Archbishop to celebrate Chrism Mass

Friday, Mar. 11, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY — The traditional Chrism Mass, with its ceremonial blessing of the sacramental oils and its emphasis on the renewal of diocesan priests’ vows, will be celebrated March 17 in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. 

Traditionally, the Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday, but because of the size of the diocese and the need for priests to be in their parishes for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, in Utah the Chrism Mass typically is held a week earlier.

Because a new bishop has not yet been appointed to the Diocese of Salt Lake City, the Most Rev. George H. Niederauer, Archbishop emeritus of San Francisco, will be the celebrant and homilist. 

“I’m very pleased and gratified to be able to come and be with the people in Salt Lake because it has such a special place in my heart and in my life and memory,” said Archbishop Niederauer, who served as the eighth Bishop of Salt Lake City. “I loved the 11 years I was there; it was a privilege and a great joy to be able to serve there with all the wonderful priests, deacons and the people of the diocese. I loved serving this Mass with all the people of the Church.”

The bishop celebrating the Chrism Mass “is not a technicality but an expectation of the person who holds the office of bishop, that he will lead the Church,” said Archbishop Niederauer. “We are told in the Vatican II documents that we are meant to make Christ the priest, the prophet and the king present in our lives in the Church: A priest doing holy things, the sacraments; a prophet, teaching what Jesus Christ taught; a King, a matter of forming and shepherding the community.” 

At the Chrism Mass, the bishop blesses the three oils — the oil of the catechumens, the oil of the infirm, and the chrism oil – that are used in the administration of the sacraments throughout the diocese for the year.

The significance of the chrism comes from a long tradition. 

“The balsam, the perfumed ingredient that is added to the chrism oil, is considered the most important and sacred of the oils, not that there is some magical quality to it; we set aside this particular oil as having special meaning because it is seen as kind of a successor to the oil of anointing that we associate with the prophets,” the archbishop said.

The renewal of vows to the bishop and the Church by the diocesan priests and deacons during the Chrism Mass is associated with the Easter season because it is the celebration of the death and rising of Jesus Christ, a time when Catholics celebrate not only Jesus’ salvation of all mankind, but his work of continuing the salvation through those whom he calls to witness to it and live it out parish by parish and generation by generation, Archbishop Niederauer said.

“We are to make Christ present in the world by what we teach, proclaim and do; by the way we behave; the sacraments we celebrate; and so on,” he said. “It is the continuation of the life and the ministry of Jesus Christ among his people; now it is through the Church.” 

What: Chrism Mass 

When: Thursday, March 17, 7 p.m.

Where: Cathedral of the Madeleine, 309 E. South Temple, SLC

Everyone is welcome to the liturgy.