By Anthony Barich
EXPLANATIONS of the new translations of the Roman Missal to hit parishes by Advent or early next year have been well received throughout Perth, Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton said.
The prelate said the workshops for the Catechesis on the Mass and “Train the Trainer” are being received very well by the parishes.
The workshops have introduced the interactive DVD Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, which is available from The Record Bookshop, to some 200 participants, and have explained how to use this catechetical resource in the parishes. These workshops have been presented in Kalgoorlie and opportunities will be given to other country parishes to have the presentations.
The Bishops of the Province of Western Australia have agreed that plenty of time needs to be given to the well ordered implementation of the Missal, said Bishop Sproxton, who is overseeing the implementation process in the Archdiocese of Perth.
The people’s parts of the Mass will be introduced on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (29-30 October). This should enable the parishes to be prepared for and deliver the catechesis on the Mass. In some other parts of Australia, this will be earlier. “We anticipate that the New Roman Missal will be available at the beginning of Advent, when the priests will be permitted to begin using the Presidential Prayers, the Prefaces, the Eucharistic Prayers and the rest of the Missal,” Bishop Sproxton said.
Archbishop Barry Hickey ordered the Pew Cards, which are now available to the parishes free of charge from the Centre for Liturgy. The cost of delivery will have to be charged if these cannot be collected personally upon arrangement from the Centre.
The Pew Cards have the people’s responses and the texts of the Confiteor, the Gloria, the Creed and the Mystery of Faith acclamations. The cards should be made available for the people’s use from the end of October.
The priests are to receive homily notes which are for the Sundays of Easter Season. These provide some simple points about the elements of the Mass in general and can give a foundation for the reflections on the new translation in each community.
A series of 14 Bulletin Bits accompanies the homily notes. These are designed for use in the parishes from the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2-3 July).
The Bulletin Bits give something of the theology and the liturgical understandings of the Mass, as well as what remains the same and the changes in the texts of the Mass, Bishop Sproxton said.
“When the series is completed, we will have arrived at the end of October when the people’s parts will be introduced,” he said.
The priests will be provided with two seminar mornings, Thursdays 16 and 23 June, on the spirituality of the Eucharistic life and presiding with the New Translation, an analysis of the texts and how the new texts will affect the way the celebrant prays them.
“The priests will be given ways to lead the parish community in the implementation of the New Missal. The in-service sessions will give the chance for the priests to get to know the extensive changes in the Missal that affect them,” the Bishop said.