Below are guidelines necessary for any building and renovations.

• Guidelines for the Building and Renovation of Churches in the Diocese of Salt Lake City
• Directrices para la Construcción y Renovación de Iglesias en la Diócesis de Salt Lake City

Below are the guidelines for celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

• Ceremonial Guidelines for Confirmation Within the Mass
• Directrices Ceremoniales Para La Confirmación Dentro de la Misa

Below are the guidelines for the proper way to dispose of old Holy Oils and Old Pascal Candles.

• Proper way to Dispose of Old Holy Oils
• Proper way to Dispose of Old Pascal Candles
• La Manera Adecuada de Eliminar Los Santos Oleos Antiguos
• Forma Adecuda Para Disposer de las Velas Pascuales Antiguas

Below are the guidelines for Music and Copyright Issues

• General Music Copyright Information
• Información sobre los derechos de autor de la música
• Copying under Copyright

 

Guidelines for Perpetual Adoration

Diocese of Salt Lake City
General Liturgical Norms and Guidelines for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass takes place in two ways: (1) prayer before the Blessed Sacrament reserved in a tabernacle and (2) the worship of the Holy Eucharist through exposition in a monstrance or ciborium. Pastors should encourage their faithful to make regular visits to a church or chapel for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament reposed in a tabernacle. The prayer that is offered by an individual, or even in groups, during such visits is not limited in any way by the law of the Church, though proper reverence should always be observed. Such practicesas private meditation, praying of the rosary, spiritual reading, and the like may take place as a person wishes on his/her visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Once, however, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the public worship of the People of God, the liturgical laws of the Church must be observed.

Generally, there are two forms of Eucharistic Exposition: Perpetual Exposition and Solemn Exposition. 
Perpetual exposition is worship before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance or ciborium every day of the year for a 24-hour period. Solemn Exposition is where parish churches reserve the Blessed Sacrament for a few hours a day or through the 40 Hours Devotion. 

Ritual books containing the general liturgical norms are:
1) Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass, 1976, (Hereafter cited as HCWEOM)
2) Order for the Solemn Exposition of the Holy Eucharist: Minister’s Edition, 1993 (Hereafter cited as OSEHE)

These guidelines are intended to highlight the general liturgical norms for Perpetual Exposition and ensure observation of the liturgical laws of the Church.

GUIDELINES

1. Written Permission. The Ordinary of the diocese has the responsibility for the regulation of perpetual exposition. He determines when it is permissible and establishes the regulations to be followed. Parishes are free to practice the devotions of Adoration, however, they are not permitted to have continuous or Perpetual Adoration without the written permission of the bishop. A written request is sent to the Office of Worship. 
The request should describe steps to be taken to comply with these guidelines and the liturgical laws of the Church. If approved, the Office of Worship will periodically follow up. #86 HCWEOM

2. Minimum Number of Adorers. In parishes where perpetual adoration occurs, measures must be taken to ensure there are always two or more of the faithful present. The Blessed Sacrament is never to be left alone under any circumstances. A process/procedure must be established for “Who to call” if the assigned individuals are not available or are called away in an emergency. If a period of uninterrupted exposition is not possible because of too few worshippers, the Blessed Sacrament may be placed in the tabernacle during periods which have been scheduled and announced beforehand. The reposition may not take place more often than twice during the day. #88 CWEOM, #12 OSEHW, Note 1

3. A sign-in register to record arrival and departures times should be provided. 

4. Adoration Etiquette. Reverent, prayerful silence should be maintained. Musical instruments, singing, and vocal prayer may be permitted. Genuflection in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration is on one knee. Attire and decorum should be modest and appropriate for solemn occasions, as at Mass. No food or drinks. #84, 95 HCWEOM

5. The ordinary minister for exposition and reposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a priest or deacon. In certain situations, when directed by a member of the Clergy, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may publicly expose and later repose the Blessed Sacrament. It is not lawful, however, for them to give the blessing with the sacrament nor do they incense it. Adorers should not touch the altar or the monstrance. #84, 91 HCWEOM & #26 OSEHE

6. Safe Environment. The Parish should ensure there is a safe and secure environment for the adorers, by providing a telephone in the immediate area for emergencies and should have written safety & emergency procedures for the following:  

• Procedures for when an assigned individual is called away.
• Procedures for a sacramental emergency: serious issue of an intruder or visitor profaning or threatening the Blessed Sacrament, the altar, etc.; any accident affecting the altar/monstrance or damage to the property.

7. The Parish should establish an Inclement Weather Policy. Adorers should not be expected to put themselves at risk on the roads in unsafe conditions. 

8. Under no circumstances may perpetual exposition take place during the Easter Triduum. Note 2

9. Where permission has been granted for a Eucharistic chapel apart from the main church, and where this chapel neither interferes with nor conflicts with the primacy of the Mass, exposition may continue during Mass in the main church so long as there are sufficient numbers of the faithful present to maintain the devotion.

10. Relationship between Exposition and Mass. Adorers should be fully informed of the relationship between exposition and Mass. There must be nothing about the appointments used for exposition that could in any way obscure Christ’s intention of instituting the eucharist above all to feed, to heal, and to comfort us. For this reason, exposition should be interrupted during the celebration of Mass, unless it is celebrated in a chapel separate from the area of exposition and at least some of the faithful remain in adoration. #7 & 8 OSEHE; #83 HCWEOM 

Note 1: Response from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, July 1995. Reported in June 1995 edition of the Newsletter of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. 

Note 2: Responsum ad dubium received by Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. (BCL Newsletter Vol. XXI), June 1995

Office of Worship, January 31, 2024