Planning the Liturgy BudgetEach year every parish goes through the difficulttask of setting a budget for the coming fiscal year.. There are decisions to make concerning how much

to spend for salaries, for maintenance, for subsidizing theparish school, for religious education, for office supplies,for postage, for capital improvements, and the list goeson and on. Of course, there are the more difficultdecisions concerning how to raise the money to meetthose projected expenses. Money and budgets are part ofparish life.

In this article I would like to look at one area notoften taken into consideration when planning the parishbudget, and that area is liturgy. Granted every parishfunds liturgy; after all, people come to church and theliturgy is celebrated. But funding for liturgy is often nomore than setting aside money for so-called "altarsupplies" like bread and wine, palms and candles, andallocating money to pay the salaries of parish musicians.Liturgy, however, is far broader than "altar supplies" andsalaries. It involves art and environment, worship aids,the training and updating of liturgical ministers, musicresources, liturgical publications and ritual books,continuing education for liturgy committee members, etc.

Making a budget to include these areas will not onlyprovide for their proper funding, but also give these areasthe consideration and attention they deserve. If we saythat the liturgy is the source and summit of the Christianlife (CSL, #10), then that fact should be reflected in theparish budget. A budget not only tells us where a parishspends its money, it also tells us where a parish places itspriorities.

In preparing a budget for the liturgy the followingareas should be considered:

1. RESOURCES FOR THOSE WHO PREPARE THELITURGYIdeally. every parish should have lay people involved inthe preparation of liturgy. Such people serve on liturgycommittees, spiritual life committees, seasonalpreparation teams, music committees, etc. Whatevertheir title, these committees should be properly funded.

They should have a budget which allows them tosubscribe to liturgical periodicals, to purchase resources,to attend workshops, and to obtain the items they need tofunction as a committee. If we want people to beinvolved in liturgy preparation, we have to give them theresources and training they need.

2. TRAINING AND UPDATING OF LITURGICALMINISTERSEvery parish has ranks of people serving as liturgicalministers. We have readers, eucharistic ministers,ushers/ greeters, music ministers, servers and deacons.These people need proper training. They also needupdating and encouragement once they have undertakentheir roles of service to the assembly.

A liturgy budget should provide funding to trainnew people to serve as liturgical ministers. Such fundingmight be used to send people to diocesan workshops, topurchase pre-packaged audio-visual materials, or tosecure the services of an expert outside the parish

A budget should also provide resources for thosealready involved to help them grow in theirunderstanding and appreciation of their liturgicalministry, and to help them develop the talents they needto serve the community. This can be done by havingupdating sessions, days of recollection and workshopsdesigned to help ministers develop particular skills.

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Such programs might require the services of a localexpert and the purchase of resource material. All toooften we fail to provide our liturgical ministers with thetraining and continuing education they need and deserve.

3. MUSIC RESOURCESSince Vatican II, we as a Church have come to realize

that music is an essential part of our liturgy. Liturgydemands good music, and that has to be reflected in theparish budget. It's interesting that a parish will pay theprice to hire a good band for the annual parish dance, but~r:;::i:~:::::::::::gi:••provide music at every Sunday and holy day::rr:::r:··Mass. This most likely will require thef:::::fservices of a leader of song and an organist.l:f:\Such music ministers may be volunteers, butl:::::::::::"..

~~!~~E~~~~~f.1~r1=~:~:~E=::~:!f~"worth their pay.

Besides salaries, a music budget should includefunding for new music, choir expenses, and the upkeepand maintenance of musical instruments, especially theparish organ. As mentioned above, there should also befunding to periodically send parish musicians to local,regional and national workshops.

4. ART AND ENVIRONMENTThis area is far more than Easter and Christmas

flowers. It includes all those things, other than thespoken word, that make a visual and sensual impressionupon the worshiping community. It includes vestments,altar cloths, chalices, decanters for the wine, containersfor the bread, sacramentaries, lectionaries, ritual books,banners, incense, processional crosses, candle stands, thepresidential chair, the altar, the pulpit, the area foreucharistic reservation, the baptismal font, the Eastercandle, the lighting, the sound system, the floralarrangements, etc.

