· New Music Arrangements (rehearsed with congregation since October 2)

· Congregation Response Sheet (mailed home to all parishioners week of November 6)

· Congregation Response Sheet (placed in pews on November 27)

· Bulletin Updates with revision details (November 6, 13, 20)

· Download PDF versions of the bulletin inserts below

From the November 6th Insert:
The history of the Roman Missal (from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

The Roman Missal is the book containing the prescribed prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of Mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Published first in Latin under the title Missale Romanum, the text is then translated and, once approved by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, is published in modern languages for use in local churches throughout the world.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced a new edition of the Missale Romanum (editio typica tertia, the “third typical edition” [since the Second Vatican Council]) for use in the Church. Soon after, the complex work of translating the text into English began.

As the Church in the United States and throughout the Englishspeaking world prepares to introduce the new edition of the Missal, so does the Church in other countries as the Missale Romanum is translated into other languages.

The process of implementing a new edition of the prayers of the Mass is not new, but has occurred numerous times throughout the history of the Church as the Liturgy developed and was adapted to particular circumstances to meet the needs of the Church.

In the earliest centuries of the Church, there were no books containing prescribed liturgical prayers, texts, or other instructions. Because the faith of the Church was (and still is) articulated in liturgical prayer, there was a need for consistency and authenticity in the words used in the celebration of the Liturgy. Collections of prayers developed gradually for use in particular locations and situations such as for a particular monastery, for the Pope, or for other local churches. Such collections were contained in libelli (“booklets”) which over centuries were drawn together into larger collections of prayers.

Eventually more organized collections of prayers were a s s e m b l e d i n t o “sacramentaries” which contained some, but not all, of the prayers of the Mass. The earliest of these sacramentaries were attributed to Pope Leo I (440-461), and Pope Gelasius (492-496), but surviving versions of those sacramentaries date from centuries later.

Other early manuscripts contained detailed descriptions of the celebration of the Mass with the Pope in Rome. Those written accounts may have gradually served as instructions or rubrics for the celebration of Mass in other settings. Liturgical books grew as they passed
from one community (a local church, a diocese, a monastery, etc.) to another, often with prayers added in margins or in blank spaces. The process of sharing text was by copying by hand. This was a laborious task which at times led to inconsistencies and errors.

The first true liturgical books which could be called “missals” were found in monasteries beginning around the 12th and 13th Centuries. A missale contained not only the prayers but the biblical readings, the chants, and the rubrics for the celebration of Mass.

It is difficult to trace exact origins of the first missal. The first book bearing the name Missale Romanum appeared in 1474, perhaps not coincidentally in the same century as the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg (1440). But it was not until after the Council of Trent that Pope Pius V, in 1570, promulgated an edition of the Missale Romanum that was to be in obligatory use throughout the Latin Church (except in cases where another rite had been in place for at least 200 years). This marked the first official attempt at uniformity in the celebration of the Mass in the history of the Church.

Since that time, to accommodate the ongoing evolution and development of the Liturgy, new editions of the Missale Romanum were promulgated by Popes for use in the Church:

·1604 – Pope Clement VIII
·1634 – Pope Urban VIII
·1884 – Pope Leo XIII
·1920 – Pope Benedict XV
·1962 – Pope John XXIII
·1970 – Pope Paul VI
·1975 – Pope Paul VI
·2002 – Pope John Paul II

In addition, there were a number of other minor revisions to the text, published as “reprints” which incorporated minor changes. The most recent of these were in 1957 after Pope Pius XII’s revisions to the rites of Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum in 1955, and in 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI incorporated a number of additional prayers, included those for recently canonized saints as well as for the celebration of an extended Vigil for Pentecost.

From the November 13th Insert:
The Language of the Liturgy: Frequently Asked Questions

It is through this series of bulletin inserts that we hope to provide various perspectives on the upcoming mass translation which will be introduced on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27th. We invite parishioners to engage with the changes through prayer and conversation, learning about the various perspectives surrounding the words we use at mass everyday. Today’s edition will focus on some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the translation.

Is this a new Mass?
It is not a new Mass, it is a new translation for a new edition of the Missal. Because a new edition of the Missale Romanum, the Latin Roman Missal, was issued by Pope John Paul II in 2000, it was necessary for all the countries of the world to translate this missal into the various local languages.

