Dear Brothers in Christ,

As fall fills the air we turn to the closing of another Liturgical Year. The Holy Season of Advent begins this year the weekend of November 26th and 27th. As we begin Advent we also begin the new revisions of the Roman Missal which impacts the words, the prayers, and the music we will use at the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

Pope John Paul II announced a revised version of the Missale Romanum during the Jubilee Year 2000. Among other things, the revised edition of the Missale Romanum contains prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses and Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal will also include updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well-known responses and acclamations of the people.

The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives. The Liturgical ministers of the Parish of St. Theresa have been planning for the implementation of the new translation for the past six months. Our goal has been to make this implementation as seamless as possible. This is an opportunity for all Catholics to deepen, nurture, and celebrate our faith through the renewal of our worship and the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

As Knights of Columbus we are called to be leaders in our parishes, showing the support of the Church and the pastor in the work of the local church. I call upon all members of our council to open our hearts to the Spirit of the implementation of the revised Missal. The Parish will be returning to the use of Missals in the main worship space and the chapel. We will have new song books which include the new translations and setting for many old and new hymns. The Priests and Deacons will use the revised Sacramentary with all the new prayers at all the Masses.

It is an exciting time in the Church. As such I am marking the liturgical year of 2012 – 2013 as the year of the Sacred Liturgy. During this year we will put a special emphasis on how and why we celebrate the Sacred Liturgy. We will break down the various parts of the Mass as we attempt to explain the why and how we celebrate. We hope that through our efforts we can reach out to those Catholics who for one reason or another have fallen away from the church and welcome them back with a fresh and renewed appreciation of the Celebration of Christ’s Sacrifice for us all, which we celebrate in the Sacred Liturgy.

This is a great time to invite others and to renew and rededicate ourselves to the Sacred Liturgy which Christ has given to us all.

Yours in Christ

Fr. Mick

Chaplain