The Chrism Mass took place on Tuesday, April 5th at 5:30pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Las Cruces.
The Mass of Chrism is properly concelebrated by the bishop with his clergy. It is a sign of the unity and communion of the priests with their bishop. At the Chrism Mass, the blessings of the Oil of the Sick, the blessing of the Oil of Catechumens, and the consecration of the Chrism all take place.
Oil of the Sick - The Bishop prays that in God's blessing of the Oil of the Sick, "everyone anointed with this oil as a safeguard for body, soul, and spirit may be freed from all pain, all infirmity, and all sickness"
Oil of Catechumens - This is the second oil to be blessed by the Bishop. The prayer of blessing asks for three effects on "the catechumens who will be anointed with it": that they "may understand more deeply the Gospel of your Christ… may undertake with a generous heart the labors of the Christian life, and… may rejoice to be born anew and to live in your Church"
Chrism - It's part of the Baptismal rite and used for the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
From the Basilica of San Albino's 03.27.22 bulletin:
Meaning of Holy Oils The Church makes use of three holy oils: the oil of the sick, the oil of the catechumens and the holy chrism oil. The first two are blessed, and the bishop consecrates the third, ordinarily during the annual Chrism Mass. Each has a distinctive purpose in the Church. Each year the local bishop blesses enough new oils for every parish in his diocese. The holy oils are then transported to individual parishes, where they are available to use for the sacraments. Though the bishop cannot be physically present at every baptism or confirmation in his diocese, he can be symbolically present through the holy oils he blesses.
After the Liturgy of the Word during the Chrism Mass, the blessing of the oils takes place. In a formal procession, olive oil is brought forward in special urns; the oil of the sick is presented first, next the oil of the catechumens, and finally oil for the holy chrism. The bishop prays over and blesses each oil individually. The ritual for creating and consecrating the holy chrism is different from the others. To make it, the bishop mixes oil from the balsam plant with the olive oil, breathes on the mixed oil to signify the presence of the Holy Spirit, and then says a prayer to consecrate it. Once blessed in this way, the chrism and the other oils are no longer ordinary ointments. Instead, they are a holy, precious gift from God to the Church, signifying cleansing and strengthening, healing and comfort, and the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit.