By Eric Connolly

At Mass, implementation of the new Roman Missal on Nov. 27 will bring changes in songs, including some that many Catholics consider second nature, as well as changes in the words spoken.

Sister Mary Jo Quinn of Missoula’s Blessed Trinity Parish recently spoke to The Montana Catholic about those changes. Sister Mary Jo, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, is on the diocesan Liturgical Commission. At Blessed Trinity, she sat at a piano as she responded to questions.

Q: What are some of the changes we will see?

A: During the last several years, the diocese has been preparing for the changes, which are primarily textual changes, both musical and the spoken dialogues. The sense hasn’t changed, but the words have changed. We have had to learn new musical settings for the Gloria, the Holy Holy and the acclamations. There are only three acclamations now, after the institution. The words “Christ has died, Christ is risen,” which is the one most of us know, is not one of them. In many cases, the parishes have chosen to use an entirely new musical setting, so that people learn a new tune with new words and are not confused by trying to fit new words to an old tune.

Q: Do you think parishioners will find adapting to these changes difficult?

A: In my own parish, here at Blessed Trinity, we began with the Holy Holy and the Amen, which is not new words but is a new music setting. Over the course of five weeks, we’ve taught the whole Mass. They’re really fine singers and they want to hold on to that full conscious and active participation in the Mass, so they’re singing it very well. I think that’s going to be the case in any of the parishes in the diocese that sing well; they’ll want to hold on to that. If it’s taught well and explained well, I think it will be fine.

Q. Do you think learning these new settings will provide people with new channels for communication and new opportunities for learning about our faith?

A: Absolutely. I think one of the other great opportunities of this whole thing is that for the first time since Vatican II, we have many generations of people who are talking together about their experience of Mass on Sunday. I’m certainly struck by this when I visit with parishes where there are people …who remember the changes, there are people born after Vatican II and there’s a whole body of people who have come into the Church since then. So, we have all assortments of people and if we really do this right, besides changing the words and music, we are saying “this is what the Mass means to me and this is the source of my life as a Catholic,” and it’s great to be able to have a reason to have those conversations.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 27, No. 11, November 18, 2011.


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