Have you ever wondered who makes sure the holy water fonts at the doors are filled and cleaned?
Until recent times, it was one of the many important but often taken-for-granted jobs performed by Pat Le Mottee. Pat passed away on 9 September, and her funeral was celebrated on Tuesday.
Pat was very much engaged in liturgical ministry here in Wentworthville. Despite her reservations, she served as a Minister of the Word and Minister of Communion. She performed many tasks belonging to sacristans, such as washing linen, polishing brassware and keeping plants and flowers topped up with water. Even though she disliked the task, she was ever-diligent in recording the use of overheads for our copyright records and filing them away so music ministers could find them the next weekend. After Mass, on Saturday mornings, Pat would lead parishioners in praying the rosary at the Marian shrine. There is probably even more that she did that I cannot recall, or am simply not aware that she did.
This brings me to the point of my writing about Pat. For those of us in liturgical ministry, Pat gave us an example of humble service. Everything she did was done for the honour and glory of the God she so dearly loved and whom she knew loved her. Never at any time did she draw attention to herself. No matter how seemingly insignificant the task, no matter how much she liked or disliked it, Pat did it humbly out of dedication and love.
Pat’s liturgical ministry and her faith serve as a model for us all.
May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem.
from the Rite of Committal, Order of Christian Funerals
As part of our work on renovating our church, we are looking at images of different liturgical spaces.
Many are recently constructed or renovated. Some are spaces known to us, while others we’ve only seen online. They include spaces such as:
- our own St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta (Sydney, Australia)
- the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland (California)
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park (Melbourne, Australia)
Our first collection of images is of baptismal fonts and baptisteries.
The work of the Liturgy Committee to date, including consultation with parishioners, has resulted in the development of a renovation concept. This concept includes a number of matters we would like considered in plans for a renovated church. The first consideration for our renovation plans is:
The establishment of a new baptistery at the threshold between the parish centre and church, placing it at the present entrance into the church
Those who have contributed to the conversation so far believe this is important because:
St Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta chapel1 by judyvk
Baptism, the door to life and to the kingdom of God, is the first sacrament of the New Law, which Christ offered to all, that they might have eternal life. (Christian Initiation: General Introduction (CIGI), 3)
chapel font by professor megan
The baptistery or the area where the baptismal font is located should be reserved for the sacrament of baptism and should be worthy to serve as the place where Christians are reborn in water and the Holy Spirit. The baptistery may be situated in a chapel either inside or outside the church or in some other part of the church easily seen by the faithful; it should be large enough to accommodate a good number of people. After the Easter season, the Easter candle should be kept reverently in the baptistery, in such a way that it can be lighted for the celebration of baptism and so that from it the candles for the newly baptised can easily be lighted. (CIGI, 25)
LM-17 by kphung914
The baptistery or site of the baptismal font is rightly considered to be one of the most important parts of a church. For it is the place for celebrating baptism, the first sacrament of the New law, through which those who firmly accept Christ in faith and receive the Spirit of adoption become in name and in fact God’s adopted children. Joined with Christ in a death and resurrection like his, they become part of his Body. Filled with the anointing of the Spirit, they become God’s holy temple and members of the Church, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”. (Book of Blessings, 1080)
The work of the Liturgy Committee to date, including consultation with parishioners, has resulted in the development of a renovation concept. This concept includes a number of matters we would like considered in plans for a renovated church. The first consideration for our renovation plans is:
Church Interior, by Stephen O.Cist
The review of the assembly seating and the sanctuary, with the aim of gathering the assembly around the two tables of the word and the eucharist as much as possible
Those who have contributed to the conversation so far believe this is important because:
… For in the celebration of Mass, in which the Sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated, Christ is really present in the very liturgical assembly gathered in his name, in the person of the minister, in his word, and indeed substantially and continuously under the Eucharistic species. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), 27)
The general ordering of the sacred building must be such that in some way it conveys the image of the gathered assembly and allows the appropriate ordering of all the participants, as well as facilitating them in the proper carrying out of their function… (GIRM, 294)
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Bishop Manning, Evening Prayer by judyvk
The Church is nourished spiritually at the table of God’s word and at the table of the eucharist: from the one it grows in wisdom and from the other in holiness. In the word of God the divine covenant is announced; in the eucharist the new and everlasting covenant is renewed… (Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, 10)
… The altar, moreover, should be in the place where it is truly the centre toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns… (GIRM, 299)
… The dignity of the word of God requires that the church have a place that is suitable for the proclamation of the word and toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns during the Liturgy of the Word… (GIRM, 309)
This week, the Liturgy Committee had the privilege of meeting with Fr Stephen Hackett MSC. Our meeting with Stephen marked another step forward in the process our developing a renovation plan for our church. We started our conversation by looking at the following quote:
A shared vision is not an idea…it is rather, a force in people’s hearts…at its simplest level, a shared vision is the answer to the question “What do we want to create?”
Peter Senge
While Peter Senge, the man who made this statement, is a university professor in business management, the words ring very true for what we are trying to achieve here in Wentworthville.
