Reflections on a life - Part 1

Fr Frank O'Loughlin reflects on his life as an academic, teacher and pastor in relation to the implementation of the liturgy in the years since the Second Vatican Council and makes some personal observations.

Rev Dr Francis O'Loughlin was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Melbourne in 1969. He served on the staff of Catholic Theological College in Melbourne from 1977 to 1996, teaching courses in systematic theology and liturgy, following doctoral studies at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, and further study at the Irish Institute of Pastoral Liturgy. He also served as the director of the Diocesan Liturgical Centre in East Melbourne. He has taught extensively in Australia and New Zealand and is widely published.

Gathering the prayers and the people: the Collect in the Liturgy.

Professor Gerard Moore investigates the origins of the Collect, an ancient prayer form frequently prayed in the liturgy, and describes its role and some of its main features.

Professor Gerard Moore is Principal of the BBI - The Australian Institute of Theological Education in Sydney. He earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC with a dissertation on the Collect, and has written numerous books and articles on liturgy in scholarly and pastoral publications.

Advent: Wait in Joyful Hope.

Dr Jenny O'Brien explores the season of Advent, discussing the first and second comings of Christ and key characteristics of this time of joyful expectation and hope. She offers some helpful pastoral music suggestions.

Dr Jennifer O'Brien gained her Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from Sant'Ansemo Pontifical University, Rome, and also holds Masters degrees in Theology and Religious Education. A liturgy educator and consultant, she has served on numerous diocesan and national organisations. Recently retired from The Office for Worship, Adelaide Australia, she is currently the assistant editor of Studia Liturgica and a consultant for the National Liturgical Council, Australia.

From Latin to English: The work of ICEL.

Fr Andrew Menke, the recently appointed Executive Director of the International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL), outlines the work of ICEL undertaken on behalf of the English speaking Conferences of Bishops around the world. He describes some of the steps involved in translating Latin texts into English.

Rev Andrew Menke is a priest of the diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska and is a graduate of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute. He has served as an official in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the liturgy office of the United States Conference of Bishops. In 2023 he was appointed the eighth Executive Director of the ICEL Secretariat.

The Music of Taizé: A Rich and Versatile Resource for Liturgical Prayer.

Sr Judith Kubicki explores the significance and versatility of music from Taize, France, highlighting its ability to unify diverse groups and encourage the participation of all worshippers.

Sr Dr Judith Kubicki CSSF is assistant professor emerita in the Theology Department of Fordham University, New York. Currently she serves as provincial minister of the Felician Sisters of North America. Her major interests are liturgical theology, liturgical music, and ritual studies.

Eucharist and Justice: Becoming what We Receive

Fr Ronald Raab C.S.C reflects on the connection between Eucharist and justice in light of his ministry. He invites us to be truly transformed by the Eucharist so that we can participate fully in the mission of Jesus Christ in the world.

Rev Ronald Patrick Raab C.S.C. ministers among the vulnerable and marginalized of society and the Church. He speaks and writes about prayer and service and knowing the love of God through our common poverty. He is active as a retreat director, blogger, award-winning author, and visual artist. He serves as Religious Superior, Holy Cross House, Indiana.

From Anglican to Catholic: The Development of the Ordinariate and Its Ritual Forms

Fr Stephen Hill, discusses the treasures of Anglican patrimony and ecclesial unity, inviting us to learn more about the Ordinariate in Australia.

Rev Dr Stephen Hill is Vicar General of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia. He ministered as an Anglican Priest from 2008 and was ordained a Catholic Priest in 2013. He holds a PhD in Catholic Theology from the University of Vienna, specialising in liturgical language.

Hymnody - the faith we sing

Sr. Delores Dufner, OSB explores the significance of hymn texts we sing in the liturgy, describing how they express and shape faith. She invites us to consider the characteristics of a well-crafted hymn text.

Sr. Delores Dufner, OSB is a member of St Benedict's Monastery in St Joseph, Minnesota. An internationally renowned composer and text writer, she is published in hymn collections in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and China. She holds Master's Degrees in Liturgical Music and Liturgical Studies and is the recipient of a number of awards. Her prodigious work includes 65 special commissions and 5 published collections featuring more than 230 hymns.

Women in the Liturgical Movement: shaping the liturgical life of the Church

Katharine Harmon reveals some of the women who were involved in the liturgical renewal since the 19th Century. Often missed in the narrative, she describes a number of women who sought to renew and shape the Church's liturgy.

Dr Katharine E. Harmon currently serves as project director of the Obsculta Preaching Initiative at Saint John's Seminary and School of Theology in Collegeville, Minnesota. She is the author of There Were Also Many Women There: Lay Women in the Liturgical Movement in the United States, 1926-1959 (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2012) and Mary and the Liturgical Year: A Pastoral Resource (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2023), which received third place for best scholarly book in the 2024 Catholic Press Association awards. She resides in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with her husband and two children, and co-edits the blog, Pray Tell.

The Preacher as Prophet, Proclaimer and Poet

Archbishop Mark Coleridge reflects on the role of the preacher as a prophet, proclaimer and poet. Each of these aspects are crucially important and interrelated in the liturgical act.

