Greetings again and I hope things are going well for you. Thank you for your suggestions on the books, I find them quite interesting. The reason I am writing to you is that I have some questions regarding the Mass. I have been attending Mass in different churches in the Puget Sound, and I have a concern regarding the format of some of the liturgies. My questions follow:

Are priests allowed to omit the Nicene Creed? My understanding is that they are not allowed to under any circumstance. Are women allowed to read the Gospel? How about deliver the Homily? What is church policy regarding parishes without kneelers? Is it the discretion of the Diocese to determine whether or not parishoners kneel during the Liturgy of the Eucharist in these kinds of churches? What is a layperson to do if a parish may be violating liturgical laws? Does it make the sacrament invalid?

Thank you for your time and service. I will continue to remember you in my prayers.

J.

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Dear J.

Fr. Raymond Burkle gives some direct answers to your questions about the creed, kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer, etc. You can click here to go directly to the questions and answers. The violations you mention do not make the sacraments invalid, but they do pose a dilemna. We need to pray for our new archbishop and for all our priests. I appreciate yours for me.

God bless,

Fr. Phil Bloom