Offertory

The Offertory is the part of Mass at which the Altar is prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Celebrant offers the gifts of bread and wine.

Roman Rite

In the [[Roman Rite]], the Offertory occurs immediately after the Universal Prayer, or the Creed if the Universal Prayer is omitted, or the Homily, if both are omitted.

Overview

If there is an Offertory Chant, Servers with duties stand in place in the Choir Stalls until it begins¹. Then, Servers work out of Standby Formation²:

• Altar is prepared³.
• Chalice is prepared⁴⁵.
• Bread and wine are offered by the Celebrant.
• Altar is incensed⁶.
• Lavabo is performed⁷.

If there is no Deacon

If there is no Deacon, the Servers are responsible for all parts of the Offertory not performed by the Celebrant.

1. Items are brought to the Altar:
   • Book Bearer brings the Missal and Stand, and places it center-left, at a 45-degree angle. He then opens it to the Offertory page (first green tab). His Offertory duties are finished, he returns and stands in the Choir Stalls as part of the Standby Formation.
   • Acolyte brings the Chalice Stack and places it on the Northeast corner of the Altar, veil facing the people.
2. Other items brought to and taken from the Altar:
   • Acolytes bring Ciboria, Personal Chalices, and Pyxes, placing them on the Northeast corner of the Altar.
   • A Minister may place items on the Northeast corner of the Altar to indicate they should be taken away. Acolytes retrieve the items and return them to the Credence Table. This usually only applies to the Chalice Veil and extra Burses.
3. The Celebrant offers the bread on the Paten.
4. The Acolytes assist the Celebrant with preparing the Chalice:
   • The Acolyte on the right takes the wine Cruet, the one of the left takes the water Cruet. Both wait in Standby Formation.
   • Cue: The Celebrant Bows after raising the bread.
   • The Acolytes approach in a pair, each holding one Cruet. Wine on the right, water on the left. They offer the wine Cruet first, then the water Cruet:
     • Hold the Cruet at an appropriate level so as to make it visible to the People and easily taken by the Celebrant. The handle should face the Celebrant. The caps of the Cruets should be removed at the Credence Table and left there.
   • After receiving the water Cruet back, Acolytes Head Bow and return the Cruets to the Credence Table.
5. The Thurifer assists with the Incensation:
   • Cue: Celebrant Bows after raising the Chalice.
   • Thurifer assists Celebrant in Imposition of Incense, then returns Incense Boat and waits in Standby Formation.
   • Celebrant incenses the Altar.
   • Cue: Celebrant Bows to the Altar after incensing it.
   • Thurifer retrieves Thurible from the Celebrant and stays in front of him.
   • Thurifer incenses the Celebrant three times, center, left, then right⁸.
   • If there are Concelebrants, Thurifer incenses them in groups in the same manner.
   • Thurifer goes to the West side of the Crossing Altar and incenses the People in the same manner.
   • Thurifer returns Thurible to stand. His offertory duties are finished; he waits in Standby Formation.
6. The Acolytes assist with the Lavabo:
   • Cue: The Celebrant has been incensed.
   • Acolytes approach the Celebrant in a pair, right having the dish and water, left having the Finger Towel.
   • Acolyte pours water over Celebrant's fingers, the other offers the towel.
   • When Celebrant returns the towel, Head Bow and return items to Credence Table.
7. All return to Choir Stalls and stand.

If there is a Deacon

If there is a Deacon, he will perform some of the duties the Celebrant and Servers would otherwise perform⁹. Notably:

• The Deacon brings the Chalice Stack to the Altar instead of an Acolyte.
• The Deacon prepares the wine and water for the Chalice instead of the Celebrant. As a result:
  • The Cruets are brought to the Deacon, not the Celebrant.
  • The Chalice may be prepared before the bread is offered by the Celebrant. The Acolytes must pay close attention to see when the Deacon needs the Cruets.
• The Deacon incenses the Celebrant, Concelebrants, and People. The Thurifer assists with the Imposition of Incense, waits in Standby Formation, and then retrieves the Thurible from the Deacon after he has incensed the People.

Sung and Low Mass

For Roman Rite Sung Mass and Roman Rite Low Mass, the rubrics are identical, except:

• There is no Incensation of the Altar, Celebrant, Concelebrants, and People. As a result, there is no Thurifer.
• One Server must take on the role of both Acolytes and the Book Bearer.
• The order is Chalice Stack, Missal, and then other items. The Celebrant or Deacon will likely take the Chalice Stack, but if he does not the Acolyte should do so before the Missal.
• One Acolyte must bring both Cruets, he holds one in each hand, wine in the right.
• One Acolyte must perform the Lavabo alone, with the Finger Towel over his left arm, dish in his left hand, and pitcher/Cruet in his right hand.

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1. See: GIRM > par. 139. ↩

2. See Standby Formation for differences between the High Altar and Crossing Altar. ↩

3. See: GIRM > par. 72, 178. Also, when a Deacon is not present, GIRM > par. 139, 190 specifically say that a lay minister moves the Chalice Stack to the altar, and that he places the Corporal and Purificator, and Pall. (I would prefer we didn't do this). #liturgy-todo ↩

4. See: GIRM > par. 142. ↩

5. Some churches have the people bring up the gifts, but this is optional, see: GIRM > par. 73, 190. ↩

6. See: GIRM > par. 75, 144, 178, 190. ↩

7. See: GIRM > par. 76, 145. ↩

8. Center-left-right is the [[Roman Rite]] tradition. I think the #dominican Custom is to do Center-center-center. Should we do that instead? #liturgy-todo. ↩

9. The Acolytes should pay attention even if a Deacon is present. For example, if the Deacon does not bring the Chalice Stack to the Altar, the Acolyte should do it instead. ↩