Bishop Kmiec's Pastoral Letter on the Roman Missal, 3rd. Edition

Throughout its entire history the Roman Catholic Church has found its strength in the sacred mysteries celebrated in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist. It has nearly become cliché to say that “the Liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed, at the same time it is the font from which all the Church’s power flows” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council n.10) Such phrases become cliché because they so ably express commonly accepted truths. The liturgy celebrates God’s plan of salvation, fulfilled by Christ, the Lamb of God.

Through His sacrifice on the cross, in which He shed the blood of the new and everlasting covenant, Christ Jesus leads us to the New Promised Land of the heavenly kingdom. This is our faith. This is our hope. All Christian activity is expressive of that truth. The graces imparted through our sacramental rites empower us to act in the world as God would have us do. As Church, we, its members, are unified by this truth that we recall and celebrate at every liturgy. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that every liturgy be celebrated with great care and reverence. This includes actions performed sincerely and meaningfully, and words chosen carefully.

From the earliest experiences of Church when the faithful gathered for the telling of the Good News, the breaking of the bread and the sharing of prayers (Acts 2:42), through the early formulations of liturgical texts and councils that developed our Creed, to the 16th century Council of Trent that produced the first universally adopted missal, to the Second Vatican Council that initiated a new era of liturgical renewal, up to the present day with the third typical edition of the Roman Missal, the Church has been developing itself and expressing itself through a recurrent effort to refine our ritual practice.

Many of the texts in the missal find their roots in the words of Sacred Scripture, patristic writings and the earliest prayers used in the first centuries of Christianity. This means that the words take us back to the origins of our liturgical prayer and our roots as the people of God. We are tied, through text, to all of the faithful in our Church from the earliest beginnings through to the present era. Languages have changed, text has been translated, but the truths expressed remain unchangeable. The truth known and celebrated in the age of the apostles is true for us today. In each age and in each language the Church strives to revere and celebrate appropriately the truths of faith. The words that we use in our age and in our language are chosen carefully to preserve the meaning and essence of that truth which we celebrate.

The scholars associated with the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and Vox Clara in Rome have worked in consultation with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to produce an English translation that invites the faithful of our country to become more fully engaged, with deeper understanding in the sacred mysteries that we celebrate. This text is comprehensible for our people, while remaining faithful to the tradition of the Church, noble in language and accurate in liturgical theology.

With the publication of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal and its English translation for use in the United States of America we are embarking on a new moment in the centuries-old process of liturgical refinement and renewal. This revised translation is an invitation to participate fully in the faith, tradition and theology of the universal Church as it has been handed down through the ages. As we become familiar with the new text we must be careful to avoid focusing on individual words. It is the context and the liturgical action that enrich the meaning of these words while the text helps to amplify and explain the ritual action of the liturgy.

I encourage all in our diocese to study the new texts and prayerfully reflect upon their meaning. When the time comes to use the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, let us all unite in a sincere celebration of the sacred mysteries praying the words of the new text faithfully.

These prayers are our inheritance from all who came before us, and the legacy that we hand on to those who will follow us. Thus, we continue to be the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” In obedience to the teaching authority of our Church, let us avoid straying from these words that were chosen carefully.

Our diocesan Office of Worship and our Liturgical Commission will help us to understand and implement the new Roman Missal. The Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship has worked with the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions to produce materials for use throughout the country to help us in this effort. As we enter this next stage of liturgical refinement in our Church, let us seek to enrich our own appreciation of the sacred mysteries that express sacramentally who we are as God’s holy people.

Be assured of my profound gratitude and appreciation for all the clergy, religious and laity of our diocese for all that you do each and every day to build up the Body of Christ in our diocese.

May God bless you all! 

Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec

Welcome to the Blogosphere, Bishop Edward Kmiec!

On the left, Bishop Edward Kmiec, Diocese of Buffalo and on the right,
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York.

There is a new blogger on the block and he is Bishop Edward Kmiec, shepherd of the Diocese of Buffalo. His first entry is as follows:

Hello friends, and welcome to my blog page!

