At the annual chrism Mass held on Monday of Holy Week, Bishop George J. Lucas pours fragrance into the oil in preparation for its consecration as chrism. With Bishop Lucas is Father Christopher House, who was master of ceremonies for the liturgy.

Approximately 500 people came to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Monday of Holy Week to take part in the annual chrism Mass. Bishop George J. Lucas concelebrated the Mass along with about 60 diocesan and religious priests from throughout the diocese. About 20 deacons and several seminarians took part in the Mass as well.

Each year the faithful travel to the see city to take part in the chrism Mass, one of several diocesan-wide liturgies that are held here. Diocesan Masses are traditionally held in the cathedral, the mother church for the more than 150,000 people of the Springfield diocese. However, since the cathedral will be closed for restoration beginning this fall - and the project will take more than a year to complete - it will most likely be 2010 before another Chrism Mass is held there.

At the March 17 Mass, Bishop Lucas consecrated the chrism, which is used to anoint the newly baptized, seal candidates for confirmation, and anoint the hands of presbyters and the heads of bishops at their ordinations. Additionally, it is used to dedicate altars and churches.

The bishop also blessed the oil for the catechumens and the oil that will be used for the anointing of the sick during the upcoming year. Finally, as is the tradition at the chrism Mass, the priests publicly renewed their vows.

In his homily, Bishop Lucas pointed out the portion of the cathedral that has already been restored. "Now as we prepare to restore and renew (the) cathedral, it's an opportunity for you to see what we will be doing," he said. "The sample (area) encourages us to use our imagination about what may be possible."

Bishop Lucas said when bishop, clergy and people of the diocese come to the altar together, each in their own roles, the church sees that as an "ideal" liturgy.

"Our parishes and churches where Mass is celebrated day by day, are far flung. It is easy, in human terms, to settle into a practical isolation," he said.

"But we are never isolated in our Catholic life and practice. Whenever we come to the altar, we are united with the saints in heaven, with all the baptized and with Christ himself, who meets us at the altar and whose presence is symbolized by the altar itself.

"Just as I asked you to use a sample of the painting to imagine what the whole cathedral might look like, I am going to ask you to imagine a new and more permanent altar of sacrifice here in the cathedral," he said. "We have been using something temporary for decades - it has been holding the place, we might say, until a more suitable altar could be constructed.

"I believe that time has come and in the renewal of the cathedral, the new altar will be the most important aspect of this good work we will do together. Tonight I ask us to think about the altar as our priests renew their commitment and as the oils are consecrated and blessed and taken to our parishes and as we all participate in this holy and living sacrifice."

Bishop Lucas said the altar symbolizes Christ, "the true altar." He explained, "Here the Lord is offering himself to the Father; here he gives himself to us. The gift is personal, the reconciliation is personal.

"Since the earliest centuries, prayers of the church have proclaimed that ‘the altar is Christ.' Tonight we give thanks that we have been made holy by Christ, so that we might approach the altar which is Christ - each in our own vocation - that we are lifted up in Christ, that we have become Christ, that we are reconciled to God in Christ Jesus."

At the conclusion of the chrism Mass, delegations from each parish stayed behind to receive the chrism and oils for their own churches. The oils and chrism were to be formally received as part of the presentation of the gifts during the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday evening at churches around the diocese.