Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.

Overview

• 11:30am: Sext at Saint Catherine of Siena Church.
• #Solemn Procession.
  • #Blessing of Palms.
  • Gospel, Homily.
  • Procession from SCS to SVF.
• 12:00pm: Roman Rite Solemn Mass at SVF as usual during Lent, except:
  • Vestment change after first incensation of the Altar.
  • No Penitential Rite, Gospel Procession.
  • Six Servers in front of the Crossing Altar during the Eucharistic Prayer.
  • Depart as normal, but in silence.

Roles

Up to eight servers:

• Master of Ceremonies
• Thurifer
• Boat bearer
• Acolyte 1, Book bearer, Lucifer 1 (Torch during Eucharistic Prayer)
• Acolyte 2, Holy Water Bearer, Lucifer 2 (Torch during Eucharistic Prayer)
• Crucifer, Bell Ringer
• Lucifer 3 (Processional Candle during #Solemn Procession, Torch during Eucharistic Prayer)
• Lucifer 4 (Processional Candle during #Solemn Procession, Torch during Eucharistic Prayer)

Preparation

• Arrival:
  • Servers should arrive at SVF early enough to be in cassock by the time the 9:30am Mass finishes, so that they can start setting up immediately.
  • Servers and Ministers head to SCS when setup at SVF is complete, being sure to get there in plenty of time to set up for the portion at SCS and start on time.
    • Servers carry their surplices (rather than wear them) so they don't get dirty.
• SVF, Roman Rite Solemn Mass#Preparation as usual, except:
  • Celebrant's and Concelebrants' Chasubles on the Choir Stalls near their seats at SVF, for those that wear Copes for the #Solemn Procession.
  • Processional Crucifix decorated with palms (still veiled) and brought to SCS, leave stand at SVF.
  • Two Processional Candles topped with wind guard followers and brought to SCS.
  • Two Processional Candles topped with standard followers left in place at SVF.
  • Thurible Stand in usual place with full Incense Boat, extra charcoal, etc. but Thurible left in [[Mortuary Chapel]]. The Thurible from SCS will be used for Mass.
• SCS:
  • Incense Boat full, Thurible lit, Thurible Stand near Sedilia.
  • Pamphlets set out for Ministers and Servers at their seats.
  • At the back of the church near the statue of St. Catherine of Siena (See Saint Catherine of Siena Church#Floorplan):
    • Table with palms, Aspersorium.
    • Lectern with Missal open to the correct page.
  • Ritual with Prayers of the Faithful nearby on a back table. Alternatively, the Book Bearer can carry it from the Sanctuary.
  • MC keeps a lighter in his cassock pocket.

Sext

At Saint Catherine of Siena Church.

• Process into the Sanctuary, using the standard Procession#Formation.
  • North from the Sacristy across the front of the church.
  • Form up at the foot of the Sanctuary, Reverence, and enter. There will not be enough room for all to form up, so the Servers should do this in separate parts.
• Lucifer 3, Crucifer, and Lucifer 4 sit at the Sedilia, setting down the Processional Candles and resting the Processional Crucifix on the ground where appropriate.
• Other Servers sit in Choir Stalls on the Epistle side.
• Stand and sit at appropriate times with congregation. Follow the pamphlet.
• When Sext is finished, servers retrieve needed items and start procession.

Solemn Procession

The First Form of the Procession given in The Roman Missal is used.

Process out of the Sanctuary down the middle aisle to the back of the church where there is a lectern, not stopping to reverence. No incense is imposed before this procession.

Form up:

• Thurifer and Boat Bearer split to the North and form up facing the middle.
• Lucifer 3, Crucifer, Lucifer 4 split to the South and form up facing the middle.
• Book Bearer, Holy Water Bearer, and any extra Servers split to the South and form up behind the Processional Crucifix facing the middle.

Blessing of Palms

• When Celebrant finishes the introduction and text of the blessing of palms, Holy Water Bearer attends to the Celebrant while he sprinkles Holy Water, following him and holding the Aspersorium and his Cope on his right side.
• When finished, Holy Water Bearer sets down Aspersorium in its place, grabs enough palms for himself, the Book Bearer, and any empty-handed Servers, and returns to formation.

Gospel, (Homily)

• Thurifer and Boat Bearer approach Celebrant to charge incense, or Boat Bearer gives boat to Thurifer if there is not enough space.
• After Deacon's blessing, Thurifer precedes Deacon to the lectern¹, Lucifers 3 and 4 approach the lectern and flank it, and Holy Water Bearer gives Celebrant a palm.
  • Thurifer attends to Deacon for the Gospel.
  • After Gospel, all return to formation.
  • A Server gives the Deacon a palm.
• Priest may optionally preach a homily.

Universal Prayer

Omitted.

Procession Proper

• Cue: Let us proceed in peace. In the name of Christ. Amen.
• Thurifer and Boat Bearer approach Celebrant to impose incense, or Boat Bearer gives Incense Boat to Thurifer if there is not enough space.
• Any Servers not carrying anything should take a palm for the procession.
• After that, all form up and leave when the Schola Cantorum starts to sing. Exit through the main entrance.
  • Standard Procession#Formation, with the Schola Cantorum, Ministers, people, and brass quartet following the Servers.

Follow the police's instruction. Expected route:

• Turn right to head West on 68th Street.
• Turn left to head South on 1st Avenue.
• Turn right to head West on 66th Street.
• Turn left to enter SVF from entrance at corner of 66th Street and Lexington Avenue.
• Wait in Narthex while procession catches up.
• Cue: Schola Cantorum starts the first Introit.
• Turn left to enter the main church, and go straight up the center aisle.

During the Procession, the Boat Bearer should assist the Thurifer in adding more incense as needed. The MC should relight the Processional Candles as needed.

Order of Mass

Entrance, Introit, Kyrie

After the Introit, there is a sung Kyrie in place of the Penitential Rite.

• Reverence and enter the Sanctuary.
• Thurifer and Boat Bearer assist with incensation of the Crossing Altar as usual.
  • Boat Bearer may switch to using SVF's boat at any time after entering SVF, including at this point. Switch when the SCS boat is low on incense.
• When done, MC and Acolytes assist Priests in taking off Copes and donning Chasubles. Place Copes on the Choir Stalls on the Epistle side.
• Place any extra palms in the Choir Stalls#Low.

Collect

After sung Kyrie, Book Bearer bears the Missal.

Gospel, Homily, Credo, Universal Prayer, Offertory, Preface

• Gospel Procession is omitted; no incense or Processional Candles are used. Servers stay in place in Choir Stalls and kneel at the appropriate time during the Gospel with the rest of the congregation.
• All sit for Homily. Thurifer adds coals as needed.
• Credo is sung.
• Offertory and Preface as usual for Roman Rite Solemn Mass.

Sanctus through 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, Ablutions, Postcommunion Prayer, Dismissal

As usual for Roman Rite Solemn Mass.

Recession

• As normal, empty-handed Servers carry palms.
• Depart in silence; no Marian Antiphon.

Cleanup

As normal, except:

• SCS's Thurible and Incense Boat remain at SVF, since it is needed for Holy Thursday.

References

• The Roman Missal, pages 271-286.
• Ceremonies Explained for Servers, paragraphs 736-753, 760-762.
• Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, paragraphs 125-150.

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1. If there is no Deacon, then they precede the Celebrant or Concelebrant, and there will be no blessing, as is typical at Mass. ↩