Catholic churches face a bill of at least €1million to update altar missals and Mass books for forthcoming changes to the liturgy.Cardinal Sean Brady has announced that the controversial changes to the English liturgy will come into force on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, but the changes will begin to be used at all Masses from September 11.
Criticisms of the changes by the Association of Catholic Priests have been rejected by the bishops.
Churches will have to buy new €300 altar missals to replace existing books.
Churches will have to buy new €300 altar missals to replace existing books.
Catholic publishers Veritas expects the new Roman Missal to be available in late August/September, and is also working towards a new edition of its children’s prayer books.
Mass books bought this week for first Communions will also be out of date by November. According to the Catholic Communications Office, there are 2,657 churches in Ireland, plus ten brothers’ houses, 22 clerical religious orders and 88 houses for nuns, so the bill for altar missals alone will run to at least €833,000.
Parishes which supply Sunday missals to their congregations will also have to buy new books.
Mass books bought this week for first Communions will also be out of date by November. According to the Catholic Communications Office, there are 2,657 churches in Ireland, plus ten brothers’ houses, 22 clerical religious orders and 88 houses for nuns, so the bill for altar missals alone will run to at least €833,000.
Parishes which supply Sunday missals to their congregations will also have to buy new books.
Desmond Woods, the founder of CBC publishers and religious goods distributors in Newry, Co Down, said the company planned to publish around 10,000 Sunday missals in time for the changes: ‘‘Some parishes order 100 to 200 missals at €4 to €5 each for use by the congregation," he said.
Welcoming the new missal, the bishops said: ‘‘The changes to the current text that affect the congregation are relatively small in number, but Mass will sound different." They said the new translation would more clearly reflect ‘‘the biblical resonances’’ of prayers.
The third edition of the Roman Missal was launched in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy began work on the translation in 2002, but changes suggested by the Irish Bishops’ Conference were eventually rejected by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship.
Musical settings for the new translation will be launched at the summer school of the Irish Church Music Association in Maynooth in July.
Welcoming the new missal, the bishops said: ‘‘The changes to the current text that affect the congregation are relatively small in number, but Mass will sound different." They said the new translation would more clearly reflect ‘‘the biblical resonances’’ of prayers.
The third edition of the Roman Missal was launched in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy began work on the translation in 2002, but changes suggested by the Irish Bishops’ Conference were eventually rejected by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship.
Musical settings for the new translation will be launched at the summer school of the Irish Church Music Association in Maynooth in July.
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