Over a thousand worshippers will press forward against the doors of Saint Catherine Church in Bethlehem for Midnight Mass. In the darkness, three Franciscans will be in charge of seeing that all goes as it should. Meet these masters of liturgy who have but one goal: to make this celebration a time of prayer that is pleasing to all.
Don’t look for their smiles during the celebrations; they will be at maximum concentration. Fra Marcelo, Fra Ulise and Fra Bernardo are the Custody’s masters of ceremony. On their shoulders rests the responsibility for respecting the numerous traditions, subtle rules, and codes of protocol—established, among others, by the Status Quo of 1853—that still today regulates the rights and privileges of the various Christian communities in the Holy Land.
Fra Marcelo Cichinelli, Master of Ceremonies, has held this responsible position since 2010, has been studying and working in the domain of liturgy for over fifteen years. The role of a master of ceremonies is not limited to the ceremony itself; that is just “the tip of the iceberg, they part the faithful can see,” he says. In the shadows, there are full days of preparation to avoid a situation in which an awkward gesture or a moment of forgetfulness becomes a diplomatic incident between two communities or authorities.
Following the liturgical year, knowledge of the special requirements of the Eastern Churches with whom it is necessary to share limited space at some of the sites, and coordinating the movement of a large number of people involved in the liturgy: the masters of ceremony work the year ‘round. During the year 2013, Fra Marcelo supervised over fifty official ceremonies in twenty different sites and as many languages! Enthusiastic about his mission, he spends hours deep in the Custody’s archives. As he reads the chronicles and narratives left by his predecessors, he explains, “Here in the Custody we have treasures like this book that compiles the ceremonies from the year 1752! We create a dialogue between the past and the present, and what is at stake is maintaining living Christian worship in this land of Jesus. The Church changes and modernizes itself, but should not allow centuries of devotion to disappear.” He creates a Mass booklet that respects the traditions for each ceremony with the help of friars who are doctors of liturgy.
It is because of the far-reaching implications that a master of ceremonies holds the position for most of his life. Fra Marcelo has recourse to two seminarians, Fra Ulise Ramon Zarza and Fra Bernardo Moya Montero, for help with the day-to-day work. “It isn’t easy to find someone who wants consecrate so many work hours to this end and who can stay for a long time,” says Fra Marcelo. In accepting this mission, our two seminarians knew that they were taking on a “long, intense period of training during which we learn every day,” shares Fra Ulise. He doesn’t hide the fact that the mission can be heavy sometimes: “Our schedules are carefully arranged, but we live a life that is somewhat parallel to the community’s life. We sometimes take our meals alone, leaving ceremonies after everyone else.”
They will spend the entire 24th of December in Saint Catherine Church, until the small hours of the 25th. They will oversee everything from the functioning of the microphones to the lighting, by way of priestly vestments and the missals to be sure that nothing is missing because “once the ceremony begins we can do nothing over again,” explains Fra Marcelo. This may explain the sense of unwillingness to change and inflexibility that seems to emanate from him in the face of the immense displeasure of photographers who are so often refused the permission they request. Fra Marcelo recognizes that “sometimes we are hard and we spend our time saying ‘no’, but for one reason and only one reason: to prevent uncontrollable gaffes. People do not understand that everything is scheduled to the minute, ordered, prepared by committees weeks in advance.” He concludes, “The big difference between an orchestra conductor and a master of ceremonies is that we are dealing with faith, with what believers hold most precious. People come from all over the world to experience this Midnight Mass, and we must offer them a time of intense, harmonious prayer, which is the reason for our moment-by-moment vigilance.”
He concludes with a kind look at Fra Ulise. “This mission creates great closeness between us and I often thank my team because I feel all the spirit of Saint Francis in our daily work.” There is no doubt that the human relationship is intense. Fra Ulise adds, “We know each other so well that we don’t need to talk during the celebrations. Everything is communicated with just a look.”
The three friars say they feel honored to bear this responsibility. Midnight Mass is only the beginning. They will start again in the morning, juggling celebrations in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth, not really taking a quiet breath until January first. Our thanks to these friars, who remind us of the mandate conferred on the Franciscans by the Holy See (in the Bull of Pope Clement VI in 1342): “Solemnly celebrate sung masses and the divine office in the places that are holy to Christianity.”
