GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING THE LITURGY AND COMPLETING THE FORM When planning yur Cnfirmatin liturgy and cmpleting the required Cnfirmatin Liturgy Planning Frm, please fllw the guidelines bth printed here and n the liturgy planning frm itself. If yu have any questins, please d nt hesitate in cntacting us at: cnfirmatin@akdicese.rg GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS All priests in attendance are welcme and encuraged t vest and cncelebrate. All deacns are encuraged t vest and participate. All nrms fr the celebratin f Mass, as detailed in the General Instructin f the Rman Missal and the Rite f Cnfirmatin shuld be fllwed. Cnfirmatin certificates shuld nt be distributed during Mass r in the Church after Mass. Please prvide (2) reserved parking spaces (1 fr the Bishp/Priest Celebrant and 1 fr the MC). Please keep a quiet and respectful atmsphere in the Sacristy, as well in the Church. The Bishp will bring his wn vestments; the Vicar General will nrmally wear vestments (chasuble and stle) prvided by the parish. Bth the Bishp and the Vicar General will have a Master f Ceremnies assigned t yur liturgy. Their functin is t assist the Celebrant and the Parish, crdinate the Mass and all the ministers, and t ensure a smth, prayerful, and successful celebratin. Stipend fr the Bishp/Priest Celebrant is at the pastr s discretin and genersity, and it is nt required. Standard stipend fr the MC is $75. If yu are planning any type f nn-liturgical event, such as a slide-shw r witness talk, these shuld be planned fr a time OUTSIDE the Mass, either as a prelude befre the Mass begins, after the final Blessing and Dismissal, r during a subsequent receptin in the parish hall. MINISTERS DURING THE MASS At least ne Deacn shuld be assigned if available, tw is preferred: they will functin in the nrmal rle f Deacn and assist the Celebrant, sitting next t him during Mass. If there is n deacn, then ne f the cncelebrating priests will perfrm thse functins. Cncelebrating priests sit in a separate, reserved area in the Sanctuary. Fr altar servers, please bserve the fllwing guidelines: Mre experienced servers shuld be chsen; A minimum f three servers is required; If the parish decides t use incense (which is ptinal), ne additinal server is required; The MC des NOT cunt in the abve numbers. Fr lectrs, the fllwing guidelines shuld be bserved: Lectrs shuld nrmally be fully-initiated Cathlics (persns wh have received Baptism, First Cmmunin and Cnfirmatin), wh have been prperly trained. Cnfirmatin candidates are nt be chsen as lectrs fr their Cnfirmatin Mass. It usually impses a lt f pressure n them. Parents, Spnsrs r Catechists may be chsen as lectrs. This is a great pprtunity t invlve them and it is als an apprpriate way t express their supprt t the Candidates. Lectrs shuld be well-chsen and prperly prepared; 1
Readings shuld be read slwly, distinctly and clearly. If desired, newly Cnfirmed may be chsen t prclaim the Universal Prayers (Prayer f the Faithful), as well t bring the gifts t the Altar. N mre than TWO (2) readers shuld be utilized fr the Universal prayers, and nrmally nly mre than 1 when they are dne in multiple languages. The practice f having multiple readers f the same language each ding a single petitin is nt apprpriate. PLANNING THE MASS General Infrmatin The Mass t be celebrated is as fllws: On Slemnities, Feasts, and the Octaves f Christmas and Easter, the prescribed Mass f the day is required; On Sundays (including Saturday evening), usually the Sunday Mass is celebrated. Hwever, during the Sundays f Ordinary time, the Ritual Mass fr the Cnferral f Cnfirmatin may be used. On ther days (weekdays), the Ritual Mass fr the Cnferral f Cnfirmatin (RMIII p.1130) is nrmally used. Language ptins fr the Mass are as fllws: English (readings, music and prayers are in English) Bi-Lingual (prayers are in English; readings, intercessins, music may be in different languages) Any different plan needs t be discussed and be pre-apprved by the Office f Wrship. Please give us a call and we will gladly assist yu as much as pssible. Vestment clr is either white (Sundays/Slemnities/Feasts/Ritual Mass) r red (Ritual Mass). All candidates shuld wear a name tag and make sure that name tag is CLEARLY visible, n r near the shulder. Please make sure it is easy fr the celebrant t read the name tag. It shuld have their chsen CONFIRMATION (Saint) name in large, bld print. Any ther infrmatin (name f the Parish, Baptismal name, etc.) shuld nt cmpete with the Cnfirmatin name in size r clr. Abbreviatins are nt apprpriate (i.e. it is nt Bb, it is Rbert). Intrductry Rites and Prcessin: There are tw ptins fr bringing the candidates and their spnsrs int the Church: They can already be in place befre Mass; They may prcess in (with r withut Spnsrs) BEFORE Mass begins, accmpanied by a separate prelude sng r instrumental accmpaniment, and take their places in the pews befre the Liturgical prcessin and sng begin. In this case, the prcessin f the Candidates shuld start abut 10 minutes befre the scheduled time fr the Mass, s the celebratin can start n time. 2
The liturgical prcessin nrmally cnsists f: Thurifer (if incense is used) Crss w/candles Other servers Lectrs (ptinal) Deacn r Lectr with the Bk f Gspels Other vested deacns (if any) Cncelebrating priests Pastr Celebrant w/deacns MC (with miter/crzier bearer fr Bishp) If there is a tabernacle in the Sanctuary, all (excluding crss/candle bearers) genuflect upn reaching the sanctuary, and then prceed directly t their places; therwise, all bw instead. Penitential Act There are fur ptins fr the Penitential Act (including the Rite f Blessing and Sprinkling with Hly Water). Please cnsult the Rman Missal and fllw the instructins accrding t the chsen frm. Then the GLORIA is sung at all Cnfirmatin Masses (see GIRM #53). Only during Sundays in Advent r Lent when the Readings f the day are prescribed is the Glria mitted. The GLORIA is never t be used t accmpany the Sprinkling Rite. Liturgy f the Wrd The readings shuld be taken frm the Lectinary fr Mass as currently authrized fr use in the diceses f the United States. Any ther translatin is nt t be used. The readings shuld be selected as fllws: On Sundays (including Saturday evening), Slemnities, Feasts, and the Octaves f Christmas and Easter, the prescribed Readings f the day are required; On ther days, the reading shuld be taken frm the chices given in the Ritual Mass fr the Cnferral f Cnfirmatin (Lectinary IV, 764-768). The Office f Wrship will give yu the Readings that are t be used, based n yur date and the liturgical calendar and n the preferences f the Bishp/Vicar General. The Liturgy f the Wrd shuld fllw these guidelines: All Readings shuld be prclaimed frm the Lectinary and NOT frm a piece f paper. It is preferable that the Respnsrial Psalm be sung, by the Psalmist r cantr, at the amb r anther suitable place The Gspel is prclaimed by the deacn, r, in his absence, by a cncelebrating priest. The Universal Prayer (Intentins) may be said by the deacn, r by ne f the lectrs, r by ne r tw f the recently cnfirmed. If the Mass is multi-lingual, the readings and psalm may be prclaimed in a particular language. Fr the Acclamatin befre the Gspel ( Alleluia, except during Lent), at the first sund f the music, all rise, except the Bishp (if present). A Deacn ges t the Celebrant and asks fr a 3
blessing. A Priest prclaiming the Gspel when the Bishp is presiding als asks fr a blessing; hwever, a priest des nt ask anther priest presiding fr a blessing. After the prclamatin f the Gspel, kiss the Gspel bk and LEAVE THE GOSPEL BOOK OPEN n the amb, and return t yur place: d nt bring it back t the Bishp r priest celebrant t kiss. Immediately after the Gspel, the priest r anther designated persn presents the candidates t the Bishp r Priest celebrant, using the sample frmula prvided by the Dicese, available n ur website, bth in English and Spanish. The candidates fr cnfirmatin are t be presented AS A GROUP: individual names are nt t be called. The priest r minister presenting the candidates will ask them t stand as a grup. After the presentatin, the Bishp r Priest Celebrant may address them briefly. Then all sit and the Hmily fllws. Rite f Cnfirmatin Then the Celebrant asks the candidates t rise (withut spnsrs) and renew their baptismal prmises (Candidates respnd