It is a shared vision which has seen the Catholic Church survive, grow and flourish over a period of two thousand years. It is a shared vision which saw Catholics establish a Church here in Wentworthville that grew into a parish community, with its own school and the many diverse ministries its parishioners engage in.
It is a shared vision which will bring our desire to renovate and improve our church building to life. Many people in our community have ideas on how our church should look, feel and allow us to celebrate. Many people have shared those ideas with us. Yet ideas alone will not get us to the destination.
The common desire to create something, the passion and the determination to see it realised is what takes those ideas and makes them a shared vision. It is what we hope to achieve within our community, and thus lead us forward into the development of our renovation plans. Keep an eye out for opportunities in the remainder of 2009 and into 2010 where you can make your contribution to the shared vision.
As we have discussed for some time now, the Liturgy Committee has been establishing a process for the renovation of the church.
After an initial process of parishioner consultation, where we gained an insight into the vision and values of parishioners, we worked towards developing a renovation concept. The concept provides us with a basis of the key elements to be considered in the renovation and the needs to be addressed. From this, further consultation with parishioners will lead to a detailed design brief.
In accordance with Diocesan policy, this concept was submitted to the Diocesan Liturgical Commission. They approved the concept and encouraged us to proceed. Over the coming weeks, we will share with you this renovation concept and continue the consultation process.
Part of the continued development of the project involves the appointment of a liturgical consultant. The consultant works with the parish to facilitate education and formation processes. The consultant also liaises with the parish and the professionals it appoints to ensure the renovated space reflects its values and serves the liturgy.
This week, the Liturgy Committee will meet with Liturgical Consultant Fr. Stephen Hackett. Stephen is a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) and the former Vicar General of Darwin. He has provided liturgical consultancy for a number of renovation projects and is currently undertaking a PhD in liturgical architecture. We hope that through engaging in discussion with Stephen about our community and our vision for the future, we can determine the most effective way forward in our renovation programme.
As always, the Liturgy Committee invites your feedback and comments about this project. You can speak to any member of the committee, email us at litcomwenty (at) yahoo (dot) com (dot) au, or leave a written note at the parish office.
Today our parish celebrated the solemnity of its patron, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is not only the feast of our parish patron, but also the principal feast of the Carmelite Friars who live in community here and minister to the parish.
The actual date for Our Lady of Mount Carmel is 16 July. This date is associated with the story of Mary appearing to Carmelite Friar St. Simon Stock (also here), and entrusting him with the brown scapular. An optional memorial in the general calendar, it ranks as a solemnity in Wentworthville (as does the feast of the Patron in any parish) and in the Carmelite Order.
Those who participate in a Mass for the solemnity in a Carmelite parish may find that the texts vary even from those provided in the Sacramentary and Lectionary for the optional memorial. This is because the Order has prepared its own missal for the feasts particular to its own liturgical calendar. It contains readings and prayers for the Carmelite saints, including the prophet Elijah, who is a central figure in Carmelite spirituality and an inspiration to the Order. The readings in the Carmelite Lectionary for the solemnity are:
Gospel: John 19:25-27
First Reading: 1 Kings 18:42-45
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
The principal Mass was celebrated today at 10:30 a.m. The principal celebrant was our own Fr. Paul Sireh OCarm, and concelebrated by Fr John Powell OCarm, and Fr Peter, a diocesan priest from Papua New Guinea who is currently visiting Wenty. Many people gave positive comments after the Mass and appreciated the reverent and solemn manner in which all participated.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to today’s celebrations.
Last time, I began to discuss the concern one correspondent raised of the seemingly diminishing sense of the “real presence”, that is, our belief that Christ is fully present in the bread and wine we consecrate at Mass, and thus consume as his body and blood. It is a belief that Catholics have held for many centuries, although different Christian Churches have different theological viewpoints and understandings. Some Christian Churches do not believe in Christ’s presence in the Eucharistic elements.
Bishop Manning has written on this topic many times, and has also noticed a change of attitude towards the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. A sense of the mystery of this great gift of Christ has been lost for many. As I said last time, I believe there are a number of factors that have contributed to this.
The first centres around the practices we teach our children from a young age around giving reverence to the Eucharist.
Whenever we enter a church or a Blessed Sacrament Chapel where there is a tabernacle, we should genuflect towards it. We need to teach those learning about our faith about the lamp that burns alongside the tabernacle and its purpose of indicating the presence of Christ. During Mass, when we are next to receive communion, we should bow to acknowledge the presence of Christ in the Eucharist we are about to receive.
We also need to show appropriate reverence to the altar as the place where this mystery is realised. In churches where the tabernacle is in a separate Blessed Sacrament Chapel (as at Greystanes, Toongabbie, or Parramatta for example), the appropriate reverence upon entering the church is a bow to the altar. The altar should only be used for the celebration of the Eucharist, and only hold those things required for it. It is not merely a table where we rest things for the sake of convenience! When we celebrate the Eucharist, the altar is the centre around which we gather and is a key focal point, whereas the tabernacle would be a focal point at other times of personal prayer, devotion and adoration.
