NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LITURGY

 

 

NEWS AND VIEWS 2007

 

24 December 2007

The death of Fr Sean Collins

The death has occurred of Fr Seán Collins, OFM, former director of the National Centre for Liturgy (then called the Irish Institute of Pastoral Liturgy) and former national secretary for liturgy. Seán died on the morning of Christmas Eve, aged 62.

Seán was born in Ennis, Co. Clare on 20 October 1945. He entered the Franciscan Order, making his temporary profession on 4 October 1963 and solemn profession on 21 October 1966. He was ordained priest on 15 July 1972. As a Franciscan he fulfilled various services in the Irish Province: assistant novice master, Guardian (at Multyfarnham Abbey, Co. Westmeath), Definitor and Vicar Provincial. He also served the Order as a translator at various international congresses and general chapters. He was Definitor General (1997-2003) and Visitator to the province of India (2006).

Seán was appointed general secretary of the Franciscan Order in November 2006 and took up his appointment in January 2007 but returned home for treatment for lymph cancer in late June. Before leaving Rome, Seán received, at his own request, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at the hands of the Minister General of the Franciscan Order, José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, giving a moving testimony to the Fraternity of the General Curia: "I was a teacher of the sacraments for many years. I used to teach my students that the sacrament contains and offers the grace it signifies. This sacrament is medicine for the body and the soul. I am confident that the Lord, through it, will help me in those times of physical weakness and trial … I am serene and confident in the Lord…".

Seán studied at University College Galway, the Catholic University of Louvain and the Antonianum in Rome before taking a doctorate in liturgy at Sant Anselmo, Rome in 1982. He taught liturgy at the Antonianum, the Beda College, Rome before returning to Ireland to teach at the Milltown Institute.

In 1984 Seán came to the Centre then in Carlow as assistant director and succeeded the late Mgr Seán Swayne in 1986 as director and national secretary for liturgy, position he held for six years. Seán also served on the national agencies in liturgy, church music and sacred art and architecture and more recently as a member of an Coiste Comhairleach um an Liotúirge i nGaeilge.

Seán was buried on 27 December, following Mass at Multyfarnham.

 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

23 November 2007

Annual reports of National Commissions

The annual reports (dated 23 November 2007) placed before the Episcopal Conference for review at its December 2007 meeting and presented in summary to the meeting at Maynooth College on 21 November 2007 included: Episcopal Commission for Liturgy/Irish Commission for Liturgy/National Secretariat for Liturgy, National Centre for Liturgy, Advisory Committee on Sacred Art and Architecture, Advisory Committee on Church Music, Coiste Comhairleach um an Liotúirge i nGaeilge, Schola Cantorum and Irish Church Music Association.

The meeting on 21 November 2007 was attended by the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy, members of the various commissions and agencies and representatives from fifteen dioceses: Armagh, Clonfert, Cloyne, Derry, Dublin, Elphin, Ferns, Kerry, Kildare and Leighlin, Killala, Killaloe, Kilmore, Limerick, Tuam, and Waterford and Lismore.

Bishop John Magee was unavoidably absent due to a commitment in Rome. Bishop John McAreavey chaired the day and opened the meeting with the prayer said at each session of Vatican II. In welcoming those present, he also thanked members of commissions and the diocesan representatives for their work in the various aspects of liturgy, music, art and architecture, heritage and RCIA. He asked for a remembrance in prayer for those who have died since the last annual meeting including Fr Micheál Ó Meachair, a member of An Coiste Comhairleach um an Liotúirge i nGaeilge, Fr Eltin Griffin, OCarm, lecturer at the National Centre for Liturgy, Dr Seán Mac Reamoinn, Sr Anne Logan, former lecturer at the National Centre for Liturgy, Fr Lucien Deiss, who had given two May Liturgy Seminars, and two former students, Fr Michael Deegan and Fr P J Flynn.

Reports

During the day the annual reports were presented in summary form by Fr Patrick Jones (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy/Irish Commission for Liturgy/National Secretariat for Liturgy), Sr Moira Bergin (National Centre for Liturgy), Prof. Gerard Gillen (Advisory Committee on Church Music), Mr Gerard Lillis (Schola Cantorum), Fr Peter O’Kane (Irish Church Music Association), Dr Jacinta Prunty (Advisory Committee on Sacred Art and Architecture) and an Canónach Seán Terry (Coiste Comhairleach um an Liotúirge i nGaeilge).

Bishop John McAreavey gave a full update on ICEL’s work on the translation of the Missale Romanum, including the provision of liturgical catechesis material from the Leeds Group. Bishop Martin Drennan gave a report of ICPEL and the provision of the lectionary using NRSV and the Grail psalms.

