CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

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6. The Eucharist must be celebrated with unleavened bread and wine.
   6.1. The bread must be made of wheat alone. Those parishes that wish to bake their own bread for special occasions                    must bake bread that is composed of wheat flour and water and no other additives.
   6.2. The wine must be natural grape wine and not corrupt.
   6.3. Only those priests who have received special faculties from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or the

           Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments, may validly use natural grape juice for the celebration of the

           Eucharist. (4)

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7. The celebration of the Eucharist may take place any day and at any hour, except for those times excluded by the             

     liturgical norms. (CIC 931)
   7.1. On Holy Thursday, all Masses without the participation of the people are forbidden.
   7.2. The Mass of the Lord‟s Supper (Holy Thursday) is celebrated in the evening at a time that is convenient for the full

            participation of the whole local community. All priests may concelebrate, even if on that day they have

            concelebrated the Chrism Mass or if, for the good of the faithful they must celebrate another Mass. (Congregation

            for Divine Worship, Circular letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Feasts, January 16, 1988

            [EASTER] n. 46)
   7.3. On Holy Thursday, where pastoral considerations require, it, the local Ordinary may permit another Mass to be

            celebrated in churches and oratories in the evening, and in the case of true necessity, even in the morning, but

            only for those faithful who cannot otherwise participate in the evening Mass. Care should nevertheless be taken to

            ensure that celebrations of this kind do not take place for the benefit of individual persons or of small groups, and

            that they are not to the detriment of the main Mass. (EASTER, n. 47; ROMAN MISSAL Thursday of the Lord’s

            Supper, 3.)
     7.3.1. A second evening Mass is permitted in mission churches if, in the judgment of the pastor, there is a true

                 necessity, or it is advantageous for the people.
     7.3.2. The solemn adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is to end at midnight.
 

   7.4. On Good Friday, in accordance with ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the Eucharist. (EASTER, n. 59)
   7.5. On Holy Saturday, the Church abstains strictly from the celebration of the sacrifice of the Eucharist. (EASTER, n.

           75) Holy Communion may only be given on this day as Viaticum. (ROMAN MISSAL, Holy Saturday 3)
   7.6. Celebration for private groups on Sundays and Holydays of obligation is discouraged.

 

8. A priest may not celebrate the Eucharist without the participation of at least some members of the faithful, except for

     a just and reasonable cause. (CIC 906)
   8.1 If a sick or aged priest is unable to stand he may celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice while seated, observing the                    liturgical laws, with the people present. (CIC 930, §1)

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9. In celebrating the Eucharist, priests are to wear alb, stole and chasuble of the color of the day as prescribed in the

     liturgical books. In concelebrations, the concelebrating priests may wear alb and stole of the proper liturgical color.

     Ordinarily, the stole is worn under the chasuble. The presider is to be fully vested. It is not proper for priests to wear

     the stole over a cassock, religious habit or secular clothes. It is not proper for those who are not bishops to wear a

     pectoral cross.

 

10. When assisting at the celebration of the Eucharist, deacons are to wear an alb, stole, and dalmatic. If the parish

       community does not have dalmatics, the deacon may wear alb and stole. It is not proper to wear the stole over a

       cassock, religious habit, or secular clothing. Deacons are not to wear a cross over their liturgical clothing when

       they are vested.

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11. The celebration of the Eucharist is to take place in a sacred place, unless in a particular case necessity demands                   otherwise; in such a case it must be done in a respectable place. (CIC 932)
   11.1. For the regular celebration of the Eucharist in private chapels, permission is needed from the Archbishop. (CIC                    1228)
   11.2. Ordinarily the Eucharist may be celebrated in private homes; however, this is not to be done on Sundays or Holy

             Days of obligation or in conjunction with the celebration of the sacraments of initiation or marriage.

 

12. The Eucharist is to be celebrated upon a dedicated or blessed altar; a suitable table can be used outside of a sacred

       place, but always retaining the use of cloth and corporal. (CIC 932, §2)

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13. Priests may concelebrate at any celebration of the Eucharist in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, unless the welfare of the

       faithful urges otherwise or the Archbishop has judged that the concelebration is not appropriate for that occasion.
   13.1. No priest may be admitted to concelebrate once the celebration of the Eucharist has begun. (GIRM 2010, 206)
   13.2. It is forbidden for Catholic priests to concelebrate the Eucharist with priests or ministers of churches or ecclesial

              communities which are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. (CIC 908)
   13.3. The number of concelebrants that gather around the altar should be in keeping with the dignity of the Eucharistic

              celebration and the size of the sanctuary.
   13.4. The parts spoken by all the concelebrants together and especially the words of consecration, which all are bound

              to say, are to be said in such a way that the concelebrants speak them in a very low voice and the principal

              celebrant‟s voice be clearly heard. In this way the words can be better understood by the people. (GIRM 2010,

              218)
   13.5. Concelebrants are to recite only those parts of the Eucharistic Prayer that are designated for all concelebrants

              (namely the epiclesis, words of institution, anamnesis, and postconsecratory epiclesis). The parts designated for

              the presider, or for one of the concelebrants, should be recited by one priest only.
   13.6. When the sacred species are presented prior to communion, the presider is the only one who elevates the

              consecrated bread to be presented while the words “This is the Lamb of God” are being recited. During this time

              the concelebrants hold the consecrated bread without elevating it.

