By Deacon Frank Agnoli
In November, our diocese will begin a yearlong process of preparing for the implementation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. It will be implemented the First Sunday of Advent — Nov. 27, 2011. As our blueprint, we will use the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Parish Guide to Implementing the Roman Missal, Third Edition.”
A day-and-a-half have been added to the November 2010 clergy gathering to go over the implementation process, review resources for parish use, and look at the theology and spirituality of the new Missal. A copy of the Parish Guide will be given to priests and parish life administrators in attendance.
Among the first steps in the implementation process is for each parish to assemble an “implementation committee.” It may be better to gather a different group than the parish’s liturgy commission for the implementation process since the commission will still have to attend to its regular responsibilities. Members of the implementation committee could include some members of the liturgy commission, musicians, catechists, school teachers, deacons and others in parish leadership.
Schools not attached to a parish and religious communities are also encouraged to assemble their own committees and take part in the diocese’s implementation process.
In January and February, we will host a series of workshops around the diocese for members of these implementation committees and for other lay liturgical leaders. The focus of these workshops is to “train the trainers” for doing the necessary formation in their parishes. The dates and locations of these workshops are as follows:
• Jan. 15, 2011, St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Davenport (Davenport Deanery)
• Jan. 22, 2011, Sacred Heart Parish, Newton (Grinnell Deanery)
• Jan. 29, 2011, St. Patrick Parish, Iowa City (Iowa City Deanery)
• Feb. 5, 2011, St. Alphonsus Parish, Mount Pleasant (Keokuk Deanery)
• Feb. 19, 2011, St. Joseph Parish, DeWitt (Clinton Deanery)
• Feb. 26, 2011, St. Patrick Parish, Ottumwa (Ottumwa Deanery)
In May, we will run two additional workshops for those who lead music ministry in their parishes (choir and music directors, keyboardists, cantors): May 7, 2011, St. Mary Parish, Pella, and May 21, 2011, St. Mathias Church, Muscatine.
To help cover the cost of lunch and refreshments, we are estimating that the cost to attend one of the deanery or musician workshops will be $10. We will post registration forms on the website as soon as all the details are worked out.
The June Clergy Institute and Faith Formation Institute will also be devoted to the new Missal and a special workshop for deacons will be held June 25. More details will follow as they become available.
As parishes undertake the formation of their own liturgical ministers and parish members, the Office of Liturgy and Diocesan Liturgical Commission are available to assist in any way that we can.
(Deacon Agnoli is director of liturgy for the Diocese of Davenport.)
