Dear Parishioners,

During Mass, we priests use a large red book, known as the Roman Missal, to guide the prayers, including the eucharistic prayers and others specific to holy days and liturgical seasons. At the beginning of this book, there’s a section called “The General Instructions to the Roman Missal” (GIRM). The GIRM provides detailed guidance on how to celebrate Mass, including gestures (like when to bow or genuflect), the items used (e.g., chalices, bowls, candles) as well as their composition (metal, wood, or glass), and the use of sacred art, (e.g., statues and icons). In 2000, the U.S. Bishops published “Built of Living Stones,” a document that offers additional guidance on how churches should be built and what items they should contain, along with their placement. More recently, in 2018, our Archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship released the “Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook” (ALH), which expands on these texts and offers detailed instructions.

I’m sharing this overview to help you understand how the Church provides guidance and liturgical laws and why we’ve seen some subtle but important changes in the last two years. One example is the replacement of glass or plastic vessels used for the Eucharist. The GIRM clarifies that easily breakable materials like glass are not appropriate, so we replaced the Ciborium in the Tabernacle with one made of metal. Similarly, we transitioned from small glass cups to metal chalices for those who receive only the Precious Blood. The ALH also specifies that pyxes with plastic liners are improper, so we have been gradually replacing these with all-metal pyxes.

Another matter that arose during my listening sessions in 2022 was the main cross in our sanctuary. It isn’t a crucifix, but rather an expression one of the other mysteries of Christ’s life. I spoke with Greg Lewis, the artisan who created it, who shared that it was meant to express Christ’s Ascension. Before the current guidelines, such designs were more common and became popular in churches. When I was a parishioner at St. Francis in Sherwood during the 80s and early 90s,I admired their resurrected Christ image.

However, the Church now clearly states that a crucifix is to be used in sanctuaries to express the theology of sacrificial love — the love Jesus showed through His Passion and death, which we are called to imitate. A crucifix remains the most powerful symbol of this love. Over the past year and a half, our Liturgy Committee has been discussing the cross, and there is a consensus that we should update it to align more closely with liturgical norms. We’ve also been exploring the possibility of adding statues of Mary and Joseph to our sanctuary. I’ve continued conversations with Mr. Lewis, and he has offered guidance on how to honor the current corpus (the body of Christ on the cross) and those who helped pay for it by relocating it elsewhere on campus.

We’re in the early stages of this process and are open to your feedback. If you have thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please share them with me, Fr. Anthony, or Dcn. Brett. If you’ve seen sanctuary crucifixes that you find particularly beautiful, feel free to share photos with us! We’re looking for a crucifix that will enhance the warmth and beauty of our modern church.

This process has been ongoing for some time, and we are proceeding thoughtfully. Please pray for me and those involved as we discern the best path forward for our sanctuary. Your input is welcome and encouraged, so don’t hesitate to reach out with your ideas or questions.

Blesssings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

A Cross or Crucifix