Sacramental oils blessed at annual Holy Week Mass

By Rebecca Bostic, The Catholic Sun
April 19, 2007

Although most Catholics know about Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, some know little about a service occurring earlier during Holy Week.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted celebrated the April 2 chrism Mass at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral.

“The chrism Mass is for the priests of the diocese to gather around the bishop as a sign of the ministerial priesthood and to show they are in communion with the bishop,” said Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, interim director of the diocesan Office of Worship.

“It is also the liturgy where the oil is blessed that will be used throughout the coming year for the sacrament of anointing the sick, confirmation, baptism and ordinations,” she said.

Bishop Olmsted blessed the oil of the sick during the eucharistic prayer and blessed the oil of the catechumens and the sacred chrism following the celebration of the Eucharist. The bishop blessed the sacred chrism by breathing on it.

“As a bishop, it is a special joy to have all the priests of the diocese concelebrating the Mass with me, showing the bond of fraternal charity and faith that unites us and that strengthens us to serve in Christ’s name,” Bishop Olmsted said.

“I would hope that the chrism Mass would help all those present to appreciate even more the vocation of the priesthood and move them to pray for our priests and for an increase in priestly vocations,” he said. The bishop focused on the ministry of priests in his homily.

The priests in attendance stood for the renewal of commitment to the priestly service following the Gospel. The bishop then encouraged Catholics in the congregation to “pray for your priest.”

Fr. John Lankeit of St. Anne Parish in Gilbert felt the chrism Mass was an inspiring liturgy.

“Being my first chrism Mass as a priest, it brought back memories of ordination and reminded me of the brotherhood of priests to which I belong,” Fr. Lankeit said. He was ordained into the priesthood last June.

“Through the renewal of my vows it refocused me on the nature of my vocation,” he said. “It was the perfect launching point to enter the triduum.”

Sharing the liturgy with so many priests from the diocese was a highlight for Fr. Lankeit.

“It’s important for us as priests to experience this reminder that we are not ‘Lone Rangers’ building the Kingdom of God,” Fr. Lankeit said. “Rather, we’re collaborators with the bishop and our brother priests in carrying on the mission of Christ in a unique way.”

Sheila Stubler, a parishioner at St. Francis Cabrini in Camp Verde and Immaculate Conception in Cottonwood, attends the chrism Mass, in part, because she wants to show her support for the priests.

“You basically have every priest in the diocese here and it’s pretty powerful,” Stubler said. “They do this once a year and it’s very neat to see all these different people that are serving everybody else and we can show our support for them. We need to.”

Sr. Ginger agrees.

“To see the priests and deacons together process into the cathedral, the mother church, is very impressive and something that is good for people to see and to participate in at least once in their life,” she said.