Archstl - Around the Archdiocese

The Roman Missal: the Church’s common treasure

jeffg — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:20 +0000

By Lynn S. Williams

The new English translation of the Roman Missal, the official manual for the Roman Catholic Mass, has been approved, and soon familiar prayers and responses said in churches around the English-speaking world will change. Priests will follow newly translated instructions. Prayers used throughout the Mass and some responses of the congregation will change. Sacred chants and music used in worship will also be updated.

The full texts of the English translation received recognitio, or approval, from the Vatican in June and July of 2010. The new translation will be implemented in U.S. dioceses in Advent 2011. It will be the most significant change to the Mass in over 40 years.

An occasion like this raises the question: Why is the Roman Missal so important?

“The Roman Missal is a common treasure,” says Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director at USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship. “It is the book that provides us with prayer text. It serves as a point of unity that keeps us all together, presenting the prayers that are used around the world, in many languages, during universal feasts or holy days.”

Latin is the core text of the Roman Missal, evolving from oral tradition to written words. During the 15th century, in the era of the first printing press, the earliest book called Missale Romanum appeared. After the Council of Trent in 1570, Pope Pius V issued the edition that set the premier standard of uniformity used by celebrants of the Catholic faith.

Eight former Popes issued new editions between the 1604 and 2002, and each maintained a consistent style of worship for prayer in the Roman rite. Over time, additional Masses, prayers and revised rubrics (instructions) used to celebrate the Mass were added. The need for vernacular translations of the Roman Missal arose after the Second Vatican Council, and the present English translation of the Mass, which dates back to the 1970s, follows the Vatican’s guidelines of that time, which favored translations that were easy to understand in the vernacular.

When Pope John Paul II issued the Third Edition of the Roman Missal in 2002, a new English translation was required. Since the new English translation is guided by the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam Authenticam, it presents a more literal translation of Latin wording and sentence structure than is used in the current translation.

“The current translations are centered more on the community than the divine,” says Father Paul Turner, a parish pastor in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri and author of Let Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of Sunday Mass. “They were somewhat inattentive to inclusive language, and lacked some theological depth and musicality. The first translations condensed some of the content of the prayers. The new translation improves that,” he says.

“This is not a new Mass,” says Michael McMahon, president of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, adding that with a new translation, “one of the opportunities we have is to look at the parts of the Mass that should be sung” in the dialogue between the priest and the people and integrate them. One of the challenges of introducing a newly translated missal is retraining priests to lead Mass. Downloadable recordings for priests who don’t read music are being produced and distributed free, online. Major publishers will release material on compact discs.

The Roman Missal itself is the primary source of training and instruction for the new translation. It displays rubrics, sentences printed in red that instruct a priest on what to say and do, how and when to gesture, and when to sing the common prayers in The Order of Mass. It provides instructions that guide the celebrant in leading the liturgy and the people assembled in ritual response for each occasion of Mass.

It also dictates the words used by a priest during the Mass, which with the new translation will reflect a more formal style than past translations.

“It will sound much more like Latin,” says Father Turner.

“The Roman Missal puts us into a tradition of prayer and creates an historical awareness in the roots of where we are now,” says Msgr. Sherman. “When you study the background of these prayers, you become united” with the perpetual mission of the Church.

This article is copied with permission from the USCCB's Roman Missal website.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

Review Editorial: Respect, mutual cooperation in the workplace

jeffg — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:00:52 +0000

This week's St. Louis Review editorial approaches the importance of respect and cooperation in the workplace, and stresses the importance of placing one's work within the context of God's design for our human makeup.

Tough times for the economy mean escalating unemployment and the consequent nervousness that makes everyone meticulously monitor the percentage of the American population without jobs. Often there is an air of crisis around the reporting of the growing numbers of the unemployed.

Those with jobs breathe sighs of relief that they still are working. Though there may be complaints about one's job, the employed generally consider themselves blessed.

The unemployed and the underemployed often grapple with issues of self-respect and with the frustration that spills out on all their familial and neighborly relationships.

Human nature is created to fill the earth and subdue it and to have dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:28). The effort of labor of all kinds — physical, intellectual and spiritual — is a necessary part of life as God has made it. To respect that facet of human makeup, to foster meaningful work for everyone and to appreciate the work of others and oneself are essential in giving our humanity its deserved appreciation. It is part of our worship of God to be grateful for our ability to labor.

