"Sacra Liturgia” Is Coming to New York City in June
Dom Alcuin Reid discusses Sacra Liturgia USA 2015, hosted in New York City from June 1-4 and with a keynote address by Cardinal Raymond Burke
From June 1-4 New York City will be host to Sacra Liturgia USA 2015, the first Sacra Liturgia initiative in the United States. It follows on from its international conference in Rome in 2013 on liturgical formation, celebration, and the role of the liturgy in the mission of the Church, convened by Bishop Dominique Rey of Fréjus-Toulon, France. The proceedings of the Rome conference, Sacred Liturgy: The Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church, were published by Ignatius Press in 2014.
Catholic World Report recently corresponded with Dom Alcuin Reid, Sacra Liturgia’s international coordinator,about the upcoming conference in New York City.
CWR: How did the initiative for a Sacra Liturgia conference in New York come about?
Dom Alcuin: Following our conference in Rome in 2013, at which a large number of American clergy, religious and laity were present, an approach was made through me to Bishop Rey to see if a similar initiative could be organized in the USA. We were delighted at the request and have done all that we can to support an event in the States.
Once New York City was identified as the most appropriate location for a conference Bishop Rey wrote to the Archbishop, His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan. The Cardinal welcomed the initiative immediately; indeed, he will honor us by presenting an address of welcome at the opening session on Monday afternoon, June 1st.
CWR: Have you found much support for Sacra Liturgia in the USA?
Dom Alcuin: Yes indeed; a great deal. The Knights of Columbus, who sponsored the Rome conference, have been most generous once again. So too, other 2013 sponsors such as the Cardinal Newman Society, Arte Granda and DeMontfort Music are very keen to do all that they can to ensure the success of Sacra Liturgia USA. We have been delighted to receive the support of new sponsors as well.
We have also been blessed with a great local organizing team led by Dr Jennifer Donelson, the Director of Sacred Music at St Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, NY, and Fr Richard Cipolla, Pastor of St Mary’s, Norwalk, CT. Fr Jordan Kelly, OP, pastor of the parish of St Catherine of Siena (E 68th St) has graciously welcomed us to his beautiful Church for our liturgical celebrations and additionally has given us invaluable administrative help. The team at the excellent venue for the presentations—the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th St between Park & Lexington)—has been most welcoming also.
CWR: What do you hope to achieve through this conference?
Dom Alcuin: I think the reason people wanted a Sacra Liturgia conference in the USA was because they saw that what we did in Rome was to further peoples’ formation in what the Sacred Liturgy is, in how to celebrate and pray it, and in appreciating its utterly fundamental role in living the Christian life of witness and mission in the world of the twenty-first century.
Comments