Roman Rite Solemn Mass

Overview

[[Roman Rite]] Solemn Mass celebrated at the Crossing Altar. These rubrics are used for the 12pm Sunday Mass at SVF, which is the "principal liturgy of the parish". Typically with one Deacon, though sometimes there are zero or two¹ Deacons. Typically with one Priest Celebrant, though sometimes there are one or more Concelebrants.

Roles

Four servers:

• Thurifer
• Crucifer, Book Bearer, Bell Ringer
• Acolyte 1, Lucifer 1
• Acolyte 2, Lucifer 2

Preparation

• Candles:
  • Crossing Altar#Candles lit.
  • Sanctuary#Polychrome Candles lit.
  • High Altar#Candles lit, Vesperale present.
• Crossing Altar:
  • Crossing Altar#Crucifix present.
• Choir Stalls#Low:
  • Missal and Stand²³.
  • Hand Bells.
• Credence Table:
  • Chalice Stack⁴.
  • Cruets.
  • [[Lavabo Dish]] and Finger Towel.
  • Ciboria.
  • Pyxes / Personal Chalices. People from the Congregation may place these on the Crossing Altar, but they should be moved to the Credence Table before Mass starts.
  • Extra Burse.
• Thurible Stand just outside Choir Stalls#Low, with extra charcoal, tongs, and blowtorch.
  • Incense Boat filled before Mass.
  • Charcoal lit shortly (10min) before Mass.

Order of Mass

Form up in Sacristy, Pre-Mass Prayer with Ministers.

Introductory Rites

Entrance

• Thurifer helps Celebrant Impose Incense.
• An Altar Server rings the Entrance Bells one time.
• Procession#Long Cloister Walk Procession to Crossing Altar.
• Form up at the foot of the Sanctuary and wait for the Processional Hymn to end and the Entrance Antiphon to begin.
• Altar Servers Reverence⁵ the Tabernacle together.
• Thurifer enters the Sanctuary on the left side of the Crossing Altar and enters Standby Formation.
• Crucifer leads Lucifers into Sanctuary on the right side of the Crossing Altar.
  • Crucifer deposits Processional Crucifix and goes to Choir Stalls#Low.
  • Lucifers return Processional Candles to their spot against the wall behind the Ambo⁶ and go to Choir Stalls#Low.

Reverence to the Altar

After the Celebrant, Concelebrants, and Deacons reverence the Crossing Altar:

• Thurifer assists with the Imposition of Incense, then waits in Standby Formation while the Celebrant incenses the Crossing Altar⁷.
• Others in Standby Formation.
• When Celebrant is finished incensing, Thurifer retrieves Thurible and goes to Choir Stalls#Low.

Greeting, Penitential Act, Kyrie, Gloria

Wait in Choir Stalls#Low. According to Celebrant's preference, Book Bearer may hold the Missal for the Celebrant for all, part, or none of these parts. Usually, the Book Bearer is not needed until the #Collect.

Collect

Book Bearer holds the Missal⁸ for the Celebrant. After Amen, he returns to Choir Stalls#Low, and all the Altar Servers sit together.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading, Gradual, Second Reading

Sit.

Acclamation (Alleluia / Tract)

• Thurifer retrieves incense and goes to Celebrant who Imposes Incense⁹¹¹.
• Meanwhile, Lucifers retrieve Processional Candles, take positions facing inward on triangular tiles.
• Thurifer takes charged Thurible and lines up to the North of the Lucifers and West of the Credence Table, facing South.
• After Deacon receives blessing¹¹, Lucifers proceed to the front of the Ambo, and Thurifer leads Deacon to Ambo¹⁰¹¹¹². Book Bearer and anyone else in choir turns to face the Ambo¹⁰.
  • If there is no Deacon, there is no blessing and the Servers lead the Celebrant or a Concelebrant after he reverences the Altar.
  • Whomever is proclaiming the Gospel may wish to do so from the High Ambo, in which case the Lucifers form up in front of that, and the Thurifer leads the Celebrant to the High Ambo, letting him ascend the steps first.
• Lucifers flank the Ambo, facing inward.

Gospel

During Gospel:

• Thurifer assists with incensing the Book of the Gospels¹³, then stands behind (diagonal, Northeast) the Ambo facing it with the Thurible while the Gospel is read.
• Lucifers remain in place flanking the Ambo and facing inward.

After Gospel is completed:

• Thurifer:
  • Returns Thurible to Thurible Stand.
  • Adds coals to the Thurible, or lets the Deacon do it.
• Lucifers:
  • Return and discreetly light the Torches.
  • Extinguish the Processional Candles.
• While performing these actions, be mindful of the movements of the Ministers, letting them pass and not cutting them off.
• All Servers return to and sit in the Choir Stalls when finished with their duties, not waiting for the other Servers.

Homily

All sit in Choir Stalls#Low.

Credo

• All stand in Choir Stalls#Low, all make Profound Bow during and by the Holy Spirit ... and became man.

Universal Prayer

For the parts of the Universal Prayer said by the Celebrant at his chair, face South. For the part said by the Deacon at the Ambo, face West.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory

See Offertory.

Preface

All stand in Choir Stalls#Low. When the preface begins, turn and face West.

