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Office for Worship 2008 Calendar
January 1-December 31, 2008
The following is provided to assist you in planning your
2008 liturgical calendar for your parish or institution.
Download the Office for Worship 2008 Calendar
HOLY DAYS
| January 1 | Mary, Mother of God |
| May 1 | Ascension of the Lord |
| August 15 | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| November 1 | All Saints |
| December 8 | Immaculate Conception |
| December 25 | Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ |
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FUNERAL MASSES AND HOLY DAYS
Funeral Masses are NOT permitted on Solemnities which are Holy Days of Obligation. Likewise, funeral Masses may not be celebrated on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. On these days, the body of the deceased may be brought to the church and the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass (OCF, #77) may be celebrated.
Funeral Masses may not be celebrated on any Holy Days of Obligation.
ADVENT COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICES
Every effort should be made to schedule communal celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance during the season of Advent. No parish may schedule “general absolution.”
CHRISTMAS
In scheduling Masses, care must be taken not to multiply Masses on Christmas Eve to the detriment of Christmas itself. Anticipated Masses of Sundays and holy days (Christmas included) are to take place in the evening after 4:00 p.m. (see Canon 1248 §1). The policy of the Diocese of Manchester is that no Christmas Eve Masses are to be scheduled before 4:00 p.m.
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
The Feast of the Holy Family falls on Sunday, December 28, 2008. A blessing for families can be found in the Book of Blessings, #40.
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord falls on Sunday, January 13, 2008. Ordinary Time begins the following day, Monday, January 14, 2008.
JANUARY 22
“In all dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass “For Peace and Justice” (no. 21 of the “Masses for Various Needs”) should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 2002, #373).
BLESSING OF THROATS
THE BLESSING OF THROATS MAY BE GIVEN ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (FEBRUARY 3, 2008) BY A PRIEST, DEACON, OR LAY MINISTER WHO FOLLOWS THE RITES AND PRAYERS DESIGNATED FOR A LAY MINISTER. DURING MASS, THE BLESSING FOLLOWS THE HOMILY AND GENERAL INTERCESSIONS, OR, FOR PASTORAL REASON, IT MAY TAKE THE PLACE OF THE FINAL BLESSING OF THE MASS.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday is celebrated on Wednesday, February 6, 2008. Ashes may not be distributed on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (February 3), nor on the First Sunday of Lent (February 10). Ashes may only be given in the context of Mass or a Liturgy of the Word and only on Ash Wednesday. It is a day of fast and abstinence. The Lenten Guidelines will be mailed to all parishes and Catholic institutions during the month of January.
LENTEN COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICES
Every effort should be made to schedule communal celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance during the season of Lent. No parish may schedule “general absolution.” Individual confessions should be scheduled in the parishes according to pastoral need. Lenten Communal Penance Services should not be scheduled during the days of the Triduum, nor on the Tuesday of Holy Week, March 18, 2008, to allow priests and people to attend the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral.
THE TRIDUUM
In planning and scheduling services, “care should be taken especially during…Holy Week and the Easter Triduum not to stage the various liturgies as plays” (Lectionary for Masses with Children, #52).
FUNERALS DURING THE TRIDUUM
Funeral Masses are NOT permitted on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. On these days, the body of the deceased should be brought to the church and the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass should be celebrated (OCF, #77).
HOLY THURSDAY
According to the Church’s ancient tradition, all Masses without a congregation are prohibited on this day. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated in the evening. Another Mass may be celebrated in the evening where pastoral considerations require it, and then, only with the written permission of Bishop McCormack. In the Diocese of Manchester, any Mass excepting the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper is forbidden on Holy Thursday (see, Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Paschal Feasts, #47; Missale Romanum, “Rubrics for the Evening Mass, EM, #3; Bishops Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, March/April 2003). Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should not be installed on Holy Thursday.
GOOD FRIDAY
“The celebration of the Lord’s Passion is to take place in the afternoon, at about three o’clock. For pastoral reasons, an appropriate time will be chosen in order to allow people to assemble more easily, for example, shortly after midday or in the late evening, however, not later than nine o’clock” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Paschal Feasts, #63). Although Stations of the Cross are permitted, they are never to replace nor be given greater prominence than the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.
Holy Communion must be distributed at the Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion. It may not be distributed at any other prayer service or gathering.
EASTER VIGIL
The Easter Vigil is not an anticipated Mass, but a true vigil and, therefore, it may not begin until nightfall. This means that the Easter Vigil should be scheduled 45 to 60 minutes after sunset to assure darkness. “The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall…This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Paschal Feasts, #78). This same instruction is repeated in the new edition of the Missale Romanum.
Sunset will take place in Manchester, NH at 7:01 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2008. This means that the Easter Vigil is not to begin before 7:30 p.m. at the earliest. No other Mass may be celebrated on Holy Saturday other than the Easter Vigil.
“…{I]t is never permitted to celebrate the entire Easter Vigil more than once in a given church or to anticipate the Mass of Easter before the vigil…” (Sacramentary, Easter Vigil, #3). “The celebration of the Easter Vigil for special groups is not encouraged, since above all in this vigil the faithful should come together as one and should experience a sense of ecclesial community” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Paschal Feasts, #94). “The rubrics of the new Missale Romanum remind us that this ‘mother of all vigils’ is the ‘greatest and most noble of all solemnities and it is to be unique in every single Church’ (Missale Romanum, “Rubrics for the Easter Vigil [EV], #2)…Therefore, the Easter Vigil does not correspond to the usual Saturday evening Mass and its character is unique in the cycle of the liturgical year” (Bishops Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, January, 2003).
