the Ambo. MC accompanies it to spot as it's placed, then returns to his seat.
     • Other Servers enter the Sanctuary in pairs, forming up in the middle and making a Profound Bow before entering and going up the North side of the Altar:
       • Thurifer goes to the Celebrant's chair and stands by.
       • Ignifer 3 goes to the Sacristy by way of the Passageway, and waits near the Lourde's Door (so that he can hear).
       • All others deposit their items and stand in Choir Stalls#Low with lit Hand Candles.

Exsultet

• Thurifer assists with Imposition of Incense. MC holds Celebrant's and Deacon's Hand Candles during imposition of incense.
• Thurifer then precedes whomever will proclaim the #Exsultet:
  • To the Paschal Candle, to be incensed.
  • To the High Ambo to incense.
  • Immediately after the incensation, Thurifer descends the High Ambo, and then stands near the Choir Stalls on the South side (to maximize the distance between the smoke and the cantor.
• All other Servers remain in Choir Stalls#Low with Hand Candles lit, facing the Ambo.
• When the Exsultet is complete:
  • Ignifer 3 turns on the minimal configuration of lights required for the Schola Cantorum to see their music, switches 25 and 26 on the panel. Then he returns to the Choir Stalls by way of the Passageway.
  • Thurifer returns the Thurible to the Stand and returns to his seat.

Liturgy of the Word

Extinguish Hand Candles when the pamphlet says to / when the Celebrant does.

Lessons

Book Bearer bears Missal for the greeting and the introduction of the readings. He then bears it for the prayers following each psalm after each reading. All other Servers remain in Choir Stalls#Low, sitting/standing at the appropriate times.

Before the Gloria:

• Toward the end of the second-last lesson, Ignifer 5 exits to the Sacristy by way of the Passageway, making a Profound Bow along the way.
• Just after the last lesson, during the prayer, MC takes a Taper and waits near the Paschal Candle. As soon as the Gloria starts to be intoned, he lights the taper and returns to the Choir Stall.

Gloria

During the Gloria, one team of Servers lights candles, another rings Hand Bells. The MC opens the Sepulchre Door and assists with lights.

Bells

• Hand Bells rung by Bell Ringers. MC assists with cues.
• Consult James for precisely when to ring, likely the same as at Holy Thursday > Gloria.

Candles

Five Servers and the MC light candles and turn on Church Lights. There are many candles. This should be done quickly, though still in a dignified manner. The goal is to finish lighting everything and for Servers to be back to their seats before the sung Gloria ends.

When Gloria is intoned:

• MC enters the Sanctuary, lighting the Ignifers' Tapers and handing his taper off to the last Ignifer.
• Ignifers 1-4: Two shorter Ignifers use shorter tapers and go in order; two taller Ignifers use longer tapers and go in reverse order:
  • Crossing Altar: 6 altar candles, 2 polychrome candles.
  • Rosary Altar: 4 candles and 1 sconce, High Ambo light switch, and open the sepulchre door.
  • Mary statue near JPII icon: 1 sconce.
  • St. Joseph Chapel: 4 St. Joseph Altar candles, 1 sconce. 2 Gudalupe altar candles and 1 sconce. Light switch.
  • St. Patrick Chapel: 4 St. Patrick Altar candles, 1 sconce. 4 St. Martin de Porres altar candles. Light switch.
  • Holy Name Chapel: 6 Altar candles, 1 sconces, 2 candles on the fence, light switch.
  • St. Vincent Ferrer: 2 candles.
  • Pieta: 1 candle.
  • Lourde's Door: 1 candle.
  • Parish icon: 1 candle.
  • [[Porta Caeli]]: 1 sconce.
  • High Altar: 6 altar candles, 2 angel candles, 2 polychrome candles. Use stools to stand on to make lighting easier.
• Ignifer 5:
  • Turn on the Church Lights to the Solemn Mass setting.
  • Take up and light the nearby Taper.
  • Light the Friars' Chapel#Rood candles via the catwalk.
  • Turn on Friars' Chapel lights.
  • Light the Friars' Chapel Altar candles.
• MC: After the Rosary Altar candles are lit and the bell cuing is done, open the Sepulchre Door and turn on the high ambo overlight (switch in passage where Torches are stored).
• DO NOT light the Sanctuary#Lamps.
• All return to Choir Stalls#Low when finished and extinguish Tapers.
• One short Taper should be left near the Baptismal Font table, where the towels and baptismal candles are.
• If the music gets to the second Jesu Christe before the Servers are finished, they should abandon what they're doing and return to the Choir Stalls.

Collect

Book Bearer bears book.

Epistle, Gradual, Alleluia, Gospel, Homily

Same as usual, except:

• Gospel Procession uses incense, but does not use Processional Candles.

Baptismal Liturgy

Christian initiation and the blessing of the font.

After the Homily when the Celebrant stands, the Servers all go directly to the Baptismal font, and stand in two lines under the High Ambo. See #Order to know what to carry. The Celebrant calls forth the Baptismandi, and the procession starts.

Procession

Litany of the Saints is sung during procession.

Order

Master of Ceremonies may have to help direct the Baptismandi.

• Priest (not the Celebrant) with Paschal Candle.
• Baptismandi and their godparents in pairs.
• Master of Ceremonies, empty-handed.
• Book Bearers 1 and 2 with Missal and Ritual, respectively.
• Holy Water Bearer and Garment Bearer, empty-handed.
• Ignifers, in pairs, with (unlit) Hand Candles.
• Celebrant and Deacon.

Route

• Baptismandi and their godparents should fill in from their pews in pairs and join the procession.
• Turn right, head South across the back of the church.
• Turn right, head East toward the Rosary Altar.
• Turn right, head to the Baptismal Font.
• Servers stand between Baptismal Font and Sanctuary, out of the way, while others file in and out when not needed.

Blessing of Water

Book Bearer 1 bears Missal during Blessing of Water. When finished, he gets out of the way.

Baptism

• Book Bearer 2 bears the Ritual for the Baptisms.
• Garment Bearer assists with the garments
• Holy Water Bearer assists with towels.
• Master of Ceremonies assists with baptismal candles, giving them to the sponsors.

Renewal of Baptismal Promises

• MC lights the Taper and hands it to the Celebrant, who lights each godparent's candle, each of whom gives the lit candle to the newly baptized.
• When finished, Ignifers light Hand Candles from the newly baptized, and then light the peoples' Hand Candles throughout the whole church.
• Book Bearer 1 bears Missal.
• Holy Water Bearer bears Aspersorium with him as he moves about the church, sprinkling. Newly baptized will join in the procession after the Celebrant. No other servers join.
• When finished, Holy Water Bearer takes the Aspersorium and returns it near the Baptismal Font.

Profession of Faith

Book Bearer 2 bears the Ritual.

Confirmation

• Oil Bearer retrieves the Chrism Oil and a hand towel from the Credence Table and brings them to the Deacon or attending Priest, and then stands with the other Servers.
• Book Bearer 2 bears Ritual.
• When all are confirmed, Oil Bearer takes oil and hand towel.

When finished, all Servers and Ministers return to Sanctuary by the shortest path.

Universal Prayer

[[Credo]] omitted, due to #Renewal of Baptismal Promises.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory, Preface, Sanctus, Eucharistic Prayer, Great Amen

• At Sanctus, six Servers line up at the foot of the altar, see Eucharistic Prayer#Formation.
• If Eucharistic Prayer 1 is used, Boat Bearer assists Thurifer in imposing more incense shortly before the Epiclesis. Cue: Celebrant starts listing saints' names.

Communion

• Celebrant, Concelebrants, and Deacon receive Communion.
• A Server holds the Paten for those who received sacraments.
• When all of those who received sacraments and all Concelebrants have received, Servers receive Communion in pairs.
• 2-3 Servers use Tapers to light the Sanctuary Lamps, then raise them.
• 3-4 other Servers use pitchers to refill the holy water fonts at all of the entrances to the church.

Postcommunion Prayer, Recession

As usual for Roman Rite Solemn Mass. Two Alleluias are added to the dismissal prayer.

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1. The Roman Missal says not to do this until the Paschal Candle is lit, but if we do that, then the coals won't be properly lit for the procession. ↩