Promulgation Letter of Bishop Emil Mihalik
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The Byzantine Catholic Diocese of Parma
Chancery Office
1900 Carlton Road
Parma, Ohio 44134
April 8, 1970
By virtue of our episcopal powers and by means of this letter, we hereby promulgate the Ordo Celebrationis Vesperarum, Matutini et Divinae Liturgiae juxta recensionem Ruthenorum published by the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church in Rome, 1944, bearing the imprimatur of His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, dated May 17, 1944, as the norm governing the public celebration of the Divine Liturgies and Offices within our Eparchy of Parma.
The order for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in our various parishes is as follows:
1) The preparatory prayers of the priest need not be said publicly (in front of the congregation).
2) The vesting and washing of hands is to take place in the sacristy using the prayers and rubrics as published in the official text The Divine Liturgy of our Father, St. John Chrysostom published by the Byzantine Seminary Press, 1965 with the approval of the Inter-Eparchial Liturgical Commissions of Pittsburgh and Passaic.
3) The Proskomedia is a part of the Divine Liturgy and is to be taken at the Table of Preparation (zhertvennik) in its entirety.
4) On all solemn occasions (Sundays and Holy Days) the incensations are to be taken as prescribed in the official text.
5) The public portion of the Liturgy begins with the singing of Blessed is the Kingdom... and the chanting aloud of the Litany of Peace in its entirety. The prayer of the first antiphon is to be recited privately by the celebrant before the vozhlas of this Litany.
6) The name of the Metropolitan Archbishop and the name of the Bishop is to be included in all places required in the Liturgical text.
7) It suffices to sing one verse and refrain of the First and Second Antiphons immediately followed by the Glory be ... and the Hymn, of the Incarnation.
8) The two small litanies following the first antiphon need not be taken nor need the prayers of the second and third antiphons be taken. During the singing of the Hymn of the Incarnation the priest makes three small bows and makes the little entrance with the Gospel Book. The procession is made and the priest, having recited the prayer of the entrance, standing at the ambon, blesses the entrance, raises the Gospel Book and says aloud Wisdom, be attentive. (He does not make a sign. of the cross with the Gospel Book at this time.)
9) After the singing of Come, let us worship... the congregation immediately sings the Troparion and Kontakion. In the meantime the priest recites privately the Prayer of the Trisagion. The conclusion of this prayer, the doxology For You are holy... is chanted aloud by the priest. (No blessing is given at this time.)
10) While the Trisagion is being sung by the congregation, it is also sung by the priest who at the same time makes three bows before the Holy Altar. The priest then proceeds to go to the throne behind the altar, the priest saying as he goes: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Then he also blessed the throne with the words: Blessed are you on the throne... It is to be noted that the priest does not ascend the throne nor does he sit on it, but he sits on a chair at the left side of the throne. The center chair or throne is always reserved for the bishop.
11) When the Trisagion is ended, the priest says aloud Let us be attentive. Peace be with all. Wisdom. Be attentive, while blessing the congregation. The choir chants the Prokeimenon. The priest says Wisdom and the lector reads the title of the Epistle. The priest says Let us be attentive and the lector chants the Epistle for the Day. The Epistle is to be chanted aloud and the priest sits during the Epistle. Following the Epistle the priest says simply, addressing the lector: Peace be with you, and then intones in a loud voice: Wisdom. Be attentive. Incensation should take place after the Epistle has been completed. The congregation sings the Alleluia during the incensation.
12) The priest, returning to the altar, silently recites the Prayer before the Gospel. The priest stands before the holy altar, intones aloud Wisdom, let us stand and listen to the Holy Gospel according to St. N. The congregation responds Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You. The priest intones Let us be attentive making the sign of the cross upon himself and then chants the Gospel. When the chanting of the Gospel has been completed, the congregation chants Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You. The priest closes the Gospel Book and then kisses it and places it upright in the center of the altar before the tabernacle or lays it on the right side of the altar.
13) The sermon is delivered at this point of the Liturgy.
14) The priest then begins the Petitions of Supplication Let us say...
15) After the third petition, the priest recites privately the prayer of supplication: Accept, O Lord our God... and then completes the litany. Following the doxology, the congregation immediately begins to chant the Cherubic Hymn. The Litany for the Catechumens need not be taken, but the celebrant immediately recites both of the Prayers of the Faithful and begins the prayer: No one who is bound by carnal desires... with his hands elevated on high. (No blessing is given at this time.)
