Since I have written several posts about liturgy and the new translation, I thought the following video might be of interest:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvSfYgpWrb0&feature=context&context=C33b235dUDOEgsToPDskKWs0Gp-6PA6VkePC_jPXCX

This particular clip comes from a playlist of videos on The Roman Missal (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLED68118100BB0744)

The playlist includes a series of streaming videos recorded by liturgical scholars to assist schools, parishes, and university communities in their preparation for the Advent 2011 implementation of the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal.  It was put together by the ND Center for Liturgy.  It is also accessible through the ICL you-tube channel, which I mentioned in an earlier post.  So, if you’ve already subscribed to the ICL channel, you may have already seen these- but the ND Center for Liturgy link actually provides additional information about the speakers recorded in the videos.

The other night I woke up at 3:30 AM and was unable to fall back asleep for several hours.  Did you know that according to research approximately 60% of US adults experience sleep problems a few nights a week or more?  That’s a lot of people counting sheep!  The experience made me think of a recent article on religion and sleep quality. Continue reading →

One of the most significant changes in Catholicism in the last fifty years has been the dramatic decrease in the number of religious women. These maps highlight the decline of the number of religious women in dioceses across the country since 1980.  Several scholars have looked for sociological explanations for this decline. A common explanation argues that Vatican II itself, and not just the women’s movement or increased opportunities in the labor market that resulted in women leaving the church in large numbers. Specifically, before Vatican II religious women were accorded a special status within the faith. Continue reading →

Besides the obvious answer (“read this blog!”), it is helpful to know where to turn for accurate, concise, and well-presented information about religion in America.

The most recent book to do this is Mark Chaves’ American Religion: Contemporary Trends. This is the sort of book that casual readers would like, but so too would church study groups and college students. Even members of the Church hierarchy could learn something from this book (see pages 78-80). Continue reading →

What does it mean to be part of a parish?

“We had the experience about 11 years ago that our pastor was killed two weeks before Christmas. He was killed in a car wreck two weeks before Christmas. Continue reading →

One of the more contentious issues that has been under debate since Vatican II concerns the location of the tabernacle in local parishes.  Indeed, some view this issue as a decisive aspect of the spiritual vitality of the faithful—that the tabernacle location is somehow directly linked to one’s potential for spiritual participation in his or her faith.

There are four basic alternatives for locating the tabernacle: 1) in the sanctuary usually somewhere behind the altar, 2) out of the sanctuary and at the side of the nave, 3) out of the sanctuary in a separate room, 4) out of the nave in a completely separate chapel. Continue reading →

Since Carol Ann brought up Archbishop Dolan’s appointment to the College of Cardinals, I thought that I would post a link to a talk that he gave at the University of Notre Dame in December:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSPQsQ4HiYI&context=C3a8c6cfADOEgsToPDskLN6ZH9yihH71vJ35BMAg2Z

Since the above talk is about an hour long, several short 5-10 minute clips created from it are also provided:

(Part 1) http://youtu.be/czqvMwR8IuM

(Part 2) http://youtu.be/UfYmKRmcHsY

(Part 3) http://youtu.be/jKukMGEyRMI

(Part 4) http://youtu.be/u-Uum-OLYeQ 

This talk helped kick off my colleague Mary Daly’s Project on Human Dignity.

One thing that I would like to do on this blog is to point people towards additional resources that might be of interest.  In that vein, you might want to consider subscribing to ICL’s you tube channel.  There are a number of interesting video clips from talks and lectures at Notre Dame and it is being updated all of the time.

Two big stories about American Catholicism were front page news this weekend:  Archbishop Dolan’s appointment to the College of Cardinals and the news that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is about to close or consolidate 48 schools. Those involved in Catholic education likely won’t be surprised to hear of more school closings. Catholic schools have lost over half of their enrollment since their peak in 1965 and each year since 1965 the total number of schools has declined. In the course of my dissertation research on the causes and consequences of Catholic school closings I have read hundreds of local news stories from dioceses across the nation documenting a school’s closure or consolidation. However, the large number of schools involved in this re-organization is noteworthy. Continue reading →

So, where can we find relevant empirical research on liturgy?  Since Mike McCallion was the very first person to comment on this blog, I decided that I would highlight some of his previous research on liturgy, and I am hoping that he will write about his current research in a later post.

McCallion’s dissertation research examined the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) within the Archdiocese of Detroit.  In a later book (co-authored with his dissertation adviser, David Maines of Wayne State), the lens was broadened to depict the general implementation processes that followed Vatican II liturgical reforms. Continue reading →

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Written by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings over a half-century ago, these words catch the mindset of the short-term international travel phenomenon that has likely swept a congregation, high school, or college campus near you.

Continue reading →