A Day of Instruction on the new Sacramentary

Recently Bishop Raymond Lahey, the Bishop of Antigonish, NS, spent a day with both the priests and lay pastoral workers to outline some of the changes that will be found in the new Roman Missal which will be published in the near future. The Missal is the book which contains the prayers for the various celebrations of the Eucharist throught the year. The General Instruction which accompanies it contain the proper proceedures and rituals for the celebration of the Eucharist in our churches in Canada.

Bishop Lahey is a member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) is a mixed commission of Catholic Bishops' Conferences in countries where English is used in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy according to the Roman Rite. The purpose of the Commission is to prepare English translations of each of the Latin liturgical books and any individual liturgical texts in accord with the directives of the Holy See.

There was an excellent turn out of priests and lay people who came to be informed and brought up to date on the liturgy of the Church and its proper celebration.

The Eucharist is the source and the summit of our Christian life so it is most important that it be celebrated both properly and reverently so that all may receive its full benefit and be able to participate fully and actively. Workshops such as these are of great benefit in achieving this.

-30-