DOVES April First Saturday Workshop 2011

Altar Candle Base Wax Removal
These plates are the base to the candles on the sides of altar.
Ms. Beth taught us to freeze them for five minutes before scraping off the wax.

We open with a 'Memorare' for our Parish Priests.

Polishing Patens
We apply brass remover, rinse and then polish.
(We have seen the altar sons checking out their reflections in them
and practicing what looks like Morse code on the Church ceiling!)

Service Project
The DOVES are offering a basket for the auction,
taking place in May, to help raise funds to repair the school.
We chose a back yard bird-feeder theme.
Thanks to all the DOVES and sacristans
who participated in donating to this basket,
and especially to Ms. Angelina and Mary Clare for designing it.

Our Angelus Bells went off at noon, thanks to Ms. Sarah's cell phone chime,
so the mothers and daughters were able to close
with this beautiful prayer of the Church.

First Sunday in April~4th Sunday in Lent 2011
DOVES at work

Ms. Cynthia taught the DOVES how to apply seven layers to Father's Chalice

1. Purificator
2. Paten
3. Large Host
4. Pall
5. Coporal
6. Chalice Veil
7. Crucifix-blessed with a kiss.

First Saturday March 5, 2011

Ms. Beth gave the DOVES a workshop on how to polish the patens.
We discovered the names of the families who donated the patens to the parish, engraved on the bottoms.
Ms. Beth uses 'Twinkle' brass cleaner to remove the tarnish off the patens and a soft jewelers cloth to polish them to a sheen.
We also learned ways to remove wax off the candle stick holders and candle plates.
Putting the brass candle holders in the oven on 300 degrees for 5 minutes, and quickly wiping them off gave them a sparkling sheen.
The candle plates go into the freezer for 5 minutes
and then are chipped with a plastic knife.
The daughters worked very well at assisting in this work.
After our packed lunches and the Angelus at noon,
we were off to a great Saturday with our families.

Sharon Willoughby
†A.M.D.G.†

Father Furlong, Priest and Friend

Temporary Adoration Chapel

Father Seamus Ward, S.J., passed into his eternal reward on February 22, 2011.
May the repose of his soul, through the mercy of our Lord, rest in peace.

Our First Saturday Holy Hour March 5, 2011 was dedicated to the priesthood.
We offered prayers for the intentions of the priests who have brought so much to our lives, as well as our Bishops and the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
Our thanksgiving especially to our own parish priest,
who generously offers Confession during our Holy Hours.

This was the First Holy Hour that our beloved Father Seamus was with us in eternity. He served the parish in Key West, Our Lady Star of the Sea, when not in his beloved mother country, Ireland. He was a loving priest and cherished friend. May our loss be heavens gain.

Sharon Willoughby
†A.M.D.G.†

First Saturday February 5, 2011

February is for Lovers and the DOVES were invited to lunch after our Holy Hour in appreciation for their work in the sacristan ministry. We were especially grateful to the sacristans who have been teaching us the work of the sacristan ministry since we began last July 12th, the feast of Saint Veronica. Ms. Cynthia was there to enjoy the day with us.

Our catechesis centered around the Sacred Heart Devotion and the Sacred Heart Home Enthronement. The teaching of the Sacred Heart Enthronement offered by His Eminence, Cardinal Raymond Burke was shared with the daughters and mothers who attended. The plant before the Sacred Heart is the one we use to reserve the water when preparing to wash the linens used during the Holy Mass.

Sharon Marie Willoughby
†A.M.D.G.†

Notre Dame Parish in Bethlehem, Pa.
February 26th, 2011

We visited this parish Church while attending the National Wrestling Tournament, where our son was invited to compete after placing third in the State Competition in February. In 1968, I received First Penance and First Holy Communion there. In 1969, Confirmation. The Sisters of Saint Joseph prepared us for these Sacraments. It was such a blessing to return to this place where we would stop in and 'pay a visit' to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on Saturdays when I was very young.
The Monsignor of the Parish happened to be in the Church when we arrived. He warmly greeted us and offered us his priestly blessing before leaving us to our prayers.

The artistic mosaic behind the Tabernacle of the DOVE reminded me of our sacristan ministry back at home. We remembered the DOVES in our prayers and offered the Anima Christi before leaving.

