LANCASTER – The faithful at Lancaster St. Bernadette Church imitated the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph bringing Christ – the light of the world – into the temple while celebrating the feast of Candlemas on Sunday, Feb. 2.
Hundreds of men, women and children gathered before the 7:30 p.m. Mass in the adjoining St. Bernadette School gymnasium. They received blessed candles and processed into the church, as the Holy Family did into the temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago.
Also known as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the celebration recounts Mary and Joseph’s presentation of Jesus in the temple 40 days after His birth, as prescribed by Jewish law. The Presentation is recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke (Luke 2:22-38).
Traditionally, candles are blessed immediately before the Mass followed by a candlelight procession, representing the light of Christ.
After the blessing and sprinkling of candles with holy water, the faithful at St. Bernadette processed outside with lighted hand candles and into the church for Mass.
One of the antiphons sung during the procession, “Adorn thy bride-chamber, O Zion, and receive Christ, thy King,” symbolizes the Church, the Bride of Christ, going to meet Christ, the Bridegroom, the first time that He enters the temple in the flesh.
Approximately 20 altar servers assisted in the celebration as well as the parish’s two deacons, Jeff Carpenter and Mark Scarpitti.
St. Bernadette Church was adorned with candles throughout for the Mass, symbolizing Christ as the light of the world.
“A while back I had read an article online where a church would offer evening Masses periodically lit by candlelight only. They seemed to draw in large crowds – I think they were younger crowds, maybe even college students – so I thought I’d like to try one. The feast of Candlemas seemed to be the perfect time,” said Father Daniel Olvera, the church’s pastor.
Sarah Borah, the parish’s faith formation coordinator, helped decorate the church by creating more than 160 candle holders that were tied to the end of each pew.
The candlelight procession was also an important part of the Mass, Father Olvera explained, because it reminds the congregation of Mary and Joseph bringing the light of the world into the temple.
The Mass drew a significant crowd, including many families with young children.
“I had no idea what the attendance would be like, so I gave it over to Our Lord, Our Lady and St. Bernadette,” he said. “The attendance exceeded my expectation with over 300 in attendance.”
Incorporating another traditional aspect, the words of the Mass – the Ordinary Form of the Mass – were proclaimed in Latin rather than English. At the invitation of Father Olvera, parishioner Wes Baker and his wife, Kelly, also led the congregation in chanting, or singing, the Mass prayers in Latin.
“Candlemas was a beautiful liturgy, and we were honored to be able to help with it,” Wes said.
The young couple, who have been St. Bernadette parishioners for about five years, converted to the Catholic faith two years after they married. They have seven children, four of whom served at the Mass.
The Bakers had experience chanting Masses in Latin.
“It is truly an honor to sing the same prayers in the same language to the same melodies as so many of the saints who have gone before us, and who, with the angels, are singing with us at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,” Wes said.
“These chants are a living connection with our Catholic forebears, especially for this feast, which is one of the oldest on the Church’s calendar.”
On the feast of Candlemas, the Church blesses all the liturgical candles to be used during the year.
Candlemas also marks the end of the extended Christmas cycle. Many church Christmas decorations are removed after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday after Epiphany Sunday), while the nativity scene traditionally remains until Feb. 2.