Resources Divine Worship

Liturgy Documents and Resources

Vatican documents

• Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963)
• Musicam Sacram (1967)
• Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004)
• Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001)

USCCB documents

• General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2011)
• General Introduction to the Lectionary, Second Edition (1981)
• General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (1971)
• Built of Living Stones (2000)
• Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (2007)

Liturgical Notes

• Word of God Sunday
• Feast of the Presentation of the Lord when it occurs on Sunday
• Suggested hymns for celebrations of First Holy Communion

Liturgy of the Hours

• • DivineOffice.org
  • General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours
  • iBreviary
  • Liturgy of the Hours from the USCCB

USCCB Newsletter of the Committee on Divine Worship

Baptism and Confirmation Guidelines for Sponsors/Godparents 

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

• Guidelines in English

• Guidelines in Spanish

• Guidelines in Portuguese

The ordinary minister of Holy Communion is a bishop, priest or deacon (canon 910, §1). However, other members of the faithful, known as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, may be commissioned to assist with the distribution of the Sacrament as needed (canons 230, §3 and 910, §2).

Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at Mass when there are insufficient ordained ministers capable of administering the Sacrament to ensure a timely and reverent distribution of Communion.

Outside of Mass, some extraordinary ministers may assist priests and deacons in the distribution of Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. Additionally, if an ordinary minister is not available, an extraordinary minister has the obligation to bring Viaticum to a dying person (canon 911, §2).

Proper Care and Cleansing of Altar Linens and Sacred Vessels

In recent years the Office of Divine Worship has received a number of inquiries concerning the care and cleansing of altar linens and sacred vessels. The following directives are adapted from the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy and reflect some modifications based upon the most recent General Instruction on the Roman Missal.

Whatever is set aside for use in the liturgy takes on a certain sacred character both by the blessing it receives and the sacred functions it fulfills. Thus, the cloths and sacred vessels used at the altar in the course of the Eucharistic celebration should be treated with the care and respect due to those things used in the preparation and celebration of the sacred mysteries.

Altar linens should be “beautiful and finely made, though mere lavishness and ostentation must be avoided.” Altar cloths, corporals, purificators, lavabo towels and palls should be made of absorbent cloth and never of paper. Sacred vessels should be made of precious metal, although in the United States other precious materials may be used. Glass, ceramic or clay chalices and patens are not appropriate for use in the liturgy, since they are easily breakable or damaged if dropped.

Altar linens and sacred vessels are appropriately blessed according to the Order for the Blessing of Articles for Liturgical Use.

Altar Cloths

Just as the altar is a sign for us of Christ the living stone, altar cloths are used “out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord and the banquet that gives us his body and blood.” By their beauty and form they add to the dignity of the altar in much the same way that vestments solemnly ornament the priests and sacred ministers. Such cloths also serve a practical purpose, however, in absorbing whatever may be spilled of the Precious Blood or other sacramental elements. Thus the material of altar cloths should be absorbent and easily laundered.

While there may be several altar cloths in the form of drapings or even frontals, their shape, size, and decoration should be in keeping with the design of the altar. Unless the altar cloths have been stained with the Precious Blood, it is not necessary that they be cleaned in the sacrarium. Care should be taken, however, that proper cleaning methods are used to preserve the beauty and life of the altar cloth. It is appropriate for those who care for sacred vessels, cloths and other instrumenta of the liturgy to accompany their work with prayer.

Corporals

Sacred vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord are always placed on top of a corporal. A corporal is spread by the deacon (or in the absence of a deacon, another minister) in the course of the preparation of the gifts and the altar. When concelebrants receive the Eucharist from the altar, a corporal is placed beneath all chalices or patens. Finally, it is appropriate that a corporal be used on a side table, and placed beneath the sacred vessels which have been left to be purified after Mass.

Because one of the purposes of the corporal is to contain whatever small particles of the consecrated host may be left at the conclusion of Mass, care should be taken that the transferral of consecrated hosts between sacred vessels should always be done over a corporal. The corporal should be white in color and of sufficient dimensions so that at least the main chalice and paten may be placed upon it completely. When necessary, more than one corporal may be used. The material of corporals should be absorbent and easily laundered.

Any apparent particles of the consecrated bread which remain on the corporal after the distribution of Holy Communion should be consumed in the course of the purification of the sacred vessels. Please note that the Corporal should never be left on the Altar after Mass, but should be opened and placed on the Altar during the preparation of the gifts and the altar, and then should be folded carefully following the distribution of Communion, so as to contain whatever small particles of the consecrated host that may remain. These particles should be emptied into the sacrarium between Eucharistic celebrations.

When corporals are cleansed they should first be rinsed in a sacrarium and only afterwards washed with laundry soaps in the customary manner. Every church or chapel should be equipped with a sacrarium. However, if no sacrarium is present, the linens should be rinsed or hand-washed in a basin before being washed in the laundry. The water in the basin should then be reverently poured into the ground at an appropriate spot on the church property.

Corporals should be ironed in such a way that their distinctive manner of folding helps to contain whatever small particles of the consecrated host may remain at the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration.

Purificators

Purificators are customarily brought to the altar with chalices and are used to wipe the Precious Blood from the lip of the chalice and to purify sacred vessels. They should be white in color. Whenever the Precious Blood is distributed from the chalice or even accidentally spilled, purificators should be used to absorb the spill. The material of purificators should be absorbent and easily laundered. The purificator should never be made of paper or any other disposable material.

Because of their function, purificators regularly become stained with the Precious Blood. It is, therefore, essential that they should first be cleansed in a sacrarium and only afterwards washed with laundry soaps in the customary manner. Purificators should be ironed in such a way that they may be easily used for the wiping of the lip of the chalice.

Lavabo Towels

The Order of Mass calls for the washing of the hands (lavabo) of the priest celebrant in the course of the preparation of the gifts and the altar. Since it is his hands and not only his fingers (as in the former Order of Mass) which are washed at the lavabo, the lavabo towel should be of adequate size and sufficiently absorbent for drying his hands. Neither the color nor the material of the lavabo towel is prescribed, though efforts should be made to avoid the appearance of a “dish towel,” “bath towel” or other cloth with a purely secular use.

Other Cloths

Other cloths may also be used at Mass. A pall may be used to cover the chalice at Mass in order to protect the Precious Blood from insects or other foreign objects. In order that palls may be kept immaculately clean they should be made with removable covers of a worthy material which may be easily washed in the sacrarium and then laundered. Chalice veils either of the color of the day, or white may be fittingly used to cover the chalice before it is prepared and after it has been purified.

Disposal of Worn Altar Linens

Consistent with the disposal of all things blessed for use in the liturgy, it is appropriate that altar linens, which show signs of wear and can no longer be used, should normally be disposed of either by burial or burning.

Sacred Vessels

Among the requisites for the celebration of Mass, the sacred vessels are held in special honor, and among these especially the chalice and paten. The General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM, no. 328) notes: “Sacred vessels should be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, they should generally be gilded on the inside.” It goes on to say that in the Dioceses of the United States, “sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials which in the common estimation in each region are considered precious or noble… provided that such materials are suitable for sacred use” (GIRM, 329). The GIRM goes on to speak about chalices and other vessels that are intended to serve as receptacles for the Blood of the Lord, noting that, “they are to have a bowl of material that does not absorb liquids” (GIRM, 330). If materials other than precious metal are used, “preference is always given to materials that do not easily break or deteriorate” (GIRM, 329).

Sacred vessels that do not meet the expectations of the liturgical law are no longer to be used and may be properly disposed of by burial on church grounds or in a catholic cemetery. Please note: Glass, ceramic, and clay chalices and patens are not appropriate for use in the liturgy, since they easily break.

The Purification of Sacred Vessels

In 2005, a special permission (indult) expired, which allowed extraordinary ministers in the United States (unlike elsewhere) to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels. The indult was not renewed by the Vatican, and therefore the purification of the vessels is reserved to the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

Paragraph 279 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal says: “The sacred vessels are purified by the Priest, the Deacon, or an instituted acolyte after Communion or after Mass, in so far as possible at the credence table. The purification of the chalice is done with water alone or with wine and water, which is then consumed by whoever does the purification. The paten is wiped clean as usual with the purificator. Care is to be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar.”

Conclusion

The manner in which we treat sacred things (even those of lesser significance than the chalice, paten, liturgical furnishings, etc.) fosters and expresses our openness to the graces God gives to His Church in every celebration of the Eucharist. Thus, by the diligent care of altar linens and sacred vessels, the Church expresses her joy at the inestimable gifts she receives from Christ’s altar.

The Holy Oils

The Church requires the use of proper oils for the celebration of the Sacraments. In the case of Confirmation, the use of the proper oil, the Sacred Chrism, involves the validity of the Sacrament. Only oils pressed from olive plants or from other plants that have been recently consecrated or blessed by the Bishop may be used in the administration of the Sacraments (Canon 847§1). Old oil can only be used when there is a true necessity (Canon 847§1). The Holy Oils can never be diluted under any circumstances with additional oil, even in order to fill an oil stock or container to display the oils in an ambry or a repository. Perfumes or other substances can never be added to the consecrated and blessed oils. Also, the Holy Oils may never be employed for non-sacramental use.

