Chrism Mass to be livestreamed

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis prepares to bless the oils at the April 2019 Chrism Mass.

SALT LAKE CITY — In these trying times, with the spread of the coronavirus, Bishop Oscar A. Solis has asked the faithful in the Diocese of Salt Lake City to hold fast and to worship in new and unusual ways. While this is very difficult, these circumstances have allowed for some rare opportunities for local Catholics. One of those opportunities is that the diocese’s annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine will be livestreamed.

Normally in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, because of the distances some priests have to travel to participate, the Chrism Mass is celebrated the week before Holy Week. This allows local priests to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at their parish. However, because of the requirement to maintain social distancing this year, the priests will not all gather at the Cathedral of the Madeleine for the Chrism Mass. Instead, the Mass, which will be celebrated in both English and Spanish, will be celebrated without a congregation at 11 a.m. on Holy Thursday, April 9 and livestreamed on YouTube at cotmtv.  (See the Holy Week schedule, right.)

At the Mass, Bishop Solis will bless the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick, and consecrate the Sacred Chrism. These oils will be used throughout the coming year for the celebration of sacraments. The Oil of the Catechumens is used to anoint those welcomed into the Order of Catechumens prior to baptism. The Oil of the Sick is used for the anointing of the sick and the dying. The Sacred Chrism, a consecrated mixture of olive oil and balsam, is used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, the ordination of priests/bishops, and in the dedication of churches and altars.

In his homily during the 2018 Chrism Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis said that when he anoints people, he is always generous with the oil.

“In that generous anointing, we can sense that our own anointing is being renewed.” ... Priests “are not distributors of bottled oil,” he said. Rather, “We [priests] anoint by distributing ourselves, distributing our vocation and our heart. When we anoint other, we ourselves are anointed anew by the faith and affection of our people.”

This year, in keeping with state health guidelines, only the priests in residence at the cathedral will concelebrate the Chrism Mass with Bishop Solis.

In addition to being livestreamed, the recorded Mass will be archived for viewing on the diocesan website.