Emilie Rey
Don’t look for their smiles during the celebrations; they will be at maximum concentration. Fra Marcelo, Fra Ulise and Fra Bernardo are the Custody’s masters of ceremony. On their shoulders rests the responsibility for respecting the numerous traditions, subtle rules, and codes of protocol—established, among others, by the Status Quo of 1853—that still today regulates the rights and privileges of the various Christian communities in the Holy Land.
Fra Marcelo Cichinelli, Master of Ceremonies, has held this responsible position since 2010, has been studying and working in the domain of liturgy for over fifteen years. The role of a master of ceremonies is not limited to the ceremony itself; that is just “the tip of the iceberg, they part the faithful can see,” he says. In the shadows, there are full days of preparation to avoid a situation in which an awkward gesture or a moment of forgetfulness becomes a diplomatic incident between two communities or authorities.
Following the liturgical year, knowledge of the special requirements of the Eastern Churches with whom it is necessary to share limited space at some of the sites, and coordinating the movement of a large number of people involved in the liturgy: the masters of ceremony work the year ‘round. During the year 2013, Fra Marcelo supervised over fifty official ceremonies in twenty different sites and as many languages! Enthusiastic about his mission, he spends hours deep in the Custody’s archives. As he reads the chronicles and narratives left by his predecessors, he explains, “Here in the Custody we have treasures like this book that compiles the ceremonies from the year 1752! We create a dialogue between the past and the present, and what is at stake is maintaining living Christian worship in this land of Jesus. The Church changes and modernizes itself, but should not allow centuries of devotion to disappear.” He creates a Mass booklet that respects the traditions for each ceremony with the help of friars who are doctors of liturgy.
It is because of the far-reaching implications that a master of ceremonies holds the position for most of his life. Fra Marcelo has recourse to two seminarians, Fra Ulise Ramon Zarza and Fra Bernardo Moya Montero, for help with the day-to-day work. “It isn’t easy to find someone who wants consecrate so many work hours to this end and who can stay for a long time,” says Fra Marcelo. In accepting this mission, our two seminarians knew that they were taking on a “long, intense period of training during which we learn every day,” shares Fra Ulise. He doesn’t hide the fact that the mission can be heavy sometimes: “Our schedules are carefully arranged, but we live a life that is somewhat parallel to the community’s life. We sometimes take our meals alone, leaving ceremonies after everyone else.”
They will spend the entire 24th of December in Saint Catherine Church, until the small hours of the 25th. They will oversee everything from the functioning of the microphones to the lighting, by way of priestly vestments and the missals to be sure that nothing is missing because “once the ceremony begins we can do nothing over again,” explains Fra Marcelo. This may explain the sense of unwillingness to change and inflexibility that seems to emanate from him in the face of the immense displeasure of photographers who are so often refused the permission they request. Fra Marcelo recognizes that “sometimes we are hard and we spend our time saying ‘no’, but for one reason and only one reason: to prevent uncontrollable gaffes. People do not understand that everything is scheduled to the minute, ordered, prepared by committees weeks in advance.” He concludes, “The big difference between an orchestra conductor and a master of ceremonies is that we are dealing with faith, with what believers hold most precious. People come from all over the world to experience this Midnight Mass, and we must offer them a time of intense, harmonious prayer, which is the reason for our moment-by-moment vigilance.”
He concludes with a kind look at Fra Ulise. “This mission creates great closeness between us and I often thank my team because I feel all the spirit of Saint Francis in our daily work.” There is no doubt that the human relationship is intense. Fra Ulise adds, “We know each other so well that we don’t need to talk during the celebrations. Everything is communicated with just a look.”
The three friars say they feel honored to bear this responsibility. Midnight Mass is only the beginning. They will start again in the morning, juggling celebrations in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth, not really taking a quiet breath until January first. Our thanks to these friars, who remind us of the mandate conferred on the Franciscans by the Holy See (in the Bull of Pope Clement VI in 1342): “Solemnly celebrate sung masses and the divine office in the places that are holy to Christianity.”
Emilie Rey