I class
Violet and White
Funerals are prohibited.
The blessing of meals today is: Principes sacerdotum et pharisaei munierunt sepulcrum, signantes lapidem, cum custodibus. (Cf. reliqua in Benedictio Mensae, in either the Rituale Romanum or in the appendix of the Breviary).
The Paschal Vigil should take place so that the Mass itself (the second half of the Vigil) begins at midnight, but the Vigil may take place for pastoral necessity as early as sundown, per the rubrics. If the Vigil is thus anticipated, it does not fulfill the Sunday obligation, and the faithful will plan to attend Mass also the next morning, at which time they may receive Holy Communion again. Ordinarily they may receive at either the Vigil or the morning Mass, but not both.
The rubrics of the entire ceremony are given in the Missal. The bells and the organ continue to be silent until the Gloria. A clapper is used in place of the bells up to that point.
The tabernacle is empty at the start of the ceremony. It is necessary to prepare ciboria so that enough hosts may be consecrated to suffice for the distribution of Holy Communion at the Vigil.
The six principal elements of the Paschal Vigil are:
1. The New Fire
2. The Paschal Candle Blessing
3. The Exultet (Praeconium Paschale)
4. The Lessons, or Prophecies
5. The Consecration of the Baptismal Font
6. The Mass
For the blessing of the fire, it must be a new fire; therefore it cannot be lighted from another flame, but must be kindled with a spark from striking flint. This is the mechanism used in standard lighters, but not matches. The fire should be kindled at least fifteen minutes before the ceremony. Thurible coals should be placed at the edge of the fire shortly before the ceremony, and placed in the thurible (with tongs) when the procession arrives at the fire. The Easter fire should be maintained throughout the year in the sanctuary lamp, and can be used to light the altar candles through the year as well.
After the Paschal candle is blessed, the celebrant changes from violet cope into a white dalmatic and stole for the Lumen Christi procession and the Exultet, after which he changes back into the violet cope. (In the solemn ceremonies, the latter is sung by the deacon in white dalmatic.) The Exultet is preceded by a proper “Dominus sit”: Iube, Domine, benedicere. – Dominus sit in corde meo et in labiis meis: ut digne et competenter annuntiem suum paschale praeconium. Amen.
The four lessons are sung in tono prophetiae. The celebrant sits while the choir sings the intercalary canticles.
The Consecration of the Baptismal Font takes place according to the rubrics. It is preceded by the first half of the Litany of the Saints and concluded by the second half. The lustral water is drawn out for the stoups and for the aspersion of the faithful before the Holy Oils are infused.
After the Font has been consecrated, the aspersion has been done, the water is in its place, and the altar has been decorated with the best liturgical ware, the Mass begins.
There are some particular rubrics in the Paschal Vigil Mass:
The rubrics direct that the prayers at the foot of the altar be omitted. After the incensation of the altar, the celebrant does not say an Introit (there is none), but after reciting the Kyrie eleison at the Epistle corner (sung by the choir), he intones the Gloria at the center of the altar.
The organ may play again starting with the Gloria. Bells are also rung at the Gloria; servers may ring all the sets of altar bells in unison, while the tower bells also peal. During this time, the violet veils on the sacred images in the church are removed.
After the Epistle (in tono lectionis), the Alleluia is solemnly intoned, alternately by celebrant and choir. At the Gospel, candles are not carried, but only incense.
The Credo is not said, and there is no Offertory antiphon.
The Paschal preface is used, with in hac potissimum nocte.
The Communicantes and Hanc igitur are proper from the Vigil until the Saturday within the Octave (sabbato in albis), inclusive.
The Pax is not given, and the Agnus Dei is omitted, along with the first of the celebrant’s three Communion prayers.
After Holy Communion has been distributed, there is no Communion antiphon, but rather the chant «pro laudibus» is sung. The altar is incensed at the Benedictus, as well as the ministers, servers, and faithful as usual.
The Postcommunion is chanted, then Ite missa est, alleluia, alleluia (R. Deo gratias, alleluia, alleluia), which continues for the Octave. The blessing is given and the Last Gospel is omitted.
After the ceremony, the ciboria containing the Blessed Sacrament which were reserved separately prior to the Vigil are returned to the main tabernacle.
The lustral water (poured off from the font before the infusion of holy oils) is used in the church stoups during the octave but is not used in the church at all after Sabbato in albis. It is used for the blessing of homes, however, during the whole of Eastertide.
The Office is all proper. The Gloria Patri is omitted after the psalms. The hours contain the concluding antiphon Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis: propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum, et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen. Compline is not said by those who attend the Easter Vigil, and the same applies to Matins and Lauds of Easter Sunday.
Tenebrae: Matins and Lauds are chanted together, with the extinguishing of the candles on the fifteen-candle hearse, per the rubrics.
Matins: No invitatorium or hymn. It begins absolutely with the first antiphon and contains 3 nocturns. If separated from Lauds, add oration Respice quaesumus Domine. No Te Deum.
Lauds: All proper as indicated in the breviary.
Prime: All proper as indicated in the breviary; the martyrology and chapter portion are omitted.
Hours: All proper as indicated in the breviary.
Vespers: Vespers are not replaced by the Easter Vigil. All proper as indicated in the breviary.
Compline: Compline is not said by those who attend the Easter Vigil. Otherwise: All proper as indicated in the breviary. The beginning and end are abbreviated.
