Ego vos elegi

Thoughts from a St. Louis seminarian

Dein Reich Komme!

Back at last

Well, so much for keeping up the blog during WYD!  Though I very much thank Jeff Geerling for his offer to let me use his Mac if I wanted.  Unfortunately for the blog, I tend pretty much to go non-stop when I am in Europe, and had little leisure to blog on the experience.  However, there are some great pictures up at Jeff's website, and I hope to put up some memories and thoughts in the following days, on what was truly an amazing experience on many levels.  Meanwhile, I am back at the Cathedral, getting set to start my pastoral internship in earnest.  Unfortunately, school has started in my absence here, so I already have some catching up to do in getting to know the kids.  Then we have our parish picnic--"Cathedralfete"--this weekend, so hopefully I can get right to business and jump into things with both feet.

posted by: mhouser at 13:38 | link | comments (4) |

Comments:

#1  25 August 2005 - 01:12

 

Michael,

Welcome back from your trip. I look forward to reading your thoughts on WYD. I'm also curious as to how your experience as a subdeacon went.

jbebeau

#2  07 September 2005 - 22:43

 

TKC

Jeff,
Many apologies for not responding to earlier postings. I have now subdeaconed twice at St. Francis de Sales. There are indeed differences when one is a mere acolyte; most notably that I do not pour the water into the chalice at the offertory as a real subdeacon would,and I do not remove the pall from the chalice at the priest's communion. Both of those tasks are instead performed by the deacon. The rest is the same, at least in my experience; I think I am still to wear the biretta.
Probably the neatest part about being subdeacon is either chanting the epistle, which really echoes in a church like de Sales, or holding the paten up throughout the canon. I feel like one of the seraphim standing round the throne of God veiling their faces. Of course the custom of holding up the paten has a more mundane origin, but still there is some nice symbolism attached to it.

mhouser

#3  20 September 2005 - 00:25

 

Hey Michael,

Thanks for replying, its good to hear from you again, I will admit to being a bit worried when you didn't respond. Its wonderful that you have been able to be a subdeacon to a Solemn High Mass, I would like to be able to do it once before becoming a deacon. I have chatted with the local priest about being able to do it and he seemed open. I have gone to the local Indult Mass a couple of time just sitting in the pew, and I find that it just a bit less inspiring the a reverent celebration of the current Mass. When I served at the Indult Mass I found it a lot more sublime, which is part of my motivation for wish to subdeacon at a Mass. Well, see.

You mentioned that you are able to wear the biretta, and I know that is correct, any seminarian in theology can wear one. What about the maniple?

jbebeau

#4  14 October 2005 - 23:09

 

TKC

Sorry, no maniple for an acolyte.
MJH

mhouser

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