Ritual Notes.

For Maundy Thursday.

Music:

Kyrie and gloria: Community Mass, R.Proulx.

Psalm:Gregorian psalm tone, alternating between male and female voices of the choir.

Tract: Set to Kyrie Orbis Factor.

Antiphons at the maundy: Antiphons from the Roman Gradual. (Postquam surrexit Dominus,  Domine,tu mihi lavas pedes,  Si ego Dominus, In hoc cognoscet omnes,  Mandatum novum da nobis.) Antiphons, choral setting by Gregory A.Glenn.

Offertory: Ubi Caritas, Maurice Durufle. Hymn: Lord,Who at Thy First Eucharist Didst Pray. (Unde et Memores)

Sanctus: Missa Iubilate Deo

Agnus Dei: Holy Cross Mass, David Isele.

Communion: Proper antiphon and psalm, adapted to English. Hymn: O Food of Exiles lowly. (Innsbruck)

Procession to the altar of repose: Pange Lingua Gloriosi, Roman Gradual.

There were nine servers: Crucifer and two acolytes, thurifer and boat-bearer, and four torches. Besides the celebrant, there were four concelebrants (all wearing birettas) and the M.C., the 12 'apostles', five Bernadettes (from the parish girls' society) some Knights of Columbus,one of the Knights of Malta, and the brothers who weren't serving.

This mass was celebrated Ad orientem, and the altar was incensed* facing that direction.After the sign of the cross, before the confiteor and kyrie,the bernadettes presented flowers to all the priests present.The collects was sung, and the mass went on as usual. At the gloria, the organist played a short but very nice fanfare, and bells were rung by two alternating servers on opposite sides of the sanctuary.Before the tract, incense was blessed at the sedilia, and the procession went lined up with the homilist, who also proclaimed the gospel. At the maundy, the 12 men who had their feet washed were led by one of the brothers, the celebrant having removed his chasuble.After the intercessions, the celebrant explained why the priest would be facing ad orientem, and he also explained that communion would be given at the altar rail.All were given the option to receive standing or kneeling, and to receive on the hand on on the tongue, both according to their preference.

At the offertory, the holy oils were brought up by the bernadettes and put into the aumbry in the side wall of the sanctuary by the celebrant and the M.C. The missal was removed from the altar during the incensation, as is now the custom at high masses, and after the celebrant was incensed, the concelebrating priests were incensed, followed by the M.C. and the people.The sanctuary gates were closed at the orate fratres.The super oblata, sursum corda and preface were sung, and the Roman Canon was used.At the elevations, the Blessed Sacrament was incensed from the side pf the bottom step, and the M.C. lifted the celebrant's chasuble.The crotalus replaced the bells.

After the per ipsum was sung,the Our Father was sung.Before the people's communion, the crotalus once again replaced the bells. Communion was given at the rail, with the M.C. holding one paten and a server the other.The vast majority of the people seem to have knelt anyway, despite the fact that they were given the option to stand.Most of those who knelt also received communion on the tongue, rather than the hand.

After the ablutions, the ciborium was veiled and the missal and chalice removed from the altar.After the post-communion prayer was sung,the celebrant changed from a white chasuble to a gold cope. Incense was blessed again, and the Blessed Sacrament incensed before the procession.The celebrant received the humeral veil from the M.C., and the torchbearers with their torches lined up with everyone who took part in the short procession from the sacristy before mass.The procession made a circuit around the church before going to the altar of repose, where the veiled urn was surrounded by a great many candles and flowers.After the Blessed Sacrament was incensed again, all genuflected and went to the sacristy.

The altars of the church were all stripped while the men of the choir chanted psalm 22 in latin, recto tono, with the antiphon diviserunt sibi.

The watch continued to midnight, and all departed in silence.

Photos: 1,2,3,4,5