Additional brief reports were given by Fr Thomas Carroll (including a welcome to attend the worship of the Orthodox Church), Fr Michael Gilroy (on broadcasting Holy Week), Ms Julie Kavanagh (liturgy resources, Kildare and Leighlin), Ms Mary Dee (liturgy in the diocesan plan for Waterford and Lismore), Ms Zuzana Mihalčīková (The "new Irish" and worship), Fr Daniel Murphy (publication of Gospel Acclamations) and Mr Pádraig McIntyre (liturgy resources, Kerry) and Rev. Gerald Field (on Church of Ireland Liturgical Advisory Committee).

Ms Patricia Coyle was the guest speaker. She spoke on "liturgy –word and sacrament" from her own work as a teacher of the philosophy of symbolism and as a presenter of readers’ courses

Issues and events

Among issues and events reported were:

    • Celebrating the Mystery of Faith, prepared by the National Centre for Liturgy and published in October 2005 is a very helpful guide to the celebration of Eucharist.

    • The translation of the Missale Romanum, 3rd edition, is a priority for ICEL and an Coiste Coiste Comhairleach um an Liotúirge i nGaeilge.

    • ICEL has completed the draft translation ("green book") of all segments of the Missale Romanum.

    • The difficulty in providing liturgical texts in Irish and the difficulties about the recognitio of the Congregation for Divine Worship, though discussed with the Congregation at a special meeting in Rome in May 2004, remain a major issue.

    • The "grey book" edition of Order of Mass, with several proposed amendments, was approved by the Conference in December 2006.

    • The publication of a new Roman Missal is an opportunity for liturgical catechesis on the Mass.

    • The Congregation for Divine Worship gave its recognitio to the National Propers in their English version (Prot. N. 816/07/, 10 July 2007).

    • Attention is drawn to a High Court judicial review judgment that one sentence in the chapter on Architectural Heritage Protection of Places of Public Worship in Architectural Heritage Protection is a misinterpretation of the legislation: In relational to declarations, this may mean that some works which are necessitated by liturgical requirements and which have a material effect on the character of the structure do not require planning permission.

    • Each diocese or group of dioceses should have in place Historic Churches Advisory Committees.

    • The arrangements at the Schola Cantorum put in place to enable students from outside the Mullingar area to receive accommodation grants have worked well. A trust fund established by the Schola Cantorum and St Finian’s College was proposed and accepted.

    • A statement on the remuneration of church musicians, issued through the Advisory Committee on Church Music has been widely welcomed. Its rates are annually updated and it is published by the Advisory Committee and the Church Music Committee of the Church of Ireland dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough.

    • A successful summer school of the Irish Church Music Association took place in July, with Mr Tom Kendiza as guest director. Fr Michael Joncas will be the guest director at the 2008 summer school.

    • A successful year was reported by the National Centre for Liturgy. The M.Th. in liturgy was conferred on six students on 13 October 2007. Four students were conferred with the Diploma and Higher Diploma in Pastoral Liturgy. A one day a week course in pastoral liturgy is being conducted on 20 Mondays.

    • Each diocese should have a director of RCIA.

    • Liturgical formation requires a pro-active promotion at national and diocesan levels.

1 November 2007

Death of Fr Michael Maher, MSC

Fr Michael Maher, a member of an Coiste Comlairleach un an Liotúirge i nGaeilge, died on 1 November 2007.  Michael was born in 1933, a native of Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway.  He entered the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1952 and was ordained in 1958.    He studied theology at the Gregorian University, Rome and biblical studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome.  Later he took a M.A. in Jewish studies at Hebew Union College, Cincinnati and a PhD in semetic languages at UCD.  His academic interest was in Tragums, the Aramaic translation of Hebrew texts.  He lectured in scripture at Mater Dei Institute Dublin from 1971 and continued to do so after his official retirement in 1998 until his unexpected death.  A popular teacher, his book Judaism, an Introduction to the Beliefs and Practices of the Jews (Columba Press, 2006) is regarded as an excellent introduction to the subject.   

He had a great interest in Irish Spirituality and in the Irish language.  He took particular interest in Irish folklore, seanfhocail, Irish place names and the country saying of the local area.  His contribution to the working of an Coiste Comhairleach for the past five years was generous and scholarly but always mindful of the tradition that must be a living expression of our worship today. 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

13 October 2007

Graduation Day at the Pontifical University

The Pontifical University of St Patrick’s College,  Maynooth held its Graduation Day today. Five students of the National Centre for Liturgy were conferred with the degree of Master’s in Theology: Turlough Baxter,   Paul Kenny,  Margaret McConalogue,  Paul McNamee and Norbert Ngussa. Four students received  Diplomas in Pastoral Liturgy: Higher Diploma in Pastoral Liturgy - Bernadette McDonnell and Padraig McIntyre,  Diploma in Pastoral - Mary Dee and Mary T Ryan.

