How many Liturgies can be celebrated per day?

[Patrick Lee]

My understanding is that the rule is 1 Antimins/1 Priest/1 Liturgy per day. Assuming this is correct, does anyone have a reference to a canon regarding this, or is it more custom?

I've been having discussions with a Protestant friend of mine on this subject.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

My understanding is that the rule is 1 Antimins/1 Priest/1 Liturgy per day. Assuming this is correct, does anyone have a reference to a canon regarding this, or is it more custom?

I've been having discussions with a Protestant friend of mine on this subject.

So far I haven't been able to find a canon concerning this. But yet this is a tradition having the force of some of the strictest canons. For example if a priest was to serve more than the established number of times per day he likely would be disciplined by his bishop.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Mourad Mankarios]

I believe if there is more than one altar and priest then multiple liturgies may be prayed just as long as it's not the same altar or priest on the same day...My understanding is that at least a 9 hour gap is required if the one altar is to be used or the same priest is to be praying...Well at least that's the tradition in the Coptic Orthodox Church...

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I believe if there is more than one altar and priest then multiple liturgies may be prayed just as long as it's not the same altar or priest on the same day...My understanding is that at least a 9 hour gap is required if the one altar is to be used or the same priest is to be praying...Well at least that's the tradition in the Coptic Orthodox Church...

We can do the same which is why a lot of our larger churches have more than one altar.

For us I'm quite sure we need to wait for the next liturgical day to be able to serve again. Why I say 'next liturgical day' is because for example on Holy Saturday we have a Liturgy of St Basil. According to the Typikon this begins "at the 10th Hour of the Day" or according to our modern way of reckoning 4pm. (Many parishes however, at least in the Russian tradition, tend to serve this Liturgy in the morning.)

In any case the Typikon also states that the Midnight Office for the Paschal Vigil should not begin later than 11pm. So this means that the Liturgy of St Basil & the Paschal Liturgy are on two separate liturgical days. But celebrants serve more than one Liturgy in a 24 hour period of time.

In Christ- Fr Raphael