The care of the Holy Oils is the responsibility of the pastor or priest chaplain. The pastor obtains the new oils from his own Bishop and keeps them carefully in a fitting place (Canon 847§2). The Bishop is instructed, in the directions for the celebration of the Chrism Mass, to advise the priests of the manner in which the Holy Oils are to be treated and honored, and carefully reserved (Order of Blessing the Oil ofCatechumens and of the Sick and of Consecrating Chrism, 28).

Disposing of Old Oils

Each year in anticipation of the Chrism Mass, the pastor should see that all the old oils are collected from the ambry or repository, including all vessels with oil for the sick, and disposed of by burning them (Book of Blessings, 1127), or burying them. It is not fitting that the Holy Oils be burnedalong with trash or other household items. It is a custom in some places to burn all the old oils and the oil-saturated cotton in the new fire of the Easter Vigil. Containers and vessels for oils should be emptied out and soaked in hot water and soap, and the water should be discarded by pouring it into the sacrarium or directly into the earth.

Vessels for the Holy Oils

As in the past, Holy Oils will be distributed in glass bottles for distribution to parishes, hospitals and other Catholic institutions where the sacramental presence of a Priest requires the oils. Only the amount of new oils typically needed for the year for the administration of the Sacraments will be provided. Holy Oils should not be requested simply for their display. Those parishes or hospitals that require oils in addition to the amount regularly distributed are kindly asked to bring their own containers; a limited amount of additional oil will be available. The glass bottles containing the oils given to the parishes after the Chrism Mass are not for display purposes or liturgical use. The glass containers are used to transport the oils or for non-public storage. When
being used in the liturgy the oils should be in proper vessels. If, during the year, additional Holy Oils are needed for sacramental use, please contact the Office of Divine Worship at 617-746-5759 or email pkrisak@rcab.org

Reservation of the Holy Oils

The Holy Oils, according to ancient tradition, are reverently reserved in a special place in the church.  Typically this place is in the sanctuary; however, reservation may also be in the baptistery (Built of Living Stones, 117). An ambry or repository must be secured and locked (Book of Blessings, 1125).  The vessels reserved in the ambry or repository must contain only the consecrated and blessed oils. Once again, Holy Oils in these vessels can never be diluted for the sake of display.

Archdiocese of Boston Policy on Funerals, 2018

This Archdiocesan Policy on Ecclesiastical Funeral Rites and Instruction on Ecclesiastical Funeral Rites presuppose Church law on Ecclesiastical Funeral Rites as contained in the Code of Canon Law, canons 1176-1185; the Statutes of the Eighth Synod of the Archdiocese of Boston, Statutes IV:F1-4; the Policy on Stipends; the Policy on Offerings on the Occasion of Liturgical Celebrations; the General Instruction of the Roman Missal; the Appendix to the General Instruction for the Dioceses of the United States of America; the Order of Christian Funerals; and the Ceremonial of Bishops.

Archdiocese of Boston Guidelines for Homilies and Words of Remembrance

The following guidelines are meant to provide direction to priests in the celebration of the Order of Christian Funerals, specifically regarding the homily and the “words of remembrance” at the Funeral liturgy. These guidelines not only pertain to the Funerals of the lay Christian faithful, but also to the Funerals of priests and deacons. Taken along with the Policy on Funeral Rites in the Archdiocese of Boston, they are intended to serve as a comprehensive treatment which addresses all matters pertinent to the various Funeral rites.

Sacred Music and the Liturgy

Webinars

• The Ignatius Pew Missal: Help your Congregation Sing the Mass, Not Sing at Mass
• Source and Summit: Elevate the Liturgy in Your Parish
• The St. Michael Hymnal, Fifth Edition

Chants of the Roman Missal

These recordings below are provided for your use as you learn the Chants of the Roman Missal.

Chants of the Roman Missal – Participation Aid

1.  Greeting
2.  Penitential Act 
3.  Gloria A 
4.  Gloria B 
5.  Credo I 
6.  Credo III 
7.  Orate, Fratres 
8.  Preface Dialogue 
9.  Sanctus
10. Memorial Acclamation A 
11. Memorial Acclamation B 
12. Memorial Acclamation C
13. Doxology
14. The Lord’s Prayer 
15. Agnus Dei 
16. Invitation to Communion 
17. Final Blessing 
18. Dismissals 

Office of Divine Worship Saint Cecilia Schola
Richard J. Clark, Director

Many thanks to music ministers from the Archdiocese of Boston who volunteered their time and talent: Allesandra Cionco, Richard J. Clark, Mark Donohoe, Rev. Jonathan Gaspar, Liz Kerigan, Emily Lau, Clare McNamara, Michael Olbash, Elisabeth Pifer, Tanya Skypeck, Jason Villarreal

May 2023 Sacramental Preparation Webinars

• RCIA

• Communion
  

• Confirmation