It should be noted that the new edition of the Missale Romanum now requires that at least three Old Testament readings, always including Exodus 14, must be read at the Easter Vigil. Previously, in extreme necessity, two Old Testament readings might be used. Of course, all nine readings “must be read whenever it can be done, so that the character of a Vigil which takes place over some duration of time can be observed” (EV, #20, Bishops Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, January, 2003).
FIRST COMMUNION
“It is also appropriate that children receive their First Communion on one or other of the Sundays of Easter” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Paschal Feasts, #103). “Apart from exceptional cases, it is not particularly appropriate for First Communion to be administered on Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. Another day should be chosen instead, such as a Sunday between the Second and Sixth Sunday of Easter, or on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or the Sundays of Ordinary Time, since Sunday is rightly regarded as the day of the Eucharist” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, #87).
CONFIRMATION
On days when ritual Masses are permitted, the ritual Mass for Confirmation (RM, Ritual Masses, I; Christian Initiation, 4; Confirmation), with its proper readings may be celebrated.
If the ritual Mass is not celebrated, one of the readings may be taken from those provided in the Lectionary for Mass for the ritual Mass of Confirmation.
When Confirmation is celebrated on any of the days listed below, the Mass of the Day with its readings is celebrated. Mass vestments are the color of the day.
- Easter, Triduum of the Lord’s passion and resurrection;
- Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, and Pentecost. Sundays of Advent, Lent and the Easter season. Ash Wednesday, weekdays of Holy Week from Monday through Thursday, inclusive;
- Solemnities of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and saints listed in the General Calendar. All Souls.
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Proper solemnities, namely:
- Solemnity of the principal patron of the place, that is, the city or state;
- Solemnity of the dedication of a particular church and the anniversary
- Solemnity of the title of a particular church;
- Solemnity of the title or of the founder or of the principal patron of a religious order or congregation.
The final blessing proper to the ritual Mass may always be used.
WEDDINGS
On days when ritual Masses are permitted, one of the wedding Masses (RM, Ritual Masses, IV. Wedding Mass, I. For the Celebration of Marriage) with its proper readings may be celebrated.
When the ritual Mass is not celebrated, one of the readings may be chosen from those provided in the Lectionary for Mass for the ritual Mass for weddings. On the days listed above (cf., listing under Confirmation), the Mass of the day with its readings is celebrated, the nuptial blessing included and, as circumstances suggest, the proper solemn blessing. Mass vestments are the color of the day.
It should be noted that if the Mass in which the sacrament of Marriage is celebrated is a regular parish Mass, the Mass of the day is celebrated, even on the Sundays of the Christmas season and of Ordinary Time.
The ritual Mass for Marriage is not permitted on Holy Days on which the precept to attend Mass is abrogated, since these days still rank as solemnities.
With the exception of the Easter Triduum, the Rite of Marriage Outside of Mass is always permitted, regardless of the feast or solemnity.
ANNUAL SOLEMN EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Parishes should make every effort to choose an appropriate date for the observance of a day of Annual Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament begins at the concluding rite of the last Mass and continues through the day with appropriate prayer services. Exposition concludes most often with a service of Evening Prayer during which benediction occurs (see Order for the Solemn Exposition of the Holy Eucharist).
Sample prayer services for the Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament can be found on the Office for Worship website.
RCIA REMINDERS
RITE OF ACCEPTANCE
The ritual says that the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens should be celebrated several times a year. The liturgies of Advent are focused on expectancy and watchful prayer. Advent is such a short season that we should not lessen its impact with other elements. Consequently, the rites of acceptance into the Order of Catechumens or of Welcoming Candidates for the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist are not appropriate on the Sundays of Advent. The rites of acceptance and welcoming are better celebrated on Sundays in Ordinary Time, where they can become the community’s focus.
CALL TO CONTINUING CONVERSION AND THE RITE OF ELECTION
The Call to Continuing Conversion and the Rite of Election will take place at Saint Joseph Cathedral on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Rite of Election is required for all catechumens being initiated at the Easter Vigil.
SCRUTINIES
The scrutinies are required for all catechumens to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. The scrutinies complete the conversion of the elect and deepen their resolve to hold fast to Christ and to carry out their decision to love God above all.
The ritual Masses for the celebration of the scrutinies are to be used (see Sacramentary, Ritual Masses, Christian Initiation, 2. The Scrutinies, page 826). The scrutinies are celebrated on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent; the readings with their chants are taken from Cycle A of the Lectionary for Mass for Masses at which the scrutinies take place.
Note: The Cycle A readings may be used at any Mass on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent.
EASTER VIGIL
The elect (unbaptized) receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Christians baptized in a non-Catholic church who wish to become members of the Roman Catholic Church are received into the full communion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. The priest who receives them into full communion also confirms them at the Vigil.
ADULT CONFIRMATION
Bishop McCormack will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on March 30, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Joseph Cathedral for adults who have been baptized and received their first Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, but did not receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparatory classes are required for this celebration. Please consult with your local deanery for catechetical sites.