LITURGY COMMISSION

Karen Schreiner (931-4700) chairs the Liturgy Commission. Fr. David Tumback (753-2063, email: dtumback@sk.sympatico.ca) is Director of Liturgy for the Diocese. Members are appointed by the Bishop in consultation with the Commission. They meet at least three times a year. Among other things, they offer instruction on the proper implementation of liturgical directives, support and provide workshops for liturgical ministries and utilize various educational opportunities. The Commission is responsible for diocesan liturgies.

We are well into Autumn Ordinary Time, and as daylight decreases, the longer nights come with increasing cold and frost. This is a time of transformation; the green leaves have turned into beautiful colours and once they are blown off it’s like death staring us in the face.

The change of seasons should also be reflected in the visuals used in the worship space. Luckily for us, there is an abundance to choose from: bundles of dried grass, silver and sandbar willows, the tall dark brown stalks of sorrel, cattails, wormwood, yellow tansy, branches with red berries and garden produce such as pumpkin and gourds

These beautiful things are not only our favorite images of fall, they are also the gift of nature and therefore very suitable for the liturgical space.

Seasonal flowers in autumn are also plentiful: garden asters, Chinese lantern, sedum, sunflowers, cosmos, mums and chrysanthemums, and while the latter are sold all year long, finally in autumn they are right at home.

Many such displays are created for our Thanksgiving Sunday and then disappear. They are appropriate and should remain until the feast of Christ the King since the overarching elements for the church for this time are thanksgiving for the harvest and remembrance of the dead.

Many parishes set up a memorial for dead. This can simply be incorporated with a beautifully bound book set on a lectern near the Paschal candle in the baptistery or seasonal corner.

In general, seasonal decorations must be positioned in the church in ways appropriate to the liturgy; that is never impeding the approach to the altar, ambo or font or being a visual hindrance for the assembly.

Rosa Gebhardt
October 4, 2005

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