Most Rev Mark Coleridge was ordained in Melbourne and served in parishes before studying Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He taught Scripture in Melbourne and was Master of Catholic Theological College. In late 1997, he was appointed to work in the Holy See's Secretariat of State. He is currently Metropolitan Archbishop of Brisbane, Australia. From 2018 - 2022 he served as President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

How do we farewell the dead in the 21st Century?

Sam Wegner explores the uniqueness of the Christian funeral, especially in relation to the lesser-known Funeral Vigil.

Ms Samantha Wegner is a sessional academic at the ACU School of Theology. Her continuing research explores the aesthetic and ethical aspects of Catholic liturgical rites surrounding death, as well as women in the Lectionary. She was awarded the ACU Centre for Liturgy's Postgraduate Scholarship in 2017.

After the fire: Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Fr. Gilles Drouin describes some of the liturgical issues associated with the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

Rev Dr Gilles Drouin is the Director of Institut Supérieur de Liturgie, at the Institut Catholique de Paris. He advised the Archbishop of Paris on the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. He is President of the Societas Liturgica and a member of the Scientific Council of the Revue La Maison Dieu. His areas of research are the theology of liturgical space and the relationship between liturgy and politics.

This podcast is available in both English and French. Text of the English version can be found here

Liturgy and Inculturation: towards an enriched local expression

Fr. Mark Francis CSV discusses recent Church documents that encourage a more enriched understanding of liturgy and inculturation.

Rev Dr Mark Francis CSV is a former Superior General of the Viatorians and currently the Provincial of the US Province. He holds a doctorate in liturgy from the Liturgical Institute of Sant'Anselmo in Rome and was President of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from 2013-2020. A teacher and international speaker, he has published many articles and several books on liturgy and culture.

The RCIA and its ripple effect

Rita Ferrone outlines the significance of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the RCIA, and how it has a ripple effect that is greater than the focus on catechumens in the parish. She offers encouragement to communities to be actively involved and committed to this gradual process of Christian initiation.

Ms Rita Ferrone is an internationally acclaimed writer and frequent speaker on issues of liturgy and church renewal. She is the author of several books about liturgy, and in the course of her career has worked extensively with the adult catechumenate. Her most recent book is a pastoral guide to Pope Francis's letter on liturgical formation, Desiderio Desideravi (Liturgical Press, 2023).

Beauty and Liturgy: Expressing Sacred Realities

Simone Brosig discusses the significance of beauty and aesthetics in the liturgy She explores the ways embodied prayerful responses express sacred realities.

Dr Simone Brosig is the Pastoral Leader for Community Life and Worship in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Australia. She was the Liturgy Consultant in the Diocese of Calgary, Canada from 2009 - 2020 and served as the Chair of the National Committee for Liturgy and the Sacraments (Canada) from 2016 - 2019.

Attend as you participate

Clare Johnson asks, 'What does it mean to be fully present as we celebrate the liturgy?'

Professor Clare Johnson is the Director of the ACU Centre for Liturgy and ACU Professor of Liturgical Studies & Sacramental Theology. She chairs the National Liturgical Music Council, advising the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Liturgy.

Ars celebrandi

Bishop Paul Bird, CSsR reflects on the art of celebration and how developing our knowledge and skills can enhance the way we celebrate the liturgy.

Most Rev Paul Bird CSsR is a member and former Provincial of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and Bishop of the Diocese of Ballarat. He is a member of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Easter: A celebration of one great Sunday

Dr Veronica Rosier, OP, invites us to ponder the significance of the 50 days of Easter, a festival that overflows with Paschal joy.

Sr Dr Veronica Rosier OP BTheol (SCD), MA(Music) Monash, MEd (RE) Boston College, PhD (CUA) has taught liturgy in Australia, including at ACU, and is the author of numerous publications including Liturgical Catechesis of Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest (Leuven: Peeters, 2002).

The Continuum

Steve Warner looks back at his music ministry and creative works over his many years of service to the Church. He explores some key influences and the continuum of sacred music since the 60s.

Mr Steven C Warner is a well-published composer of liturgical music and choir director of renown. He is Founder and Director Emeritus of the internationally famous Notre Dame Folk Choir.

The significance of the Holy Oils and the Chrism Mass

Paul Taylor explores the meaning and history of the oils that are blessed and consecrated during the Chrism Mass in Holy Week.

Dr Paul Taylor is Assistant Director, ACU Centre for Liturgy and Director of Music, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo, Australia. His is the former Executive Secretary of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy, Australia.

Liturgy, the Word and hermeneutics

Clare Schwantes describes the dynamic proclamation of the Word of God in the Liturgy and how this differs from a personal reading of Sacred Scripture.

Dr Clare Schwantes, editor, teacher and liturgist, is currently the Chair of the National Liturgical Council. She is the Director of Liturgy Brisbane, Australia and secretary of the Brisbane Archdiocesan Commission on the Liturgy.

Lent: Moving from the Shadows Towards the Light

Fr Andrew Cameron Mowat, S.J. explores the period of Lent, a season of renewal, hope and healing which prepares us for the joy of Easter.

Rev Dr. Andrew Cameron-Mowat SJ is a member of the Society of Jesus. He taught at Heythrop College and the seminary of the Westminster Archdiocese for twenty years and is a former Member of the Liturgy Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. He is currently parish priest at St Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill, north London.