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About
the FDLC
Who
We Are
The
Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) is a national
organization composed primarily of members of diocesan liturgical
commissions, worship offices and/or the equivalent diocesan liturgical
structures. These diocesan liturgical personnel, appointed by their
bishops, have responsibility for the promotion of the liturgical life of
their dioceses. The FDLC serves as an official collaborating agent between
the local churches through diocesan worship offices and liturgical
commissions and the USCCB Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship (BCDW).
Our
Goal
To promote
the liturgy as the heart of Christian life‑especially in the parish
community. As a pastoral, “locally-based,” and professional
organization, the FDLC shall be committed to assist the Catholic Church in
the United States of America, its hierarchy, the local churches, and the
individual bishops in their responsibilities of providing positive
leadership in liturgical celebration, education, and development.
Objectives
of the Federation
Ø
To foster and coordinate
the work of diocesan liturgy personnel.
Ø
To provide information
materials which will aid diocesan liturgy personnel in carrying out
educational and promotional initiatives.
Ø
To work with the
Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship on matters to be proposed to the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Ø
To be a medium through
which diocesan liturgy personnel may contribute responsibly and
effectively in articulating the voice of clergy, religious, and laity in
the development of liturgy.
Ø To
sponsor, together with the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship and its
Secretariat, and the local host diocese, the National Meeting of Diocesan
Liturgical Commissions.
National
Meeting
An important
event in the life of the FDLC is its national meeting held in a different
part of the United States each year. It provides an opportunity for
education on a particular liturgical theme, for dialog on current pastoral
issues, and is a forum for bringing together the liturgical leadership and
the liturgical advocates from the Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship and
for establishing national and regional priorities in the area of liturgy.
[Click
here for information on this year's meeting and past meetings]
Structure
The
governing body of the FDLC is the Board of Directors. The Board of
Directors is divided into several working committees—Executive,
Certification, Eucharist and Liturgical Year, Sacraments, Prayer, Ministry, Liturgical
Arts and Music, National Process, Publications. Officers of the Board are
the Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Delegate East, and Delegate West. Each
committee has a chairperson responsible for coordinating the work of the
committee. The board meets at the annual National Meeting and for several
day work sessions in January. In order to accomplish the tasks of the FDLC
and its Board of Directors, the FDLC has a National Office in Washington,
D.C., staffed by a full time Executive Director and support staff.
Membership
Any dues
paying Diocese in the United States and its territories is eligible for
membership in the FDLC. Membership entitles each Diocese to have two
voting delegates at the National Meeting.
In addition,
the FDLC offers associate and industry memberships. [Click
here for more information]
Services
The FDLC
plays a prominent role in the catechesis of sacraments, the RCIA,
reconciliation and the anointing of the sick. It provides parishes
and dioceses with information, trends, needs, and other pertinent data.
The Federation has always been a strong and practical voice on behalf of
those working to bring about vibrant sacramental experiences in their own
parishes.
ACCOMPLISMENTS
[click on item to
learn more]
Advocacy
[click
for more information]
-
Roman
Missal [click
for more information]
-
published
and revised the The
Mystery of Faith, a study guide on the structural
elements of the Mass;
-
published
a series of bulletin inserts on the Mass;
-
participated
in the consultation process through offices and commissions;
-
is
keeping offices and commissions informed of progress through the FDLC
Newsletter, regional meetings, and Fax’s;
-
published
and mailed briefing papers to all dioceses in the US;
-
worked
closely with We Believe who duplicated our briefing papers;
-
provided
extensive documentation on the Pastoral Introduction
-
produced resources for the
implementation of the third edition of the Roman Missal
-
2010-2011 conducted 23 workshops,
co-sponsored by the USCCB, to assist diocesan personnel and
priests in understanding and implementing the third edition of the
Roman MIssal.
-
Liturgy
Offices and Commissions
[click
for more information]
-
The
National Office tracks the number of dioceses with commissions
and/or offices and reports this data regularly to the BCDW.