Those involved in liturgy should read andstudyEnvironment and Art in Catholic Worship, and thenwith its principles in mind, look at the various areas,furnishings and items being used ill parish worship. Afterthis review, a priority list should be made concerningwhat needs to be done to enhance the art andenvironment of worship. A part of the list could then beincluded in each yearly budget.

5. ALTAR SUPPLIESThis area of budget includes the bread, wine, and

candles needed for the celebration of the liturgy. It alsoincludes such things as palms for Passion Sunday, theEaster candle, congregational candles, charcoal, incense,baptismal robes and candles, purificators, towels andcorporals.

6. WORSIflP AIDSThis part of the budget deals with the cost of

providing hymnals, missalettes or other worship aids forthe assembly. In considering this area remember tobudget for those special booklets that you might 'have~~==:~~=~E~==~

~~~~i~1:{2~~i;:~~:~rh.~~;::!2:::"':"7 MAINTENANCE1:::I:ILlkeeverything else, items used in liturgy need

/:1::1tobe maintained. There should be adequate.::::,:=::::::tm:;'fundingto provide for the dry cleaning of altar"~r~~~:~E:::~~:~3~~:;y=

rebinding or replacement. The church building and all itsfurnishings should also be clean and in top condition, asshould the sound system, lighting, heating and airconditioning. All this proclaims that the parish liturgy isimportant, and the people who gather for its celebrationare equally important and deserving of a fittingenvironment for worship.

Some of these items may ap~ar in other areas of aparish budget, but having them considered by thoseplanning the liturgy budget will make sure they areaddressed and not forgotten.

8. MISCELLANEOUSThe budget should also provide funding for an

occasional social for those involved in liturgy, whether aspreparers or ministers at mass. Bringing people togetherfor food and drink not only builds community; it alsogives the parish a way to express its thanks to those whogive of their time and talent to the worship of God.

There should be, in addition, a small contingencyfund in the liturgy budget to provide for any unseenneeds which may arise during the year.

Of all the things we do as a parish, the celebration ofthe liturgy is the most visible and the most important, forit's the liturgy that forms and nourishes us as God'speople. We have to affirm by our time, our effort, ourdedication and our budget .•

Rev, Thomas B. IwanowskiMember of the Team Ministry

St Joseph ChlKch, OradeN, NJ

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REFLECTIONS ON THE CONSTITUTIO~The February, 1989 issue of the Bishops' CommIttee ?n the LIturgyNews/dter reflected on some basic principles which underlie the refor:ns ofVatican 11, particularly in relation to the Constitution on ~'": Sacred LIturgy.Some of these reflections were contained in the March/April ISSue of Word onWorship. We continue them here.

As Protestants, Lutherans, and Anglicanshave begun to stress the importance of the weeklycelebration of the eucharist, Catholics have stresseda renewed appreciation of the proclamation of theWord of Cod.. All Churches and ecclesialcommunions that have initiated reforms have cometo see that the proclamation of the Word of God andthe celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist arethe norm for Sunday worship. The liturgical yearand calendar are virtually the same in everyChurch. The structure of the liturgy follows thesame basic outline and often the same prayers areused. The eucharistic prayer of Hippolytus, forexample, is the basis of at least one eucharisticprayer in each Church.

Probably the greatest ecumenical fruit of theliturgical reform and renewal is the lectionary. Inthe United States nearly every Church or ecclesialcommunion has adopted some form of the Romanlectionary, adapted, of course, to the particularneeds and traditions of each Church. As Christiansgrow in sharing these common forms of prayer,they will also grow in a common understanding ofthe meaning of that prayer.

The renewal within the Church has led to anopening, an invitation, to those outside theChristian family. As forebears in the faith ofAbraham and Moses, Jews are seen with a newcloseness as Catholics recognize their Jewish roots.Elements of Christian prayer reflect the synagogue,the Jewish family table, and the Temple. TheChurch's liturgical reforms respect these Jewishorigins of Christian worship.

In addition, the Church is now willing toaccept into its worship elements from local cultureswhich are not contrary to the Christian faith. Thisis a return to the process whereby the Romanliturgy and the liturgies of the Churches o( the Easttook on their distinctive characteristics. Thus, theliturgy is no longer a static and unchanging

