In the Roman Catholic Church, the use of incense at Mass is a long-standing tradition which has its roots in the Old and New Testaments (ps. 141:2 “Let my prayer rise like incense before you…” and Luke 1:10 “…when the whole assembly of the people was praying at the hour of the incense offering…”). The use of incense heightens the solemnity of the particular liturgy being celebrated. So, it is entirely fitting and appropriate that incense be used in expressing our heartfelt worship of God within our most solemn Catholic celebrations, especially in the Cathedral, the most solemn place of worship in the diocese. At the same time, however, charity demands that we be sensitive to the needs of our dear people who come to worship God.
We are aware that some people have respiratory problems which are exacerbated by the use of incense. To that end, we offer the following:
Times when incense is used at Cathedral:
- Funerals
- Solemnities