There are always questions to ask whenever change comes into our lives. What does this change me for me? Will I be able to adapt to the change? How will this change affect the future? Certainly, with the new Roman Missal changes that will go into effect in Advent 2011, these questions and many more are being asked. But in the midst of all the questions, one thing must be made very clear at the outset: The Mass itself is NOT changing. The English translation of the words we use in Mass will, in some instances, be changing.

In their article "New Roman Missal Changes - The Words We Use at Mass", Joe Paprocki, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, and D. Todd Williamson, director of the Office for Divine Worship of the Archdiocese of Chicago, chart the history of changes to the Missal. A concise but helpful bulleted list begins in 1570, when Pope Pius V issued the first Missal. The authors of the article place emphasis on the last 50 or so years of the Roman Missal, including a reference to 2000, when Pope John Paul II issued a third edition of the Missal in Latin. The list ends in 2010, when Rome approved the changes that we will experience at Mass beginning in Advent 2011. This article shows that despite the changes to the words, the meaning of the Mass remains unchanged.

Preparing for the Missal Change
In order to help lay Catholics, catechists, and priests prepare for the changes in the language that will be used at Mass, Loyola Press is providing a number of helpful online resources, including the article "New Roman Missal Changes ..." that will provide answers to the many questions people have about the new Roman Missal changes . See http://www.LoyolaPress.com/RomanMissal to stay up-to-date with the changes to the Roman Missal.