Dear Bellarmine Parishioners,

As you know, the English-speaking Catholic world will be using a new translation of the Roman Missal starting in Advent, 2011. From what I can tell so far, this will affect presiders and musicians more directly than it will affect folks in the pews. Though our hymns and psalms remain the same, the "Holy Holy" and Eucharistic Prayer dialogue will require musical changes. Composers are at work, I’m told. And most all of the presider’s prayers will be affected by the new translation. Of course, these matters have a lot of emotional weight, the words we use for common worship, whether we speak them or sing or hear them. At the same time, I think we have time to manage an effective transition at Bellarmine. We’ve got a splendid liturgical tradition, based on good principles, and as a congregation we’re the right size to work with changes in a way that keeps people aboard and informed.

Many congregations, communities and campuses are using this as an occasion to learn again the strengths, meaning and rationale of "The Roman Rite," and how to keep it engaging and clear in the doing of it, for everybody involved Even through its many centuries of development and cultural variations, the Mass that we’ve inherited remains a fairly modest and sober procedure, easy to follow from one congregation to another. And at the same time, each new generation comes to its own moment of learning and claiming it from ground up. There may be an opportunity for us here. I’ve asked a small committee from our Sunday congregations (Rick and Sally Coomes, Fran Harmon, Karen Hurley, and Bill Lonneman) to look over the materials that are coming out now and see what might be useful at Bellarmine.

So yes, there will be adjusted translations of the Latin, from the now famous phrase "and with your Spirit," through half a dozen others that are part of the congregational prayers. I think we can manage this easily enough. But mainly the Roman Missal contains the Eucharistic prayers and other parts of the Mass that change from Sunday to Sunday for the presider. Clergy have been working with what got published very quickly, in 1973, the new English Sacramentary. As a newly ordained priest back than, I remember working with xeroxed pages until these things settled down into the book now familiar to us, a somewhat loose translation from the Latin here and there. Most pastors I talk with notice how frequently we might make verbal adjustments with the current Missal for the sake of drawing the congregation together in the prayer. In December of 2011, we’ll be working with a translation that is more polished, and I think it will be engaging to do so. And there are detailed instructions, and encouragement, to sing more of it!

I thought I should say something about this, as we count down the next 18 months or so until Advent of 2011. There’s more to say later on. And now here are a few updates and announcements.

Our delegation has returned from Tuba City, Arizona. Sue Antoinette has written up a great description of the work accomplished, and the spirit of community and involvement in native culture that is one of the best results. Vacation Bible School just finished a sticky week at St. Mary’s parish grounds, a new program this year about service stories from the Bible: "God’s Big Backyard." Besides the crafts, drama, and instruction, the children were visited by local service organizations, including the Ronald McDonald House and the Interfaith Hospitality Network. And now Jim Crosby and Kathy Kohl will move on to prepare the two week religious education program, July 26 through August 6 at St. Clement. Next Sunday the work crew of teens and adults leaves for Harlan Kentucky after the 9 a.m. Mass. There really aren’t any quiet months at Bellarmine!

We now have three new members for our Finance Committee, from among the half dozen or so who came forward to look at this opportunity to get engaged here. Rick Bohl, Cory Cevasco, and Mike Herrel will join now with Blake Smith, Barbara Beimesch, Tom Schick, Joan Couden, Amy Whitlatch, and Kevin Berlon (chair).

Finally, this is the closing week of taking nominations and statements of interest about the Advisory Committee. I’m proud of this committee, and the finance team, that since 1994 when they were established we have been able to keep a good rotation of talent and presence, and no one person has been aboard twice! That’s a lot to say for our shared life here. If you want to encourage anyone or make your own interest known, contact Karen Brandstetter or myself by July 1. Bring your vision of Church, your analytical skills or ability to ask questions, your empathy, your faith and your sense of the Gospel. All these things help us maintain a dialogue of purpose out of which so much of our priorities get established here, our ministries encouraged and delegated.

I hope you’ll notice the brief account in our Bulletin of Archbishop Schnurr’s letter last week concering the reform of immigration law. It was published in the Telegraph. I thought it was a very clear and balanced statement of Catholic principles, expressed by the American bishops since 1993, and I’m glad Archbishop Schnurr took the time to put it out with his own personal convictions so clear. Jeff has put copies in the narthex. Or just check out the bulletin column to find the reference.

Thanks for reading! God bless your travels, homes, and hopes.