Two articles in particular struck me, the first, A Living Presence… Symposium on the Development of Catholic Church Architecture by Michael Patrick which gives a detailed report on the recent conference on sacred architecture given at the Catholic University of America.
Design by Daniel DeGreve, first-place winner in the symposium’s design competition.
The second article which I would make note of is a translation of interview responses given by the Prefect of the CDW, Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, Cardinal Cañizares on the New Missal Translation, which are taken from a DVD being produced by Midwest Theological Forum, A New Translation for a New Roman Missal -- a DVD meant to help explain the reasons and prepare for the new translation, featuring Msgr. James Moroney, Executive Secretary of the Vox Clara Committee (and of course, Cardinal Cañizares).
While we are on the topic of the Adoremus Bulletin, there were also two items from the May 2010 issue which I had wanted to draw readers attention to.
The first is a book review by Helen Hull Hitchcock of Vatican II: Renewal within Tradition edited by Fr. Matthew Lamb and Matthew Levering and published by Oxford University Press. That particular book, published in 2008 (which I have not myself had an opportunity to read sadly, and can therefore offer little in the way of personal thoughts) sets out to examine the documents of the Second Vatican Council in view of the Holy Father's hermeneutic of continuity, and contrary to the "rupture thesis" that can be promoted by some progressivists and some traditionalists.
The second pertains to the matter of the Divine Office. Adoremus Bulletin pursued a survey of its readership in the autumn 2009, and one of the questions pertained to the Divine Office: "Readers were asked if they regularly pray any of the Hours, and if the parish offers regular opportunities for group prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours."
Here are the results they reported [with NLM emphases]:
A majority of respondents (65%) pray at least some part of the Liturgy of the Hours, most frequently Morning (36%) and/or Evening (30%) Prayer. Most (64%) said they pray the Hours privately only, 11% only with a group and 25% both privately and with a group.
Those who pray with a group are most likely to do this in their own parish (48%). But only 32% of respondents report that such a group exists in their parish, and only 61% of these groups are regularly scheduled. A group outside the parish is most likely to be at a monastery or convent (22%), though 14% are at another parish. A little more than 5% mentioned specifically that they pray the Liturgy of the Hours with a third order group associated with a religious order. Carmelites were mentioned most frequently.
Sung celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours in parishes is uncommon — reported by only 11% of respondents. Of those reporting sung celebrations in their parish, 65% indicated that Vespers (evening prayer) was the Hour celebrated.
Several of those surveyed commented that they had some interest in praying the Liturgy of he Hours, but that they needed instruction on how to do this.
A very large majority of those who responded to the survey wanted more opportunity for ... Liturgy of the Hours (91%) in their parishes.
The entire survey results are available for reading here.