Labor Day is a good time to assess the degree to which one understands his work within the context of God's design for our human makeup. It is an opportunity to help enhance the workplace for others as well as oneself.

Continue Reading on the Review website »

Archdiocese of St. Louis

Registration now open Oct 8-9 Conference

Carol Nowak — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:22:45 +0000

The Catholic Renewal Center proudly welcomes speaker Jim Murphy from Vera Cruz Media to speak in October at the conference "Holy Spirit, Light Your Fire in Me".

Conveniently located in St. Ann, MO this conference will renew and refresh you. This day and a half conference is more than reasonably priced at $30 per person ($20 for seniors) with an optional box lunch for $5. (Religious in the St. Louis Archdiocese are free but still need to register). Click here for more information.

Catholic Renewal Center

Progress as Promised: Seminary campaign on the move

jeffg — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:00:46 +0000

By Joseph Kenny, Review Staff Writer

Progress as promised.

Pledges for the capital campaign for Kenrick-Glennon Seminary are being collected and are being put to use, including for building the endowment.

In February, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced that the "Faith for the Future" campaign exceeded its goal. The effort raised more than $61 million, an amount that was $11 million more than the target.

So far, 46 percent of pledges have been collected. The campaign is far ahead of the anticipated schedule for collecting pledges — an unusual but pleasing circumstance for the first nine months of a five-year collection period.

Because of the pace of collection of pledges, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson has directed staff to:

Pay all campaign expenses, which were held to 5.1 percent, lower than expected;
Set aside $3 million for plans and initial stages of building improvements;
Pay off a loan of $2.3 million to build additional rooms needed for growth experienced by the seminary;
Deposit more than $19.1 million in the endowment funds. The endowment goal of $20 million is expected to be reached by November.

The campaign was conducted to increase the endowment as well as provide repairs, updates and physical improvements to a building that dates to 1931.

More on the Faith for the Future campaign » | Continue Reading on the St. Louis Review website »

Archdiocese of St. Louis

Archbishop Carlson: We must keep our Catholic schools growing

jeffg — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:26:55 +0000

In January when I published my vision for Catholic schools, I wrote: "We cannot be content with the status quo or, worse, with declining enrollments in our schools. To truly be Alive in Christ our schools must be vibrant centers of evangelization and missionary activity. Promoting growth is not optional — no matter how difficult the challenges."

I know the challenges are enormous. The demographics seem to be against us. Even the largest Catholic school in our archdiocese must prepare for the day when its numbers begin to decline. Given this reality, how do keep our schools growing? What does it mean to be a vibrant, growing Catholic school in a time of population decline?

In this brief column, I can only suggest a preliminary response to this vitally important question. Many hours of prayerful discussion and planning are needed to frame a long-term response to this serious challenge. At the same time, I believe there are things that we can say, and do, immediately to keep our schools growing. Here are three things we should consider prayerfully:

First, we can make sure that our schools are Alive in Christ! We can strengthen our commitment to providing schools as places of prayer and learning that promote the intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth of their students (and staff and families). A school that is growing spiritually — and that is also excellent academically and reaching out to serve its community — will attract new students and their families. Why? Because a vibrant faith and a dynamic school environment are contagious!

Second, all Catholic schools in our archdiocese should either have a commitment to increase their enrollments or, if a school is filled to capacity, to refer families to nearby Catholic schools and assist them in enrolling there. Proactive recruitment and enrollment-management strategies are an essential sign of life for Catholic schools. The decline in student population may be beyond our reach, but it is our responsibility as a Church to make sure that every Catholic family is invited and encouraged — as personally as possible — to send their children to a Catholic school. If that means going door-to-door in our neighborhoods to talk to the parents of elementary- and high-school-aged children, then that's what we should be doing.

Third, I think we need to make a conscious effort to fill every empty seat in our schools with children who otherwise could not afford a Catholic school education. It makes no sense to conduct classes that are a third or half empty. When we do that, we are depriving children who need our help from reaching their full potential and breaking the cycle of poverty. As a matter of social justice, we need to work together as parish communities and as an archdiocesan family to make it possible for every child who wants a Catholic school education but cannot afford it to be welcomed into one of our school communities.