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14. When he is present at the Eucharistic Celebration, a deacon should exercise his ministry, wearing sacred vestments.

       The deacon assists the priest and remains at his side; ministers at the altar with the chalice as well as the book;

       proclaims the Gospel and, at the direction of the priest celebrant, may preach the homily; guides the faithful by

       appropriate introductions and explanation, and announces the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful; assists the

       priest celebrant in distributing Communion, and purifies and arranges the sacred vessels; as needed, fulfills the

       duties of other ministers himself if none of them is present. (GIRM 2010, 171)
   14.1. During the entrance procession the deacon carries the BOOK OF THE GOSPELS. (5)
   14.2. The deacon together with the priest venerates the altar with a kiss. If incense is used, the deacon assists the

              presider in incensing the altar.
   14.3. Before the reading of the Gospel the deacon asks for the blessing of the presider. This blessing is asked for after

              the censer is prepared and before the BOOK OF THE GOSPELS is taken from the altar. (6)
   14.4. After the introduction by the priest it is the deacon himself who normally announces the intentions of the

              Universal Prayer from the ambo. (GIRM 2010, 177)
   14.5. At the presentation of the gifts, the deacon prepares the altar and assists the presider in receiving the gifts. If

              incense is used, the deacon assists the priest with the incensing of the gifts and the altar; afterward he incenses

              the presider and the people.
   14.6. During the Eucharistic Prayer the deacon stands near the altar, but does not mouth the words or make any

              gestures that might indicate that he is concelebrating. The deacon does not invite the people to proclaim the

               mystery of faith. (7)
   14.7. The deacon assists the priest in elevating the consecrated species during the doxology by holding the chalice.
   14.8. After the prayer for peace and the greeting, the deacon, using the text provided in the ROMAN MISSAL, invites the

              people to exchange the sign of peace.
   14.9. After communion the deacon clears the altar and purifies the vessels. The purification of the vessels is to take

              place at a side table either after Communion or after Mass.
   14.10. Deacons may make the announcements after the prayer after Communion, not before.
   14.11. If one of the solemn blessings is being used by the presider, the deacon invites the faithful to bow their heads

                using the text in the ROMAN MISSAL.
   14.12. After the final blessing the deacon dismisses the people using one of the options in the ROMAN MISSAL.
   14.13. The deacon, together with the presider, kisses the altar, makes the proper reverences, and leaves the altar in the

                same order of the entrance procession, but does not carry out the Book of the Gospels.

15. Ordinarily only the deacons assisting at the altar are to be vested during the celebration of the Eucharist. On those

       occasions when the deacons are vested as an order (8), they do not gather around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer,

       but remain at their place following the proper posture of the laity. Ordinarily, when the deacons are vested as an

       order, they are seated together but not accompanied by their wives.
 

16. For the sake of uniformity in movement and posture during the celebration, the faithful should follow the directions

       given by the deacons, the presider, the master of ceremonies or another minister. At every celebration of the

       Eucharist the following posture is to be observed: (9)
   16.1. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until

              the end of the collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the

              Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful, from the invitation, Orate Fratres (Pray, brethren) before the

              prayer over the offerings until the end of the Mass except at the places indicated below.
   16.2. They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for

              the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow,

              they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.
   16.3. In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the

              Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health,

              lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to

              make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei

              unless the diocesan bishop determines otherwise. (GIRM 2010, 43) 

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(4) Priests who received permission from the Archbishop to use natural grape juice prior to September of 1983 may validly continue to do so.
(5) In the entrance procession only one book is to be carried. The BOOK OF THE GOSPELS (Evangelary) is carried by a deacon, or in the absence of the

      deacon, by a reader. Neither the Lectionary nor the Roman Missal are carried in the procession.
(6) When the Archbishop presides at the liturgy, the deacon takes the BOOK OF THE GOSPELS to him to be kissed. In liturgy presided by a priest the

      deacon kisses it himself.
(7) Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments and Divine Worship. January 11, 1983.
(8) Gathering of the Archdiocesan Clergy; Liturgy of Ordination of Deacons; Funerals of Deacons
(9) In observing these postures, the size of the Church and the environment should be considered. Kneeling should not be required in places where

       there are no kneelers.