Category Archives: USCCB documents

Wrapping up Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, let’s leave the last word to the bishops: These guidelines are presented to all who are involved in liturgical, pastoral, and catechetical ministry. All persons with disabilities … Continue reading →

Looks like I got these last two sacraments out of order. Imagine that. I rate Holy Orders as second to Marriage anyway, so … We should complete the sacramental picture as it has been handed to us from the Guidelines … Continue reading →

We continue our examination of Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities and we look at Matrimony. Paragraph 41 reminds us of the aim of this sacrament: sanctification of the spouses and the formation of their … Continue reading →

The Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities remind us that “disability does not necessarily indicate an illness,” so the conditions for anointing are the same as for any other Catholic (GCSPD 34), that is, serious … Continue reading →

Next up in our examination of Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities is a look at Reconciliation. After a basic two-sentence definition (GCSPD 27), the bishops look at some particular circumstances. They remind us that … Continue reading →

We continue our examination of the Eucharist in the US bishops’ Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, turning to three serious human difficulties: feeding tubes (paragraph 24), gluten intolerance (25), and dementia (26). First case, … Continue reading →

We continue our examination of Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, specifically in paragraphs 21 through 26 which detail Church policy of participating in the Eucharist. In this post, we’ll look at general principles involved, … Continue reading →

The bishops devote six paragraphs of their Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, to Confirmation. Why confirm, one might ask, especially if the diocese and parish have delayed this sacrament to adolescence? The Rite itself … Continue reading →

Let’s continue our examination of Baptism in the Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities. First, the same considerations as with any parent or godparent: (T)he pastor is to see to it that the parents of … Continue reading →

We continue our examination of Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, With paragraphs 9 through 14, the document looks at Baptism. We can read a basic definition (9) and an encouraging mention of the role … Continue reading →

Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities proper begins with eight paragraphs laying out “General Principles.” While parish staffs are urged to reach out to everyone, including people outside of family living situations, (Cf. GCSPD 4) … Continue reading →

Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities proper begins with eight paragraphs laying out “General Principles.” Anyone reading them would click off, “no-brainer,” and move on. They include the equal dignity of all persons and that … Continue reading →

The USCCB document, Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, what’s it for? Do US Catholics really need another document like this? Pastors and their staffs are pretty much the sole people determining how the sacraments … Continue reading →

The third iteration of this document, Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, was approved by the USCCB five years ago. It updated a publication from the mid-1970s that was later revised in the late 1980s. … Continue reading →