Candles for the Office

[Tom Hurwitz, verger]

I'm not usually around for Sunday Evensong at The Cathedral. I was this week and  I noticed that the acolytes had lit the pavement lights at the side of the Altar and not the Altar candles. I was always under the impression that Altar candles get lit first, for any service that did not include candle lighting (like Compline).  As the service gets more ornate, or Eucharistic, more candles can be lighted. Thus, a simple service, like evensong, would require just Altar candles.

When I mentioned it to clergy, I was told that for the last few years the pavement candles were used, because the service was not a Eucharist -- altar candles being eucharistic. Research did not turn up a satisfactory rubric. "Prayerbook Rubrics Expanded," by Byron Stuhlman comes the closest. He says that "altar candles and/or pavement lights may" be lit for the daily office. Altar Candles, or torches in stands by the altar, must be lit for the Eucharist.

What is the evensong practice at your churches? Which candles are lit for a normal evensong? ...A Sunday evensong? Do you ever have a service at which you light other candles and not the altar candles? Have you ever heard of my assumption (taught to me by my mentors long ago) that altar candles get lit if any candles are to be lit for a service?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Tom Hurwitz
Verger
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
New York City

[sist...@dmv.com]

At St. Andrew’s, in Princess Anne, MD, we do not have pavement candles – for Evensong the candles on the high altar, behind the current freestanding altar are lit, but not the candles on the altar itself.

 

When I was in the Community of the Holy Spirit, in the shadow of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, we lit the pavement candles for Offices, and the candles on the altar only for the Eucharist. . . . I think that must have been correct, at least in the convent setting – Canon Edward West was a frequent visitor and our Warden, and I’m sure we would have heard about it, if it was not correct. . . . we also had a printed sign in our sacristy saying that we followed the custom of the Cathedral.

 

However, in A Priest’s Handbook, it does say on p. 133, “The candles on the altar are lighted,” following the prayer for light. Maybe this is something that follows local custom?

 

 

Sister Mary Winifred

Ascension Hermitage & Sanctuary

Diocese of Easton

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[O.W. Conner]

At St. James', Jackson, MS, we always use 2 Eucharistic candles in tall brass candlesticks on the altar and at Evensong (only on Sunday evening) we use 6 of the same candles/candlesticks on the altar, but never use pavement candles.  We have a small late Sunday afternoon Contemporary Eucharist (informal) with low  candles in glass containers scattered about the chancel and on the chancel steps, I believe without altar candles since the altar is not used.The communicants sit in the choir seats in the chancel. (Not my bag!)  I have not heard of our final assumption.

The comments below, which came from a Google search and apparently are from U.K., may be of interest.
 
O.W. Conner III, MD

Pavement Candles... < Prev  Next >  Posted By: frpdr Thu Aug 15, 2002 4:39 am  | Options

I always associate pavement candles (standards) with the revival of late mediaeval type ceremonial in the Anglican Church at the end of the nineteenth century. Most well fitted out Anglican churches in England possess a pair, sometimes two pairs. Unlike the acolytes candles that were placed on or around the altar in the Mediaeval Roman Use, these things are about five feet tall and (I can testify from personal experience) pretty immoveable. The Sarum customary (c.1220) was keen on them. Depending on the rank of the feast they varied from two to eight in number arranged in a sort of semi-circle in front of the High Altar. (On the altar itself were placed just two lights). This would create overcrowding in what we think of as a large sanctuary today, but must have been very impressive in that at Sarum (Salisbury) which was about eighteen feet deep and 34 feet wide. BTW the present altar arrangements are a bay east of the mediaeval ones. Lincoln's customary - that of one of the other great secular cathedrals of England - dates from c.1400, but seems to reflect earlier practice. Lincoln seems to have used fewer standards, but to have placed three, five, or seven lights along the top of the reredos. They also had a three branch candlestick on the altar. Bp. John Wordsworth seems to have assumed that this was used to light the missal. Modern practice seems to reflect that of the early mediaeval church in that additional lights are placed on, or about the altar on feasts. Yours, Peter+

[Dave P]

At St. Paul's we light the high alter candles as well as the inner pew candles for Evensong. And we light the High Alter first.

[Tom Hurwitz, verger]

Thanks, everyone. Please keep the information coming. I'd love to know the practice of churches around the country.

 I am especially thankful to Sister Mary for the memory of Edward West. This may solve the question here at St. John the Divine. When I arrived at the Cathedral, the venerable Canon West was still with us. However, we moved from Evensong in the Great Choir to the new Compline service, at which candles were lighted, making Evensong practice irrelevant. The daily office other than Sunday Evensong, is celebrated in a back chapel with only altar candles.  When we returned to Evensong, Canon West had died and I was no longer serving at that service.

Tom

[Vergergc]

At Grace Cathedral, Topeka, we have two 7 light pavement candle stands, which are the only candles we light for Evensong. They are lighted by acolytes during the hymn following the Preces / Responses and before the Psalm - in Easter season the acolytes light their tapers at the PC in the crossing. We don't light altar candles except when it's a Eucharist. 

Before our 1975 fire, our brass pavement lights were bolted to the floor and we used them for any Choral Eucharist, lighting everything before the service, but the office lights after those on the altar. For a said Eucharist (early Sunday), we would have lighted only the altar candles.

Since the fire, we have tall wooden pavement lights ("temporary" copies of those lost in '75 fire) which we can move into the sanctuary when needed. Otherwise, they stand in a transept chapel.

Cheers!

Kent Wingerson