Bearing Torches

The Ordinariate community of Saint John Henry Newman, Victoria, recently acquired two processional torches that will be put into service this Sunday with a little help from our Latin community friends who will be added pro tempore to our server corps.

Ritual Notes 9

The Torchbearers

Two, four, six or eight Torch-bearers should be provided, according to the dignity of the solemnity, to bear torches at the Elevation. If there be places for them within the Sanctuary, they should enter, walking two and two, after the Acolytes at the commencement of the Service. They will stand in their appointed place, except when the Acolytes kneel or sit, when they should do likewise. At the Comfortable Words they leave the Sanctuary with the Thurifer and return with him at the Preface, carrying their torches lighted. They hold their torches in the middle, those on the right in their right hand and the others in their left.

After making the usual reverence in pairs, they separate and kneel on the floor either directly in front of the Altar or on either side facing each other, as the space will admit. At the Elevation they slightly raise their torches but are themselves profoundly inclined. After the Elevation they rise, unite in pairs in the centre, make a genuflection and retire to the Sacristy where they extinguish their torches and then return to the Sanctuary or go to their usual places. But if there is to be a Communion of the people and also in Requiems, the Torch-bearers will remain with their torches till after the first Ablution, when they rise and having genuflected, retire as directed above. If there be Communicants, it is convenient and more reverent that while they are being communicated the Torch-bearers should kneel on either side of the Sanctuary, facing each other, and not in their usual place, facing the Altar.

Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described

Adrian Fortescue, J.B. O'Connell & Alcuin Reid

15th Edition

7. Torchbearers

There may be two, four or six torch-bearers according to the solemnity of the Mass, of which two may be the acolytes. Clergy in choir may also fulfil this function. At least two torch-bearers are required (36 R., VIII, 8.). They come to the church in the procession, after the acolytes, with joined hands. They go, after the common genuflexion, to the place prepared for them in the sanctuary, generally a seat in front of the choir. Here they attend Mass, having no special office, behaving as the members of the choir, till just before the preface.

Then they come to the middle of the sanctuary, genuflect together, bow to the clergy (normally to those on the gospel side first) and go to the sacristy in pairs with joined hands. It is usual to combine this with the moment when the thurifer goes to the sacristy after the incensing at the offertory (p. 114). In this case the torch-bearers stand in two lines behind him, genuflect and bow to the choir, and follow him out.

In the sacristy they take the lighted torches. At the Sanctus they follow the thurifer back to the sanctuary in pairs—each holding his torch in the outside hand, the other being laid flat on the breast—genuflect with the thurifer, bow to the choir on either side then to one another, separate and kneel in line either facing the altar (fig. 13), or at the sides facing one another.

Should Holy Communion not be distributed at the Mass, they go out again as soon as the elevation of the Chalice is ended. They rise, come together, genuflect together with the thurifer, who leads them out (p.114), but do not now bow to the choir. So they go out two and two, put the torches back in the sacristy, come back, genuflect and, without bowing to the choir, go to their places, as before. They have no further function. At the end of Mass the torch-bearers come to the middle with joined hands, genuflect with the others, and take their place in the procession back to the sacristy.

But ordinarily the torches remain till after the communion. These are fast days when a ferial Mass is said in violet vestments except Christmas eve, when a requiem Mass is celebrated, or when (as will usually be the case), other persons besides the celebrant will receive Holy Communion.

On the days when the torches remain, the torch-bearers stay on their knees in the sanctuary till after the communion; then they rise, genuflect, bow to the choir and go out two and two.

If the torch-bearers receive Holy Communion they must meanwhile hand the torches to someone else to hold while they do so.

In some places the custom of the celebrant (and ministers) coming to the torchbearers to give Holy Communion has arisen. Where there is no-one else to hold the torches, this would seem tolerable; however the freedom of the torchbearer to choose whether or not to communicate must in no way be infringed.

In the other case, when the acolytes of the Mass are the torch-bearers, they must go out with the thurifer at the preface, perform this function as described, then come back and go to their place at the credence.

If the acolytes hold torches, and if it is a day on which the torches remain till the communion, it follows that they cannot perform their usual service between the consecration and communion. In this case their place is supplied by others, normally by the MC and thurifer.