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Views from the Choir Loft

Participation Booklet for Extraordinary Form Baptisms

Fr. David Friel · October 6, 2018

APTISMS are joyful occasions. When an infant is to be baptized, families are still in the midst of celebrating the child’s natural birth, to which the promise of sacramental rebirth adds still greater joy. These are occasions for rejoicing on the part of the wider Church family, too, as we see the hope of eternal life shine upon new members of the Mystical Body.

More and more often, Roman Catholic priests are asked to perform Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form. Most priests today were never trained to baptize according to this form, but—with the right resources, a little personal effort, and an open mind—acceding to such requests is easily within reach.

I wrote a reflection some time ago about celebrating Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form, which has proven helpful to many priests who have been approached by families seeking this Sacrament for their children. (Another interesting reflection is published through Catholic Herald.) Still, performing this rite can pose other difficulties. Among the chief stumbling blocks that priests and families encounter is unfamiliarity with the rite on the part of those who will be in attendance. Although this issue does not, of course, affect the validity of the Sacrament, it certainly impacts the overall fruitfulness of the celebration. Facilitating deeper participation in the Sacraments is one of the principal aims of the Liturgical Movement and a very noble goal (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 14).

Today, I am pleased to present an invaluable resource for Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form, which will help to alleviate this stumbling block. It is a participation booklet intended to assist families and friends in following the order of the rite and the Latin prayers.

* * PDF Download • EF Baptism Rite Participation Booklet

A second version of the booklet is available here; the content of both versions is identical, but the second version is formatted for “one up” printing.

For a Latin-Spanish version of this booklet, see our subsequent post.

HIS resource is being offered here courtesy of Very Rev. Bryan W. Jerabek, JCL, rector of the cathedral of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama (also available from his blog). He has kindly granted permission for this booklet to be reproduced and disseminated freely.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: baptism, Extraordinary Form 1962 Missal, Participatio Actuosa Last Updated: January 13, 2020

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Fr. David Friel

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently a doctoral candidate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“By a decree of the synod of the diocese of Exeter in 1284, no one should claim any seat in a church; but whoever first entered a church for the purpose of devotion, might choose at his pleasure a place for praying.”

— A work by Fr. Husenbeth (d. 1872)

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