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Ceremonial for

From The Ceremonies of the Described Adrian Fortescue, J. B. O’Connell, and Alcuin Reid

On Sundays and Feasts, Vespers should be solemn.

General Issues

The celebrant be a . He should have 2 assistants ( and ) and may have up to 6.

Preparations

Vesting In the the celebrant and assistants vest with (or rochet with ) and then cope of the color of the season. They also wear birettas.

Assistants copes should be less ornate than celebrant’s but may be identical. (MC and 1 st assistant)

The MC assists the celebrant in vesting

(The will be needed at the Magnificat.)

Sedilia (priest’s chair) is on the south side (assuming faces liturgical east) or the “” side. It will be to the right of the seats, not its usual modern place. A carpet and lectern, covered with a silk cloth of the color of the Office (white), should be placed in front of the sedilia.

Place a Vesperale or Breviary on the lectern.

The MC will sit on the celebrant’s right.

A second lectern for the cantors should be placed in the middle of the sanctuary (in front of the altar) with the same covering.

The cover that protects the should be removed.

The six large candles on the altar are lit for solemn vespers

Procession

All form the in the sacristy

All, uncovered, bow to the cross in the sacristy.

Acolytes first with lit candles, choir (in cassock and surplice) in pairs, the cantors and thurifer, celebrant and assistants who hold his cope (turning in the orphreys)

Acolytes go to the foot of the altar then turn out and go to stand at each corner before the steps, facing each other.

Choir members genuflect in pairs, bow to each other and go to their places.

Celebrant and assistants go to the foot of the altar and bow profoundly

The acolytes genuflect (along with MC if there is one) and go to the sides of the altar and place their candles on the floor or the lowest step and extinguish them. Then they go to their places at the credence (table that usually has water and wine) or in the choir, genuflecting as the pass the altar.

Beginning Vespers

Celebrant and assistants bow to the choir on either side, first to the north side.

Go to the sedilia.

1st assistant lifts right end of celebrant’s cope and then makes the while singing Deus in adiutorium meum intende

Choir continues the versicle (at all bow towards the altar since they are standing)

After opening versicle, the celebrant intones the first antiphon

[ will come to center and intone the psalm]

At the of the first psalm verse all will be seated (if , put on biretta).

1st asst. hands his biretta to the celebrant with the solita oscula.

At the last verse of the Psalm before the , the MC (or 1st asst) rises and bows to the celebrant to uncover.

All uncover and bow during Gloria Patri (1st asst will bow to altar since he is standing)

At the sicut erat, 1st asst bows to celebrant to cover and sits.

[normally, during repeat of antiphon, cantors come to center, genuflect and go to the next highest ranked person in choir to pre-intone the next antiphon ]

Cantor rises, all choir with him but not celebrant or assistant , and will intone the second antiphon.

This continues for all 5 antiphons and

Towards end of the 5th Psalm, the acolytes will go to the altar, light their candles and stand by them.

At the sicut erat of the psalm, they go in front of the altar, genuflect, and then go before the celebrant.

The 1st asst joins them in front of the celebrant.

Asst and acolytes bow to celebrant.

They all go to opposite sides of the lectern and face each other.

When last antiphon is finished, the celebrant rises and all follow suit.

Celebrant hands his biretta to the 1st asst with solita oscula.

Celebrant sings the Little Chapter – choir responds

[normally 1st asst would pre-intone hymn to celebrant, but we won’t ]

Celebrant sings first line of hymn

The asst and acolytes bow to the celebrant

Asst goes back to his place

Acolytes take candles to altar as before -- but they remain lit – and stand before them.

During the hymn, the thurifer goes to the sacristy to prepare the thurible He comes out with thurible and boat and genuflects to the altar, bows to the celebrant and waits by the altar on the Epistle side

Cantors will sing the verse, choir respond and go back

After verse/response, celebrant intones the antiphon to the Magnificat and then sits, putting on his biretta

All sit with him

1st asst may move the lectern to one side.

Cantors sing first verse of Magnificat

All rise and make sign of cross

Celebrant and 1st asst go to the altar – the asst holding the celebrant’s cope

On the way, they bow to the choir, epistle side first

Bow to the altar upon arrival

The thurifer comes up, genuflects

The celebrant the altar (assistants holding his cope) he turns to the epistle side, puts on and blesses the

1st asst holds the boat and says Benedicite, Pater reverende, ministering the spoon like the deacon at , with the solita oscula. – perhaps an can do this

2nd asst holds right end of the cope

Celebrant blesses the incense in the usual form – Ab illo benedicaris, etc.

He the altar as at Mass with assistants holding his cope and supporting him when he genuflects.

At epistle corner he hands the thurible to the 1st asst who receives it with the solita oscula and hands it to the thurifer.

Celebrant comes to the middle and bows, then descends between the assts and with them bows at the foot.

Bows to the choir and returns to his seat (standing), assts follow him and stand facing him.

The assistant takes the thurible and incenses the celebrant with 3 double swings, bowing before and after

Asst gives thurible back to thurifer

Asst moves lectern back in front of celebrant if necessary

Thurifer incenses the choir as at Mass and then the asst. giving 2 double swings each

Next he incenses the acolytes and then the people

Note that Gloria Patri of Magnificat must not occur before all this is done.

Thurifer genuflects to the altar and returns the thurible to the sacristy

He returns to his place and has no further duties

All sit for the repetition of the antiphon

Acolytes take up their candles and go before the altar after the incensing

The assts rise and go to a place just before the acolytes

All genuflect

Come to the celebrant and bow to him, acolytes standing as before on opposite sides of the lectern.

Assts are by the celebrant.

At the end of the antiphon, the celebrant uncovers, rises and all rise with him

Celebrant sings with response and then sings the

Here would be the commemorations but Epiphany is a first class feast, so none may be done.

Celebrant sings Dominus vobiscum with response

Cantors sing Benedicamus

All form in procession before the altar, give the usual reverence and go out as they came in.