16) After the prayer has been completed, the priest makes the incensation and returns to the holy altar. With his hands elevated, he silently recites the Cherubic Hymn three times. Following each recitation he makes a small bow. He kisses the holy altar and the hand cross and proceeds directly to the Table of Preparation reciting silently God be merciful to me a sinner. He bows three times and then places the aer on his left hand saying: Lift up your hands to the holy things, and bless the Lord. The priest then takes the holy diskos, covered with the small veil, into his left hand. and the chalice, covered with a small veil, into his right hand and proceeds through the deacon s door exclaiming: May the Lord God remember... turning to the people at the words: and all you Christians of the true faith. Entering the sanctuary through the royal doors, the priest then places the holy chalice upon the altar, and places the diskos at the left of the chalice. He removes all covers from the diskos and chalice and places them to the side. Taking the aer, he incenses it and covers the holy gifts with it saying: The noble Joseph... He now incenses the gifts saying: Deal favorably, O Lord... The Offertory Litany need not be taken. (Let us complete our prayer to the Lord... etc.) However, the offertory prayer must be said by the priest. ft is recited silently together with the doxology Through the mercies of your only-begotten Son... The priest then turns to the people and says aloud: Peace be with all, blessing the people. The congregation responds And with your spirit.
17) The priest, facing the altar chants: Let us love one another... While the congregation sings the response The Father and the Son... the priest bows three times saying silently three times I will love you, O Lord,... He kisses the covered gifts, first the diskos, then the chalice and the edge of the altar.
18) The priest exclaims aloud The doors, the doors...
19) The priest lifts the aer and holds it over the gifts reciting the Symbol of Faith together with the congregation without making any bow at the words and was incarnate, He kisses the aer and places it to the right side of the altar.
20) The priest intones aloud Let us stand aright... The congregation answers: The offering of peace
21) The priest exclaims The grace of our Lord... and blesses the people. The congregation responds: And with your spirit.
22) The priest turns to the altar, elevates his hands and exclaims: Let us lift up our hearts. The congregation answers We have them lifted up
23) Crossing his hands upon his breast, the priest bows before the altar, chanting: Let us give thanks to the Lord. The congregation responds: It is proper and just... The priest silently says the prayer It is proper and just... At the end of this prayer the priest removes the asterisk from the diskos, makes the sign of the cross over the diskos saying: Singing, shouting... He then kisses the asterisk and lays it aside.
24) The congregation sings Holy, holy, holy... during which time the priest says the prayer: With these blessed powers... The priest does not take the diskos into his hands nor does he raise it during this prayer. He gives a single blessing over the bread at the words and blessed. Then, with bowed head, and his right hand extended toward the diskos, he says aloud: Take, eat... The congregation responds Amen, and the priest makes a deep bow making the sign of the cross upon himself. Then he says silently Likewise the chalice.., giving a single blessing. He does not touch or raise the chalice, but extending his right hand towards the chalice, he says aloud, Drink of this... The congregation responds Amen and the priest makes a deep bow making the sign of the cross upon himself.
25) The priest says the prayer Remembering, therefore... and crossing his arms with the diskos in his right hand and the chalice in his left, he elevates both slightly and makes the sign of the cross with them horizontally, exclaiming aloud We offer to... The congregation responds We praise you... and the priest makes a small bow.
26) The priest says the prayer: Moreover, we offer to you. Before the words: And make this bread... he makes three small bows. The priest blesses the bread, saying: And make this bread... He blesses the chalice, saying: And that which is in this chalice... He blesses both together, saying: Changing them... The priest says Amen three times after this blessing, and continues the anaphora.
27) Exclaiming aloud: Especially for our most holy... the priest incenses the sacred gifts three times from the front of the altar only. He covers the chalice. The choir responds: It is truly proper... or the proper Irmos if it is a feast.
28) The priest continues the anaphora silently and exclaims aloud: Among the first... The people respond: And remember all your people.
29) The priest continues the anaphora silently and concludes aloud: And grant that we with one voice... The congregation answers Amen.
30) The priest turns toward the people and does not step aside from the center of the altar, and blesses the people aloud: And may the mercies...
31) The Litany before the Our Father need not be taken, but the prayer: In You, O gracious Master... must be recited by the priest. He concludes the prayer aloud: And grant, O Lord, that we...
