On Friday, October 25, the evening before Fr. Rock’s Ordination, Bishop Athanasius Schneider consecrated or blessed many of the items Fr. Rock would be using as a Priest. This included a chalice, two patens, one pyx, two ciboria, two Oil of the Sick stocks, Fr. Rock’s ordination vestments and alb, reversible stoles, altar linens, corporals, amices, palls, and purificators.
“The bishop receives power to act on Christ’s behalf upon His mystical body, that is, upon the Church; but the priest receives no such power in his consecration, although he may have it by commission from the bishop. Consequently all such things as do not belong to the mystical body are not reserved to the bishop, such as the consecration of this sacrament [the Eucharist]. But it belongs to the bishop to deliver, not only to the people, but likewise to priests, such things as serve them in the fulfillment of their respective duties. And because the blessing of the chrism, and of the holy oil, and of the oil of the sick, and other consecrated things, such as altars, churches, vestments, and sacred vessels, makes such things fit for use in performing the sacraments which belong to the priestly duty, therefore such consecrations are reserved to the bishop as the head of the whole ecclesiastical order.” (S.T. III, q. 82, a. 1, ad. 4)
Vestments, linens, and vessels laid out to be consecrated or blessed. Vestments, linens, and vessels laid out to be consecrated or blessed. Consecration of the patens. Anointing a paten with Chrism. Blessing a paten. Anointing the chalice with Chrism. Blessing the Chalice and patens. Blessing of liturgical items. Sprinkling liturgical items with holy water. Blessing liturgical items. The items blessed or consecrated.