ceremony, rather it is a reflection, a mirror, of thelife and the faith of the people who celebrate it.•

GOD'S MERCY ENDURES FOREVERGod's Mercy Endures Forever: Guidelines on

the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in CatholicPreaching, the most recent statement of theBishops' Committee on the Liturgy, has recentlybeen published by the Office of Publishing andPromotion Services of the USCe. This documentis the product of cooperation between Catholicand Jewish scholars and is a concrete applicationof the guidelines contained in the 1985Notes on theCorrect Way to Present the Jews and Judaism inPreaching and Catechesis of the Roman CatholicChurch issued by the Vatican Commission forReligious Relations with the Jews. The statementshould be studied by all those who have theresponsibility for preaching the Word of God andplanning liturgical celebrations.

Available from the USCC Office ofPublishing and Promotion Services, 3211 FourthStreet NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194 (pub. No.247-0),$2.45 per copy.••

COMMUNION PRACTICES AT MASSQuestions often arise dealing with the

various practices concerning the distribution ofholy communion at Mass using hosts consecratedat a previous celebration. The Notre Dame Study ofCatholic Parish Life (Mark.Searle and David C.Leege, Report #5, August, 1985) reported that thefaithful received holy communion from hostsconsecrated at the same Mass at less than 20% ofthe Masses observed in the course of the study.The most frequent parochial practice observedwas that both hosts consecrated at a Mass andthose taken from the tabernacle were distributedto participants. '

The normative liturgical practice shouldinclude the breaking of a large host during thefraction rite with distribution of the parts to atleast some of those participating, the remainderreceiving smaller hosts consecrated at that Mass.

The practice of consecrating a largenumber of hosts at one Mass for distribution at

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other ~asses runscontrary to the natureof the faithful's par-ticipation in theeucharistic celebra-tion. The full, con-scious, and activeparticipation of thefaithful includes theirreception of the' euch-arist consecrated atthe. Mass in whichthey are participating.The General Instruc-

tion of the Roman Missal (GIRM, #56) states: "It ismost desirable that the faithful receive the Lord'sbody from hosts consecrated at the same Mass andthat, in the instances when it is permitted, theyshare in the chalice. Then even through the signscommunion will stand out more clearly as asharing in the sacrifice actually being celebrated."This matter has been addressed (similarly) in theencyclicals Certiores effecti (1591) of Pope BenedictXN and Mediator Dei (1946) of Pope Pius XII, aswell as in recent liturgical documents.

The reservation of the eucharist is notmaintained for the purpose of storing largequantities of consecrated hosts for use atsubsequent Masses. .Rather the eucharist is to bereserved in parish churches and oratoriesprimarily for the administration of viaticum to thedying, and secondarily for giving com-munion-especially to the sick-outside Mass andfor eucharistic adoration. d. EucharisticumMysterium 49 (1967) and Holy Communion andWorship of the Eucharist Outside Mass 6. There is nomention made in post-conciliar liturgical norms ofreservation of the eucharist for distribution at laterMasses.

Clearly, the practice of distributingreserved hosts on a regular basis at Mass is apractice which compromises the fullest under-standing of the eucharist as the source of theChurch's unity and jeopardizes the recognition ofthe role of all the baptized in the eucharisticcelebration.

Another practice commonly observed isthat of the celebrant breaking the host during thechanting of the Lamb of God and then at theappropriate time consuming the entire host

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himself. The eucharist by its nature is meant to bebroken and distributed to those present. TheGIR~ 283 states that "the eucharistic breadshould be made in such a way that ...the priest isable actually to break the host into parts anddistribute them to at least some of the faithfuL"Although small hosts may be used for some, oreven most, of the individuals present, the actionof breaking the bread and distributing its partsshould not be neglected. As the GIRM 283continues, "The action of the breaking of thebread, the simple term for the eucharist inapostolic times, will more clearly bring out theforce and meaning of the sign of the unity of all inthe one bread and of their charity, since the onebread is being distributed among the members ofone family." Broken parts-and small hosts, ifused-should be sufficient in quantity for thenumber of communicants at that Mass plus asmall reserve for viaticum, for communionoutside Mass, and for adoration.

