Bishop Mark Beckman bans St. Michael prayer at Knoxville Masses

Bishop Mark Beckman of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, has banned the recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the conclusion of Masses within his diocese. In a statement to parishioners, Beckman noted that several parishes had been regularly adding various prayers—including the Prayer to St. Michael, the ‘Prayer of St. Francis,’ and prayers to the Holy Spirit—to the liturgy, either before the entrance hymn or immediately following the dismissal.

Beckman stated that to celebrate the liturgy “in accordance with the mind of the Church,” it is not appropriate to add additional prayers associated with the celebration of the Mass itself. He has instructed priests to catechize the faithful as the diocese moves away from these communal additions. Instead, he encouraged pastors to help families and communities incorporate the Prayer to St. Michael into their devotional lives outside of the formal liturgy.

This decision follows a previous move by Beckman to limit the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) to a single chapel at a retreat center once a month.