PREFACE
This little book is published at the oft-repeated and urgent request of many of our clergy and candidates for Holy Order. The book entitled, The Ceremonies of the Mass, published in the year 1905, under the auspices of the Clerical Union, has long been out of print, and the publication of a new and revised edition has been delayed for several years by the greatly increased cost thereof. Until that new edition is published, and indeed at all times, this smaller and less extensive book, as inexpensive and sufficient for ordinary use, may reasonably be expected to serve its purpose. It contemplates not ideal conditions but such as are common among us throughout this country, and is intended to help priests who have not been trained to celebrate the holy Eucharist with a fitting ceremonial and who desire to fulfil this all-important part of their official duty more perfectly. The fact is recognized that in many instances for certain reasons, be they good or bad, priests are wont to celebrate without the assistance of a server. In order to simplify the ceremonial directions and make them such as may easily be followed, a few of the less important details have been omitted, and some have been confined to the sections under the head of "General Rules." Several of the articles in the appendix have been written in order to correct, so far as possible, certain abuses which, in recent years, have become increasingly common. Directions of more than usual fulness, have been given concerning vestments, with the purpose of enabling priests to utilize the services of needle-women who may be found among the people to whom they minister, and so to provide the needed vestments which might not otherwise be obtained. The performance of some of the ceremonial actions hereinafter directed involves sincere and intelligent belief in Catholic doctrine concerning the holy Eucharist; and it may also be said that such belief
