Fr John Baldovin S.J., explores the origins and significance of the seminal liturgical document, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and the contributions it has made to the liturgical life of Catholics across the world. He notes some achievements that are still to be realized.
Rev Professor John F. Baldovin SJ, S.T.L., Ph.D. is a priest of the Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus, Prof. of Historical & Liturgical Theology, Boston College and past president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and Societas Liturgica.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fr. Mark Francis CSV discusses recent Church documents that encourage a more enriched understanding of liturgy and enculturation.
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.
Rita Ferrone outlines the significance of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the OCIA, 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).
Fr Stephen Hackett, msc asks what makes a church look like a church and how do communities preserve their cultural heritage?
Rev Dr Stephen Hackett, msc is Chair of the National Liturgical Architecture and Art Council in Australia and previously General Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He is currently the Provincial of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
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.
Archbishop Denis Hart reflects on his many years of involvement in the liturgy and leadership recalling his early influences, the Second Vatican Council, and his involvement in the publishing of the AustralianLectionary.
In part 2 of his interview, Archbishop Hart reflects on key events and people following the Second Vatican Council, including the publication of the Catholic Worship Book (Collins-Dwyer 1985), and shares his hopes for the future.
Archbishop Denis Hart was Archbishop of Melbourne from 2001 - 2018, a former member and Vice President of the International Committee for English in the Liturgy and member of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy, Australia.
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.
Sr Kathleen Hughes invites us to consider how effective has liturgical formation been since the 70's. She proposes a new approach that emphasizes the importance of formation for all the faithful.
Sr Dr Kathleen Hughes RSCJ is a former Professor of Word and Worship, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, and former provincial of the United States Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart. She is the author of Saying Amen: Entering Into the Mystery of the Sacraments (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2022).
Clare Johnson explores how schools embrace their ecclesial identity and strengthen their identity and mission through celebrating the liturgy well.
Clare Johnson invites us to stop and pause to consider the importance and significance of fruitful silence in the liturgy.
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.
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 Judith Kubicki invites us to consider how Christian communities experience physical unity and find their voice after a huge disruption.
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.
Fr Richard Leonard, SJ offers some advice for good preaching and examines some key components of a good homily.
Rev Dr Richard Leonard, SJ is a regular columnist for the Tablet, author of ten books and directed the Office for Film and Broadcasting for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
Angela McCarthy encourages communities to consider the importance of art, particularly in relation to places of worship and the liturgy.
Dr Angela McCarthy is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. She is an editor of the Australian Journal of Liturgy and Pastoral Liturgy, and past president of the Australian Academy of Liturgy.
Dan McGrath invites us to harness the power of liturgical catechesis, the witness of married couples and the foundational role of families to better celebrate and understand the meaning of Christian marriage.
Dr Dan McGrath is a sessional facilitator in Pre-marriage Education for Centacare Brisbane, QLD Australia. A graduate of ACU, his doctoral thesis is entitled: Marriage as creative union: A liturgical theology drawn from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony.
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.
Cathy Murrowood invites us to reflect on the Universal Prayer and its weekly preparation. She outlines how to write this prayer in a way that actively responds to the pressing needs of the world.
Cathy Murrowood reflects on Ecology, Advent and the Australian summer and invites us to consider the images of creation in the liturgy and our stewardship of the earth.
Ms Cathy Murrowood is a liturgy educator with the ACU Centre for Liturgy and a member of the National Liturgical Council. She has extensive experience as a local, diocesan and national consultant.
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.
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).
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.
Fr Peter Slack explores the growth of the Eastern and Western Catholic Churches in Australia and invites us to learn more about the Eastern Catholic Tradition.
Rev. Peter Slack is the Chancellor of the Diocese of Lismore, Australia and the Associate Judicial Vicar of the Inter-diocesan Tribunal of Sydney.
Paul Taylor offers some helpful strategies to invigorate parish music ministry and strengthen the assembly's singing in liturgical celebrations.
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.
Fr Paul Turner examines the art of celebrating ars celebrandi and invites us to 'get inside the liturgy' and reflect more on the meaning of what we do and say.
Rev Dr Paul Turner is an international speaker, writer and publisher on liturgy who is Pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri. He has served on many national bodies, including ICEL.
Drawing on her rich teaching and personal experience, Sr Julia Upton, RSM explores the multifaceted rituals associated with Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying and the Sacrament of Penance.
Sr Professor Julia Upton, RSM is Provost Emerita and Distinguished Professor of Theology at St John's University, New York. She has served on national advisory bodies and is the author of many books and articles.
Steven 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. Steve 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.
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.
Fr Chris Willcock, SJ invites composers to consider how to help worshippers find a common voice.
Rev Dr Christopher Willcock, SJ is an internationally renowned Australian composer for the liturgy and the concert hall and has taught sacramental theology and liturgical studies.
Anthony Young describes how to foster strong community singing at worship in the school setting, developing aspects of a school music program that supports student participation in the liturgy.
Dr Anthony Young is the Coordinator of Culture and Solidarity at St Laurence's College, in Brisbane Australia, a member of the National Liturgical Music Council and the Brisbane Archdiocesan Commission on the Liturgy, and the Director of Music at St Ignatius Parish (Toowong).
We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday
If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.