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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Liturgical Handwashing

Fr. David Friel · June 14, 2020

ASHING one’s hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds has been a constant encouragement in recent weeks. This guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also been incorporated into many diocesan guidelines outlining the precautions ministers are to take before the celebration of the sacred liturgy.

This is, in a certain sense, a case of old things becoming new again, since the Church has a long history of requiring sacred ministers to wash their hands before entering into the liturgy.

To be clear, the priest and other ministers are not required to wash their hands before Mass by the present General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). The GIRM does speak in a few places about the Lavabo handwashing that takes place during the offertory (see GIRM, nos. 76, 118, and 145). Nowhere, however, does it stipulate that there must be a handwashing before Mass begins.

The Ritus Servandus printed in the introductory pages of missals published before the Second Vatican Council, however, does require the priest to wash his hands prior to Mass (Ritus Servandus, I.1). This provision is thus still in force for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

There is even a prayer to be said accompanying this ritual action. The text is this:

Da, Domine, virtutem manibus meis ad abstergendam omnem maculam: ut sine pollutione mentis et corporis valeam tibi servire.

Give strength to my hands, O Lord, unto the blotting out of all stain, that I might serve Thee without defilement of mind or body.

The reason for the guidance from the CDC is, of course, practical. But, as is so often the case, the Church’s reasons for encouraging a preparatory handwashing before Mass are both practical and more than practical.

Surely, it is fitting that the hands of priests, deacons, acolytes, etc. should be physically clean. Simple reverence demands that the hands that will touch the altar, the sacred vessels, even the Most Blessed Sacrament should be spotless.

Washing one’s hands to prepare for Mass, however, has more than practicality in its favor. It is, in fact, a ritual action. The GIRM beautifully describes the Lavabo during the offertory as “a rite in which the desire for interior purification finds expression” (GIRM, no. 76). Just as that handwashing within the Mass has both hygienic and ritual inspirations, so too the habit of washing one’s hands before serving the liturgy responds to both the physical and the metaphysical need for purification.

It was once common for sacristies to have the Da, Domine, virtutem prayer posted in the sacristy above the sink, as in this photograph.

Like silence in the sacristy—which the GIRM calls “a praiseworthy practice” (GIRM, no. 45)—offering this prayer while washing one’s hands helps to promote a devout and fervent disposition. There is nothing to stop priests and other ministers from reviving this practice of pre-Mass handwashing. This would be a perfectly legitimate and quite unobtrusive possibility for “mutual enrichment.”

IVE YEARS ago, I ran a series of blog posts on the vesting prayers to be said by priests preparing for Mass. Links to those articles are provided below, in case any of our readers may be inspired to learn more about them or to put them into private practice.

Vesting Prayers, Part 1 • Introduction

Vesting Prayers, Part 2 • The Hand Washing

Vesting Prayers, Part 3 • The Amice

Vesting Prayers, Part 4 • The Alb

Vesting Prayers, Part 5 • The Cincture

Vesting Prayers, Part 6 • The Maniple

Vesting Prayers, Part 7 • The Stole

Vesting Prayers, Part 8 • The Chasuble

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Coronavirus Pandemic, General Instruction Roman Missal, Mutual Enrichment, Vesting Prayers Last Updated: June 14, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Little Encouragement?
    In the Gospel, our Savior tells about 10 lepers who were healed. Only one went back to give thanks. Precious few express gratitude, yet many have endless energy to complain. For that reason, I deeply appreciate receiving messages like the following, which arrived a few days ago (about the parish where I direct in Michigan): “Last Sunday, a couple I knew from Grand Rapids was at Mass at 10:00 a.m. I got a chance to talk to them after Mass. I wanted to let you know what they said about the choir. They were absolutely floored by our sound!!!!! They both said they could continuously listen to our choir and the beauty of it. They asked me: “Do you always sound like that?” And they were also very surprised at how packed the church was. They said it was nice for them to be in such a full church. I just thought you would be interested to know their thoughts about our choir.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Like all other liturgical functions, like offices and ranks in the Church, indeed like everything else in the world, the religious service that we call the Mass existed long before it had a special technical name.

— Rev. Adrian Fortescue (1912)

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  • “Our Father” • Musical Setting?

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