I think it is very important for the Catholic Church to be present on the Internet, and this is one more way that I can communicate with members of the Diocese of Buffalo and other followers of the Church, as well as those who are interested in our mission of building the Kingdom of God here in Western New York.

Take some time to look around our entire Web site - we've spent the last several months updating the site, adding this blog function, podcasting and making it a lot easier to access diocesan offices and organizations. We'll soon launch new sites for Youth & Young Adult Ministry, Daybreak TV Productions and the Western New York Catholic.

I'm interested in what you have to say, so feel free to respond to my blog entries or send an e-mail, I'd like to hear from you.

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Kmiec

I look forward to future posts and getting to know our Bishop a bit better. That he asks for feedback is indeed a wonderful blessing - and - I hope he knows what he's getting into ;) . On the right side of +Catholic Ponderings+, you will see that I include a listing of blogs. They are listed with the most recent entries published at the top. I now include the blog of Bishop Kmiec. I do not recommend other blogs lightly, as there are thousands of Catholic blogs to sift through. Please note that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York also has a new blog. You may read my review of Archbishop Dolan's most recent book HERE.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan to Visit Buffalo/Vespers Invitation for All

NOVEMBER 25: If you missed the event, click HERE for DVD info. and scheduled viewing on Time Warner in the Buffalo area.

UPDATE:

Diocesan radio director Gregg Prince will provide Twitter updates during Archbishop Dolan's pastoral visit to Buffalo, including Evening Prayer. You can follow us at: www.twitter.com/buffalodiocese. Spread the word!

UPDATE: The Diocese of Buffalo has news of the attendance of four additional Bishops at the Solemn Vespers service:

Bishop Edward M. Grosz, auxiliary bishop of Buffalo; Bishop Bernard J. McLaughlin, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Buffalo; Bishop Donald W. Trautman, bishop of Erie, Pa.; and Bishop James M. Wingle, bishop of St. Catharines, Ontario.

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From Western New York Catholic, the Buffalo Diocesan newspaper:

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York will be among the honorees at the 2009 Curé of Ars dinner on Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. This will be Archbishop Dolan’s first visit to Buffalo since he was installed as archbishop of New York last April. The dinner is sponsored by Christ the King Seminary.

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Prior to the Curé of Ars dinner, Archbishop Dolan will preside at Solemn Vespers at St. Joseph (4 p.m.) Cathedral in downtown Buffalo. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec is encouraging all priests, deacons and members of the lay diocesan family to participate in the service.

“This is a rare opportunity for the faithful of the diocese to come together to participate in the Liturgy of the hours, an ancient and sacred tradition of the Church,” he said. The service will include hymns, Psalms, readings from the New Testament, and Canticles taken from Scripture. Following Solemn Vespers, a reception and dinner will be held at the Hyatt Regency.

The Curé of Ars Award was established by the seminary’s board of trustees in 1985 to honor individuals and organizations whose lives reflect the qualities of Christian dedication and service that marked the life of St. John Vianney, the parish priest of Ars, France, and patron saint of priests. For dinner reservations and sponsorship information contact Susan Burns, coordinator of special events for the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo at 847-8373.

All are invited to attend the Solemn Vespers service, and according to reporter Kristyn Million:

“The diocesan festival chorus will be singing, as well as members of the cathedral choir, 65 members in all,” Lukas said. “There will also be a brass quartet, a person playing the flute and a person playing the oboe, so it will be six instrumentalists along with the organ. It will be one of the rare opportunities to hear the cathedral organ at its full power, which you don’t get to hear on a Sunday morning. It will be a unique opportunity to pray and sing together with a thousand other people, which is what we’re hoping to have in attendance.”

Some interior photos of beautiful St. Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo:

Diocese of Buffalo: Bishop Kmiec Issues Pastoral Letter on Catholic Schools

Buffalo - (DOB Office of Communications) Bishop Edward U. Kmiec has written a pastoral letter called “Visioning for the Future” for our Catholic schools. It is the second pastoral letter he has written since becoming bishop of Buffalo five years ago. In 2007, the bishop wrote a pastoral letter about the Journey in Faith and Grace, the diocesan spiritual revitalization process.

