The picture accompanying Terry Brown’s note on “Celebrant or Presider” (September 2016) clearly shows a deacon—not a priest—doing something, but is he really “leading the Eucharist at the altar”?
Given that the Diocesan Guidelines for Deacons specifies deacons “cannot replace a rector for Sunday Eucharist”, and may administer even reserve sacrament only “in accordance with specific rules and conditions (not including Sunday worship),” the implicit suggestion that practice might be otherwise is a mite subversive, is it not?
Ronald Vince
Flamborough
EDITOR’S NOTE: When we were finalizing the layout for the September Niagara Anglican, we talked about replacing the picture since the position of the Eucharistic stole indicated a deacon, not a priest. However we decided to proceed, and as Ronald wrote in his email giving us permission to publish his letter, “I’m sure deacons got a kick out of the picture—I know I did.”
Keen observation
The picture accompanying Terry Brown’s note on “Celebrant or Presider” (September 2016) clearly shows a deacon—not a priest—doing something, but is he really “leading the Eucharist at the altar”?
Given that the Diocesan Guidelines for Deacons specifies deacons “cannot replace a rector for Sunday Eucharist”, and may administer even reserve sacrament only “in accordance with specific rules and conditions (not including Sunday worship),” the implicit suggestion that practice might be otherwise is a mite subversive, is it not?
Ronald Vince
Flamborough
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