By Renée St. Martin Wizeman

Diocesan priests and leaders met in Helena this week for a workshop on the forthcoming third edition of the Roman Missal. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, or BCDW, offered the regional workshop in collaboration with the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, or FDLC.

Another “Welcoming the Roman Missal” workshop for priests and Church leaders in the Northwest will be offered in Seattle on Sept. 29-30. In total, the workshop is being presented in 22 archdioceses and dioceses nationwide through early November.

Sister Mary Jo Quinn, a member of the Diocese of Helena Liturgical Commission, said that offering the workshop at “both ends” of the regional area makes sense. She also said Father Ed Hislop, Liturgical Commission chairman and pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish in Missoula and Spirit of Christ Mission in Lolo, has a long history of service with the FDLC. As of press time, 115 priests and diocesan leaders were registered for the workshop in Helena.

Workshop topics include the history leading to the third edition of the Roman Missal, an overview of the revised Missal, Ars Celebrandi – including chants of the third edition—and implementation. The FDLC provided for purchase materials to be used in further catechetical efforts in dioceses and parishes.

The diocesan Liturgical Commission met for a short time after the workshop to discuss future catechesis about the revised Roman Missal. The regional workshop was a “first-tier” catechetical effort to train the trainers, with an expectation that further catechesis will take place on the diocesan and parish level.

“The revision of the Roman Missal provides a great opportunity to reflect on the nature of the liturgy, to engage in ongoing liturgical catechesis and to enhance our experience of liturgy in the diocese,” said Father Hislop.

Sister Mary Jo said the first Sunday of Advent in 2011 has been noted as a possible implementation date, but publishing schedules will influence the final decision about implementation. Final editing of the third edition of the Roman Missal is ongoing.

The Vatican gave its “recognitio,” or confirmation, of the new English translation of the Roman Missal in late March. Confirmation of particular adaptations for the United States is expected soon, Father Hislop said.

“The basic shape of the liturgy and the focus on the full, active and conscious participation continues to be a priority as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council Consititution on the Sacred Liturgy,” he said. “The primary changes are simply in the translation of the texts in order to reflect a more precise theological content based on the original Latin.”

“This presents an opportunity to relearn, now that you’ve lived with it (the second edition of the Roman Missal) for 40 years, you have something to bring to the experience,” said Sister Mary Jo. She said there will be multiple new and revised Mass settings, which publishers will offer once the USCCB sets an implementation timeline. Given the years of experience with the second edition, parishes will have information about which types of settings work well for them, as they consider the new and revised settings for liturgical music.

“In parishes where the value of full, active and conscious participation in the Mass is already great, people will learn the revisions quickly, in order to keep that full, active and conscious participation,” Sister Mary Jo said.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 5, May 21, 2010.