Last Saturday, I celebrated the marriage of two St. James parishioners, Christopher and Claire (Ackerson) Foster at St. Cecelia Catholic church in Cincinnati, Ohio.  At the rehearsal on Friday evening, I met the pastor and wedding coordinator to become familiar with the norms for celebrating a wedding Eucharist in their church.  St. Cecelia, like both of our churches is a basilica-styled church with a long center aisle, large sanctuary with a Vatican II altar in the forward area of the sanctuary and a high altar, with a tabernacle in the center against the back wall, surrounded by a large decorative reredos (altarpiece) just like both of our churches.

The Vatican II altar was substantial and had six large candles with stands on the edge of the altar facing the high altar.  The pastor told me that the norm in St. Cecelia is to celebrate Eucharist ad orientem (facing the high altar in the same direction as the people).  He then added it is very easy to move the six candles to the other side of the altar to enable the priest to celebrate Eucharist vox populum (facing the people).  My instant reaction was to ask for this, as this is the only way I have ever celebrated Eucharist and is the norm for most of the world.

I resisted the urge to make a quick decision (because the candles could be moved quickly and easily) and decided to return to the hotel after the rehearsal dinner, read up on the issue, and pray over it.  Like many others, I associate the Mass ad orientem with the use of Latin and the use of a Missal prior to Vatican II. This Mass is popular with conservative Catholics and the issue has caused considerable division among bishops, priests, and lay people.  The 1962 Missal requires the ad orientem style.  I was surprised to realize for the first time that the Roman Missal we use does not require either the vox populum or the ad orientem style. 

I learned that until 1969, the Roman Catholic Eucharist was always celebrated ad orientem, more literally understood as “facing East.” Even the house churches of the first century, prior to the basilica style, celebrated Eucharist with the table on the eastern wall of the house and everyone facing the same direction.  I decided to follow the St. Cecelia norm for the wedding. I was surprised at how less distracted I was and how facing the high altar and crucifix was spiritually uplifting.

I remain content to celebrate Eucharist facing the people as is the norm in both of our parishes and in the world.  The brief experience allowed me to question my own uninformed biases and my own thoughts about the Tridentine (Latin) Mass.  The issues of the Vatican II reforms and the resistance by some to accept them remain with us.  I can thank Chris and Claire and the pastor of St. Cecelia church for giving me the chance to challenge my own assumptions and to learn how different styles do not need to be divisive, but instead enriching.