Clergy, seminarians gather for Chrism Mass

More than 65 clergy and seminarians from across the Diocese gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral at the beginning of Holy Week for the Chrism Mass, where the holy oils used for the sacraments and other rituals were blessed.

The Chrism Mass is one of the most solemn and important liturgies in the Church calendar. During the Mass, all the concelebrating priests and deacons renewed their vows of obedience to the Bishop and the entire assembly of parishioners from across the Diocese renewed their baptismal promises.

The oils to be used in the pastoral and sacramental life of the Church were blessed and consecrated by Bishop Anthony Randazzo for use in parishes in the coming year.

During his homily, Bishop Anthony discussed the importance of the oils, which were historically seen as a sign of strength, health, and beauty.

“When used in the sacred rights of our religion, anointing of oil is a sign of rejoicing and respect,” he said. “The anointing of oil denotes dignity, honour, healing or consecration.”

He also highlighted the importance of the Chrism Mass in the liturgical calendar, reflecting on the truth of Jesus as “the way, the truth and the life”.

“The Chrism Mass serves to remind us of this truth,” said Bishop Anthony.

“It also offers us an opportunity to recall the power which has been given the church as a community of disciples of the Lord. The power of which I speak is not measurable in worldly terms, there’s no performance evaluation plan or key performance indicators when one speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit, alive and active in the community of the Church. We cannot and must not measure the work of the Church in terms of success, but rather by signs of faithfulness and sacrifice.”

He concluded his homily by reminding the congregation what it was to be a disciple, mirroring the work and life of Jesus Christ. He also warned priests of the dangers faced by them as the outside world sought to influence their ministry and dull their spirit.

After the Mass, the oils were blessed by Bishop Anthony and then distributed to the priests for each to take back to their parishes for use in the sacraments and other rituals.