The Church of the Advent - Liturgical Customary: The Church Year

Liturgical Customary of the Church of the Advent, Boston

THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT
Liturgical Observances Throughout the Year

SUNDAYS

7:30am.	Morning Prayer (said in choir)
8:00am.	Said Mass from American Missal with minor propers (in Lady Chapel)
9:00am.	Sung Mass (Rite II) with Parish Choir, congregational Mass setting, choral psalm and offertory anthem (at High Altar)
11:15am.	Solemn Mass (Rite I) with Advent Choir, choral Mass setting, psalm, and minor propers, offertory anthem and communion motet Coffee Hours follow all three Masses in Moseley Hall Note: Holy Unction is offered in the Lady Chapel following all three Masses on the first Sunday of the month unless a Major Feast falls on that Sunday, in which case Unction is moved to the Sunday following
4:30pm.	Organ recital (before Evensong only)
5:00pm.	Evensong and Benediction (as announced), normally sung by one of the Choirs, occasionally by a guest choir

SUNDAY FEAST DAYS (except as otherwise noted)

8:00am.	Said Mass from American Missal with minor propers (in Lady Chapel)
9:00am.	Procession with congregation included
11:15am.	Procession of clergy, choir and servers

GREATER FEASTS OCCURRING ON WEEKDAYS

12:15pm	Mass (in Lady Chapel)
9:00am	Morning Prayer (said in choir)
5:30pm	Evening Prayer (usually said in Crypt Chapel)
6:30pm.	Solemn Mass, sometimes with Procession, usually with full complement of servers and choir

WEEKDAYS

9:00am.	Morning Prayer (said in choir)
12:15pm	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - Mass (in Lady Chapel)
5:30pm.	Evening Prayer (said in choir)
6:00pm	Healing Mass on Wednesdays

SATURDAYS AND CIVIL HOLIDAYS

8:30am.	Morning Prayer
9:00am	Mass (monthly Requiem in Crypt Chapel on 1st Saturday of the month, unless impeded by a feast). Mass of the BVM on Saturday if no other observance (in Lady Chapel)

SUMMER

7:30am.	Morning Prayer (said in choir)
8:00am.	Said Mass from American Missal with minor propers (in Lady Chapel)
9:00am.	Mass with hymns and congregational Mass setting, Celebrant, two servers and assisting clergy as available
11:15am.	Solemn Mass, reduced complement of servers; from the Sunday after Corpus Christi through the penultimate Sunday of September the choir is absent, the Mass is a congregational setting, and the Psalm is said responsively between celebrant and congregation; a cantor may be provided

THE LITURGICAL YEAR

ADVENT
1st Sunday Feast of Dedication and Title. Procession is of Feast of Dedication – white copes, hymns for Dedication, and Mass is of Advent – purple frontal and vestments
5:00pm. Advent Lessons and Carols sung by the Advent Choir
3rd Sunday Rose vestments, flowers permitted
Note The Collect for Advent Sunday is said or sung after the Collect of the Day at all Masses and Offices throughout Advent

CHRISTMAS EVE
4:30pm. Sung mass (Rite II) with procession to the Crèche and offering of gifts
10:15pm. Musical Prelude
11:00pm. Procession with Station at the Crèche, Solemn Mass (Rite I) and Last Gospel. Three communion stations if attendance warrants

Lady Shrine in the nave
Shrine of Our Lady

CHRISTMAS DAY
11:00am. Sung Mass, Reception following. When Christmas Day falls on a Sunday the Mass is at 11:15am and is the only Mass of the day.

NEW YEAR’S EVE
5:00pm. Christmas Lessons and Carols sung by the Advent Choir

HOLY NAME
11:00am. Low Mass in the Lady Chapel. When Holy Name (New Year's Day) falls on a Sunday the Mass is at 11:15am.

EPIPHANY
May be transferred to Sunday if it falls on a Friday or Monday

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD
Holy Baptism or Renewal of Baptismal Vows

THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD: CANDLEMAS (usually transferred to the Sunday following unless that Sunday is Last Epiphany)
Blessing of Candles, Procession and Mass

LAST EPIPHANY
Observed with festal vestments and the Easter Dismissal at all Masses; the Church School children "bury the Alleluias" between the 9 and 11:15am Masses

ASH WEDNESDAY
Offices as usual
7:30am and 12:15pm: Low Mass and Imposition of Ashes in the Lady Chapel
6:30pm. Solemn Mass and Imposition of Ashes
Note: The liturgy for Ash Wednesday is a synthesis of the 1928 and 1979 rites. See the service leaflet for specifics