I d. ) Then the Celebrant (NOT ther clergy unless they are als aninting) extends hands ver the candidates AS A GROUP (n individual laying n f hands at this pint) and prays the prayer ver the candidates. The Aninting can be perfrmed in English, Spanish r Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) If Bi-lingual, sme indicatin n the candidates name tag shuld shw what language the aninting is t be dne (i.e.: red name tag=english/blue =Spanish ) If the aninting is Bilingual, it means that the Candidates knw the respnses in the language the aninting is taking place. If the aninting is bilingual, please separate the candidates by language, s that ne language grup is cnfirmed first and then the ther language grup is cnfirmed. It is unfair t the Minister f the Sacrament t g back and frth between languages fr every ther persn. During the aninting NO LOUD SUNG HYMNS are allwed, althugh sft instrumental music shuld be used. The vlume f the music shuld never interfere with the celebratin f the Sacrament. 4
Then the aninting is dne as fllws: (The MC will facilitate the prcessin): A deacn, r, if a deacn is nt present, a cncelebrating priest, accmpanies the celebrant, and hlds the Chrism, standing at his right side. The MC will guide and direct the flw f the prcessin. The preferred prcessin flw fr the Aninting are as fllws: Depending n the layut f yur particular parish, there may have t be sme adaptatins, but fr a church with a main aisle: The candidates shuld be in the frnt center sectin n each side, alng with their Spnsrs. If the Rite is dne bi-lingually, please arrange yur candidates gruped by language. The candidates and their Spnsr shuld cme up, by rw, frm the OUTSIDE f their pew t the frnt area, and then when instructed by the MC, shuld apprach the BISHOP/VG frm the side, receive the Aninting, and then return t their pew via the center main aisle. When they reach their pew, they are t sit dwn immediately. Having them all wait by rw t sit creates a wall/blck f bdies and n ne behind them can see the liturgical actin taking place! We will d ne whle side (left r right) first, and then d the ther side. Alternating back and frth/left and right is t be avided. Please make sure t practice this with yur candidates at their Rehearsal. A typical flw fr the Aninting wuld lk like this: 5
When the candidate and spnsr reaches the Bishp/VG, the spnsr intrduces the candidate in these r similar wrds: Bishp (r Father), may I intrduce (Cnfirmatin name). Please make sure the spnsrs knw hw t intrduce the candidate, and, if pssible, practice with them. The Celebrant will lay hands, anint and make the sign f the Crss n the frehead. He says Be sealed with the Gift f the Hly Spirit and the Cnfirmandi respnds Amen. The Celebrant will then say Peace be with yu and the newly cnfirmed will respnd: And with yur Spirit. The newly cnfirmed and their spnsr return t their place and immediately sit dwn. After all the anintings have ccurred, the Celebrant returns t the presidential chair. Tw servers cme t him with a tray s he can clean his hands: Small bwl f sapy warm water, a small cruet f clean water, and a hand twel; ½ f a lemn and 1 slice f sft bread. Then, he will intrduce the Universal Prayer (Intentins) Please indicate whether there is a sung r spken respnse The Celebrant intrduces and cncludes the prayer. The intercessins may be dne by the Deacn, the cantr, r by ne r tw readers; These may be in different languages: We pray t the Lrd shuld be said in English. Liturgy f the Eucharist The distributin f Hly Cmmunin is dne first by all participating clergy: The bishp and all cncelebrating priests distributing the Hst; The deacn(s) distributing the Precius Bld (if used) r the Hst; If additinal statins are needed, prperly trained and already-instituted extrardinary Ministers f Hly Cmmunin may be invited t participate. The practice f having the newly cnfirmed as extrardinary ministers f Hly Cmmunin is nt apprpriate. They have nt been prperly trained r instituted yet fr that ministry. Recessinal The newly Cnfirmed may prcess ut after the celebrant r remain in their places. There may be a grup picture depending n the Bishp s r Vicar s schedule. 6