Sharon M. Willoughby

Sacristy Visit with DOVES October 16th, 2010

Sacristy Visit with DOVES October 16th, 2010

Ms. Beth teaches the DOVES how to wash the blessed, sacred linens
used during the Holy Mass in the sacrarium,
which is a special sink used for the proper disposal of sacred substances.
The basin of this unique sink has a hinged lid that closes over it when not in use.
What makes this sink unique is that the drain opens into a pipe
that bypasses the sewer and ends in the ground underneath the altar.
The vessels which held the Body and Blood of Christ are rinsed and cleansed there.
The special linens that are used during the Mass
that may come in contact with the
Body and Blood of our Lord are initially rinsed in this sink.
If there are any remaining particles of the Eucharist,
they are washed into the earth, beneath the altar.

Ms. Beth taught us the names of the blessed linens that are rinsed
after use in the sacrarium:

Corporals

Sacred vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord

are always placed on top of a corporal.

One of the purposes of the corporal is to contain

whatever small particles of the consecrated Host

may be left at the conclusion of Mass,

which is why care is taken to rinse them in the sacrarium.

Purificators

Purificators are customarily brought to the altar with chalices

and are used to wipe the Precious Blood

from the lip of the chalice and to purify sacred vessels.

If ever a spill occurs from the chalice,

purificators are used to absorb the spill.

Because of their function,

purificators may become stained with the Precious Blood.

This is why they are first cleaned in the sacrarium,

before being washed in the customary manner.

In front of the Tabernacle, there is a small Ablution bowl,

where, after the distribution of Holy Communion,

the Extraordinary Ministers of Communion

purify their fingers of the sacred particles of the Host.

They then use the purificator that is left there to dry their fingers.

The DOVES who place a clean one there before Mass call it the 'finger towel'.

These are also rinsed in the sacrarium,

before customary cleaning and ironing.

Palls and Chalice Veils
A pall may be used to cover the chalice at Mass
in order to protect the Precious Blood from insects or other foreign objects.
In order that palls may be kept immaculately clean
they are sometimes made with removable covers of a worthy material
which may be easily washed in the sacrarium and then laundered.
Chalice veils either of the color of the day, or white
are sometimes used to cover the chalice before it is prepared
and after it has been purified.

Ms. Beth also launders other linens that are not rinsed in the sacrarium,
but in customary fashion:

The Amice
A liturgical vestment consisting of an oblong piece of white linen worn
around the neck and shoulders and partly under the alb of the priest.
As the priest places it over his head
and then allows it to rest upon his shoulders,
the traditional prayer he may pray,

"Place O Lord, on my head the helmet of salvation,
that so I may resist the assaults of the devil."

Historical origin:
A covering for the head and neck worn like a hood.
When indoors it was lowered and thrown over the shoulders.

Symbolic Reference:
(a). The linen cloth that the soldiers put over Our Lord's head;
when thus blindfolded He was mockingly asked who struck Him.
(b). The helmet of Salvation Cf. Ephes. 6:17.
†The New Roman Missal ~Fr. Lasance†

Lavabo Towels

During the Mass, the priest 'washes' his hands

in the course of the preparation of the gifts.

This is a bigger towel that is laundered normally.

Baptism Towels

These are used for the Baptisms and laundered normally.

The DOVES learned the very special way we treat sacred linens,

by the work that Ms. Beth has been doing for many years.

By diligent care of the altar linens,

we are caring for the cloth that will be closest to our Eucharistic Lord.

Thank you, Ms. Beth for teaching us how to do this work in the Lord!

DOVES Holy Hour First Saturday August 7th

August 7th, First Saturday, 2010
DOVES join Family Adoration

Today was a beautiful Saturday to offer our Holy Hour
with our families and the DOVES.
They sang, prayed and then began to serve the Adoration chapel,
by cleaning and dusting.
We all sang the 'Angelus' while they worked.
Our Mother Sacristan teaches them
to 'do the work of Martha with the heart of Mary'.
Our Holy Hours always include praying and adoring our Lord in song;
Thanksgiving for our Angels and our Blessed Mother in song;
Prayers of petition; reciting the intentions
of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and
our parish priests and Bishops.
Families lead the Holy Rosary.
We invite the children to lead the decades and to sing
songs that are simple and child-like.
Before we leave, we are especially thankful
for our time to be together in His name.