SUNDAYS IN LENT
The Ash Wednesday Collect is said or sung after the Collect of the Day at all Masses and offices until Palm Sunday
"Christ our Passover" is said at all Masses until Easter
Litany in Procession 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Sundays at 11:15am; 1st and 5th Sundays at 9am
4th Sunday Rose vestments and flowers
Passion Sunday (5th Sunday) all crosses veiled, Gloria Patri is omitted until Easter

WEEKDAYS OF LENT
Psalm 95 said in its entirety on all the days of Lent, Kyrie Pantocrator said on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at Morning Prayer
7:00pm Tuesday Lenten program
6:00pm Thursday Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction in the Lady Chapel

HOLY WEEK
Palm Sunday: Blessing and Distribution of Palms at all Masses
9:00am. Begin palm blessing in red vestments, outdoor procession with congregation following, change into oxblood vestments for Mass. The Passion is sung by the clergy
11:15am. Outdoor procession and vestment change as above. The Choir sings the Passion according to St. Matthew. Three communion stations if attendance warrants.
Monday and Tuesday:
As per usual schedule, except that there is an evening Mass at 6:00pm.
Wednesday
Usual schedule, including 6:00pm Mass.
7:00pm. Tenebrae sung by the Advent Choir, special service booklets

MAUNDY THURSDAY
No morning or midday Mass. Morning Prayer is said at 9:00am.
6:30pm. Solemn Mass with Footwashing and Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Stripping of the Altars, Watch before the Sacrament. White vestments, organ and bells are silent after the Gloria (handbells rung during Gloria intro) (interpolations in the canon - "on this night", "even this night")

GOOD FRIDAY
No morning or midday Mass. Morning Prayer is said at 9:00am.
12:00pm. Three-hour Service, Preaching of the Passion, special service booklets
6:30pm. Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, chanting of the Passion according to St. John sung by the choir, Solemn Collects, Veneration of the Cross and Reproaches, Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament

HOLY SATURDAY
9:00am. Morning Prayer (said in the Crypt)
6:30pm. The Great Vigil of Easter with Holy Baptism or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, the Litany of the Saints, and the First Mass of Easter

EASTER DAY
7:30am. Morning Prayer (begin Pascha nostrum daily throughout Easter week)
8:00am. Said Mass
9:00am. Procession and Sung Mass (because of the large attendance, the congregation remains in place)
11:15am. Solemn Mass (three communion stations if attendance warrants)

SUNDAYS OF EASTER
Vidi Aquam at 9 and 11:15 Masses

Rogation Sunday
9:00am. and 11:15am. Masses. Procession to the garden during the last hymn, blessing of plants, madrigal in the garden sung by the choir

Sacred Ministers in the garden on Rogation Sunday
Rogation Sunday

Ascension Day
6:30pm. Solemn Mass

ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER REQUIEM
Each April, on or about April 14, the Advent clergy celebrate a Requiem Mass at the Gardner Museum in accordance with the terms of Mrs. Gardner’s will. We provide all vestments, vessels, programs, and supplies. One server assists, and in some years we have had choir, depending on money available. Attendance averages 30 people, 75 or more if there is choir. If April 14 falls during the Triduum of Holy Week, the Burial Office is substituted or the service is transferred to the earliest convenient weekday during Easter Week.

PENTECOST
Sunday Masses as usual on a feast day, Holy Baptism as appointed
11:15am. Procession and [sometimes orchestral] Mass

TRINITY SUNDAY
Te Deum after the 11:15 am Mass

CORPUS CHRISTI
Said mass at 12:15 pm.
6:30pm. Solemn Mass (preface of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus), outdoor Procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Garden Reception

MICHAELMAS (Feast of St Michael and All Angels) (often transferred to the closest Sunday)
Procession and Mass

ST FRANCIS' DAY (observed on the Sunday closest to the date)
3pm. Blessing of the Animals, held in the chancel

ALL SAINTS' DAY (observed on the Sunday following if it does not fall on Sunday)
Usual Sunday schedule
9am and 11:15am. Procession and Mass, Holy Baptism or Renewal of Baptismal Vows

ALL SOULS' DAY
12:15pm Requiem Mass said in the Lady Chapel
6:30pm. Solemn Mass (preface of the Departed, interpolation in the canon - "remember also thy servants and handmaidens")
Reading of names of departed rectors and benefactors, all the people who have died during the past year, list of departed specified by members of the congregation at each of the Masses

FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
9:00am. Procession and Mass (preface of Baptism)
11:15am. Procession, [sometimes Orchestral] Mass and Te Deum. (Preface of Christ the King)

THANKSGIVING DAY
10:00am. Sung Mass without choir, psalm said responsively between celebrant and congregation