Mass Ad Orientem/Deum

In 2016, Cardinal Robert Sarah, who oversees worship and the sacraments at the Vatican, began to urge parishes throughout the world to celebrate Mass Ad orientem/Deum. At All Saints we have embraced this custom wholeheartedly.

Q&A

Ad orientem is Latin and translates as “toward the Orient”, or facing the East. Mass ad orientem then, is when Mass is celebrated with ALL the people facing East (“All” meaning, everyone, priest and lay faithful, facing the same direction)…Read More
Saying “Father has his back toward us” is the worst understanding of what is taking place during a Mass celebrated ad orientem/Deum. When the priest turns toward the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer, it is not that his back is toward us, but that he is turning to the Lord with us! We are all facing the Lord!…Read More
A well-publicized Catholic author, George Weigel, recently wrote about some of the benefits of celebrating the Eucharistic Prayer “ad orientem/Deum”. He noted the following advantages in an article entitled “He’s Not Turning His Back to the People”…Read More