Braintree, Ma And Mundelein, IL, June 2, 2011 — The Archdiocese of Boston will host New England’s Regional Liturgy Conference on Friday, June 3rd at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. The program, called Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass, is a comprehensive one-day workshop that will prepare the Catholic faithful for the reception of the translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. Developed by Liturgical Institute faculty members Fr. Douglas Martis and Mr. Christopher Carstens, the program is firmly grounded in sacramental theology and the liturgical rites of the Church. “The program brings a unique approach to this special opportunity the Church has been given,” said Liturgical Institute Director and sacramental theologian Fr. Douglas Martis. “We see the implementation of the Missal as a chance to enrich the lives of the faithful with a deeper understanding of the sacramental nature of worship, whose purpose is to glorify God and sanctify His people.”
Christopher Carstens, the Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Lacrosse WI, praises its rich theology and positive pastoral approach. “We are doing much more than telling people that the Missal used to say this and now it says that. Instead we are discussing the central mysteries of the Faith that deal with how we offer worship to the Father and become conformed to Christ,” he said. “Those powerful words of Vatican II calling for full, conscious, active and fruitful participation in the sacred liturgy ask us to know why words matter and what words mean when they come from Christ and His Mystical Body.
Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, the Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Boston sees this as an exciting opportunity for Catholics in New England to prepare well for the Revised Roman Missal and to grow in their appreciation for the sacred Liturgy. “I have been overwhelmed by the response of both clergy and laity as we discuss the upcoming changes in the Mass texts. Once we get beyond the fact that change is usually difficult, people are happy to read the new translations and to understand the meaning that the new words convey.” He added, “I see this as an opportunity to participate in the ongoing Liturgical renewal that the Second Vatican Council called for. It is certainly not an opportunity we would want to waste.”
Conference organizers are expecting 600 people at Friday’s event, most of whom are lay people who are coming from the Archdiocese of Boston. A large number of participants are coming from New Hampshire and the other New England states.
To find out about more about Mystical Body, Mysti¬cal Voice, visit www.mysticalbodymysticalvoice.com or www.mbmv.org.