A tale of two translations

We're now two weeks in, and everything seems to be running smoothly. No massive hiccups, no hissy fits and no mistakes - what am I talking about? The new mass translation of course. 

new Mass translation/Mazur

At the beginning of September all Masses begun using the new translation in some parts of the Mass, and from Advent the whole Mass will be said using the new translation.


In my parish there seems to be a genuine excitement about saying the Mass and the new responses. It's also provided an ideal opportunity for the priest to explain why we say what we do, and what it all means. There is usually a general assumption that we all understand what we're saying - and maybe we do! - but it's also nice to have someone refresh your memory. 


Our parish priest explained before Mass started what changes we could expect, what would be different and reminded us to keep our eyes on the cards for now as we're bound to get muddled. He was right. Despite his explanation, just a few lines into Mass and he was met with a chorus of 'and also with you' and mixed murmurings of 'and with your spirit'. 


I have to own up and say I wasn't one of those who got it right. 


But calling on some of the Dunkirk spirit we picked ourselves up, shame faced and a little embarrassed, and with a giggle or too we tried again. The rest of Mass we responded correctly. 


Of course, for now, we're all clutching our Mass cards as if they hold the secret to life! It's inevitable that with any big shift from the familiar that we'll all be nervous and unsure, but if tonight's Mass is anything to go by we needn't worry. Apart from some of us making the same automatic responses - again - we did quite well. 


We have until Advent to learn our new responses and ease into the changes so before then it's homework time. Rote learning the prayers.


Alongside the move to a more accurate Mass we're also being treated to homilies explaining what the Mass is all about. Priests are taking the time worn tradition and revealing a trove of theological treasures to parishioners that just wasn't possible before.  


Take 'and with your spirit', for years we've droned 'and also with you' - the equivalent of tipping your cap to our Father as if we were saying 'you too, mate'. We might as well have been greeting a friend in a pub. For some reason I have the image of those Victorian caps being nodded to God...


So how come 'and with your spirit' is better? it doesn't exactly trip off the tongue, but it was the ancient greeting used by Christians: et cum spiritu tuo. It makes an appearances a few times in the Bible: Pauline Epistles: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brethren. Amen” (Gal 6:18; cf Phil 4:23; Philemon 25); “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2 Tim 4:22).


The Catholic Herald have a great explanation of why 'and with your spirit' is such an important change, it's well worth a read. 


But this isn't the only amendment to the Mass that we'll notice over the next few weeks. Most are fairly obvious: 'Lord I'm not worthy for you to enter under my roof' - the words of the Centurion from the Bible is one of them. 


The switching of 'one body' to consubstantial is one that had left many people scratching their heads. It's an old Latin word used to describe the relationship between the Divine persons of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the idea that all three are 'one being'. While we may have said  'and of one body' in the Creed for the last 40 years the use of 'consubstantial' had me puzzled. Isn't it essentially the same thing? It was only after a wonderful sermon by our parish priest and a bit of reading that I came around from the view it was archaic (and a bit of a tongue twister). it goes without saying that everything has been changed for a reason.


Essentially the new Mass translation aims to take us back to the scripture, to reconnect what we say in the Mass with the words of God and the original Christians. There is something truly humbling and overwhelming in thinking that amending a few words in a text that has become so familiar to us could possibly help us gain so much more from the Mass. That in using the same words the early Christians most likely used we are echoing age old tradition and remembering those who have come before us. 


As usual I'm getting carried away in a romantic ideal of what the Mass could achieve. But for once I have the hopeful feeling that this time it's less of a idealistic notion, but something that will actually become a reality. 


As your parish priest takes to the pulpit this weekend listen carefully, take the booklets, guides and explanations of why the changes have been made. Soak it all up, because if we embrace the unfamiliar we can rejuvenate the Mass and take it back to its roots. 


Now wouldn't that be something worth aspiring to?

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Posted in: advent,arundel and brighton,bible,burgess hill,catholic,catholic church,catholic herald,Mass,new mass translation,parish,spirit

Parish Profile: St Patrick's, Soho Square

For a church that plays such an important role in the community, the entrance to St Patrick’s Church is very unassuming. Walking through the streets of Soho surrounded by bright lights, party music and numerous watering holes, the casual passerby could be forgiven for missing the small portico that leads to one of the oldest Catholic churches in London. Take the time to look inside, however, and you’ll be met with a stunning, newly renovated church. 

