By Theresia Titus
Father Paul Turner, Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, is coming to Perth this month to present some reflection and formation sessions on the celebration of the Eucharist based on the words of the third dismissal formula of the Mass.
Fr Turner, who holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Rome’s Sant’Anselmo all’Aventino, will speak at a session dedicated for Perth parishes titled “How Sacraments Work: the use of signs in the liturgy” on Tuesday 24 March at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Woodlands Parish.
The session will invite the audience to explore the connection between “the celebration of the Eucharist” and how to live a life in communion with Jesus Christ and people encountered daily.
Centre for Liturgy’s Geraldine Schivardi informed The eRecord that Fr Turner’s visit is being jointly organised by the Archdiocese of Perth’s Centre for Liturgy agency and Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA).
“Fr Paul Turner is currently touring various parts of Australia. He will speak at the National Biennial Liturgy Conference 2020 in Parramatta as well as Brisbane, Melbourne, Sale, Adelaide, and Perth,” Ms Schivardi said.
“While in Perth, Fr Paul will also speak to the clergy and the laity, to give them a better understanding of the Sacraments, how to pray the Eucharistic Prayers, and also for the clergy how to effectively use a dialogue homily with children.
“It is hoped that it will provide some additional professional development for those who attend and give them a better understanding of some of the prayers we use in the liturgy,” she continued.
Another session at CEWA office has also been organised for Assistant Principals in Religious Education among Perth Catholic primary schools on Monday 23 March.
Fr Turner is a Pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri and former president of the North American Liturgy.
He is also a member of Societas Liturgica and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy, as well as a recipient of the Jubilate Deo Award (National Association of Pastoral Musicians), the Frederick McManus Award (Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions), and serves as a facilitator for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.
He is an author of three publications: Celebrating Initiation: A Guide for Priests (2008), At the Supper of the Lamb (2011), and Glory in the Cross (2011).
This the third Perth visit for Fr Turner, with the first in 2009 when he prepared “people of the Archdiocese for the implementation of the revised English translation of the Roman Missal” and second in 2014 when he spoke about Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), matrimony and funeral liturgies.
To register your attendance for evening parish session on 24 March 2020, contact Geraldine Schivardi at the Centre for Liturgy by Monday 16 March 2020 at 9207 3350 or email: cfl@perthcatholic.org.au
To register session at CEWA office for Assistant Principals in Religious Education, click here, enter date & scroll down to ‘K-6 ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NETWORK MEETING-Fr Paul Turner (Perth)’ to enrol.