| ROME, 6 SEPT. 2005 (ZENIT) Answered by Father Edward McNamara,
professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University.
Q: Many parishes are required to take up a second collection during
Mass. I have witnessed this second collection being taken up immediately
after Communion. I believe the liturgy calls for a period of silence or
a meditation hymn during this period. Is it appropriate to take up the
collection after Communion? It seems disrespectful and distracting. When
would be a good time to take up a second collection?
—
B.K., Baltimore, Maryland
A: According to the general liturgical norms, any announcements,
testimonies, appeals and the like should be made following the Prayer
after Communion and before the final blessing and this would appear to
be the most appropriate moment.
If necessary the people may be invited to sit once more while the appeal
or collection is being made. ZE05090621 * * *
Follow-up: Timing of Second Collections [09-20-2005]
Pursuant to our comments on the appropriate moment for second
collections (see Sept. 6) several readers wrote to recommend holding it
right after the first collection.
To cite just one communication: "At our church, the second collection is
usually announced the Sunday before. The ushers take the first
collection, then go right up again and take the second collection. The
money received is put into two separate baskets and they are brought,
one on top of the other, up with the gifts to be offered to God."
Other readers ascertained that variations of this method are fairly well
received and certainly it does seem to be a liturgically more
appropriate moment than after the Communion prayer.
As a priest from Christchurch, New Zealand, wrote: "I think it is very
inappropriate and unliturgical to take up a second collection after
Communion because offertory is over and done already. We do not make an
offering after Communion."
I am in broad agreement with our correspondent but I do think that there
could be exceptions such as when the collection responds to an appeal
(such as those to support the missions or another worthy cause)
delivered by a non-cleric after the Communion prayer.
Even in these cases it is often possible to postpone the collection to
the following week but sometimes it is not feasible. ZE05092021
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