He wrote, “There is a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm on the part of everyone who is engaged in what I consider a mission vital to the future of the Catholic Church: strong Catholic schools.”

The letter has been sent to all Catholic schools in the diocese as well as all parishes and Catholic institutions for distribution to parents and insertion in parish bulletins the weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

Bishop Kmiec wrote that the academic excellence of Catholic schools in the diocese dates back to the 1800s, and continues to this day. “Our students move on to become leaders in our communities, passing on the Catholic values they learned to their children. It is a beautiful continuum of our Church, as Catholic schools instill our core beliefs and commitment to Gospel values in our students.”

The release of the pastoral letter coincides with the issuance of a report on the initial phase of a strategic planning process that objectively assesses the current experiences and status of elementary schools in the diocese.

Called “Visioning for the Future,” the goal is about securing the future of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Buffalo according to Carol Kostyniak, Secretary for Catholic education for the diocese. “Our schools must continue to be strong models of Catholic Identity and to provide the academic excellence for which they are noted. Their leaders and governing boards must be trained in best practices while budgets must provide for fiscal stability to ensure viability well into the future. Evaluating demographic data, economic trends and constituent input we have the opportunity to prepare a bright future for our schools.”

Included in the report are a series of recommendations that will initiate phase two of the process which will involve the implementation of earlier recommendations that address the structure and organization of Catholic elementary schools, leadership, education programs, governance and finances. It also includes parish investment and support of schools, financial assistance and enrollment potential.

Catholic elementary schools are already working in conjunction with the diocese on a number of programs designed to stabilize and increase enrollment. By examining enrollment and tuition trends throughout the diocese, the schools have a better understanding of the landscape and they share best practice ideas.

There is a tremendous sense of enthusiasm among the participants in the planning process. At St. Joseph School in Batavia, school principal Karen Green said the school has been given the power “to make the changes necessary to ensure a viable school. It has allowed us to plan for the future instead of being restricted by the past.”

School leaders are now better able to make enrollment projections and in turn, adjust budgets accordingly, according to Green. “Our marketing and enrollment strategies remain a part of our discussions throughout the year, not just at the enrollment period. These approaches and more allow us to foster an open dialogue with our parish and have encouraged more proactive responses to challenges.”

DeSales Catholic School in Lockport is a regional school success story. Ellen Roth, director of development, said DeSales has been involved in strategic planning for more than a decade. “We’ve seen this work at DeSales. When we started our school’s strategic planning process, the DeSales community knew the work was going to be hard, but necessary, in order to maintain our academic quality, fiscal soundness, and enrollment strength.”

Roth said that all Catholic elementary schools need to have a “strong plan” in place in order to meet current and future challenges. “This diocesan-wide process has to result in a definitive plan of action that has practical applications in all of the diverse Catholic schools in our area. I know that what works here at DeSales won’t necessarily succeed at another type of school, but if this process can give each of us some tools and the know-how to make them work, then each elementary school can not only survive, but become stronger in our own communities.”

Father Gregory J. Dobson, canonical administrator for Southern Tier Catholic School in Olean, said the planning process is important to the school “at this critical juncture in our history to assure that we hold on to the vision of Catholic education as it is articulated in the diocese in this century. We are no longer what we were, nor can we be, nor do we want to be. We are trying to think ‘outside the box’ in areas of recruitment, programming and funding.

“As we do that, not only are best practices that are tested and effective important, but a sense of direction and solidarity with the larger Church are critical. We cannot become just a private school. We cannot be just parochial in our outlook or outreach.”

“While we focus on our Catholic identity,” Bishop Kmiec wrote, “our schools have a longstanding tradition of welcoming families from diverse backgrounds in terms of religion, race, ethnicity, economic status and ability.”

The bishop is encouraging everyone in the diocese to come together, “to work to ensure that our Catholic schools grow and prosper while remaining available, accessible and affordable.”

In LeRoy, Holy Family School draws students from Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Father Michael R. Rock, OdeM, serves as canonical administrator of the school. He sees the planning process “breaking down parochialism that has existed for decades in our schools, parishes, and even among people.

