Liturgical Calendar
OCTOBER 2023
October is dedicated as the Month of the Holy Rosary
October 1
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 2
Holy Guardian Angels, Memorial
October 4
Saint Francis of Assisi, Memorial
- Prayer Intention for Pope Francis may be added in the Prayers of the Faithful
- For our Holy Father, Pope Francis, that he may always find the strength and courage to persevere as he shepherds the Church. We pray to the Lord.
- Te pedimos por nuestro Santo Padre, Papa Francisco, para que tenga siempre la fuerza y sabiduría necesaria para guiar a toda nuestra Iglesia, roguemos al Señor.
- Blessing of Animals may take place.
- See Book of Blessings, Ch. 25
- Suggested Hymns
- Prayer of St. Francis (OCP)/ Make Me a Channel of Your Peace (GIA), Sebastian Temple
- Canticle of the Sun (Marty Haugen)
October 7
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Memorial
October 8
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 11
Pope St. John XXIII, Memorial
- Click here for suggested readings. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/saint-john-xxiii
October 12
Bienaventurada Virgen Maria del Pilar (España)
October 15
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass for Señor de los Milagros
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels @ 3:30pm
Actual Feast Day is October 28.
Mass can be found in Misal Romano, Apendice I.
More information, click here.
October 17
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr, Memorial
- Vestments: Red
October 18
Saint Luke, Evangelist, Feast
St. Luke, Patron Saint of Medical Professions
- Vestments: White
- Gloria is sung or said.
- No Creed.
- Solemn Blessing for Apostles #17 may be used.
On this day or the Sunday before a special blessing may be given to those working in the medical field.
Suggested Prayer
Almighty God, whose beloved Son Jesus Christ, went about doing good, and healing all manner of illness and disease: continue, we beseech you, your gracious work among us. Grant to physicians, nurses and all health care professionals wisdom, skill, sympathy and patience; keep them safe and preserve them from all contagion. Cheer, heal and sanctify the sick, and send your blessing on all who care for them, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Missionary Childhood Association Mass
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
10AM
More information, click here.
October 19
North American Martyrs
(Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs)
- Vestments: Red
October 22
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass for Healthcare Professionals (White Mass)
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels @ 3:30pm
For more information, please click here.
October 25
41st Annual Red Mass for Legal Professionals
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels @ 5:30pm
For more information, please click here.
October 28
Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles, Feast
- Vestments: RED
- Gloria is said or sung.
- No Creed.
- Solemn Blessing for Apostles #17 may be used.
October 29
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
For more information on Día de los Muertos Celebration by Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries, please click here.
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November 2023
November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory
November 1
Solemnity of All Saints, Holyday of Obligation
- Vestments: White
- Gloria is recited or sung.
- Creed is said.
- Solemn Blessing #18 may be used.
- Ritual Masses (i.e. Order of Matrimony) are not permitted today.
- Funeral Masses or Masses for the Dead are not permitted today.
- If the parish has any relics of saints, they can be carried in the opening procession and placed in an area where parishioners can venerate them after Mass.
- Consider chanting the Litany of the Saints for the opening procession. You can add the patron saint and saints that adorn the church or featured in the windows or different saints from the various ethnic groups of the parish. For a detailed resource on the structure of the Litany of the Saints, click here.
- If you have any questions about how to prepare your Litany of Saints, please call Victor Wheeler at (213) 637-7054.
- Religious articles and sacramentals may be blessed. (See Book of Blessings, Chapters 44, 45, & 46).
November 2
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
- Vestments: White, Black, or Violet/Purple may be used.
- Gloria is not said or sung.
- Creed is not said.
- Ritual Masses (i.e. Order of Matrimony) are not permitted today.
- Funeral Masses or Masses for the Dead are permitted.
- Any of the 5 prefaces for the Dead may be used.
- Solemn Blessing #20 Celebrations for the Dead may be used.
- See Book of Blessings, Chapter 57 "Order for Visiting a Cemetery on All Souls' Day, Memorial Day, or on the Anniversary of Death or Burial."
- Parishes may display a Book of the Names of the Dead, in which parishioners may write the names of their loved ones.
See below for special intention prayer:
- That God may welcome into the light of his face all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, let us pray to the Lord.
- Para que Cristo, que destruyó la muerte y que con su gloriosa resurrección dio la vida al mundo entero, conceda la felicidad eterna a nuestros hermanos difuntos, roguemos al Señor.
Solemn Vespers for All Souls' Day
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
6:30pm - 7:30pm
For more information, click here.
November 4
St. Charles Borromeo, Memorial
November 5
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 5-11, 2023
National Vocation Awareness Week
- Vocations Resources
November 9
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, Feast
- Vestments: White
- Gloria is said or sung.
- Creed is omitted.
- Sprinkling Rite may be used today.
- Solemn Blessing #19 for the Dedication of a Church may be used.
- Reflect on the following:
- Is your parish dedicated?
- Do you know the date of your parish's dedication?
- Has your parish celebrated its dedication before or preparing to celebrate it?