When I say that our schools must be "vibrant centers of evangelization and missionary activity," I mean that quite literally. The same statistical information that tells us the school-aged population is declining also tells us that increasing numbers of young Catholic parents are not bringing their children to their parish to be baptized. This is a serious matter that every parish must address. Baptism is the primary sacrament of initiation into our Catholic way of life. Until our children are baptized, they cannot participate fully in the life of the Church. The "new evangelization" that Pope John Paul II urged us to embrace is vital — for the salvation of souls and for the health and vitality of our parishes and schools.

In order to remain viable, a Catholic school must be able to demonstrate that it is Alive in Christ! The three priorities I have set for our schools are: 1) strong Catholic identity, 2) evidence of growth and vitality and 3) financial health and the ability to help those who otherwise could not afford a Catholic school education.

The measures that we use to assess all three of these priorities can vary, but they will always involve a combination of factors ranging from deeply spiritual values to extremely practical considerations. The growth and vitality of a school community is directly related to its Catholic identity and its financial health. To keep our schools growing, we must keep them Catholic. And we must help them meet their financial obligations. These are enormous challenges today — and every day — but with God's grace all things are possible.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

34th Annual Respect Life Convention - October 24, 2010

jeffg — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:30 +0000

During October, which is Respect Life Month, the RLA hosts its annual Respect Life Convention. The purpose of the Convention is to provide a forum for Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis to gather and listen to informative and motivational speakers discuss the dignity and sanctity of human life and the latest efforts to build a Culture of Life.

This year's convention will open with the Celebration of the Holy Mass, followed by a luncheon, award presentation and a keynote address by Dr. Thomas Hilgers, Director of the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. The Institute located in Omaha, Nebraska is dedicated to research, education and service in the areas of human reproduction within the context of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Dr. Hilgers is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic laser surgery and is a member of the prestigious Society of Reproductive Surgeons. He has served on the faculty of medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine. While at Creighton, he, co-developed the Creighton Mode FertilityCare™ System, a thoroughly standardized method that maintains a woman's reproductive and gynecological health while helping couples understand the workings of a woman's cycles of fertility and infertility.

Sunday, October 24, 2010 - exhibits open at 10:00 a.m.
Tickets to the Luncheon are $35 each (10 per table - $40/each after October 10)

More information from the Respect Life Apostolate »

Archdiocese of St. Louis

Technology: Texting can't replace face-to-face talk

jeffg — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:40:24 +0000

The following editorial appeared in last week's edition of the St. Louis Review:

Tests of speed may be the oldest and most durable of human competitions. Some, like running, must be as old as two cave boys racing to see who gets the bigger piece of mammoth pie. Others couldn't even be imagined until modern technology invaded our brain patterns.

Part of this summer's news is the speed texting contest being held by one of our cellular phone companies. For those of us who think a phone is only a tool for talking at long distance, this will be, as they say, a wake-up call. The cell phone has become a pocket computer with a tiny keyboard. Our children have become amazingly adept at thumbing those keys with a new shorthand language.

Some of their symbols can be figured out fairly quickly, like CUL8R (that's "see you later" for the slow among us). But you might not catch the meaning of PRL, and that's all right because you're not supposed to. It means "parents are listening." Obviously, much of this stuff is done surreptitiously, under the noses of parents, teachers and even friends in the same room who could spoil the game of the moment if they knew what flirting was under way.

The girls might be surprised to know that one of their abbreviations, SWAK, could have been used by their grandmothers 50 years ago, though it would have been printed on the back of an envelope sent to the boy with whom they hoped to have an LTR ("long-term relationship").

Continue reading this editorial on the Review website »

Archdiocese of St. Louis

SpiritFest 2010: A full day of Sacraments, Games and more for Teens

jeffg — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:35:46 +0000

The Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Apostolate's Office of Youth Ministry is sponsoring SpiritFest 2010, a day of sacraments, music, games and other fun activities for teens in the Archdiocese. The free event will take place from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 11, at Camp RockyVine in Dutzow.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson will celebrate Mass, and Confessions will be available. Featured bands include the Steubenville Band, the Pete Buncher band and Soul Purpose. Concessions will be available for purchase.

In remembrance of those who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks, a collection will be taken during Mass to benefit the Backstoppers.

For more information, including a video promo, visit the Office of Youth Ministry's Spiritfest page, or call the OYM at 314-792-7650.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

A trinity of essential characteristics define identity of Catholic schools

jeffg — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:07:23 +0000

What are the fundamental characteristics of a Catholic school? What constitutes a school's "Catholic identity"?

