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An upcoming conference sponsored by the Albany diocesan Office of Prayer and Worship will mark a milestone in the development of the liturgy.

"From Renewal to Deepening," to be held Dec. 4 at the Carondelet Hospitality Center in Latham, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's document on the sacred liturgy, "Sacrosanctum Concilium."

Among the presenters are Rev. Richard Vosko, an architectural consultant for designing worship spaces and sacramental minister at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany. He will be joined by Sister Dianne Bergant, OSA, a professor of biblical studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

The Vatican Council's constitution on the liturgy was approved in 1963 by the world's bishops in a 2,147-4 vote. It "brought to fruition the many decades of research, scholarship and pastoral practice taking place in universities and parishes in different parts of the Catholic world," Father Vosko said.

After a half-century, he continued, "it is time to take a closer look" at the document, because "so much has changed in the world and in our Church. Is our public prayer due for an upgrade? Catholics - clergy and laity - are wise to revisit the liturgical practices in their own faith communities. It can be a time of evaluation and growth after many years."

Renovating Church(es)
Father Vosko said that his talk, titled "Where We Pray Shapes Our Prayer," will be drawn from his efforts since the early 1970s "to help congregations as they plan to either build new or renovate old environments for worship."

He noted that the Albany Diocese "was one of the first in the U.S. to publish guidelines and procedures for building and renovating churches."

Where worship occurs affects how worship occurs, he added: "If people cannot see because of poor lighting, if they cannot hear because of poor acoustics, if they are seated too far from the altar table and ambo, it is unlikely they will be drawn into the liturgical action."

He also emphasized the importance of hospitality areas, childcare space and handicapped accessibility, all of which welcome people.

"The interior arrangements of our church buildings," he explained, "can foster different understandings of Catholic worship. I will explore what 'active, conscious participation' in the liturgy means in terms of embracing the paschal mystery and not just singing or praying together."

He said he will also touch on another theme: "How does the liturgical practice of the Catholic Church maintain a continuity with its tradition at the same time it helps people develop a spirituality, a relationship with Jesus of Nazareth and a holy spirit?"

Bible's influence
Sister Dianne, who will speak about "The Word of God in the Celebration of the Liturgy," said that "Bible-based liturgy and preaching" have resulted in Catholics being "shaped by Scripture. Our whole religious life has been changed."

Because of the Vatican document from a half-century ago, she continued, "our Church is Bible-based. Parishes have Bible studies, and catechesis is Bible-based. We know Bible stories and themes from the readings, preaching and liturgical prayers. We're more educated and aware" of how worship and Scripture intersect.

In her presentation, Sister Dianne hopes "to shape people's religious consciousness to be sensitive to the kind of religion expressed in the biblical tradition."

One of those expressions is concern for the needy. She noted that Pope Francis has "certainly been shaped by the Second Vatican Council. It's very clear when he talks about the poor. That theme is in all the documents of the Council. People really see their responsibility to help the poor because Jesus told us to." [[In-content Ad]]

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