PhD degrees were conferred on Olive Cullen and Michael Gilroy, who had studied liturgy at the Centre.

The degrees and diplomas were conferred by Archbishop Seán Brady, chancellor of the Pontifical University.

17 September 2007

New Academic Year begins

The new year began with the enrolment of students on the One Year Course in Pastoral Liturgy, a year which also serves as the first year of the Masters in Theology, specialising in liturgy. Eleven students are registered while a further fourteen are taking the Course on Liturgy and Ministry, conducted on twenty Mondays.

The part-time Diploma in Arts (Church Music) which the Department of Music at NUIM conducts in association with the National Centre for Liturgy also began its programme with twelve students.

1 September 2007

Studying Liturgy at Maynooth

In the September 2007 issue of Intercom, several students from the course last year told the story of their studies at the National Centre for Liturgy.

Mary Dee was appointed a resource person in liturgy as part of the diocesan pastoral plan, "Building in Faith" in Waterford and Lismore, launched last November. She explains how she needed to gain a confidence that would allow her to help parishes with their liturgical formation. She writes, "Needing help, my direction turned to the National Centre for Liturgy, Maynooth, where I completed the Diploma in Pastoral Liturgy during the past year.   This course has given me the confidence that I was looking for, and also a wonderful background on Liturgy and Liturgical formation.  The year in Maynooth  has also provided me with contacts and resources that will be needed as I begin this new venture. 

Fiona Minogue has been a primary teacher for nineteen years and during that time has been involved in the planning and music for First Communions and Confirmations. "The focus of the course last year," Fiona writes, "was on understanding the nature of the liturgy and how it had developed to its current condition. There was input from a wide range of people, including representatives of other Christian faiths and a wide range of topics was covered. There was an emphasis on academic rigour as well as on practical issues, and I feel that this rigour is important in the area of religion, and particularly in liturgy."

Fr Paul Kenny writes that it is possible for a priest to complete the course and maintain a parish position. Paul says: "In my own case, the day after I began the programme in 2005, I was appointed as Administrator of the parish! Having already arranged the work rota for the parish to facilitate my absence on these days, even this didn't present an impossible obstacle. With a little organisation the course was manageable and in general, while at times the workload of reading, research and writing was demanding, it was possible."

Fr Turlough Baxter found that his parish experience was of great benefit when he did the Diploma in Arts (Church Music) course four years ago and returned to complete a Masters in liturgy. "I could never have gained so much from the course if it was not for the experience of parish life over these past few years. Both courses are founded not on the theory but the reality and needs of the Irish worshipping community."

 

Mary Egan, Catherine Kelly and Fr Michael Coady from St Patrick’s parish, Ringsend took past in the Liturgy and Ministry course conducted on twenty Mondays: "We were already involved in our parish but we had an awareness of the need for training and ongoing formation to enhance the work we were doing in our parish. We really enjoyed the course and during it we were able to put into practice in our own parish many of the themes we explored

 

"Liturgy has always influenced my life, as it does for many of us if we reflect on it" says Rosemary Lavelle. "In 2000, I decided to study Pastoral Liturgy at St. Patrick’s College Maynooth. It prepared me to participate further in parish ministry." She returned to the study of liturgy last year enrolling on the Masters programme, combining family commitments, lectures on Mondays and Tuesdays and yet plenty of time to study.

 

Fr Norbert Ngussa was ordained in 1975 and has worked in several parishes in the diocese of Shinyanga in Tanzania for thirty years. "I found the course so inspiring that I found myself encouraged to study for the Master's degree in theology." About the programme he says, "The courses in theology and liturgical practice, liturgy and time, liturgical spirituality and prayer, the word of God in the liturgy, music in worship, the sacraments, pastoral care and pastoral liturgy give the student an opportunity to study the tradition of the Church's worship and its place in today's world."

 

Asked about the future and, in particular, about working in liturgy, Colette Furlong, who is finishing her MTh in liturgy, said: "To the fore of the pastoral liturgist’s approach is the notion that one size does not fit all. Be it in a third level institute, a gathering of a group of clergy, a parish liturgy group, a group training for a specific service in the liturgy or in a seminary the liturgist draws on the experience of the participants and accompanies them to encounter the tensions between the past and the present, between what humans do and what God is doing, between the sacred and the profane, between the personal and the communitarian, all to be found in the liturgy, and daily Christian life for that matter.

 

7 July 2007 

Summorum Pontificum

The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum on the "Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970" was published today. The motu proprio gives the norms for the use of the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, published in 1962, prior to Vatican II. It also regulates the use of other liturgical books used before the revisions mandated by Vatican II.

