Faith

This will be a major change for parishes, not only because new books will be needed, but also because all bishops, priests, deacons, and readers will have to become familiar with the new books . . .

Father Robert M.
O'Grady

Some months or even years away are five texts. The order in this list is based on the expected date of publication. Some of these will affect the parish, while others are reported as a matter of interest and will affect different and more limited users.
Of greatest interest to parishes will be the revised Lectionary for Mass. The four volumes and the Book of the Gospels will all be replaced, probably beginning in 2028. This will be a major change for parishes, not only because new books will be needed, but also because all bishops, priests, deacons, and readers will have to become familiar with the new books, their contents and layout, and the new translation. This revision is the result of the release of the Catholic American Bible.
There will be plenty of time to prepare for the arrival of the new books and to become familiar with them before they are required for use. This will be a great time for all those who are ministers of the Word to review and renew all the mechanics of public proclamation, their own style, and the use of amplification systems, etc.
Participation aids, Missalettes, and annual, monthly or weekly publications that will use the new texts will have time to prepare for their updating. Once the schedule for the release of the Lectionary is known, a series of these columns will be announced.

All those who proclaim Scripture in the liturgy will have to make sure that all of us who hear them proclaim the Word of God grow in appreciation of the sacred text. We hearers will have to tune our ears and let the new words take root and grow in our lives.
"The Order of Christian Funerals" will be revised but probably not until 2030 at the earliest. A consultation about this project was held in spring 2026. Priests, deacons, ministers of consolation, parish grief support groups, funeral directors, parish musicians, and others involved in the preparation of funeral liturgies were invited to participate in the initial stages of the review. An initial report indicated that 1,500 responded. Most are pleased with the current "Order of Christian Funerals" but offered suggestions for improvements, and they addressed concerns about the rapid increase in cremations. Many expressed a sincere desire for more formation of the various ministers involved with funeral liturgies, and more catechesis of the Catholic faithful about the rites within the order. A major concern is the "Words of Remembrance," which variously should be "moved to vigil for the deceased," "should be prior to the Mass," or "should be eliminated."
Family involvement in the preparation of a funeral is widely appreciated, but there is also the problem of mixing the secular with the sacred, especially regarding the choice of readings and music. Some folks think that they must be involved in all the details of preparation at a very emotionally difficult time, and would appreciate more guidance from pastoral ministers. Funeral directors are usually the first point of contact, and they are caught between the parish and the grieving family. They would also appreciate more assistance, especially in terms of parish and diocesan policy and the general adherence to those published and promulgated.
"The Book of Blessings" is probably one of the less used books in the sacristy library, likely because of its size, more than 500 pages, and because blessings are often requested when the priest or deacon is far from the book itself. This revision is also needed because of the Catholic American Bible.
Then, there is "The Roman Martyrology." This list of the Catholic Church's heroes who have been enrolled in the list of saints and blesseds continues to expand. Remembering that there is no such thing as too many saints, the martyrology literally grows annually.
An English translation of "The Roman Martyrology" had been submitted to the Holy See for approval for publication. The bishops were advised that there is a new Latin edition being published by the Holy See and they might want to wait for that and translate it. The bishops agreed and so the initial translation will be augmented with the new entries in the revised version. While not an official translation, there is a website, which has the initial translation in a very user-friendly and easily navigated presentation. Check it out here: gcatholic.org/saints/data/martyrology2004-1a.htm.
The last two books don't concern parishes directly but more the diocese; they are "The Roman Pontifical" and "Ceremonial of Bishops."
The Pontifical contains the liturgical texts a bishop uses for ordinations of bishops, presbyters, and deacons; for confirmation; for dedications of churches and altars; for the blessings of abbots and abbesses; and a few other, what we might call, occasional celebrations. The Ceremonial is the instruction book for the bishop regarding all liturgies that he celebrates.
Each bishop and his master of ceremonies, and each cathedral will need a copy of each of these books when they are published.

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  LoganArchbishop Richard G. Henning

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  Liturgical formation IIFather Robert M. O'Grady

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  An 'Influencer' for the GospelMaureen Crowley Heil

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  The debt we oweScott Hahn

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  What is the Catholic Intellectual Tradition?Dr. R. Jared Staudt