SLC Diocese prepares for changes to Roman Missal

Courtesy photo/USCCB

+ Enlarge

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ritual Edition is one of seven versions from various publishers that will be available as the Church prepares to transition to the Third Edition.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Diocese of Salt Lake City is preparing to implement the newly translated prayers that will be used at liturgy beginning on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27.

The changes to the Third Roman Missal were introduced in February when the Diocese of Salt Lake City hosted the Southwest Liturgical Conference. Now Timothy Johnston, director of the Office of Liturgy, is presenting deanery workshops with the purpose of bringing teams from each parish together to develop implementation strategies.

Two deanery workshops have been presented; two others are planned.

"Our goal is to facilitate a process to come up with a concrete implementation plan for each parish," said Johnston. "During the workshops we discuss the evolution of the Roman missal when the first Order of the Mass was published in 1969. Our discussion briefly traces the history from that period to the current missal. Then we break into groups so liturgists, musicians, and so on are grouped together to look at specifics, and then at how parish leaders and pastors can be involved for implementation. The last part of the workshop brings each of these teams together to look at a goal for prioritizing objectives to come up with action steps. The implementation process may look different in every parish because of different personalities, experiences, needs and resources."

Implementing the new prayers isn’t just about memorizing text. "The main goal is to help people come to a deeper appreciation of what the liturgy is about so their experience becomes more prayerful and they can more fully and consciously participate," Johnston said. "For example, parish leaders have to explain and do the catechesis necessary to talk about the new Introductory Rites and also do catechesis on the new text used in the Introductory Rites for words such as dewfall and consubstantiate.

"Every age group and ministry in the parish needs to be catechized, including adults, the youth in CCD and youth ministry, people in nursing homes and shut-ins," Johnston said. "This takes a lot of creative energy and a parish coordinator who can bring key leaders together to see that needs are met."

Some parishes already are starting to implement their plans to catechize parishioners.

Father William Wheaton, pastor of Saint Pius X Parish in Moab, has organized his parish ministries and will begin catechesis after Easter.

"Our catechesis will extend to the general assembly during the summer and we will have some formal catechesis in place by September," said Nanci Flesher, St. Pius X music director, who will attend the National Association of Pastoral Musicians convention in July.

Christ the King Parish in Cedar City will start reciting the new prayers with parishioners after Easter and catechize the youth when CCD starts next fall. "We will catechize as we preach, or gather before our Masses," said Father Oscar Martinez, parochial vicar. "The people who attended the deanery workshop are willing to accept and sing and pray more with the new phrases."

In this week’s bulletin, Saint Olaf Parish inserted "Catholic Update" by St. Anthony Messenger, explaining the new translations in the Third Roman Missal. "We also will use pew cards to help parishioners learn the new prayers and start catechesis after Easter," said Deacon Dan Essary, who attended the Northern Deanery workshop March 26.

At the workshop, Deacon Essary found Father Ken Vialpando’s way of looking at the revisions smart. "Fr. Vialpando, pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, Ogden, said, ‘Don’t look at the revisions as being so complicated. It’s the same Mass with new words and a deeper meaning,’" Deacon Essary said.