Celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul on Sunday 25 January 2009

But, you say, doesn't the Church always celebrate the Conversion of St Paul in January 25th? Well, yes, it does. BUT not when it falls on a Sunday (it is not a Solemnity), as it does in 2009.

HOWEVER, on May 30 2008 the Pope released a special declaration through the Congregation for Divine Worship to the effect that since this is the Jubilee Year of St Paul, for 2009 only the readings and propers for the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul may be used on the Sunday. There are special considerations (see below), but I just thought I would point this out now, since most Australian parishes will be in "holiday mode" still on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary time. Now is the time to contact whoever is in charge of liturgy in your parish (your parish priest maybe???) and urge them to make Sunday 25 January a little less ordinary and more special by marking it as a Pauline Sunday.

Vatican permits parishes to mark feast of conversion of St. Paul

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As part of the 2008-2009 celebration of the special year devoted to St. Paul, Catholic parishes may mark the traditional Jan. 25 feast of the Conversion of St. Paul even though it falls on a Sunday in 2009.

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments issued a decree saying Pope Benedict XVI, "in an extraordinary manner," has given permission for parishes and churches to use the prayers and readings for the feast day instead of those for the third Sunday of ordinary time.

The decree was released May 30 at the Vatican.

Generally, the Mass texts for feasts such as the Conversion of St. Paul are not used when the feast day falls on a Sunday.

"The apostle St. Paul, who proclaimed the truth of Christ to the whole world," and who converted after having persecuted followers of Christ, "always was and still is venerated by the faithful, especially in this particular year," which marks the 2,000th anniversary of his birth, the decree said.

For that reason, "only for the year 2009," Pope Benedict has decided that parishes may use the prayers and readings for the feast day Jan. 25.

Because the feast day Mass does not include a second reading, the second reading from the third Sunday of ordinary time should be used and the Creed, often not recited at Mass during the week, should be recited, the decree said.

The decree was signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the congregation, and by Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, congregation secretary.