32) This is followed immediately by the Lord s Prayer during which the priest elevates his hands on high. At the conclusion, he exclaims: For Thine is the Kingdom... The congregation responds: Amen. The priest turns to the people and from the center of the altar, blesses the people: Peace be with all. The congregation responds: And with your spirit. Turning to the altar he says aloud, Bow your heads to the Lord. The people respond. To You, O Lord.
33) The priest says silently: We give you thanks, O King... and concludes the prayer in a loud voice saying Through the grace and mercy... The priest does not wash his hands at this point. The congregation responds: Amen.
34) The priest recites silently the prayer: Look down, O Lord Jesus Christ... At the conclusion of this prayer he makes three small bows saying: O God, be merciful... He does not strike his breast.
35) The priest uncovers the chalice, takes the sacred bread in his hands and exclaims in a loud voice: Let us be attentive. Raising the bread slightly, he exclaims: Holy things to the holy. The congregation responds One is holy... and then sings the Communion Hymn.
36) The priest breaks the bread into four parts saying: Broken and distributed...
37) The priest takes the upper part of the bread, makes a sign of the cross with it over the chalice saying: The fullness of the Holy Spirit, and drops it into the chalice. Having made a small bow, the priest takes a particle of the holy bread in the fingers of his right hand and says: The precious and most holy Body... Bowing his head, he recites the Communion Prayer and at its conclusion consumes the Sacred Body. The priest takes the chalice in his right hand, the lention which he holds under his chin in his left and partakes of the Sacred Blood, saying: I, a servant of God... He wipes his lips and the edge of the chalice with the lention saying: Behold, this has touched my lips... The priest does not bow before taking the chalice in his hands, nor does he kiss it after receiving the precious Blood. He does not make the sign of the cross with the chalice before partaking from it, nor does he lift it on high.
38) While facing the altar, the priest says out loud: Approach with fear of God... and the congregation responds Blessed is He... and the priest in a loud voice begins the prayer: O Lord, I believe... No Sign of the Cross is made before or after the prayer and there is no striking of the breast at Remember me O Lord... nor at O God be merciful... Immediately following the prayer, the priest proceeds to distribute Holy Communion to the faithful reciting, of course, the prayer for each communicant: The servant of God...
39) After communion, the priest, standing before the Royal Doors, raising the chalice, and blesses them while chanting the words: Save your people, O God... and the priest returns to the Holy Altar while the congregation sings: We have seen the true light... The words For many years O Master in the congregational response are omitted. The priest then incenses the gifts three times saying: Be exalted above the heavens... The priest takes the chalice in his right hand the diskos with the covers on it in his left hand, makes a slight bow, turns towards the congregation, and chants: Blessed is our God... The priest does not make the sign of the Cross with the chalice neither over the iliton nor upon the people. He proceeds to the table of preparation and places there the holy gifts. The ablutions may be taken now or at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
40) The congregation sings: May our lips be filled... The priest takes the litany of thanksgiving silently together with its prayer. Then having folded the iliton he makes a sign of the cross horizontally with the Gospel Book and places it upon the iliton saying silently: For You are our sanctification... He proceeds to the Royal Doors saying in a loud voice Let us go forth in peace. The congregation responds: In the name of the Lord. The priest says aloud: Let us pray to the Lord, the congregation: Lord, have mercy. The priest proceeds through the Royal Doors and recites the Ambon Prayer standing on the Ambon: O Lord, blessing those who bless you... The Congregation responds: Amen, Blessed be the name of the Lord... The priest silently recites the prayer: You O Christ our God... At the conclusion of this prayer, he turns toward the people and blesses them saying: The blessing of the Lord... The people respond: Amen. The priest turns toward the altar and exclaims: Glory be to You..., the people respond: Glory be to the Father... The priest once again turns to the people and exclaims: Christ, our true God... blessing himself at the conclusion of this prayer. The congregation responds: Amen.
This order for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is herewith promulgated on the 8th day of April, 1970 at Parma, Ohio in the first year of our episcopate under the protocol number G. 79/70H. It is to be put into effect at all Liturgies celebrated in the Eparchy of Parma beginning on Pentecost Sunday, May 17, 1970, and is to continue until revoked.
/s/ Most Rev. Emil J. Mihalik, D. D.
Eparch of Parma
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