[Magdalen] Two to go

[Scott Knitter]

As David knows, subdeaconing involves a lot of "attending the
celebrant," whether holding the cope or pointing the altar book during
the eucharistic prayer, or just standing to the celebrant's left to
balance out the deacon being on the celebrant's right.

Our current parish practice seems to have moved more toward
practicality as a determination of whether to do certain things: the
cope needs to be held only if it's rather big on the particular
celebrant and it would help to have the cope held while walking. I
think traditionally the cope is held because that's what you do with a
cope (and it is indeed practical), and if the cope is being worn, we
walk three abreast and hold the cope; if the celebrant is in chasuble,
we walk single file. Sometimes the old way is actually easier because
you don't have to talk about it every time. But of course the rector,
and to some degree the celebrant, has the last word.

I'm just wishing that complex liturgies like the Great Vigil of Easter
were thought about maybe a week in advance and decisions made then,
rather than in rehearsal on the day of. :) But that's not a new wish
nor unique to the present clergy.

On Sat, Apr 4, 2015 at 2:08 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen
<magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 4/4/2015 12:08:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> jay.weigel at gmail.com writes:
>
> Acolytes  have always done all that "subdeacon" stuff in every parish I've
> ever been  in. Am I hopelessly low church? If so, I'll take  it.>>>
>
> But acolytes don't chant the Epistle.
>
>
>
> David Strang - Retired subdeacon.
>
>



-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA