As the Season of Lent progresses and the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter fast approach, Pastors find themselves swamped in the flurry of preparations that are so much a part of this time of year. They need our prayers and words of encouragement especially as they find themselves swamped by the demands this time of year will make upon them.
The other evening, I listened to a Priest-friend who is Pastor of a large suburban parish. It was late, but he decided to phone me after spending much of the evening with members of the liturgical committee he inherited upon his appointment to the parish just a couple of weeks ago.
It was his first encounter with this group. He told me that he had had misgivings and concerns about the meeting, all of which were confirmed.
His predecessor had taken little interest in the committee’s work, preferring to simply allow the members to make whatever plans they wished for the liturgical celebrations, the decorations, the arrangement of the sanctuary, and the training of altar servers and ministers.
As a result, this group was given almost free reign over the ceremonies which took place, including and especially the music which accompanied the various Mass and liturgical services.
The Pastor told me that he was told what he would or wouldn’t be doing in celebrating the Holy Week and Easter rituals. The committee had selected and approved the times of the services, all the music and even the number of readings which would be read at the Easter Vigil. They further indicated that they had selected the themes which the homilies should address.
While tempted to “blow his stack” (his words), he was able to keep his composure, But he decided that, after this night, he would disband this committee and exercise exclusive control over the liturgical life of the parish for the foreseeable future. For the present, he just wants to get through his first Holy Week and Easter celebration with as little dispute with this group as possible.
After listening quietly and offering as much sympathy as I could, I suggested that his plan of action certainly sounded prudent and I assured him of my prayers for his patience during this trying moment,
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was one of the foundational documents that came out of Vatican Council II ushering in a time of great liturgical reform that shaped the liturgy as we know it today.
To assist the Bishop, the chief liturgist of any diocese, the Constitution recommended --but did not mandate-- the establishment of a Liturgical Commission in every diocese to advise the Bishop on implementing the reforms as well as on all matters liturgical.
At the parish level, liturgy committees were formed to provide similar advice and counsel to the pastor.
Curiously, while the reforms of Vatican II have long since been implemented, parish liturgy committees appear to have maintained a place within parish structure.
While the responsibility to prepare for the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy remains primarily the responsibility of the Priest-celebrant, some Pastors believe it necessary to have the assistance of the laity to fulfill this duty.
While not mandated by law, a knowledgeable and well-formed liturgy committee can provide such limited assistance.
From the outset, it is important to distinguish between planning and preparing. The Sacred Rites are not planned in the ways of a birthday party or anniversary celebration. In these cases, the options of menu choices, party activities, decorations and such are left to the creativity of the party planners.
Unlike these celebrations, the Church has already planned the Sacred Liturgy as it is found in the approved liturgical books and in its Order of the Liturgical Year.
The Liturgy is not an event or a performance. It is a sacred celebration of the Paschal Mystery through which the mystery of Christ among us becomes transparent and spiritually effective in the lives of the people.
No committee not knowledgeable or familiar with this fundamental understanding of the Sacred Liturgy can be assistance to any Pastor.
A liturgy committee can assist by helping the Pastor consider the various options the Church permits for the observance of the seasons of the Liturgical Year. Liturgical committees can be particularly helpful in seeing to it that liturgical ministers are properly formed and instructed for their respective roles.
Of course, the problems which my Priest-friend is experiencing and which countless other Pastors have experienced with their parish liturgical committees all stem from the fact that the folks comprising these committees have never been properly educated in what their true role and functions are. They exist to simply advise and assist. They do not direct or govern the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy within the parish.
In my active ministry, I was not immune to the same problem. My solution? I thanked the members of the liturgical committee for their past service, suppressed the committee completely, and gathered to myself those persons whom I grew to realize were truly interested in providing assistance and support in the celebration of the Liturgy.
Was my solution popular. No.
Did some of the former committee members complain. Of course, one even wrote to the Archbishop demanding my removal. I remained Pastor of the parish for the next 21 years.
Pastors need to understand their responsibilities and fulfill them. The same applies to members of liturgical committees everywhere.
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