Blogs - Strategies for Implementation

Christopher Carstens
D. Todd Williamson
Sandra Dooley

In Encountering the Words of Christ in the Mass, Christopher Carstens reflects upon the third edition of the Roman Missal, giving particular attention to the changes in the Mass texts.

Christopher Carstens holds a B.A. from the Oratory of St. Philip in Toronto, and M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Dallas and a M.A. (Liturgical Studies) from The Liturgical Institute. He is currently the Director of the Office of Sacred Worship for the Diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where he serves as Coordinator of Pontifical Liturgies, liturgical coordinator for the Permanent Deacon formation program, and diocesan Director of RCIA. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Liturgical Institute and a frequent presenter in liturgical conferences and parish education. He is a member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy and is married with four children. Mr. Carstens is one of the presenters of Mystical Body, Mystical Voice.

In this blog, Praying, Believing, and Living, D. Todd Williamson discusses the pastoral, spiritual, and ministerial ramifications of the revised English translation of the Roman Missal. Todd's blog is updated every other week.

Todd Williamson is the current Director of the Office for Divine Worship of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is the author of two editions of Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons, and Weekdays:The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy (2007 and 2008, LTP) and has contributed to subsequent editions. He is also co-author of Bringing Catechesis and Liturgy Together: Let the Mystery Lead You! (2002, TwentyThird Publications), and he has written for numerous periodicals (Rite, Pastoral Liturgy, Catechumenate, and Religion Teacher's Journal).

In addition to writing, he is a teacher and national speaker in the areas of liturgy and the sacraments. He is co-host of the monthly radio program, Focus on the Liturgy, which airs on the fourth Wednesday of every month on Relevant Radio 950 AM, in the Chicagoland area.

Todd has been the director of the Office for Divine Worship for eight years. As such, he has dealt with countless pastoral situations in regards to the liturgy. It is from this unique experience that he writes in this blog: breaking open the English texts and making connections to our spiritual and ministerial lives as people of faith.

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Sandra Dooley moved to Los Angeles in 1999 after 18 years in Orlando, FL. where she spent 10 years as the liturgy director of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master of Pastoral Studies degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, with emphasis in liturgy. She is an experienced church musician, religious educator and liturgist, and has been a committee member, coordinator and/or speaker at local and national conferences.

In June, 2001, Sandra joined the Office for Worship of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as Associate Director. She was Director of the Office from April, 2003 through July, 2009. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) from 2004 until her return to FL in 2009.

Sandy currently serves as the director of liturgy at St. Margaret Mary Church in Winter Park, FL, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate.

Revised Roman Missal Blogs

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Strategies for Implementation

Jan 31

Written by: Todd Williamson
1/31/2011 7:09 PM

We’re now less than 10 months away from the implementation of the English translation of the third edition of The Roman Missal, scheduled to begin on the first weekend of Advent, November 26/27, 2011. As our Office of Divine Worship continues to present study days all over the Archdiocese of Chicago, the rallying call has become, “You should be doing things in preparation now!”

In one of the sessions of these study days, we offer suggested resources and strategies for preparation. Among those suggestions, the following are stressed and I offer them here for your consideration:

Use the parish bulletin to relay information to parishioners about the English translation of the Missal:
- Use bulletin inserts. There are many fine series available online – and they’re free! See LTP’s offerings on this website and those offered by the USCCB.
- Point parishioners to the USCCB Web site and encourage them to download the English translation of the Order of Mass.
- Give actual examples of the texts from the English translation, e.g. the invitation to Holy Communion (“Behold the Lamb of God…”) and the people’s response. Offer brief reflections on the revised translations.
Make use of already scheduled gatherings in the parish and offer a brief presentation on The Roman Missal. Distribute the inserts cited above.
Encourage small study groups in your parish. Using available guides (e.g. LTP’s Understanding the Revised Mass Texts, Second Edition), groups that already gather can begin learning about and discussing the revised translation. For example, the Bible-study group could devote 4 – 8 weeks to this endeavor. Regular meetings of liturgical ministers and other groups (the mothers or men’s groups, catechists, school faculty, for example) can easily use these guides to help prepare for the Missal’s implementation.

These are just a few suggestions of ways that your parish can begin now to prepare for the reception and implementation of The Roman Missal. The important thing is to begin! Ten months is not very long – and the more parishioners are informed the easier the implementation will go.

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