“It sends a clear message that Catholic schools and Catholic education are not only critical to the life and future of the diocese, but that it is everyone’s responsibility to support it through prayer and with financial help,” Father Rock said. “It gives us a strong sense of support and helps us through collaboration to keep improving our school by raising the bar to reach benchmarks given us by the diocese.”

Green, the principal of St. Joseph School, said the challenge is clear. “The central focus within the process must remain on Catholic identity and excellence in academics. As we move forward in this process my hope is that our Catholic schools will become increasingly viable and that they will continue to play an important role in our local communities serving the many children who ultimately benefit from our presence.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE PASTORAL LETTER

How do you address a Bishop (or Archbishop or Cardinal)

Ann recently asked me how to address our Bishop while we were attending the Rite of Election in the Diocese of Buffalo. I shared that face to face you would say, "Bishop Kmiec" and when writing a letter it would be addressed to "Most Reverend Kmiec." Staff apologist at Catholic Answers, Michelle Arnold, expands upon the subject much better than I can:

In spoken conversation, you would call your bishop "Bishop (last name)" or "Your Excellency." In opening a letter, you would put "Dear Bishop (last name)" or "Your Excellency" ("Dear" is not used in front of "Your [title]"). In addressing an envelope you would put on the first line "The Most Rev. (full name)" and on the second line "Bishop of (diocese)."

Archbishops follow the same protocol as bishops. Cardinals are addressed as "Cardinal (last name)" or "Your Eminence." Letters to cardinals open "Dear Cardinal (last name)" or "Your Eminence." In addressing the envelope the first line would read "(first name) Cardinal (last name)" or "Cardinal (full name)"; the second line would read "Archbishop (or Bishop) of (archdiocese or diocese)."

On a more personal note, I find it a bit presumptuous to address a priest as 'Father Joe' unless he has made it clear that the informality is acceptable. And as for permanent Deacons, letters addressed to them would be to the attention of 'Mr. John Brown' and in person, 'Deacon Brown' is best. Transitional Deacons should be addressed as 'Rev. John Brown' as they are about to be ordained as a Priest.

As for me, I think we have a fabulously orthodox Bishop and I am drawn to address him as: "Thank God for you, Bishop Kmiec."

Many Thanks, Bishop Kmiec - Faithful Leader of Buffalo Diocese

In a 'Ponderings' entry a month or so back, I mentioned a 'virus' which had spread from the Rochester Diocese to Buffalo.

Our dear Shepherd, Bishop Edward Kmiec has addressed the issue as any orthodox Catholic Church leader would - with clarity, truth and succinctly to the point. From the February edition of Western New York Catholic, emphasis mine:

The Buffalo News recently (Jan. 4, 2009) reported on a group called Spiritus Christi that holds a Eucharistic worship each week as a sort of alternate Catholic Church. A few members of the group, including the presiding priest, remarked that they are Catholics who disagree with some of the requirements for participation in the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church. From the tenor of the article in the News, it seems that the Catholic Church is not progressive enough for these worshipers.

...

However, one cannot belong to a group such as Spiritus Christi or the traditionalist church of Marcel Lefebvre and at the same time be a faithful Roman Catholic. To be a faithful Catholic, a baptized person commits herself or himself to worship and live the Christian life under the direction of the bishop of the local church (the diocese).

Through the bishop, the local church is in communion with the worldwide college of bishops, who teach the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, and organize the Church with and under the bishop of Rome, the pope. In this way the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

There is no other way to be a Roman Catholic.

Thank you, Bishop Kmiec. We are blessed to have you in the Diocese of Buffalo.

UPDATE! ATTN US Catholics - From Your Collection to ACORN?

Did you realize that if you put money into the collection plate last year at Thanksgiving for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, you gave money to ACORN?

According to a new article which appears in the current issue of the National Catholic Register:

Starting in 2007 as ACORN ramped up its voter registration drive, the Catholic Campaign also ramped up its support for ACORN, awarding ACORN 37 grants totaling at least $1,037,000 — more than double the dollar amount in any one of the previous three years.