November 10
St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, Memorial
November 11
St. Martin of Tours, Bishop, Memorial
November 12
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 13
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Memorial
Patron of Immigrants
November 17
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Memorial
November 19
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Vietnamese Martyrs Mass
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels @ 3:30pm
More information, please click here.
November 21
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Memorial
November 22
Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, Memorial
Patron of Musicians
- Vestments: Red
November 23
Thanksgiving Day
Individuals or families may bring food to Mass to be blessed for their Thanksgiving dinner, or to be distributed to the poor. The blessing may take place outside Mass.
- The Missal for the United States provides a set of prayers, including a preface, at the end of the PS. Consider using the collect from MPVN/48.1 as the concluding prayer for the UP.
- Any readings from Lectionary for Mass #943-947 may be used.
- The Gloria and Creed are not sung or said.
- For the “Blessing of Food on Thanksgiving Day,” see Book of Blessings Ch. 38.
November 24
Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest and Companions, Martyrs
- Vestments: Red
- Readings for this Memorial may also be found in the Lectionary for Mass Supplement, no 683 B.
November 26
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
- Vestments: White
- Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water may be used.
- Gloria is sung.
- Creed is prayed.
- Solemn Blessing #11 may be used.
November 30
St. Andrew the Apostle, Feast
- Vestments: Red
- Gloria is sung or said.
- Creed is omitted.
X X PRAYERS FOR THE SYNOD X X
On September 14, the Holy See released some prayers for the opening of the synod: https://www.synod.va/en/news/without-prayer-there-will-be-no-synod.html
In a letter addressed to bishops and eparchs from all over the world, Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, invites the faithful from around the world to prayerfully participate in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will open in the Vatican on 4 October.
With this letter, the General Secretary reminds everyone that the Synodal Assembly is above all a spiritual event, of prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit who is the true protagonist of the event.
SOLEMN BLESSING AT END OF SUNDAY MASS
In order to facilitate participation and solicit the prayerful support of the members of the assembly from local communities, the General Secretariat of the Synod prepared a "Solemn Blessing" to be recited, in particular, at the end of Sunday Masses together with intercessory prayers. The Latin original was attached. Today, Father Dustin Dought -- of our USCCB Secretariat for Divine Worship -- has provided the English and Spanish translation of this blessing. It is attached below.
Respecting the richness of the liturgical tradition of the Oriental Catholic Churches sui iuris, the letter was also sent to the leaders of those Churches with a request to implement a similar blessing and intercessions in their Divine Liturgies.
UNIVERSAL PRAYER/ GENERAL INTERCESSIONS – SUNDAYS AND WEEKDAYS
Sample petitions are available on the Vatican link in various languages. They are also provided in the attached documents from the USCCB Secretariat.
OTHER PRAYERS
Cardinal Grech's appeal is part of a series of initiatives aimed at recalling the eminently spiritual character of the synodal assembly and promoting the participation of the entire People of God through prayer, including:
- the creation, already in 2021, in collaboration with the World Pope's Prayer Network and the UISG (International Union of Superiors General), of a site (www.prayforthesynod.va) that proposes a specific prayer time for the Synod every first Monday of the month;
- the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil (www.together2023.net) on 30 September on the eve of the Synod broadcast in live-streaming from 4.30 p.m. on Vatican News channels (vaticannews.va);
- a spiritual retreat for assembly members prior to the opening of the assembly (1-3 October 2023).
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL NEWS
TRAVELING EXHIBIT ON EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES by BLESSED CARLOS ACUTIS
Parish Liturgical Considerations
Parishes may find it particularly helpful to engage in a process of liturgical self-assessment. With this in mind, pastors, assisting clergy, parish lay leaders and staff, and parish councils may wish to consider using this “Year of Parish Revival” to examine the various aspects of the liturgical life of their parish and discern which areas are in need of review or special attention.
In this effort, the Office for Divine Worship has designed a four-part series with a number of considerations in the areas of 1) Music, 2) Environment, 3) Ministries, and 4) Assembly so that they may serve as a starting point for discussion.
In this effort, the Office for Divine Worship has designed a four-part series with a number of considerations in the areas of 1) Music, 2) Environment, 3) Ministries, and 4) Assembly so that they may serve as a starting point for discussion.
In this month’s Newsletter we offer the considerations for
LITURGICAL MINISTRIES
What does “being a minister of Jesus Christ” mean?
To stand before God- to look to him, to be there for him- and minister in the name of the Lord. cf. Deut 18:5
- The celebration of the Eucharist in the action of Christ and of the Church. This action affects the individual members of the Church in a different way, according to their different functions, and actual participation. Therefore, all whether ordained ministers or lay Christian faithful, in fulfilling their function or their duty, carry out solely but totally that which pertains to them. (GIRM, no. 91)
- For example, if a deacon is present, the priest celebrant or a concelebrant should not read the Gospel. And the lector should not also take on the role of server and/or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. There is a wide variety of services to be performed, and it is desirable that different individuals exercise those services so that the talents and gifts God has placed within the Christian community are fully utilized and these roles of service are not monopolized by a few. (Ministries and Roles within the Liturgical Assembly at Mass)
- Liturgical ministries appropriate to the laity (e.g., lectors, music ministry, extraordinary ministers of Hol y Communion, ushers, sacristans, altar servers) are distributed among a number of trained liturgical lay ministers. (GIRM, 115; RS, 46)
- The liturgical ministers reflect the assembly in age, gender, and ethnic background.
