Liturgy Committee Meeting Notes
10 November 2015

Present were Fr. Ross, Fr. Bala, Deborah Leibee, Pat Schachle, Lucas Clooten, Elizabeth Crail, and Rosalie L'Ecuyer

Fr. Ross asked for two minutes of silence in honor of Veterans Day.

When the meeting continued, Fr. Ross announced that Fr. Bala would be in village parishes from November 26 (Thanksgiving) until December 6.

The Committee discussed the placement of the Advent Jesse Tree. Fr. Ross asked that it be set up in the area of the Baptismal font and that the Christmas tree be set up in the same place when the Jesse Tree is taken down. The Advent Wreath is to be set up by the altar and the Nativity creche in front of the altar.

The Rite of Acceptance for RCIA candidates will take place at the 9 am Mass on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29.

The diaconate ordination of three candidates will take place on Tuesday, December 8, at 7 pm, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day, and first day of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

There will be a Communal Penance Service on Wednesday, December 9. The present vestry is being transformed into a permanent Confession Room for use year-round and the former Confessional boxes at the back of the cathedral on the ambo side are being restored to traditional Confessional boxes for use during Penance services. The present sacristy will be the vesting room for priests and servers. The metal cabinets currently there will be placed in the middle of the room.

The Hispanic Apostolate will celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, December 12, at 11 am. Bishop Chad does not wish the Guadalupe ceremony to replace the Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent.

On December 13, the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday, a day of joy) at the 11:30 am Mass, there will be the "Open Door" ritual for the Year of Mercy. The people will be invited to gather in the Social Hall and to process up the back stairs into the cathedral along the aisle on the ambo side to the double entrance doors.

Deborah Leibee, who is in charge of art decoration for the cathedral, will design a vinyl or fabric banner for over the doors with a Biblical verse proclamation such as "Go out and and spread the Good News." She will add some floral decoration around the doors. Some pre-December 13 catechesis may be necessary for parishioners who don't know about the Open Door.

The second collection on Saturday/Sunday, November 22, Feast of Christ the King, will be the last second collection. To cover future second collections required by the U.S. bishops, the parish will give 3 percent of the total regular monthly collection plus any donations from second collection envelopes parishioners choose to add to the first collection.

During the Year of Mercy, there will be additional time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It will probably be from 4 to 5 pm., on Thursdays, a normal work day for many, at the end of Adoration. In Lent, there is usually opportunity for Reconciliation during the Stations of the Cross, 7 pm on Fridays.