St. Stanislaus - Litaniae Minores

The feast of St. Stanislaus, Bishop of Cracow, is of double rite and its liturgical colour is red. Today is also Rogation Tuesday and the second day of the Litaniae Minores.

At Mattins the antiphons and psalms at the three nocturns are from the ferial Psalter and most of the Office comes from the Common of Martyrs in Paschaltide. In the first nocturn the lessons are from occurring Scripture, the fourth chapter of the first Epistle of St. Peter, with its responsories. In the second nocturn the lessons are proper. In the third nocturn the lessons are a homily from St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. There is no ninth lesson of the feria and the Rogations are not commemorated in the Office. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds and the Hours all is taken from the ferial Psalter and the Common. The Commemoration of the Cross is omitted as the feast is of double rite. At Prime the Dominical preces are omitted and the lectio brevis is Scimus quoniam.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Rogations and the preface is of Paschaltide.

When the Procession is held it takes place after None. The altar is vested in a violet antependium. The celebrant, vested in violet cope, assisted by deacon and subdeacon in violet dalmatic and tunicle reverence the altar then kneel and pray for a short while. They rise and the cantors begin the antiphon Exsurge Domine. The choir continue....adjuva nos, et libera nos, propter nomen tuam. Ps. Deus auribus nostris audivimus patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. Gloria Patri etc, Sicut erat etc and then Exsurge Domine is repeated. All all kneel (except the crucifer and acolytes who go and stand at the entrance of the choir) and the cantors then begin the Litany of the Saints. Each invocation is doubled, i.e. the cantors sing e.g. Pater de caelis, Deus, miserere nobis and this is repeated in its entirety by everyone else. When Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis has been repeated all rise and the Procession sets off.

The Procession goes outside of the Church and may visit other Churches on its route. In this case the celebrant is offered lustral water at the entrance to the church and processes to the High Altar. After a moment for silent prayer the choir signs the antiphon of the patron of the church, its versicle and response (with Alleluia added as it is Paschaltide) and the celebrant sings the collect of the Patron. The Litany is then resumed and the Procession continues. If the Procession has a long route the Litany, from Sancta Maria etc may be repeated or the Seven Penitential Psalms sung to the tonus in directum. When the Procession enters the church where Mass will be celebrated, lustral water is received on entering and the Procession goes to the sanctuary. All kneel as the Litany ends. The celebrant intones Pater noster etc and then the cantors sing psalm 69. After the versicles that follow the celebrant stands to sing the ten collects. He then kneels again as Exadiat nos etc is sung. The ministers then rise and the celebrant changes from a cope to chasuble and all put on their maniples. The Mass Exaudivit is then sung. The chants are those used for ferial Masses. The Gloria is not sung, the second collect is Concede nos, the third collect Ecclesiae. The dismissal is Benedicamus Domino. The Paschal Candle is not lit.

When there is only one Mass and the Procession takes place then the Mass is of the Rogations, Exaudivit, with the second collect of St. Stanislaus. Those obliged to the Office who do not take part in Rogation Processions must recite the Litany, in Latin, on each of the three days.

Vespers are first Vespers of the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel with a commemoration of St. Stanislaus.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Stanilaus is a III class feast and so is cut down to a single nocturn of three lessons. If the Rogation Procession takes place the Litany may be sung in the vernacular if the faithful are present. The petitions are not duplicated. In the votive Mass that follows all the 'preparatory prayers' i.e. In nomine Patris..., Introibo ad altare Dei..., Judica me Deus..., Confiteor Deo..., the versicles, Aufer a nobis... and Oramus te, Domine are all cut out. There is a single collect. The dismissal is Ite, missa est. However, the Ordinary may substitute other excercises/services in place of the Rogation Procession. Those not present at the Procession or other designated services are not bound to recite the Litany. Vespers are of St. Stanislaus.