NOTE: these instructions presume the altar party consists of the three Sacred Ministers, MC, and Thurifer (who may carry the processional cross at the end). No Crucifer or Acolytes are assigned.
PREPARATION:
All servers should be present and vested 15 minutes before Mass. Any server not accounted for by this time will be replaced.
To credence: twin chalices, extra ciborium (if there are sufficient clergy); Aqua & Vino cruets, lavabo bowl & towel; veiled chalice with priest’s host and 3 purificators. Make sure Aqua contains water and Vino contains wine!
Aspersorium (holy water bucket) and Asperges card on second altar step near Epistle horn.
All Saints, High Altar, and footpace candles should already be lit from 9am Mass.
Fresh water glasses in pulpit and on retable (in front of innermost Epistle-side candle).
First Lesson (KJV printout) on lectern.
Gospel Book and Altar Book in priests’ sacristy to be reviewed by clergy.
Intercessions book on table by MC’s chair. Once CEL has set Altar Book, it goes on missal stand and book and stand are placed on credence table.
Copies of service leaflets on chairs at sedilia, MC’s chair, and preacher’s stall (if the preacher is not one of the Sacred Ministers).
If necessary, MC will assign Communion stations:
- Usually, the Celebrant, Deacon, Subdeacon, and MC will administer hosts (C and D) and chalices (SD and MC) at the high altar while the preacher and Thurifer go to All Saints.
- However, if the Thurifer is not licensed, the Celebrant administers hosts along the whole of the rail with D and SD administering chalices, and the MC goes to All Saints with the preacher.
- In the event that only two clergy are present, the Celebrant and SD administer bread and wine along the whole of the rail while the Thurifer (if licensed) or the MC goes to All Saints with the preacher.
ENTRANCE PROCESSION:
ALL enter in procession in the following order:
/\
TH
MC
SD
D
CEL
/\
The procession enters via the North door during the hymn playthrough and proceeds to the chancel the “short way,” across the transept and up the choir steps.
MC goes to right, in front of where holy water bucket and card are on step.
SD goes to TH’s right.
D proceeds to Altar, places Gospel Book in centre, and returns to foot of steps at MC’s left.
CEL takes place between SD and D.
Opening lineup at altar steps:
|ALTAR|
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
TH SD CEL D MC
When all are lined up and D has returned from placing Gospel Book, ALL remain in place until conclusion of the hymn, at which time MC cues ALL to genuflect. MC hands aspersorium to D, who passes it to Celebrant.
Cantor begins the Asperges chant. Celebrant sprinkles altar party, then, accompanied by D and SD, walks up center aisle and sprinkles congregation. The Sacred Ministers stop at the back of the nave and face the altar during the Gloria Patri. When the Sacred Ministers return from sprinkling the congregation, D receives aspersorium and aspergillum and hands to MC, who hands D text card for Celebrant to chant the versicles and responses. At conclusion of versicles and responses, Celebrant returns card to D who gives up card and hardware to MC, who removes them to credence.
SMs ascend altar steps to footpace, and TH and MC file to sedilia/credence.
INTROIT:
The altar is customarily censed during the Introit. MC cues TH to bring thurible to CEL on footpace. TH then retires to sedilia and waits until D returns thurible after censing CEL. TH exits to smoke sacristy.
KYRIE ELEISON and GLORIA IN EXCELSIS:
SMs proceed across respective steps to closed “I” formation in centre. Congregation sings Kyrie.
MC signals SD and D to go up to footpace on the words, “Glory be to God on High” (intoned by CEL). SD and D return to places in closed “I” at the words “For thou only art Holy…” ALL make the Sign of the Cross during the words “in the glory of God the Father.”
SALUTATION and COLLECT OF THE DAY:
Following conclusion of Gloria in Excelsis, CEL turns to face the people. D and SD split to left and right (“open I”) for the salutation and response, then proceed to closed “I” at Epistle horn for chanting of Collect. MC ascends to top side step to point Collect while CEL chants it.
LESSON & GRADUAL:
SD begins walking to lectern during the concluding clause of the Collect. D and CEL come off steps to sedilia. ALL sit. MC sits next to D.
