Archbishop John Nienstedt will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass 7 p.m. March 26 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. During the liturgy, an assembly of priests, young and old, will gather with the archbishop to renew their promises on the threshold of the Easter Triduum.
Father Marc Paveglio, ordained to the priesthood in May 2014, will be renewing his priestly promises for the first time.
“It highlights the fact that the promises I made on my ordination day last year are not about me, they are about the people I have been called to serve,” said Father Paveglio, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace in Edina. “It is fitting that the Chrism Mass happens during the Lenten season, when we consider how to lay down our lives like Christ did for us.”
The young priest noted that each day married couples have the opportunity to reaffirm their vows. For Father Paveglio, the Chrism Mass will be an opportunity to do the same.
“At the Chrism Mass, I am looking forward to saying again to Christ’s bride, the Church, ‘I meant what I said, my life is totally for you, this day and forever,’” Father Paveglio said.
Father John Paul Erickson, director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, called the Chrism Mass “a particularly powerful manifestation of the Church herself.”
“During these difficult days for our local Church, it is important to show support for the many priests who continue to serve the people of God with integrity and zeal,” Father Erickson said.
A gathering of the faithful is both an opportunity to show support for priests and to be united in one common mission, he added.
During the Chrism Mass, Archbishop Nienstedt will bless three different oils: the oil of catechumens, for adult and infant baptisms; the oil of the sick, for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick; and the oil of chrism — a fragranced oil blessed only by the bishop for baptisms, confirmations, ordination and the consecration of sacred spaces.
