The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has produced a seven-part video series that takes a deep dive into the beauty, form and meaning of the Mass. The series is designed in part to match up with the teaching moments of small groups that are formed in the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) model.
“Each video is 10 to 20 minutes long, which makes it a perfect length for a teaching moment in a PECS meeting,” said Father Ryan Glaser, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, who wrote the video series. The videos also can be viewed by individuals and as part of larger group meetings, he said in an email.
The episodes have been released for parish and small group leaders as the archdiocese encourages renewed efforts going into Lent to have every parishioner part of a PECS small group. The videos are titled Preparation for Mass, Introductory Rites, The Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist, Eucharistic Prayer Part 1, Eucharistic Prayer Part 2 and Communion Rite.
The videos will be available to all groups and individuals before Lent begins March 5 at archspm.org/teachingmass and via the archdiocese’s YouTube channel. In addition to English, a Spanish version of the series is being developed.
The series is one aspect of the faithful implementing year two of Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” with its emphasis on the Mass and the Eucharist. Year two began in July and runs through June, at which point year three will begin with its focus on parents as the primary teachers of the faith to their children.
Additional opportunities to learn about the Mass in year two have included Father Glaser, several other priests and laypeople sharing important elements of the Mass in presentations around the archdiocese. One such presentation Father Glaser helped lead was “The New and Eternal Covenant,” which focused on salvation history and God’s continued invitation to enter a covenantal relationship with him through sacred liturgy, primarily the Mass.
Cassandra Schwetz, administrative assistant in the archdiocese’s Office of Worship, introduces each episode of the Teaching Mass videos. Narration is provided by Father John Paul Erickson, parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul and interim chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.
Each episode features one of the pastors of the archdiocese and an introduction to that pastor’s parish, highlighting some of the architectural and liturgical diversity of the local Church, Father Glaser said.
“I think the fact that this series is coming out right before Lent is also providential,” Father Glaser said. “Throughout the series, we will be constantly reminded of how the life, death and resurrection of Christ form the essence of his paschal mystery, the central reality of our faith, through which we are redeemed,” he said.
“Of course, at the end of Lent we celebrate the sacred paschal triduum, an ancient and beautiful set of liturgies that really emphasize the different moments of Christ’s passion,” Father Glaser said. “I pray that by coming to a deeper appreciation of the Mass celebrated weekly, the faithful may also be able to enter more deeply and consciously into the triduum,” which begins with Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening and ends with evening prayer on Easter.
Father Glaser graduated in June from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome with a licentiate in liturgical theology.
“This Teaching Mass series was a fun project for me because it allowed me to share some of my training with the people of the archdiocese,” Father Glaser said. “I pray this series will help everyone delve deeper into the Mass with hearts spiritually awake and attentive to the profound blessing of the Lord’s gift to us.”
