PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The sacred oils that priests in the Diocese of Brooklyn use to administer sacraments will be blessed by Bishop Robert Brennan at a Holy Week Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights on Tuesday, March 26.
The chrism Mass, which will take place at 4:30 p.m., is a Catholic Church tradition in which a bishop consecrates the chrism oil and blesses the other sacred oils that are used in churches throughout the year for baptisms, confirmations, anointing of the sick, and other sacraments.
More than 450 priests from the diocese are expected to attend and in another time-honored tradition, will take part in a procession from the street into the co-cathedral at the start of the Mass.
Auxiliary bishops, deacons, women and men religious, and laypeople affiliated with the diocese are also expected to pack the pews.
In what is sure to be one of the more memorable moments of the Mass, Bishop Brennan will breathe into the vessel holding the chrism oil — an action meant to remind all of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
But the chrism Mass has also traditionally served another purpose. Bishop Brennan will likely use the occasion to deliver an inspirational message to his priests — something they can carry with them throughout the year.
Last year, he urged priests to grow closer to Jesus Christ so that they can urge all Catholics to do the same.
“The root of any Eucharistic Revival has to be the rediscovery of Jesus as a real person and a meaningful encounter with him. For us as priests, this encounter is crucial if your ministry is to be effective,” Bishop Brennan said in his homily last year.
The chrism Mass also provides an opportunity for priests of the diocese to renew a vow of obedience to their bishop. Priests originally take that vow when they are ordained and renew it every year.
Following the Mass, the clergy will join Bishop Brennan at a celebratory dinner in the undercroft of the co-cathedral.