Why was there a need for a new translation?
The Missale Romanum (Roman Missal), the ritual text for the celebration of the Mass, was issued by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as the definitive text of the reformed liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. That Latin text was translated into various languages for use around the world; the English edition was published in the United States in 1973. The Holy See issued a revised text in 1975. Pope John Paul II issued the third edition of the Roman Missal during the Jubilee Year in 2000. Among other things, the third edition contains prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass.

Who completed the work of translation?
The process of translation was a highly consultative work of several groups. The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is chartered to prepare English translations of liturgical texts on behalf of the conferences of bishops of
English–speaking countries. The USCCB and the other member Conferences of Bishops received draft translations of each text and had the opportunity to offer comments and suggestions. At the level of the Vatican (the Holy See), the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments examined texts and offered authoritative approval. The Congregation
was aided by the recommendations of Vox Clara, a special committee of bishops and consultants from English–speaking
countries. The Vox Clara Committee is chaired by Cardinal George Pell (Sydney). Participants include Bishop Thomas Olmsted (Phoenix), Cardinal Oswald Gracias (Bombay), Bishop Arthur Serratelli (Paterson), Cardinal Justin Rigali (Philadelphia, Emeritus), Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I. (Chicago), Archbishop Alfred Hughes (New Orleans, Emeritus),
Archbishop Michael Neary (Tuam), Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. (Ottawa), Bishop John Tong Hon (Hong Kong),
and Bishop David McGough (Birmingham, Auxiliary).

What’s new or particularly different about the revised translation?
The unique style of the Roman Rite should be maintained in translation. By “style” is meant here the distinctive way in which the prayers of the Roman Rite are expressed. The principal elements of such a style include a certain conciseness in addressing, praising and entreating God, as well as distinctive syntactical patterns, a noble tone, a variety of less complex rhetorical devices, concreteness of images, repetition, parallelism and rhythm. The texts of the revised translation of the Roman Missal are marked by a heightened style of English speech and a grammatical structure that closely follows the Latin text. In addition, many biblical and poetic images, such as “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof…” (Communion Rite) and “…from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Eucharistic Prayer III) have been restored.

What will happen after the texts are used in liturgical celebrations?
The long-term goal of the new translation is to foster a deeper awareness and appreciation of the mysteries being celebrated in the Liturgy. The axiom lex orandi, lex credendi—“what we pray is what we believe”—suggests that there is a direct relationship between the content of our prayers and the substance of our faith. It is hoped that writers will start to provide materials reflecting on the rich content of the text. These contributions might encourage priests to use the content of the prayers as a basis for their homilies or to supplement their homilies on Sundays. Those giving retreats or days of recollection can use the new texts of the missal as a resource for their presentations. All can make use of the texts for deepening their prayer life.

What are some of the changes in the people’s parts?
Perhaps the most common dialogue in the liturgy of the Roman Rite consists of the greeting: “Dominus vobiscum, et cum
spiritu tuo.” Since 1970, this has been translated as: “The Lord be with you. And also with you.” As a part of the revised translation of the Roman Missal, now taking place, the translation of this dialogue has been revised, to read: “The Lord be with you. And with your spirit.”

Where does this dialogue come from?
The response et cum spiritu tuo is found in the liturgies of both East and West, from the earliest days of the church. One of the first instances of its use is found in the “Traditio Apostolica” of St.Hippolytus, composed in Greek around A.D. 215.

What does the priest mean when he says “The Lord be with you”?
By greeting the people with the words “The Lord be with you,” the priest expresses his desire that the dynamic activity of God’s spirit be given to the people of God, enabling them to do the work of transforming the world that God has entrusted to them.

What do the people mean when they respond “and with your spirit”?
The expression et cum spiritu tuo is only addressed to an ordained minister. Some scholars have suggested that spiritu refers to the gift of the spirit he received at ordination. In their response, the people assure the priest of the same divine assistance of God’s spirit and, more specifically, help for the priest to use the charismatic gifts given to him in ordination and in so doing to fulfill his prophetic function in the church.