The official Latin text of Summorum Pontificum is available on www.vatican.va An unofficial translation as well as the Letter to Bishops issued by Pope Benedict XVI and commentary is available on the U.S.A. Bishops’ Conference liturgy website: www.usccb.org/liturgy/bclnewsletterjune07.pdf

2-6 July 2007 

Church Music Summer School

The 38th annual summer school of the Irish Church Music Association has taken place at Maynooth College this week. The guest director was Tom Kendzia, the well-known U.S. liturgical composer and musician. Tom took part in last year’s summer school and received a big welcome back from the well attended summer school.

The special choir for the week was under the direction of Colin Mawby.

1st July, 2007

FORMER  ICEL EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AWARDED PRO ECCLESIA ET PONTIFICE MEDAL
 
At a parish Sunday Mass at Holy Trinity Church, Washington, D.C., on July 1, Bishop Donald W. Trautman, Bishop of Erie and Chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (BCL), presented Dr John R. Page with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal. Mgr Anthony Sherman, incoming Director of the Secretariat of the BCL, assisted Bishop Trautman during the presentation ceremony. John Page was honoured for his service to the liturgical life of the Church throughout the English-speaking world. He was a member of the staff of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) from 1972 to 2002, and served as its Executive Secretary for twenty-two years. ICEL was established by ten Bishops' Conferences during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). It was given a mandate by those conferences to prepare the English editions of the liturgical books, as revised at the direction of the Council.

21 May 2007

Close of Academic Year

The academic year at the National Centre for Liturgy closed in its customary way. Evening Prayer was celebrated in St Mary’s Oratory, which was full with students, staff, guests and friends.

A recital of liturgical music composed by Ronan McDonagh followed. Ronan is organist and director of music at St Teresa’s Church in Clarendon Street, Dublin. He studied music at UCD and NUI Maynooth. He also spent some time at the Liturgy Centre when it was based in Carlow and had maintained his links with the Centre as a teacher of liturgical music composition at NUIM and the Pontifical University, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, including the Diploma in Church Music course. Performing the music at the recital was Fuaimlaoi, a group of singers and instrumentalists formed by Ronan last year to help develop and promote liturgical music in Irish and English that grows out of our native tradition.

The evening concluded with a reception in Renehan Hall.

1 May 2007

 

Church Music Summer School. July 2007

The 38th annual Irish Church Music Association summer school will take place from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th July at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The guest director this year will be Tom Kendzia, liturgical music composer from Providence, Rhode Island. The well-known choral director and composer, Colin Mawby will be in charge of the special choir for the week.

For more information click www.irishchurchmusicassociation.com

 

 

Solemnity of St Patrick 2008 transferred to 15 March

17 March 2008 will be Monday of Holy Week. Easter Sunday next year, 23 March, is almost the earliest possible. The days of Holy Week and Easter Week rank above all others and so the solemnity of St Patrick must be transferred. The general rule would be to transfer the feast to after the Second Sunday of Easter. But in order to keep a link with the civic celebrations, the feast of St Patrick will be Saturday, 15 March next year. Since the feast is transferred, following the usual norms, it will not be a holyday of obligation.

 

The General Calendar  transfers the feast of St Joseph from Holy Week in 2008 to Saturday, 15 March but in the dioceses of Ireland the feast of St Joseph will be observed on Friday, 14 March 2008.

 

These dates for 2008 have been approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (20 January 2007, Prot. 1602/06/L)

 

The feast of the Annunciation, since 25 March is Easter Tuesday, will be observed on Monday, 31 March.

22 February 2007 

Post Synodal document published

Sacramentum Caritatis, the post synodal apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Church’s life and mission has been published. The Synod of Bishops took place on 2-23 October 2005. Sacramentum Caritatis is available on  www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortation/index_en.htm

19 February 2007

 

Visit of Bishop John Flack

Bishop John Flack, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and personal representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See gave a public lecture on issues in the Anglican-Roman Catholic ecumenical dialogue at Maynooth College on Monday, 19 February. A large audience heard of the importance of the documents on theology and worship issued by ARCIC 1 and 2 and the impact of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and the present Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI on relationships between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. The lecture was hosted by the National Centre for Liturgy in collaboration with the Chaplaincy at Trinity College, Dublin

Revd Dr Alan McCormack, chaplain, Trinity College; Rev. Patrick Jones, National Centre for Liturgy; Sr Moira Bergin, National Centre for Liturgy, Bishop John Flack, Dr Kenneth Milne, Rev. Prof. Liam Tracey, St Patrick College and National Centre for Liturgy; Rev. Patrick Glesson, chaplain, Trinity College: Rev. Prof. Brendan Leahy, St Patrick’s College who chaired the meeting.