His Excellency, Bishop Andrew Pataki, Eparch of Passaic will tonsure three gentlemen to the Order of Lector on December 8th, 7pm at Saint Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Please remember Edward Frey and Basil Soroka both of Saint Mary's, and Lawrence Worlinsky of Saint Nicholas Church, Swoyersville, PA in your prayers. Axios! Axios! Axios! May the Lord God grant them, their wives and families many years!

Mnohaja i blahaja lita!

Slava Isusu Christu!

Wonderful news! We’re these men already tonsured as acolytes?

Three questions:

1.) What are the requirements for tonsure as an acolyte, lector, cantor and subdeacon in the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia?
2.) What are the requirements for tonsure as an acolyte, lector, cantor and subdeacon in ACROD?
3.) What are the requirements for tonsure as an acolyte, lector, cantor and subdeacon in the OCA?

In Christ,

John

John,
I am not sure what the requirements are, but only know that these three men are currently deacon candidates going through formation. Of course, this tonsure is the first step.
Many people may not know that the first prayer in the rite is for the blessing of a candle-bearer or acolyte. I believe that no jurisdiction either Catholic or Orthodox separates these two ceremonies, though I think that it would make sense to do so.

Ray

The Latin acolyte is the equal of a Byzantine Subdeacon. Acolyte is a ministry entered via specific ceremony and should not be confused with altar servers.

Pavel,

So what does a Byzantine acolyte do?

Thanks,

John

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From The Norms of Particular Law of the Byzantine Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

Canon 327

§1. Men who are properly prepared can be ordained to the offices of acolyte, lector cantor and subdeacon, who are minor clerics.

from http://www.byzcath.org/news/1999/AEP19990928-1.html

An acolyte is a cleric promoted to the fourth and highest minor order in the Latin Church, ranking next to a subdeacon. The chief offices of an acolyte are to light the candles on the altar, to carry them in procession, and during the solemn singing of the Gospel; to prepare wine and water for the sacrifice of the Mass; and to assist the sacred ministers at the Mass, and other public services of the Church. In the ordination of an acolyte the bishop presents him with a candle, extinguished, and an empty cruet, using appropriate words expressive of these duties. Altar boys are often designated as acolytes and perform the duties of such.

From new Advent for the Latin Rite pre Vatican II

Good evening!
Here is a pic of the tonsure that took place this evening at Saint Mary's in Wilkes-Barre, PA. There were about 125-150 people present with great plain-chant singing with fellowship in the church hall. There were five priests concelebrating along with two deacons, and five area cantors singing. It was a wonderful evening!

Ray

It is quite rare, but I have known it to happen that someone was blessed as acolyte and taper-bearer without being blessed as a reader in the same ceremony. On the other hand, some of the Slav Churches do all the minor orders together, including the subdiaconate.

Incognitus

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I believe a more accurate description of the process would be:

Tonsure,
Ordination as Candle Bearer(comparable to acolyts), and
Ordination as Lector.

The tonsure and ordinations would normally be during the same liturgical celebration. This could be a Divine Liturgy, Vespers, etc.

The tonsuring enters the man into the clerical state.

The ordinations are minor ordinations, as opposed to the major ordinations to deacon, priest or bishop. Minor ordinations are still in use in Eastern Churches.

For the equivalent order, the Latin Church would install a man as a reader. He would not be considered a cleric until ordination as a deacon.

Hope this helps,

Deacon El

Do Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers get tonsured like lectors? They administer the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This would seem to be a ministry worthy of an installation. If they do get tonsured, where can I find the Byzantine liturgical text? God bless the new lectors.

Joe

Can anyone answer...are those that Joe refers to above vested when they administer? Are there males and females? Just wondering.

There is no such thing in the Byzantine Rite as described. The Latins have extra ordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

Pavel,

The particular law of the Pittsburgh Metropolia allows for extraordianry ministers of Holy Communion if needed.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Joe,

To my knowledge no training program or formal blessing and installation has yet to be formulated. I have never seen them used but I understand that some parishes were using them before they were allowed by our particular law. I would assume they requested permission from the bishop.

Fr. Deacon Lance

This may be for the same reason that the lay ministry of reader has largely not happend in the Latin Rite. Only men can go through it and it is the intention of many bishops that women should perform the task of reading in church, which they would be excluded from if an instituted reader was present. The formal institution for males may already be part of one of the minor orders in the Byzantine Rite.

Deacon Lance,

They have been used in the Pittsburgh Ruthenian Metropolia since the time of Archbishop Dolinay and I have personally witnessed their use in certain Latinized parishes. These parishes are also the ones that don't have Iconostasis and continue to have Latin services such as Stations of the Cross instead of the Presanctified Gifts lenten service. This I believe is very wrong and should be stopped, as it is not very characteristic of the Eastern Catholic Churches!

Ungcsertezs

Fr. Deacon Lance,
Why would a church install ministers without a liturgy? Will these future formulations/blessings be shared with the Orthodox? In the meantime, does your bishop make use of minor orders? This tradition has been around for ages and has its own liturgies of installation/blessing. Do you think these new ministries are a mere borrowing from the Latin Church? I do. It has nothing to do with utilizing what we already have on the books.

Joe