SD reads the First Lesson.
GOSPEL PROCESSION:
After Epistle Lesson, several things happen at once:
–ALL stand. MC directs TH to enter from smoke sacristy, signaling genuflection when SD is on step behind TH.
–TH goes to CEL and has incense laid on, then proceeds to lineup to SD’s left (see schematic below).
–SD proceeds to High Altar, goes to Epistle Horn, picks up Missal Stand and moves it to left of centre (under the innermost Gospel-side angel). SD then walks down steps and takes place on the leftmost green stripe on the floor.
Once CEL has laid on incense, D goes up side steps to Altar, collects Gospel Book, returns via same path to CEL and genuflects for a blessing.
D and MC join lineup and MC cues genuflection.
Lineup for Gospel Procession
|ALTAR|
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
TH SD D MC
The order of the Gospel Procession is as follows:
\/
D
SD
TH
MC
\/
MC leads procession approximately halfway down centre aisle, turns and faces East. MC steps out of the way as SD approaches. Th stands to left. SD stands facing East.
D places Gospel Book in SD’s hands, introduces the Gospel and censes the Book.
Following the chanting, D returns Gospel Book to SD’s hands. SD leads returning procession, taking Gospel Book back to CEL (usually at sedilia). Because SD is carrying the Evangel, SD does not genuflect upon returning to chancel but goes directly to CEL.
MC follows SD; procession back to altar steps is in the following order:
\/
D
TH
MC
SD
\/
MC cues genuflection. MC and D (if not preaching) retire to sedilia, MC collecting Gospel book from SD and placing it on the cushion under the credence table. TH goes out to smoke sacristy.
SERMON:
ALL sit.
NICENE CREED:
MC gives Intercessions book to D and cues ALL to stand. SMs go to foot of steps (do NOT genuflect). MC stands at bottom steps near credence. Creed is intoned by Choir member or CEL and sung by ALL. Following the words “came down from heaven,” ALL genuflect through the words “and was made Man.” ALL rise. ALL make the Sign of the Cross at the words “the life everlasting.”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and EXHORTATION:
ALL remain standing.
GENERAL CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION:
ALL kneel.
ALL stand. D and SD face CEL as he intones “The Peace of the Lord be always with you.”
OFFERTORY:
Cantor begins Offertory anthem.
The Sacred Ministers then face the altar, genuflect, and Cel and D ascend to the footpace, while the Subdeacon crosses to the credence. At the footpace, the Celebrant moves to the Deacon’s left. The Subdeacon hands off the Intercessions book to the MC and takes the veiled chalice up to the D at the footpace.
While the Deacon and Subdeacon are preparing the altar, the thurifer enters from the smoke sacristy and waits at the credence.
The Subdeacon stays at the horn to receive the ciborium, flagon, and water cruet from MC (in two trips). The Subdeacon passes the ciborium to the Deacon and then holds up the water cruet to be blessed by the Celebrant, then pours a little water in the flagon and passes it to the Deacon. The Subdeacon then returns the water cruet to the acolyte and passes the Deacon to stand at the Celebrant’s left.
The Deacon prepares the chalice.
When the vessels are ready, the Celebrant takes his place at the center of the altar and offers the gifts, then turns toward the thurifer at the credence, who ascends to the footpace where incense is laid on.
The thurifer brings the thurible up to the Celebrant. MC goes behind reredos to remove Altar Book. MC goes down to stand on pavement near Sacrament House during censing.
MC returns Altar Book to Altar as D begins to cense CEL, then goes behind reredos to prepare for the lavabo as the CEL is being censed. After the CEL has been censed, MC ascends steps with lavabo bowl and towel for CEL to wash fingers.
CEL turns and begins Sursum Corda as soon as the anthem/hymn is over.
SALUTATION and SURSUM CORDA:
ALL remain standing. After the Preface, as the Celebrant says “Therefore with angels and archangels …”, the Deacon and Subdeacon ascend to the footpace. The Deacon goes to the Celebrant’s right and the Subdeacon to the Celebrant’s left. The Deacon will attend to the vessels while the Subdeacon will point the text in the Altar Book.
