Resources available to familiarize with missal

WASHINGTON -- Priests, parish groups and individual Catholics wanting to become more familiar with the Roman Missal set to go into use in the United States Nov. 27, 2011, will be able to choose from a wealth of resources.

The U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Divine Worship, the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, and some bishops and liturgists are rolling out a wide variety of audio, visual and print materials designed to ease the transition from second to the third "typical edition" of the Roman Missal.

Because the change has been anticipated for many years, most of the resources were already available or will be soon after the Aug. 20 announcement of the U.S. implementation date on the first Sunday of Advent in 2011.

Perhaps the most ambitious project is the 80-hour video resource called "Become One Body One Spirit in Christ," produced by Fraynework Multimedia, a nonprofit venture of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia, for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.

Filmed in churches in Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the U.S. cities of New York, Washington and Los Angeles, the video series is organized around five themes -- exploring the Mass through the ages, receiving the English translation, crafting the art of liturgy, celebrating the Eucharist and living the eucharistic life.