Stepping up

The Curt Jester has a great post on bishops in the US that are stepping up to the plate as shepherds.
One strikes close to home in action if not in a geographical sense. Bishop Robert Finn of KC, Missouri has issued a memo about the innovation of removing the holy water during Lent. Our parish goes for the "desert" appeal, but according to Bishop Finn, this is against the custom of the Church.

While this is a worthy thought, it is not in conformity with the discipline of the Church. The Church’s long-standing custom has been for the fonts to be dry only from Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil.

Bishop Finn asks that all parishes observe the customary practice of empty fonts from Holy Thursday until the end of the Easter Vigil rather than the innovative practice of dry fonts for the entire duration of Lent.

Of course we aren't in the KC diocese, but interestingly, a fellow parishioner asked me about it this last week. I am happy to know now.

And Bishop Slattery of Tulsa is doing his part to catechize the laity regarding proper ligurgy. (even going so far as to recommend reading Sacrosanctum Concilium) Our parish would do well to mind this shepherd also.

/aside/ I found some of his articles in his diocesan paper, the Eastern Oklahoma Catholic. The articles are in PDF format, but I am going to be reading them more thoroughly. (two of them on page 3 here and here)

I love it when bishops talk liturgy.