Three-year assignment to begin July 1 From staff reports Father Randy Stice, director of the Office of Worship and Liturgy for the Diocese of Knoxville since 2009, has been appointed associate director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, effective July 1. The Secretariat …
Catechesis through life … and death
Church teachings on funeral, burial liturgies help people understand the Catholic faith By Bill Brewer The need for a new cemetery in the Diocese of Knoxville to serve parishes in the Smoky Mountain and Cumberland Mountain deaneries prompts discussion about the Church’s teaching on the order of Christian funerals and …
Understanding the sacraments: The Word of God in the liturgy
The Lectionary for Mass Supplement contains additions for a number of optional memorials By Father Randy Stice In its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican Council II stressed the multifaceted role of Sacred Scripture in the liturgy. “Sacred Scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. …
Understanding the sacraments: To rise with Christ
Vatican’s Congregation for the Faith issues instructions on burial and cremation practices By Father Randy Stice In October the Congregation for the Faith issued an instruction titled To Rise with Christ (Ad resurgendum cum Christo) that reiterates the Church’s “doctrinal and pastoral reasons for the preference of the burial of …
Understanding the sacraments: Pope Francis on the sacrament of penance
Priests must remember that in the confessional it is Christ who listens, forgives By Father Randy Stice In a recent message for National Liturgical Week in Italy, Pope Francis wrote that “all the liturgy is a place where mercy is encountered and welcomed in order to be given; a place …
Understanding the sacraments: The Mass — a mystery of mercy
It is ‘the place where the mercy of Christ is not only recalled but received’ By Father Randy Stice The tragic events of recent weeks and months recall the prophetic words of St. John Paul II in 1980, that as the human conscience becomes increasingly secularized it “moves away from …
Understanding the sacraments: The ordination of permanent deacons
Diaconate again flourishes after centuries of decline within the Catholic Church By Father Randy Stice On June 11, Bishop Stika will ordain 24 men as permanent deacons. Permanent deacons “have embraced this ordained ministry as a permanent state of life” while “transitional” deacons will eventually be ordained priests. (Newsletter, USCCB …
Understanding the sacraments: Revising the Liturgy of the Hours
Also known as the Divine Office, it is the official prayer of the Catholic Church By Father Randy Stice In recent columns we have looked at several revised liturgical books: the Order of Celebrating Marriage, the Order of Confirmation, and the third edition of the Misal Romano, the Spanish Missal. …
Understanding the sacraments: Misal Romano, Tercera Edición
Latest edition of Roman Missal’s Spanish translation may speed up approval of U.S. version By Father Randy Stice In recent columns I have discussed the new Order of Matrimony and the new translation of the Order of Confirmation. In this column I want to introduce the Misal Romano, Tercera Edición, …
Understanding the sacraments: The Synod on the Family
Praying for the pope and bishops as they address how the Church can live more fully the sacrament of reconciliation Pope Francis, recognizing the enormous challenges facing the family, has called the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to consider “pastoral challenges to the family in the …
Understanding the sacraments: The liturgical year
Introducing the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the mystery of Christ unfolding In this column I have been looking at the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which laid the foundation for the reform of the liturgy. So far we have looked at the principles that guided the liturgical reform, …
Introducing the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: the most sacred mystery of the Eucharist
As part of the observance of the Year of Faith we have been looking at the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), the first document promulgated by the Council. So far we have looked at the Constitution’s understanding of the liturgy (my first column) and the …