Young people prepare holy oils

MADISON  Within minutes, the strong scent of perfume and cloves filled the air in the auditorium in St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization here on March 13. It reminded the small group of young people, hunched over rows of small glass bottles they were filling in one corner, of the “sacred act” they were performing for the spiritual life of the Paterson Diocese: to help prepare three types of Holy Oils for the upcoming Chrism Mass.

The nine volunteers for this important and involved process, including three seminarians, commented on the aroma, after Father Jared Brogan, diocesan director of worship, poured a smidge of Laudate Chrism Essence into one of several bottles, labeled Sacred Chrism. At one of many tables set up in the auditorium, the priest added the special additive to a base of extra virgin olive oil in the four-ounce bottle. Its powerful aroma signifies the “scent of the Holy Spirit” in activities for which it is used: Baptisms, Confirmation, and the dedication of churches and altars, Father Brogan said.

Volunteers filled 420 bottles with olive oil to prepare the Holy Oil, which Bishop Sweeney will bless for use in the Diocese through the year, during the annual diocesan Chrism Mass at 7 p.m., Monday, March 29 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, which will be livestreamed for the faithful to watch. The young people also readied two other types of Holy Oil, both of which do not contain Laudate Chrism Essence. They were: the Oil of the Sick, for the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, which is used to anoint all those to be baptized, both adults and babies, Father Brogan said.

“This was a lot of fun. We got a system down [to fill the bottles]. I love service and this was something to do this Lent,” said Susan Jankiewicz, who worships at St. Paul’s and her home parish, Our Lady of Lourdes in Whitehouse Station. She also sang in the choir for the Chrism Mass for the Metu­chen Diocese. “This is also spiritually significant to me because I remember receiving Sacred Chrism on my forehead, when I entered the Church at 11 years old,” she said.

While all were wearing face masks for safety, the young people used plastic funnels that Father Brogan bought at an auto parts store to pour the olive oil from cans into the bottles — this after they set up the tables, unpacked the bottles, placed them into rows and put labels on them. At one table, Bart Luczynski and other volunteers spilled some of the olive oil, while filling the bottles for the Oil of the Sick, creating a slick mess, which they quickly cleaned up. Luckily, Father Paul Manning, St. Paul’s executive director and diocesan vicar for evangelization, brought tarps to place under the tables to protect the carpeting in the auditorium.

“It was messy — olive oil everywhere,” said Luczyski, who coordinates St. Paul’s social outreach, which usually includes young people serving at a soup kitchen for Lent — an activity that was canceled amid COVID-19 concerns. “I learned a lot about the different types of Holy Oil and how they are made, along with how strong the Sacred Chrism smells. This helped me appreciate my faith more,” he said.

After having filled the bottles of the Oil of the Sick, Luczynski said the Holy Oils activity helped satisfy his obligation to give alms during Lent, adding, “One of my charisms is that of service, so I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

The preparation of the Holy Oils represented a “sacred act,” but the young people — from various ethnicities and backgrounds — did share some smiles as they talked about their professions, family backgrounds, education, and faith while working. Father Brogan shared some insights about the priesthood, such as how busy it becomes for clergy during Holy Week.

One of the seminarians helping out was Jose Zuniga, studying third-year theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange. He placed caps on the bottles of the Oil of Catechumens and helped wipe off the olive oil that spilled on them, while other people at his table replaced some labels that were soaked through.

“The experience was fun. It was great to meet people, especially when it’s difficult in the pandemic,” Zuniga said. “It helps me appreciate my vocation, which will include meeting people and being in communication with them in community with them. This is also getting me excited for my priestly ordination [anticipated next year], when the Bishop will anoint me with Sacred Chrism,” he said.

At the end of the work session, the young people placed the bottles in small boxes that each parish will pick up after the Chrism Mass at St. John’s — an involved undertaking that a team of St. Paul’s Young Adults will coordinate also as part of their Lenten service. That morning, volunteers also boxed up extra bottles of Holy Oil for parishes that might run out during the year, Father Brogan said.

Before the volunteers left the auditorium, Father Brogan thanked them for their “kindness and generosity” in performing “this holy act.”

“Now and then, when you see a priest or deacon use Holy Oil, you will have a greater appreciation for it. Most people think that it just appears at Mass or other functions. They are not aware of the planning and work it takes to get it there,” Father Brogan said. He later told The Beacon, “This was an opportunity for the young people to ‘give alms’ in the form of service for Lent. They prepared Holy Oils that will be used for people who are in need of Christ — the sick, confirmandi, and catechumens — and that will allow them to grow closer to God when they are anointed,” he said.