CHANCERY OFFICE APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF NORTHERN ARABIA HOLY FAMILY CO-CATHEDRAL Al Soor Street No. 21, Near Sheraton Hotel, PO. Box 266, Safat 13003, Kaifan, Kuwait. A LETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF DIVINE WORSHIP COMMITTEE OF AVONA As we herald in the year 2024, greetings of peace we send you, our brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God for His abundant blessings and providential care. The end of one year and the beginning of next often provokes us to ask the big life questions and to assess where we are on our journey through life. We tend to look back on what we have achieved or accomplished or failed to do over the past year and say “What if...? If only...? Did I make the right decision?” As a Church it is also important, from time to time, to look at what we have done and achieved, or failed to do, and to work out what we would like to do better or differently in the future. We pray that the upcoming Clergy Meeting next week will be a fruitful one taking into consideration the various challenges in this region and our continuing support for the faithful. In order to preserve the sanctity and maintain the solemnity of the services in our Vicariate, be it the Pontifical Mass or the usual Mass, we need to adhere to a set of procedures to ensure a smooth flow during all liturgical services. With the approval of the Bishop, a few guidelines are to be set in motion with immediate effect. Before a Pontifical Mass, a Master of Ceremonies is to be appointed to assist in organizing the Mass and directing all liturgical movement so it flows with the proper decorum, Here itis to be noted that the Master of Ceremonies has complete control as he liaises directly with the Bishop and briefs him well in advance. The Master of Ceremonies is "in charge" of coordinating all those who assist at the Mass and these should diligently follow his instructions, irrespective of the wishes and last-minute instructions of the Parish Priests or other priests. Over the next couple of months, we will be looking into officially assigning a Master of Ceremonies from each parish in the Vicariate after they have successfully completed the Formation Course, To ensure the smooth functioning of the services, a meeting will be arranged with the different Ministries of each parish which are involved in the Liturgy such as the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Music Ministry, Lectors, Altar Servers, Hospitality and Sacristan. This is where the Office for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments comes in. In due course, an official publication will be released containing all the procedures to be followed in detail taking the Liturgical aspect of the services into account. In the meantime, a few things which have been observed during recent services, have been noted. Tel; (00965) 22434637 22434228 | 20431563 / 22431569 - Fax:(00965) 22409981 - Office Mobile : (00965) 66475669 Web: htp:/ wwwavona.org Office Email: hfekuwait! @gmail.com1, PONTIFICAL MASS: around the Bishop, the Church gathers. “Where the Bishop is, there is the Church” (St Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Church of Smyrna, 8) 2. Ordinary Mass presided by the Bishop (zucchetto or skullcap): all as the common b. Pontifical Mass presided by the Bishop (mitre and crosier) - Announcements of the Solemn Pontifical Mass (mandatory) are be made during the Weekend Announcements of all the parishes in the country where the Bishop is present at that time. - All Priests and the faithful are to be invited. - Tandles + cross should be on the altar. - Master of Ceremony is the only one to direct all the movements. ¢. Special Pontifical Mass (mitre and crosier) - The Special Pontifical Mass includes commemoration of an event stich as Dedication of the Cathedral, Feasts, Chrism Mass, Anniversary of Ordination, etc. - During the Pontifical Mass, altar servers from different communities are to bring their own vestment and participate in the Liturgy. - During the time of the Pontifical Mass, no other Masses or meetings are to be held within the parishes in the country to ensure maximum participation, unless special permission has been given to have services parallel to the Pontifical Mass. All priests and communities should participate as one Church. For example, in Bahrain, all services at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama will, need to be cancelled when a Special Pontifical Mass is being celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali. Arrangements for transportation are to be made for parishioners, and taking into special consideration, the elderly, - In certain instances, certain parishes within the Vicariate may need to cancel their services as the priests may need to travel to another country within the vicariate be a concelebrant at the Special Pontifical Mass. d. Bishop attending any mass - Aprovision should be made for a special seat with a kneeler, as well as a surplice and a stole according to the Liturgical colour. e. Pontifical mass celebrated by an invited Bishop - Mass with mitre and crosier should be authorized by the local Bishop. - No announcement is to be made in other parishes 2. Altar and Bishop’s Seat a, Altar in our two Cathedrals - Permanent 7 candles + cross at the altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Bahrain and the Co-Cathedral in Kuwait. - Light 2 candles only during weekday for all masses - Light 7 candles during Sunday, Feasts and Solemnity for all masses. - Light 7 candles during Pontifical Mass.