- In their knowledge and love for our one Father in heaven, they understand that all are brothers and sisters one to the other. Consequently, they avoid any appearance of singularity or division within the liturgy and their church community. (GIRM, no. 95)
- Whenever asked, they gladly take on the opportunity to serve the People of God in whichever service or function within the liturgy. (GIRM, no. 97)
- Liturgical ministers carry out their service in their parish community with a deep sense of their role in the liturgy being a privilege, not a right.
- Except in cases of necessity, liturgical ministers normally exercise only one ministry at a given liturgy. (SC, 28; RS, 44)
- Discernment within the parish for liturgical ministries is handled as a process that involves prayer and contemplation—personal and communal. Above all, it involves the dialogue and evaluation of the parish leadership.
- All liturgical ministers have received liturgical formation and are properly trained to perform their ministry. (SC, 29; RS, 46) Training at the parish level includes: practical training, spiritual, theological, and pastoral training.
- When embracing a role for liturgy, the liturgical ministers embrace the commitment to dependability, preparation before each liturgy, and to ongoing development and enrichment.
- Liturgical ministers are “deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy,” and perform their office with “sincere devotion and decorum demanded by so exulted a ministry.” (SC, 29)
- There is a sense of prayer and reverence among the liturgical ministers.
- Liturgical ministers show their deep religious sense and their charity toward their brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration. (GIRM no. 95)
- By exercising their ministry, liturgical ministers seek to enhance the full and active participation of the faithful.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are asked to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion only in cases of genuine necessity.
- All liturgical ministers have the spiritual maturity and physical capacity to serve in the ministry assigned to them.
- Priests and deacons are imbued with the spirit of the liturgy and exercise their liturgical role with sincerity, decorum, dignity, humility, and devotion. (SC, 14 and 17, GIRM, 93)
- Being that lay liturgical ministers are called forth from the assembly, they do not have a reserved seating location nor do they wear any special liturgical attire, such as albs, etc. The exception to this norm is for the Altar Servers. Since they are active in their ministry throughout the entire Mass and are seated in a reserved location—in the line of sight of the priest celebrant. Altar Servers may wear a simple alb and cincture.
- Liturgical ministers do not wear clothing, jewelry, pins or buttons that draw attention to the minister and away from the Lord’s presence.
- Priests and deacons strive to deepen their own liturgical knowledge and grow in developing a proper ars celebrandi. (SC, 16 and 17; RS, 33)
- There is harmony and diligence among all those involved in the effective preparation of each liturgical celebration in accordance with the Missal and other liturgical books. However, the Priest who presides at the celebration retains the right of arranging those things that pertain to him. (GIRM, no. 111)
From Benedict XVI, What is Christianity? The Last Writings
“No one is closer to his master than the servant who has access to the most private dimensions of his life.
In this sense “to serve” means closeness, it requires familiarity. This familiarity also involves a danger: when we continually encounter the sacred, it risks becoming habitual for us. In this way, reverential fear is extinguished. Conditioned by all our habits, we no longer perceive the great, new, and surprising fact that God himself is present, speaks to us, and gives himself to us. We must ceaselessly struggle against this becoming accustomed to the extraordinary reality, against the indifference of the heart, always recognizing our insufficiency anew and the grace that there is in the fact that he consigned himself into our hands. To serve means to draw near, but above all it also means obedience. The servant is under the word: “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).”
Liturgical Environment in Ordinary Time:
Late Spring, Summer, and Fall
During Ordinary Time, when parishes bring out their green fabrics to be used in the liturgical environment, they are encouraged to consider a palette of greens that reflect nature, especially in their region. For example, while in early spring, a yellow-green of new grass emerging may be used; as the season continues its cycle, a progression to the shamrock greens may be used, like that of the summer plants. Then, as the fall approaches, parishes may consider the golden-greens, like that of the fields ready for harvest. Additionally, any special observance that take place in the Ordinary Time may be highlighted by changing fabrics, adding flowers, or simply creating different groupings of green plants.
Lastly, we share a especial note regarding the expectations of the Church regarding decorations around the altar, ambo and cross:
- Altar: being that the altar is the most important furnishing of the Church, there are specific guidelines that must be followed. Firstly, no decorations are placed on the altar. Only those items directly required for the celebration of Mass are placed here. Secondly, floral decorations showing moderation may be arranged around the altar.
- Ambo: restraint should also be used in decorations around the ambo. The ambo itself should not be obscured by décor.
- Cross: The Roman Missal notes that the processional cross may be decorated with palm branches on Palm Sunday, at no other time is the cross adorned.
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