Local9/16/2011

ICEL director to speak on new Roman Missal

byFather Robert M. O'Grady

Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, the executive director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) will be visiting the archdiocese Sept. 28 for a presentation on the Implementation of the Roman Missal.

A work in progress for well over a decade, the Roman Missal will be in use officially in the dioceses of the United States beginning Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent.

Father Jonathan Gaspar, who is both the director of the Office for Divine Worship of the archdiocese and priest secretary to Cardinal O'Malley, has been putting extra effort into the implementation here in the archdiocese.

In a nod to gradual implementation, the U.S. bishops have permission to use certain sung parts of the Mass beginning this month. With the hope that a single Mass setting of the Roman Missal would help the archdiocese, especially at archdiocesan liturgical celebrations, the parishes and priests are requested to use the plainsong chant setting for the sung parts of the ordinary of the Mass. The archdiocesan website, bostoncatholic.org/newromanmissal, has materials that may be helpful in this effort including worship aids, Mp3 audio recordings and videos.

Also available is the U.S. Bishops' Conference Divine Worship site: usccb.org/about/divine-worship.

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) has much material for musicians and others on its site (npm.org/roman_missal/resources.html) as well as links to other dioceses and organizations; also linked are the various publishers of the Roman Missal.

Most publishers have advised that they will begin shipping received orders in early October. It is not too soon to place an order, if this has not already been done.

Msgr. Wadsworth's presentation will be at the Pastoral Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree, Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.; a repeat presentation will be made at St. John's Seminary, 127 Lake Street, Brighton, 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the same date. Registration is $10 per person. For more information, contact officeforworship@rcab.org or call 617-746-5880.