- During Obligation Masses, at the Co-Cathedral in Kuwait, 6 candles are to be lit. The ‘7th candle is to be lit in front of the Cross, only the Bishop presides. In other churches, if the Bishop visits, the 7th candle is to be placed on the altar. b. Altar and concelebration - Bishop should not move from the center of the altar during the Eucharistic prayer. - Bishop is not to turn his back to the Blessed Sacrament present on the altar. - When the Bishop presides over a mass or is seated, all participants in the sanctuary such as Priests, Extra Ordinary Members of Holy Communion, Lectors, Altar Servers, etc, are to acknowledge the presence of the Bishop, maintain eye contact and bow reverently to him before proceeding further. - During incensing, the priest who prepares the altar is to accompany the Bishop and Master of Ceremonies around the altar. To receive the incensing, he has to hand the thurible back to the altar server and return to his original place with the other concelebrants. - The Master of Ceremonies is to provide the microphone and Eucharistic Prayer Book to the concelebrants. c. Kathedra (Bishop's seat) in Kuwait Holy Family Co-Cathedral must find a way to distinguish the Bishop's seat and the common presidential seat. AMBOS: make the difference! - The ambo for the Word of God should be unique. In this ambo, we proclaim the Readings, the Psalm and the Gospel. ~The Homily and the Prayers of Faithful as answer to the Word of God are given from the same ambo. - Welcome message, greetings, speeches, commentaries and announcements are to be done from the lectern and not the ambo, Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - The Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are to refrain from rushing after the consecration to distribute Holy Communion. They are to hold their ciboriums while receiving Holy Communion and may then disperse to distribute the same. - During the mass, all priests are to distribute Holy Communion to the faithful. Only in instances where the number of priests is insufficient, the Extra Ordinary Ministers may then take the opportunity to distribute the same. Choir - Guidelines will be given by the Music Ministry Office. - Only Catholic songs are to be selected. - Allchoirs are to be instructed and encouraged to follow the traditional Gregorian Order of the Mass such as Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. - During the Pontifical Mass at the Cathedral or Co-Cathedral a Pontifical or Episcopal Ch to be assigned.- Members of different communities are to be encouraged to join the choir. - It is recommended that all choirs are to have a hard copy of the hymns and not to rely on electronic gadgets. - Communion of the choir: to respect the Sacrament and the personal prayer. Holy Communion will be distributed to the choir after the faithful, or in some cases even after the Mass by the priest of Extra Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion. - Aspecial Extra Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion will be assigned for the choir. = All together in one movement, in silence. 6. Miscellaneous - The Credence Table is not to be an extension to the altar on the sanctuary, but should instead be placed some distance away from the altar. Arrangements are to be made for additional altar servers, if required, in bringing the gifts from the table to the altar. Alternatively, the Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion or Sacristan may also assist the priests. - _Allciboriums for the concelebrants are to be together in the same place upon the corporal. - During the offertory procession, only wine and bread is to be brought in procession and not water. - Atthe end of the Mass, during the recessional, the thurible or incense is not carried out except in certain cases where there is a blessing e.g, Christmas. Ultimately the Church is here to bring and share the Good News of God's love, as revealed in Jesus Christ, to the people we meet. I pray that we will be inspired and reinvigorated as we begin 2024 saying ‘yes’ to God's invitation to join in with the coming of God's Kingdom on earth as in heaven. And let us be thankful for God's unwavering choice of love for us, revealed in the tiny Christ-child - God with us. May this alone be our starting place. I wish you a peaceful and hope-filled New Year. For the Office of Divine Worship, Sd/- Nicolson Supréme Bien-Aimé Director Approved by H. E. Bishop Aldo Berardi, 0.SS.T.