It's not the externals — the crucifixes on the classroom walls, the pictures and statues of the saints, the habits worn by the Sisters or the little boxes or rice bowls used to collect money for the missions. These are important physical symbols (sacramentals) that remind us of deeper truths, but they are not the essential things that make a school Catholic.

There are several different ways to describe Catholic identity. I like to concentrate on three fundamentals. These are: evangelization, catechesis and social justice. Let me say a few words about each of these essential elements of a school's Catholic identity.

First of all, a Catholic school must witness in a public way to the person of Jesus Christ and to His message (evangelization). Catholic schools exist to proclaim the Gospel. Everything in the school — its curriculum, its liturgies and retreats, its sports activities and its service programs — should provide students (also staff and families) with opportunities to encounter the person of Jesus Christ, to become His disciples and to proclaim to the whole world our salvation in Him. The symbols I mentioned earlier remind us, and assist us, in our evangelizing mission, but the most important element in a school's Catholic identity is its commitment to make Christ present to everyone who attends the school or who comes into contact with it. This is one of the reasons that my vision for Catholic schools is that they be Alive in Christ!

Secondly, a Catholic school must teach the Catholic faith (catechesis). The mystery of God, as revealed to us by the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the primary content of a Catholic education. Everything else that we teach — as part of a genuine commitment to educational excellence — is an elaboration on the wonders of God's creation and the history of our salvation. All of the academic disciplines reveal in partial and preliminary ways the working of the Holy Spirit in our world from the beginning of time. The more we learn about math and science, diverse languages and cultures, and the ups and downs of world history and the history of our local communities, the more we discover that the teachings of our Church, as contained in Scripture and in our Catholic tradition, represents the truth, the way things really are. Schools that are Alive in Christ! are vibrant learning environments that promote curiosity and an openness to new ways of living and learning.

Finally, in order to be truly Catholic, a school must teach its students and all members of the school community to reach out to others and accept responsibility for the well-being of all God's creation (social justice). Catholic schools do not exist for their own sakes. They exist for the good of their students and the communities they serve. Frequently, a Catholic school is an "anchor" in its neighborhood, a source of stability and moral integrity. There are socio-economic reasons for this anchor effect, but more fundamentally a school that is truly Catholic serves its neighborhood and community because of its recognition that we cannot love God as we should unless we also love our neighbor. Social justice is a constitutive element of the Gospel. That means it must also be a constitutive element of the curriculum and the daily life of every Catholic school.

Evangelization, catechesis and social justice are essential to a school's Catholic identity. Everything about a Catholic school must give witness to the teaching and the message of Jesus Christ. Catholic teaching must be integrated into every aspect of the school's curriculum and programs. And the school must help its students reach out beyond parish and school boundaries to serve the needs of others.

A school is Catholic — Alive in Christ! — when it recognizes that it is called to accomplish these three fundamental objectives: to introduce us to the person of Jesus Christ, to help us understand the world through the wisdom of our Catholic teaching and to challenge us to serve the needs of others as Jesus did.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

New program for women reveals their God-given dignity

jeffg — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:00:23 +0000

By Jennifer Brinker, Review Staff Writer

As a member of the faculty at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, Sue Harvath is always looking for ways to support seminarians in their priestly formation and grow in their faith.

Harvath and about a dozen other female members of the staff at the Shrewsbury seminary will have the chance to increase that level of support for seminarians through a new program for women being introduced in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

ENDOW, which stands for Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women, is an educational program in which Catholic women are invited to come together, primarily in the form of small study groups, to learn more about their God-given dignity as women as explained through Church teaching.

Founded in 2003 in the Archdiocese of Denver, ENDOW presents study materials based on official documents of the Church, such as Pope John Paul II's "Letter to Women" and Mulieris Dignitatem ("On the Dignity and Vocation of Women"), Pope Paul VI's "Humanae Vitae" and more.

The structure of the program is aimed toward "women in the pew," who have no prior theological or philosophical background. Small study groups meet once a week or every other week for about eight weeks. There is no additional work or reading required outside of the meeting time. The format works for groups wanting to form out of parishes or other Catholic organizations and appeals to Catholic women of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

Continued reading about ENDOW on the St. Louis Review website »

Archdiocese of St. Louis