In June 2008, the Catholic Campaign authorized $1.2 million in grants, according to a memo obtained by the Register and issued by Bishop Roger Morin, chairman of the Catholic Campaign subcommittee. The memo says 38 ACORN groups were set to receive the money. Ralph McCloud, Catholic Campaign for Human Development executive director, said he did not know what accounted for the higher funding levels.

The 2008 grants were put on hold this summer due to a separate ACORN scandal unrelated to voter fraud. Bishop Morin confirmed to the Register that all Catholic Campaign contributions to ACORN are now on hold.

Am I the only one who is more than a bit alarmed to learn this? I was reading my latest copy of the National Catholic Register and found the article on the front page. I nearly choked on my coffee and I assure you, my interest in learning more about the Campaign for Human Development and who receives grants from the committee and why.

I am sending an e-mail to whomever receives the mail at CCHD and would like to be assured that my money will not end up in the shallow-pocketed and corrupt program. Unlike the fruit which drops from the mighty oak, this ACORN is seeding corruption.

In the US, the collection is typically taken on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I hope to be reassured that the committee will do a bit of research prior to awarding grants. I have already considered giving what we normally would to the campaign to Catholic Charities instead. I know where the money from Catholic Charities goes in western New York state. Then there is always St. Luke's Mission of Mercy. Perhaps we'll help them out this Thanksgiving.

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*And now for a bit of an unsolicited advertisement: I love receiving my weekly edition of the National Catholic Register. I have no stake in the newspaper, but have faithfully subscribed to NCR and Faith and Family for years. If you want orthodox Catholic teachings coupled with news which affects Catholics throughout the world without filtering through the secular media, consider a subscription. If your local Catholic school sells magazine subscriptions as part of a fund raising effort, please check to see if they sell them.*

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UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE

I am not prone to sitting around complaining and prefer to be a person of action. After publishing the preceding blog entry, I decided I had to make the CCHD aware of my concerns. I sent them an e-mail, followed by one to my dear Bishop, the Most Reverend Edward Kmiec and a 'heads up' e-mail to my Pastor - just in case he received messages about the 'troublemaker in his parish'.

I received almost immediately a reply from Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. Sicari on behalf of my Bishop:

Kelly,

Bishop Kmiec forwarded your e-mail to me, and asked me to respond to you.

We are grateful for your support of our diocese, and your gracious words regarding the leadership of Bishop Kmiec. Also, thank you for sharing the correspondence you sent to the National CCHD office.

When an organization applies for CCHD funding, they are to attest to the fact that the monies they are receiving, and the purpose for which it is being used "Must conform to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church."

Obviously, in light of the ACORN situation, they will have to re-evaluate how they monitor these organizations. To that end, they have formed a sub-committee chaired by Bishop Roger Morin. A memo from Bishop Morin is on the National CCHD web page.

Again, thank you for stating your concerns, and hopefully CCHD will be able to continue to support vital programs that are in conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

May God continue to bless you and yours.

Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. Sicari

Thanks to Msgr. Sicari's message, I found the letter by Bishop Morin on the CCHD website which was addressed to all US Bishops. You will find it here. To Bishop Morin's credit, he explained the process of funding various organizations more clearly than any news article or even the CCHD has offered. A portion of the letter is as follows:

In addition to this funding suspension, the CCHD Subcommittee and staff are taking anumber of other specific steps to address this situation involving ACORN:

-- I have appointed and chair a special task force within the Bishops’ CCHD Subcommittee to review and act on this situation.

-- CCHD and the USCCB have secured the services of specialists in forensic accounting to help us determine if any CCHD money was taken or misused. This investigation is thorough, serious and ongoing. We have also sought additional outside expertise to help us assess organizational, accountability and other issues related to ACORN.

-- CCHD, USCCB staff and I, as chair, have met with ACORN leaders and others to express our serious concerns and to seek answers to specific questions. This process is also thorough and ongoing.

-- We are also consulting with CCHD Diocesan Directors to review these matters and discuss their experience with local ACORN groups and the quality and impact of their work in low-income communities.

I am pleased immeasurably that this matter is being dealt with and the CCHD being held accountable. It is my hope that lessons have been learned and that the same sort of problems will not be revisited again.

Pray for our Bishops.