Next month’s reminders and announcements are below, and are also available in a usable document here:
May 2019 SSPX Ordo Notices
May, the Month of Mary: The May Crowning is traditionally done; parish customs vary. In most places the altar of Our Lady is decorated throughout the month with flowers. The Litany of Loreto is added after the Rosary throughout the month.
Festum S. Ioseph Opificis: The feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph was formerly celebrated on the Wednesday after the II Sunday after Easter. In 1955, Pope Pius XII transferred it to May 1, incorporating an artisan theme, calling it in Italian San Giuseppe Artigiano (=artisan, craftsman). In the USA, it may be celebrated ad libitum on the Labor Day holiday instead of on May Day.
Good Shepherd Sunday, associated so closely with the Sacred Priesthood, is the II Sunday after Easter. The second collection is the District Collection for Seminaries.
May 1 is the first anniversary of the death of our dear confrere, Rev. Fr. Daniel Cooper, SSPX. Requiescat in Pace. Reminder: The anniversary Mass is III class. In I, II, and III class Requiem Masses for priests, the formula is invariably that of the first Mass of All Souls (not the Mass in anniversario), with the collects taken from the orationes diversae pro defunctis. There are two sets of collects for priests; the first is most common: Deus qui inter apostolicos Sacerdotes. The date of the anniversary may be reckoned based on any day from death to burial. Fr. Cooper was buried on May 8.
The Feast of the Ascension is on the Thursday 40 days after the Resurrection. After the Gospel at the principal Mass, the Paschal Candle is extinguished. It is not displayed or used anywhere in the church outside of Paschal time, and is not placed in the baptistery. Its only role in the liturgy after being blessed, lauded with the Exultet, and immersed in the baptismal font at the Easter Vigil is to stand (representing the Risen Christ) on the Gospel side of the sanctuary during the 40 days between Easter and the Ascension. The candle may be seen throughout the year in the baptistery of many notable churches (cathedrals, basilicas, etc.), but that is due to a novus ordo rubric — as also using it during baptisms, weddings, and funerals — and is not a practice used in the Roman Rite.
Holy Day of Obligation: In Tradition, the Ascension is always celebrated on Thursday, but the obligation to attend Mass is binding on Thursday only in the ten states where the feast has not been transferred (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Nebraska), which territory corresponds to the thirty-five dioceses included in the ecclesiastical provinces of New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Hartford, Boston, and Omaha. For additional information, see Holy Days of Obligation in the USA by clicking on the Rubrical FAQs icon at the bottom of the page.
Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May in the USA.
Funerals are permitted any day this month except on the Feast of the Ascension.
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Local observances (see dates below)
Calendar: These apply to priests assigned to these priories. For the public celebration of the Office and Mass, they apply only to the local territory. If a priest is celebrating Mass privately in another location, he may follow either the calendar of his priory or the calendar of the place. For the private recitation of Office, he must follow the calendar of his priory.
Titulars & Patrons: The External Solemnity of the priory or chapel’s titular feast and of the local patronal feast (principal patron) may be celebrated on the Sunday immediately preceding or following the feast unless impeded by a first class Sunday or feast, in which case it can be commemorated in the Sunday Mass (collects under single conclusion).
Accidental Occurrence: A local first class feast take precedence over a second class feast or liturgical day, but is trumped by all other first class feasts and liturgical days in the universal calendar. If the superior feast is of the same Divine Person or saint, the local feast is omitted, otherwise, it is transferred to the next available day which is not first or second class. (Sundays and the Feast of the Consecration of a Cathedral or Church are both of Our Lord).
Chapel Titular Feasts (I class)
Binghamton: May 2, St. Athanasius
Cleveland: May 1, St. Peregrine
Franklin: Movable, Corpus Christi
Lacombe: May 13, Our Lady of Fatima
Mukwonago: May 5, St. Pius V
Platte City: May 31, Regina Coeli
Portland: May 13, Our Lady of Fatima
Richmond: May 13, Our Lady of Fatima
Sanger: May 13, Our Lady of Fatima
Seattle: Movable, Corpus Christi
Springfield: May 8, Queen of All Saints (cf. MPAL)
St. Cloud: May 13, St. Robert Bellarmine
Local Patronal Feasts (I class)
Anchorage: May 1, St. Joseph the Worker
Cleveland: May 1, St. Joseph the Worker
Colton: May 20, St. Bernardine of Siena
La Crosse: May 1, St. Joseph the Worker
West Palm Beach: Sat. after Ascension, Queen of Apostles (cf. MPAL)
Local Cathedral Consecrations (I class)
Farmingville: May 27
Georgetown: May 15
Hartford: May 15
Louisiana MO: May 5
Mexico MO: May 5
Nacedah: May 7
St. Mary’s: May 31
Collects/Orations for Ordinary
Added to the collects of the Mass under one conclusion
Bay City: May 20, Ioseph/Saginavensis
Buffalo: May 29, Ricardum/Buffalensis
Denver: May 29, Samuelem/Denveriensis
El Paso: May 6, Marcum/Elpasensis
Honolulu & Hilo: May 17, Clarentium/Honoluluensis
Miramar: May 29, Gulielmum/Pensacolensis
Walton: May 31, Ruggerum/Covingtonensis
Winona: May 7, Ioannem/Vinonaensis
Elenchus Sodalium Defunctorum FSSPX,
Maius
01. Sacerdos Daniel Cooper, † 2018
02. Soror Marie Agnès Robert, † 2008
12. Sacerdos Dominique Lagneau, † 2013
21. Sacerdos Henri La Praz, † 1993
30. Soror Maria Vergères, † 1998
+Requiescant in Pace+