SANCTUS and BENEDICTUS:
ALL remain standing. MC and TH bow with SMs for the first few phrases of the Sanctus (watch SMs for cues). ALL make the Sign of the Cross at the words “Benedictus qui venit/Blessed is He who comes …”.
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION:
After the Benedictus, MC and TH kneel.
After “Until his coming again”, SD and D kneel to either side of celebrant. As CEL elevates the Host and Chalice, D lifts the edge of the chasuble. TH censes the Elements with three doubles centered on the elevations, not choreographed with bells or genuflections.
After the second genuflection following elevation of the chalice, SD and D rise with CEL. They remain at the footpace, standing, throughout the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer, genuflecting in concert with the Celebrant as appropriate.
LORD’S PRAYER, FRACTION, and PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS:
ALL remain kneeling, except SMs who are standing. The Fraction anthem is “Alleluia. Christ our Passover…”.
AGNUS DEI:
As organist begins Agnus Dei, MC and TH stand. TH goes to center, genuflects, and exits to smoke sacristy. SD retrieves reservation ciborium from aumbry and places it on the corporal.
MC places all chalices (and extra ciborium when needed) on the Altar.
The MC and those who will be distributing Communion at the All Saints chapel go to the side steps at the Gospel horn to receive Communion. Either the Celebrant or the Deacon may communicate them. The Celebrant communicates the Deacon, Subdeacon, MC, and All Saints ministers during or after the singing of the Agnus Dei, depending on its length.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION and COMMUNION:
ALL remain standing in places for Invitation and Communion.
Distribution of Communion: Normally, CEL will distribute Hosts at Epistle side of High Altar, assisted by SD with chalice. D will distribute Hosts at Gospel side, assisted by MC with chalice. A choir cleric will distribute Hosts at the All Saints chapel, assisted by TH if that person is licensed. If there are only two priests available, CEL administers the length of the rail and D goes to All Saints, taking over on Gospel side after returning therefrom.
ABLUTIONS:
MC brings water cruet up to Altar and signals TH to stand at Epistle horn and receive cleansed vessels (ciborium, flagon, and extra chalices).
SD assists at ablutions as directed by CEL and passes vessels to MC to be removed.
At end of ablutions, SD takes up veil while D takes Missal. SD goes down to pavement, bows, and goes up to CEL’s left.
SD veils chalice: place pall over chalice (if not already there). Place veil over pall and set aside. Fold corporal, beginning with bottom edge.
Fold in from bottom, then from top, then from left, then from right. Place folded corporal inside burse.
Place burse on top of veiled chalice.
Take veiled chalice down to MC, who is waiting at foot of steps on Epistle side.
MC receives veiled Mass chalice from SD at bottom of steps. SD takes place in closed “I” at Epistle horn.
POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER:
MC ascends to top side step while CEL reads Post-Communion Prayer. As CEL moves to center for blessing, MC takes missal stand down to credence table, then kneels for the Blessing and Dismissal.
BLESSING and DISMISSAL:
ALL remain kneeling. SMs go to center and as CEL turns, spread into open “I” and kneel on steps. CEL blesses people and bids dismissal. D rises and sings Dismissal. ALL respond, then rise.
Following the Dismissal, the Sacred Ministers ascend to the footpace, reverence the altar, then descend to the foot of the altar for the final genuflection and departure.
SMs and MC line up at bottom of steps.
MC cues ALL to genuflect at end of hymn play-through. Altar party then turns and faces West.
Exeunt omnes down centre aisle. Servers and clergy retire to Baptistry and gather around font.
IN BAPTISTRY:
CEL leads a final prayer. SD goes up south aisle to retrieve veiled chalice from High Altar.
MC receives vestments from clergy.
AFTER MASS CLEANUP:
MC supervises cleanup including lectern, pulpit, All Saints, Lady Chapel, and High Altar. All vessels and water glasses go to work sacristy; all candles extinguished; credence table cleared; blue cover cloths placed on all altars; sanctuary left in perfect order.
Ite, missa est!