From the November 20th Insert:
The Language of the Liturgy: The Creed ( as excerpted from SF Archdiocese Office of Worship)

As we all become accustomed to the new words and responses from the revised Roman Missal, one of the texts that may cause most of us to trip over our tongues is the revised wording of the creed. The profession of faith, or creed, is said after the homily and before the universal prayers (prayers of the faithful). We most often recite the Nicene Creed but some churches use the Apostles’ Creed. A number of small but significant changes raise numerous theological and linguistic
questions. A few are discussed below:

Why will we say “I believe” rather than “We believe?”
Right from the beginning of the revised translation of the creed there is a significant change: from “we” to “I.” Since the creed was added to the liturgy in the 11th century, the Latin has always used the singular (credo). Most other language groups also use the first person singular to begin the creed. English now matches the rest of the world. The singular form also echoes what we say when we renew our baptismal promises (we say “I do” after each question) and acts as a personal attestation of this profession of faith.

How is “visible and invisible” different from “seen and unseen?”
This change is one of the nuances of the revised translation that allows us to be much more specific in the use of words. Linguistic experts have pointed out that there are some things that are “unseen” in most cases but do exist (the nucleus
of a cell or the cosmos). This is opposed to things that are invisible (such as angels). The intention of the line is to say that God created not only those things that are capable of being seen, but that God created everything whether it is visible to the
human eye or not. This can seem like splitting hairs, but the new translation has allowed us to get more specific and precise
in language which was not always the case previously.

Why is it important to say that Jesus is the “Only Begotten Son of God?”
Commonly, the 1970 translation of the Roman Missal, the Latin term Filium Dei Unigenitum was translated as “only Son of God.” This is incorrect since God has many sons and daughters (all baptized persons). Therefore, in the new translation, every time the Latin term Filium Dei Unigenitum is used, it is translated as “only begotten Son” to emphasize, as the Latin
does, that Jesus was the only son created by God. This same change from “Only Son” to “Only Begotten Son” is also in the
revised Gloria.

People keep mentioning the word “consubstantial.” What does it mean and why all the fuss?
We have changed from “one in being” to “consubstantial” – a word we probably don’t use very often in day-to-day speech.
Consubstantial is a highly theological word which is a direct translation of the Latin (consubstantialem). It means Christ possesses the same divine nature as God the Father. The word can be a tongue twister and may seem foreign to most of us, but often in liturgy we use words and phrases that refer to theological and doctrinal matters and they are quite specific
and perhaps unfamiliar to us. Many have objected to the use of a word that is not in our regular vocabulary, but this happens
in many places in the liturgy (such as “hallowed” or “hosanna”), and liturgical language has always been more formal
and multifaceted than everyday speech.

What does it mean when we say Jesus “suffered death?”
In the past we said Jesus “suffered, died, and was buried.” In fact, the Latin does not include the word death or died at all; it
says he “suffered and was buried.” This is one exception when what we are used to in English (referring to the death) was
allowed to be part of the translation even though it doesn’t exist in the Latin. The slight change of phrase was made to emphasize that it is not Jesus’ suffering in general (his painful execution) that is key, but rather that he, a divine being,
suffered death for our sakes.

Doesn’t “in accordance with the Scriptures” mean the same thing as “in fulfillment of the Scriptures?”
Not quite. This is another instance where the new translation is trying to be much more specific and exact. Christ certainly
fulfilled the prophecy of a Messiah from the Old Testament, but he also was the incarnation of all that was said in the New
Testament. We therefore say “in accordance with the Scriptures” meaning both the Old and New Testaments, rather than
just as a “fulfillment” of something that was promised in the past. FYI – The creed used in Britain since 1970 has used
“accordance with” since 1970 – something that has tripped up many a tourist in the United Kingdom.

“I confess one baptism?”
Catholics don’t just “believe” that baptism exists, we “confess” that it is effective and important. It is because of our confession of baptism that we have this profession of faith to say and be proud of.

What does “look forward to the resurrection of the dead” mean?
To look forward to something has always meant that we anticipate it – usually with pleasure, hope and great expectation. It
was felt that to “look for” made it seem that we were passively sitting back and trying to find this elusive thing, rather than anticipating and striving for it with joy.