Parishioners prepare for new translations of Mass texts

Photo Caption: A page from the new English translation of the Roman Missal shows a change in the people’s response when the priest says, “the Lord be with you.” The congregation responds, “And with your spirit.”

By: By Jennifer Willems

New years often bring a desire to change and a renewed sense of hope for the future, and it will be no different when the church ushers in a new liturgical year on Nov. 27, the First Sunday of Advent.

The change in this case is the new English translation of the texts used at Mass and the hope is that it will help people enter into the paschal mystery in an even deeper way. An informal survey of parishes around the Diocese of Peoria indicates that the faithful will be ready for a new encounter with their ancient liturgy.

For the last three weeks, Father Fredi Gomez Torres, pastor, and Father Gary Blake, parochial vicar, at Holy Cross Parish in Mendota have been going through the new texts with the people who come to daily Mass.
Father Gomez Torres said the goal is to make as many people as possible comfortable with the changes so they can help the others who may be saying the new words for the first time the weekend of Nov. 26-27.

The children at Holy Cross School have also had an opportunity to practice the new texts and have been benefiting from the PowerPoint presentation and booklet prepared by the diocesan Offices of Catechetics, Catholic Schools and Divine Worship. In addition to cards in the pews, Holy Cross has provided pamphlets for parishioners to study at home.

With many more changes in store for the clergy, Father Gomez Torres said he has been working very hard to pray with and become familiar with the new texts.

“It’s going well,” he said of the parish’s efforts. “We catch ourselves and practice more and more.”

St. Pius X Parish in Rock Island also has been using the materials provided by the diocese, including the PowerPoint presentation and the bulletin inserts provided by the Office of Divine Worship. Barbara Roedel, pastoral associate and director of adult faith formation, said Father R. Michael Schaab, pastor, and Father Jerry Logan, parochial vicar, will talk at all the Masses for the First Sunday of Advent and walk parishioners through the new missal.

“No matter what you do to catechize, no matter what you say from the pulpit, a certain number of people won’t hear it,” she explained. “We will probably be very deliberate about it for the first month, until they have picked it up or memorized it.”

Three or four times a year parishioners are invited to an “Ask Father Mike Night” and the first 30 minutes of the one held last week was set aside for questions about the new translation of the Roman Missal. This week he is scheduled to present a tour of the church for those in the RCIA process, focusing again on the texts.

Roedel said music director Karen Manning not only started to introduce a revised setting of the “Mass of Creation” right away, but made CDs for the parish staff so they would know what their responses were. They are planning to use the chant settings from the missal during Lent.

VICARIATE EFFORT
Msgr. Albert Hallin, vicar of the Champaign vicariate of the diocese and pastor of St. Boniface in Seymour and St. Joseph’s in Ivesdale, said the pastors worked together to prepare their parishioners.

“The people were clamoring for it. They said, ‘When are we going to get going?’ A lot of pressure came from the pews,” he told The Catholic Post. “We had tremendous cooperation from the pastors here.”

They decided to use “A Biblical Walk Through the Mass,” a DVD series developed by Ascension Press, and the accompanying booklet, “A Guide to the New Translation of the Mass” by Dr. Edward Sri.

“I’ve gone to half the parishes in the vicariate and served as a resource person,” Msgr. Hallin said. “It’s been very, very well received and successful.”

He asked everyone involved in liturgical ministries in his parishes to participate in the program and said the other pastors strongly encouraged their entire parishes to go.

“People have said, ‘Thank God we did this. We never knew so much about the Mass,'” according to Msgr. Hallin.

They also used the bulletin inserts from Ascension Press and when the diocesan inserts became available they used those, too. “We thought the more the better,” he said.

While some have been concerned about how children will pick up such new language as “consubstantial,” Msgr. Hallin said they seem to be doing just fine. “They went right along with it. Like the adults, we just have to prepare them.”

Father Timothy Sauppe, pastor of St. Mary’s in Westville, said he is looking forward to the “more dignified, more elevated language” that will be part of the new translation. He has been talking about it in his homilies and providing background for parishioners.

In addition, they have used “Encounter: Our New and Ancient Mass,” a DVD produced by the Diocese of Peoria. It features Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Msgr. Stanley Deptula, director of the Office of Divine Worship, who talk about key changes in the Mass texts and how they add beauty and meaning to the liturgy.

MONASTERY PREPARES
While the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery are comfortable with the Latin chants and use them at various times during the church year, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will take some getting used to, Sister Charlotte Sonneville, OSB, told The Post.

“We’re just trying to get the Sisters comfortable with the new language and be able to participate to the full, as they have in the past,” said Sister Charlotte, who serves as one of two liturgists for the monastic community.

“It’s awkward,” she said of the new English text. “We’re so used to saying it by memory. We will be using pew cards until we become comfortable with it.”

Part of their preparation involves studying the Mass and the texts that are being used, Sister Charlotte added.

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