It is also improper for the celebrant of aMass with a congregation to consecrate only onehost, consume that host and then distribute thereserved eucharist to the congregation. Thispractice is often observed at weekday Masses.The celebrant's host should always be broken anddistributed to at least some of the faithful alongwith the distribution small hosts, if used, thathave been consecrated at that Mass.

Concelebrants are always to receivecommunion consecrated at the Mass at whichthey concelebrate. The Sacred Congregation forDivine Worship and the Sacraments addressedthis issue in a private response October, 1981. (Atthat time they stated that it is valid to receivehosts from the tabernacle consecrated at an earlierMass provided they receive the Holy Bloodconsecrated in the Mass itself. However, such apractice is not licit because it is not performedaccording to liturgical norms.)

The response concluded by suggestingthat sacristans should take care to providesufficient 1.10StSand wine for all who will receiveholy communion. By careful observation over afew weeks, it is easy to determine the approx-imate number of communicants at each Mass. Asufficient number of hosts can then be consec-rated at each Mass which will obviate the need todistribute communion from the tabernacle .•

+++ What's Rite ? +-+ +In our parish we have Stations of the Crossfollowed by benediction during Lent and Rosaryand Benediction during May and October. OurLiturgy Committee has been trying to changethis. Why?

Benedictionof the BlessedSacrament is anact of worship in which the eucharist is exposed tothe people for adoration and is raised in blessingover them. The celebration of this rite is governedby The Roman Ritual: Holy Communion and theWorship of the Eucharist Outside Mass.

Specifically, "benediction" is a liturgicalmoment, when after a hymn and a prayer, ablessing is given to the assembly with theeucharist. It presumes the intervention of a periodof time between the exposition of the sacramentand the blessing. In order to demonstrate the unityof the reserved sacrament with the sacrificeof theMass, ideally the exposition takes place at theconclusion of a Mass during which the host forexposition is consecrated, and continues for sometime. "Benediction" as a liturgical moment doesnot exist in a vacuum. It is always accompaniedbythe exposition which precedes and the repositionwhich follows the blessing. The ritual specifiesfour elements that must always be present whenbenediction is celebrated: Exposition, Adoration,Benediction and Reposition. In structuring anEucharistic Devotion, "benediction" should bethought of in terms of a "holy hour" alwaysincluding these four elements.

When exposition extends over a lengthyperiod of time "part of the liturgy of the hours,especially the principle hours, may be celebratedbefore the blessed sacrament" (d. Ritual #96). Theritual also states that even "shorter expositions ofthe eucharist are to be arranged in such a way thatthe blessing with the eucharist is preceded by asuitable period for readings of the word of God,songs, prayers, and sufficient time for silentprayer" (Ritual #89). It is the "adoration" element ofthe eucharistic devotion which precedes theblessing that often comes into conflictwith populardevotions. The instruction, Eucharisticum

Mysterium of May 25, 1967,which is the basis forthe Ritual, states that "in the surroundings ofexposition, anything must be carefully avoidedthat could in any way obscure Christ's intention ofinstituting the holy eucharist above all in order tobe near us to feed, to heal, and to comfort us" (EM#60). "During the exposition everything should beso arranged that the faithful can devote themselvesattentively in prayer to Christ the Lord" (EM #62).This emphatic statement excludes non-eucharisticdevotional practices during the period of"adoration" which might direct attention awayfrom the eucharistic presence of the Lord exposedon the altar. Services and devotions such asStations of the Cross, the Rosary, Novenas,Litanies, etc. should be celebrated apart fromexpositionof the blessed sacrament and should notconclude with "benediction". Also, exposition atthe conclusion of devotions simply for the sake ofgiving benediction is prohibited (d. Ritual #89).Numerous resources are available to assist instructuring such devotions. •

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LM a LM Ii-•••••••••••••

Future Issues:

• Preparing Parish Budgets forthe Liturgy

• Choosing Church SoundSystems

• Bishops' CommiHee on theLiturgy Update

• Liturgy & Social Justice

• Signs & Symbols of Worship• What's Rite? - Devotions

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