Monday, October 02, 2006

A project for which help would be needed

It was a little over 13 months ago that I had made a proposal for the development of liturgical pamphlets/brochures in relation to the sacred liturgy. (The New Liturgical Movement: September 2005: A Modest Proposal)

The idea was to create pamphlets akin to what the Cambridge Camden Society did for Oxford Movement. This would be oriented towards pastors trying to reform the reform in their parish (and explain it as well), but the pamphlets would likely equally be of interest to the classical liturgical movement in many regards.

Here's the thing: I need help with these if they are to get done. (Originally I had many volunteers come forward I should note, and thank you to them if they are still here.) At present I think the best I can take on is an editorial capacity. Guiding the format, some of the content, etc.

What I need are volunteers (priests or laity) whom are read up on their Church documents, particularly Sacrosanctum Concilium, as well as the latest research books such as Fr. Lang's, Alcuin Reid's, David Berger, etc. (One not need have read these all, just for the topics in question.) I need people who are willing to take the initiative and after working with me to create a basic template for how it should go, are willing to go off on their own, research it, write it up in a non-polemic, explanatory way, and submit it back to me to work on finalizing, making any changes, etc.

Here are the pamphlets I want to do:

1) on the importance of the liturgy (we need this basic catechesis)

2) on ad orientem; why it is done; the corss back on the centre of the altar possibly as part of this -- reference to Fr. Lang's book would be important

3) Sacred music; on chant; on SC and what it said. On introducing it in the parish

4) Symbolism and Appointments of the Sanctuary

5) The Liturgy as received and organic; why we can't do just what we want in the liturgy


Here was my original post in part:

I propose that tri-fold pamphlets be developed which detail and outline things such as:

Ad Orientem Celebration (Perhaps titled for a popular edition: 'Why would the priest say Mass with his back to the people?') A short history and apologetic of ad orientem celebration, debunking common myths and proposing the spiritual, communal and liturgical benefits of this method could be succintly given.

Pamplets could be composed about sanctuary arrangement, like the placement of the celebrant's chair. Others could be composed debunking common myths about what 'Vatican II did away with', such as the matter of Latin, etc.

Such pamphlets could be created in PDF format, something which is easily printable, either by a professional printer, or by a parish's own computer printer, to be freely distributed on the internet, in the parish, to pastors and bishops, etc. Thus the undertaking can be taken up locally with little cost.

The pamphlets should avoid polemics, but should be straight forward and to the point.

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