ARCHDIOCESE OF HARTFORD

134 FARMINGTON AVENUE

HARTFORD. CONNECTICUT 06105-3784

 

OFFICE OF THE ARCHBISHOP

 

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

My purpose in writing is to inform you that at my request, all priests of the Archdiocese will, by Easter of this year, make a series of modifications in the Liturgy that are required for the Catholic Church of the Roman rite throughout the world. Some of the modifications are required only for liturgical celebrations in the United States of America. The intent is that the members of the Body of Christ will more fully participate according to their respective vocations in the sacred action of Christ in the Liturgy. A more detailed explanation of the reasons behind these modifications will be given to you and a series of articles will appear in parish bulletins of the Archdiocese.

 

Our faith teaches us that nothing we do can equal the value of the celebration of the Eucharist. In this Sacrament Christ, our Redeemer, is present and active as Priest and Victim, building His Body the Church in holiness, praising His Father and bringing salvation to the world. By this great Sacrament we are joined to one another through our communion in Christ and are supplied with every divine assistance that we need.

The following points concern the activity of the faithful during the Liturgy:

 

1. In the United States of America, all the faithful will kneel from the Holy Holy until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer ... The faithful kneel after the Lamb of God until they rise to approach Holy Communion, in the Archdiocese of Hartford, since this has been the practice, this is only a reiteration of what is required. The only exception are the aged or infirm.

 

2. During the Communion Rite, at the Rite of Peace, once the priest says, "The peace of the Lord be with you," and the people respond, the invitation is given to extend a gesture of peace to one another. The directive of the revised Missal for the Rite of Peace states: "the priest remains in the sanctuary "so that the celebration not be disturbed" and the people "offer the sign of peace only to those nearby and in a dignified manner." "At the same time, in accord with the decisions of the Conference of Bishops, all offer one another I sign that expresses peace, communion, and charity. While the sign of peace is being given, one may say, The peace of the Lord be with you always, to which the response is Amen. "

 

3. Some modifications concern the reception of Holy Communion. The reception of Holy Communion should be reverent and indicate our awareness that we receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Lord Who thereby joins us to one another.

a. In the United States, all the faithful will show reverence before receiving Holy Communion by an inclination (a bow) of the head. [This replaces other signs of reverence such as the sign of the cross, genuflection, etc. ]

b. In the United States "the norm for reception of Holy Communion is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. "

c. In the United States: Holy Communion "may be received either on the tongue or in the hand at the discretion of the communicant."

 

4. Three Prayers of the Mass indicate the theme of the Liturgy of that day: the Opening Prayer, the Prayer over the Gifts, and the Prayer after Communion. Frequently the faithful are distracted during the payer Over the Gifts because they are rising to stand while it is being prayed. For this reason the following modification is being made: the faithful are invited to stand as they say the words, "May the Lord receive this sacrifice from your hands, .... ".

My hope is that the consideration and implementation of these few modifications will offer to all an occasion for growth in understanding and reverence for the action of Christ in the Liturgy. I would like to press my gratitude to all who will utilize this opportunity to foster love and reverence for the Mysteries of Christ that we celebrate.  

 

Enclosure 8

 

Posture of the Faithful at Mass1

 

The new Roman Missal and the adaptations approved and confirmed for the Dioceses of the United States of America make some minor changes to the posture2 of the faithful at Mass. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes that: " ... uniformity in posture, which must be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the mind and spiritual attitude of the participants." (GIRM, no. 42) The postures listed below are required of all the faithful in the Archdiocese ofHartford.3 Most have been in practice.

 

The moment in the Mass

Posture

Applies

1.   From the beginning of Mass until the First Reading

STAND

worldwide4

2.   From the first Reading until the Gospel Acclamation

SIT

worldwide

3.   From the Gospel Acclamation until the end of the Gospel

STAND

worldwide

4.   During the Homily

SIT

worldwide

5.   From the Profession of Faith until the end of the Intercessions

STAND

worldwide

6.   From the Offertory/ Preparation of the Gifts to the completion of the prayer of the priest: "Pray brethren …Father Almighty."           