St Patrick’s was the first church in England to be built after the Reformation, founded in 1792. During this period the Catholic population in London doubled, so much so that within ten years London’s total regular Mass goers had grown to 150,000 a week.


For many years the majority of St Patrick’s parishioners were poor Irish, but more recently the church has welcomed residents of many other European countries leading to Mass being celebrated every week not only in English but Spanish, Portuguese and Cantonese. 
For the past year, however, Masses have been celebrated in the dining room of the presbytery while parishioners waited patiently for major refurbishment work to the church, costing £3 million, to be completed. 


Reopening its doors


St Patrick’s reopened its doors on 31 May 2011. The reopening came as a relief to parish priest Fr Alexander Sherbrooke. 600 people attended the reopening Mass, 170 were at Vespers, and 200 people attended the Mass of the Ascension. James Conley, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, and Cardinal Pell from Sydney came over to England to join in the celebrations. 
Fr Alexander said: “They loved being here and said these had been some of the most wonderful days of their lives. People have just been happy to be Catholic.”


Those who have visited St Patrick’s before will understand why the change was so important. Carpets had faded, wallpaper was peeling and the ‘smell of humanity’ lingered in the air. Now the church is a beautiful testimony to the work it does – light, bright and clean.

Fr Alexander said: “People have spoken so clearly about the beauty of the church. People have come up to me and said ‘Wow, now we have a Church in Soho where we can belong and can come and adore the Lord. Thanks Father’. When I’ve been watching people come in to pray, there is a tremendous sense of peace. After years of labour and money-raising people feel that they can commune with God in this place. The love of God, unconditionally into eternity, is a journey all of us are called to. This is now shown at St Patrick’s church in a remarkable way.”


A need for light

One of Fr Alexander’s first moves when he arrived as parish priest nine years ago was to set up Eucharistic Adoration. He explained: “In a place like Soho there is a need to create light, so Eucharistic Adoration is important to St Patrick’s. It acts as a centre to all we do. People can come and be curious and look and see what you are adoring. It draws people in.”
It is this attitude that influences all the parish’s other activities. These range from helping the homeless to evangelising and youth work.

St Patrick’s is home to St Patrick’s Evangelisation School (or SPES, the Latin for “hope”). Students take to the streets to spread the word and evangelise. They speak to people about their faith, offering prayers to those that pass.

From September SPES will be based in the new community centre that will also be home to Open House, which runs every Thursday providing meals for the homeless. St Patrick’s was built two centuries ago with the pennies of the poor, now the poor come to St Patrick’s for help, comfort and a welcoming face.

A centre for evangelisation

Fr Alexander tells me that St Patrick’s is “not just about attracting people who are Catholic”. Quoting Matthew 28:19 he says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” and reminds me it is our “duty to open our arms” to all who wish to come to church.

“Soho is a very busy part of London and there are an enormous amount of people. We live in a cosmopolitan city and it is important that people find a way into the church, even more so that they find a welcome here,” he explains.

There is clearly an emphasis on evangelising at St Patrick’s. With SPES, outreach projects and a welcoming attitude I ask Fr Alexander how important is the parish’s role as a centre of evangelising.

He says: “I always say the Catholic Church has to be more zealous in evangelisation. St Patrick’s Church and congregation has given us a great confidence to do that.”
More and more people are recognising the role St Patrick’s is playing in the New Evangelisation - a new movement aiming to strengthen and renew our faith in a secular world.

As part of the reopening week celebrations George Weigel, an American author famous for his work on John Paul II, gave a private lecture at St Patrick’s.

Weigel said: “The Church is a mission. Everything the Church does, the Church does to propose Jesus Christ as the answer to the question that is every human life. Everything the Church does, the Church does in order to offer friendship with Jesus Christ as the true means of satisfying the deepest longings of the human heart.”

Fr Alexander hopes this will be reflected at St Patrick’s in the continuing work of the parish. “St Patrick’s hopes to be more of a focus for opportunities for helping people deepen knowledge in faith and teaching,” he says. “We want this to be a place that can give both pastoral outreach and feed the soul.”

In this mission St Patrick’s is already a shining example. With a strong commitment to outreach and a deep spiritual centring to all they do, St Patrick’s will hopefully remain a parish at the forefront of evangelising for many centuries to come.

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Posted in: catholic,catholic church,diocese of westminster,parish,parish profile,soho square,st patricks,westminster