Thursday, August 11, 2011

Plans for New Missal

For those interested, here's what we're doing in Piqua...

Starting next month, we'll begin using the new texts for the Gloria, Sanctus and Memorial Acclamation at Mass. The Archbishop gave all parishes permission to do this as a result of the U.S. Bishops approving this option.

We will have booklets from the Archdiocese in the pews starting next month, so that folks can refer to them for these texts. We will be using the chant setting, which is the easiest and most familiar, so that folks don't have to learn too much at once.

I just ordered our new missals from Magnificat. We are ordering six to start, the bare minimum for two parishes, a chapel, a Mass kit, and one for the rectory and one for our retired priests. Why didn't I order more, you ask? Because I anticipate, in all the rush to get these things to print, some mistakes in the first edition. I'm betting that 3-6 months in, we'll have revisions. I'd rather let that shake out; so I'm buying the smaller, cheaper, "chapel" editions now; next year I'll order several "altar" editions. We will need the extras, especially for occasions such as Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil.

I also ordered some Mass cards, which we'll use for the nursing homes, and we'll have other uses for them I anticipate.

Sometime in September or October, we'll have some sessions with all those who take a special role at Mass, to give them some information and encouragement. Although the improved translation doesn't necessarily affect them more than any others, they are folks others know are involved, so having them be up to speed will be helpful.

In October, the other priests and I will be giving a series of homilies on the Mass in general, and these changes in particular. I have to prepare the outline for all that soon, so I can provide it to the other priests.

Meanwhile, we're providing information in the bulletins, not every week, but as we can.

On Christ the King--the weekend before we begin using the new missals--we'll bless the new missals at all Masses.

The following weekend, of course, is when we begin using it in full. To make it easier on the priests and the people, some of the options we could use, we will introduce gradually. For example, we will stick to the Roman Canon for awhile at Sunday Mass, waiting perhaps until after Christmas to begin using the 3rd Eucharistic prayer.

One of the priests who assists me--the former pastor, now retired--thinks this will be a lot easier than folks expect. The people's parts don't change that much and he thinks most of what the priest does differently won't cause any stir. We'll have a few things that need to be explained, such as "for you and for many."

What do you think?

1 comment:

richard said...

I remember when the changes of V2 took place.

One Sunday...there it was in your face. No prep in any way. I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio and recall a priest who refused to say the "New Mass". Often wondered what happened to him or the nun in a college class who left her order and wore her habit minus the head gear. She wore a babushka.

What's all the fuss about a few changed words?