SIT

worldwide

7.   From the beginning of the people's response: "May the Lord accept this sacrifice ... for our good and the good of all his Church." to the end of the Holy Holy

STAND

worldwide

8.   From the completion of the Holy, Holy until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer

KNEEL

In the USA

9.   From the beginning of the Our Father until the completion of the Lamb of God.

STAND

worldwide

10.                    From the completion of the   Lamb of God  (at the Behold the Lamb of God ... ) until the Distribution of Holy Communion

KNEEL

in the USA

 

11.                    While Receiving Communion5

STAND

in the USA

12.                    During the sacred silence after the Distribution of Holy Communion until the priest says: "Let us pray." to introduce the Prayer after Communion.

SIT OR KNEEL

worldwide

13.                    From the beginning of the Prayer after Communion until Mass ends.

STAND

worldwide

 

1) The chart is adapted from one prepared by the Secretariat for the Liturgy of the USCCB.

 

2) A modification in our practice is evident in # 6 and 7. The United States Bishops decided # 10 and 11. See note 5 below.

3) The only exception in the Archdiocese of Hartford being those physically unable to kneel for reasons of age or infirmity.

4) This refers to the Roman rite worldwide.

 

5) Holy Communion should be received standing. In the United States, the common sign of reverence to be made immediately before receiving Communion is a bow of the head. When Holy Communion is administered under both species, the communicant also bows the head before receiving from the chalice. Communion may be received on the tongue or in the hand at the discretion of the communicant.

 

 

 

Enclosure 9

 

 

 

WITH REVERENCE FOR CHRIST

WE APPROACH HOLY COMMUNION

 

The Church teaches that in Holy Communion we receive our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ Who is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine. The greatest reverence must be given to Christ, present in the action of the Liturgy and reserved in the tabernacle.

 

From the time that Holy Communion has been distributed to the faithful while standing, the communicant was directed to make some sign of reverence before receiving Communion. During these years, the sign was left to individual choice. Now, in an effort to give greater emphasis to our reverence by a single gesture prescribed for all, the Bishops of the United States have acted as a body to direct the faithful throughout the Nation to make a bow of the head before receiving Communion. A description of the norm follows:

 

In the U.S.A:

 

o      " ... the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister." (This is indication that throughout the United States the bow of the head replaces other reverent gestures by the faithful such as a sign of the cross, a genuflection, kneeling, etc.).

o      This" ... sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood."

o      Communion "may be received either on the tongue or in the hand at the· discretion of each communicant."

o      "The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. ... "

o       Throughout the world: "The faithful may not take up the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice themselves, and still less, hand them on to one another."

 

 

 

Enclosure 10

 

 

The Rite of Peace:

We offer the peace of Christ

Just before the time for Holy Communion, the priest turns to the people and says, "The peace of the Lord be with you always." We respond, "And also with you. " Then, we are invited to extend a gesture of peace to one another. What is it that we actually are doing? A clue to the answer is found in the words of the priest, "The peace of the Lord be with you always."

 

The Rite of Peace is an outward demonstration of what we share with one another in Christ. It is not a gesture of hospitality or a matter of "passing on" to the person our peace. We are not told: "Welcome one another." "Share your peace, with your neighbor." There is a reason. This rite and the whole Liturgy is about Christ, the Redeemer, our only source of enduring peace and of communion with one another. The peace we pray for and wish for one another is the same peace that Jesus offered to the Apostles on Easter Sunday night when he appeared to them, "Peace be with ----you." (John 20: 19)

 

The revised Roman Missal, in par. 82 describes the purpose of the Rite: "The rite of peace follows, by which the Church asks for peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express some sign of their ecc1esial communion and mutual charity for each other before receiving sacramental Communion .... "

 

" ... it is appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those nearby and in a dignified manner."

 

Directions to the priest are found in the United States Adaptations of the norms in the Roman Missal par. 154.2 "The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers, but always remains within the sanctuary, so that the celebration not be disturbed .... At the same time, in accord with the decisions of the Conference of Bishops, all offer one another a sign that expresses peace, communion, and charity. While the sign of peace is being given, one may say, The peace of the Lord be with you always, to which the response is Amen."

 

A few moments after we make this gesture, we approach the Banquet where Christ nourishes us with His own Body and Blood in Holy Communion.