Sanctus

Cue: Schola Cantorum or Cantor intone the Sanctus.

• Thurifer#Charge at the Stand
  • If it is a short, chanted Sanctus, the Thurifer should act as quickly as possible without appearing to be rushed.
  • If it a long Sanctus, he may wish to delay charging the Thurible, so that the incense lasts longer.
• Lucifers retrieve Torches and line up in a pair behind the Ambo, facing South.
• When Thurifer is done charging, he leads Lucifers to foot of Altar. All get into Eucharistic Prayer#Formation.
• Bell Ringer readies the bells.
• When Sanctus is finished, all kneel¹⁴.

Eucharistic Prayer through Great Amen

• Bell Ringer rings bells when appropriate. See Bell Ringer#Roman Rite.
• Thurifer incenses the [[Eucharist]] three times at each elevation¹⁵, timing them with the rung bells. He performs a Head Bow after each triplet of Incensations, synchronized with the Celebrant's Genuflection.
• Lucifers kneel in place holding Torches, and do not perform Head Bows.
• Cue: Through him and with him..., Amen. All stand:
  • Thurifer and Lucifers Genuflect. Thurifer leads Lucifers back to Choir Stalls#Low along left side of the Crossing Altar.
  • Thurifer returns Thurible, Lucifers return and extinguish Torches.
  • All stand in Choir Stalls#Low and face Crossing Altar.

Our Father, Rite of Peace, Agnus Dei

Stand in Choir Stalls#Low, facing Crossing Altar.

• Sing the Our Father aloud.
• Sign of Peace.
• After the Agnus Dei is complete, kneel in the Choir Stalls#Low¹⁶.

Communion

• Bell Ringer rings bell once as Celebrant receives the Precious Blood¹⁷.
• Servers all file out of Choir Stalls#Low and line up across the black strip and face the Crossing Altar. Kneel together.
• Receive Communion.
• All Servers stand together, turn together, file back into Choir Stalls#Low, and kneel.
  • A Lucifer lights a Taper from the nearest Polychrome Candle and uses it to light the Processional Candles before returning to the Choir Stalls.

Ablutions

See Ablutions.

Postcommunion Prayer

Book Bearer holds book at chair¹⁸.

The Concluding Rites

The Concluding Rites¹⁹ consist of announcements, a blessing, the dismissal, reverencing of the altar by the Ministers, and the recession.

• If there is a Solemn Blessing, Book Bearer continues to bear book at chair.
• When finished, Book Bearer returns the Missal to the stand in Choir Stalls#Low.

Recession

Cue: Schola Cantorum or Cantor starts the Recessional hymn or chant.

• Crucifer retrieves Processional Crucifix, Lucifers retrieve Processional Candles, Thurifer stands by.
• Crucifer leads Servers to the foot of the Crossing Altar while Celebrant and Deacon kiss it.
• Crucifer and Lucifers line up with the front pews facing the Crossing Altar, Crucifer in the middle. Thurifer lines up just in front of the Crucifer (between the Crucifer and the Crossing Altar).
• If a Marian hymn is sung, all stay in place but turn toward the statue of Mary until the hymn is finished. Then face the Crossing Altar.
• Reverence with the Celebrant. Turn, and process down the center aisle to the Narthex²⁰.
• Form up in Narthex, Post-Mass Prayer with Ministers.

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1. When there are two Deacons, it is proper for the second Deacon to perform the Incensation during the Eucharistic Prayer (GIRM > par. 179) instead of the Thurifer. We omit that rubric since we rarely have two Deacons, and most visiting Deacons don't expect to do it. ↩

2. See: GIRM > par. 118a specifies that this should be "next to the Priest's chair". However, this would complicate the Book Bearer's actions. The wording is ambiguous enough that having it near the Server who will carry it seems allowed and is more practical. ↩

3. Unless Celebrant prefers to say the prayers at the Crossing Altar. ↩

4. Unless Celebrant prefers it to start on the Crossing Altar. ↩

5. See: GIRM > par. 49. ↩

6. GIRM > par. 122 specifies that Processional Candles be put on or near the Altar. "Near" is ambiguous enough that where we put them should be allowed. Furthermore, the Crossing Altar has six candles already, and having more would not be allowed as per GIRM > 117. ↩

7. See: GIRM > par. 49, 123. ↩

8. See: GIRM > par. 189. ↩

9. See: GIRM > par. 132. ↩

10. See: GIRM > par. 133. ↩↩

11. See: GIRM > par. 175. ↩↩↩

12. GIRM > par. 117, 122, 133, 172, 173, 175 allow but do not require that the Book of the Gospels be placed on the Crossing Altar, either at the beginning of Mass, or by the Deacon as part of the Procession. ↩

13. GIRM > par. 134. ↩

14. See: GIRM > par. 43. ↩

15. See GIRM > par. 150. ↩

16. See: GIRM > par. 43. ↩

17. This is a local custom, and does not appear in the GIRM. James assures us it's allowed if the local custom is established, which it is. ↩

18. See: GIRM > par. 165, 189. ↩

19. See: GIRM > par. 90. ↩

20. See GIRM > par. 193, which says that we should recess to the Sacristy along the route we used in procession. We don't do this so the Celebrant and Deacon can greet the people. ↩