-
The
Executive Director and Chair regularly request the BCDW to
encourage the bishops to maintain/establish offices of worship and
commissions. As a result Chairs of the BCDW have frequently urged
their fellow bishops to do so during the annual meeting of the
USCCB.
-
The
National Office helps in staffing of offices of worship by
advertising openings in the FDLC Newsletter and by maintaining
resumes on file at the National Office.
-
The
Board of Directors developed a job description for the
Director’s position in an Office for Worship, available from the
FDLC
National Office.
-
Environment
and Art [click
for more information]
-
Through
its position statements and through the Executive Director and the
Chair of the FDLC Board, the FDLC has expressed strong support for
Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. As a result a member of
the FDLC Board of Directors was appointed to represent the
Federation in
the drafting of Built of Living Stones.
-
The
FDLC through its National Office has published pastoral
bulletin
inserts on environment and art.
-
Timing
of Sacraments of Initiation [click
for more information]
-
With
the NCCD shaped and published a joint statement on the proper
liturgical time to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.
-
The
Executive Director and the Chair of the FDLC Board of Directors
brought the statement to the attention of the Bishops’ Committee
on the Liturgy
-
Order
of Sacraments of Initiation
[click for more information]
-
Through
its position statements and through the Executive Director and the
Chair of the FDLC Board, the FDLC has expressed to the BCL strong
support for restoring the order of the sacraments of initiation.
-
The
National Office through the FDLC Newsletter has edited and
published articles on the order of the sacraments of initiation.
-
Liturgical
Formation [click
for more information]
-
Through
its position statements and through the Executive Director and the
Chair of the FDLC Board, the FDLC has expressed strong support for
liturgical formation of those to be ordained and those already
ordained.
-
An
annual Seminary Liturgical Formation Forum is held in conjunction
with the National Meeting. The forum brings together in dialog
seminary liturgy personnel and worship office directors.
-
In
2003, the National Office conducted a survey of bishops and
diocesan worship offices regarding seminary liturgical formation.
Then, NOCERCC collaborated with FDLC in conducting a similar
survey of priests ordained 1993-2003. The results of the survey
were shared with the BCL.
-
Liturgy
of the Hours [click
for more information]
-
The
FDLC sponsored a National Meeting on the theme of Liturgy of the
Hours
-
The
FDLC encourages use of Liturgy of the Hours in parishes through a
series of bulletin inserts published by the National Office.
-
Full
Active Participation [click
for more information]
-
The
National Office edited and published a series of pastoral bulletin
inserts on full active conscious participation by the assembly.
-
Through
position statements the Federation has advocated Communion in the
Hand.
-
Through
position statements the Federation has advocated Reception of
Communion from the Cup.
-
Through
position statements the Federation has advocated Reception of
Communion from the altar rather than the tabernacle.
Children’s
Lectionary —
The
Children’s Lectionary resulted from the passing of a position statement
at the Rochester National Meeting. A sub committee established by the FDLC
became an ad hoc committee of the BCL and over a period of seven years
worked on and produced the Children’s Lectionary. The Executive Director
of the National Office served on that committee.
The
Frederick R. McManus Award —
The
McManus Award
provides the FDLC an opportunity to recognize outstanding work in the area
of pastoral liturgy and to support those who continue the cause of the
reform of the liturgy.
Studies
and Fact Finding
-
Ordo Missae
Study —
This
study requested by the BCL resulted in many recommendations for the
revision of the Roman Missal and in the publication of the study guide
to the Mass, The Mystery of Faith which has been used by
thousands to better understand and celebrate the Eucharist, revised in
2004 incorporating the norms of the 2000 General Instruction of the
Roman Missal.
-
Seminary
Liturgical Formation —
In
2003, the FDLC surveyed diocesan bishops and worship offices regarding
the liturgical formation of seminarians. FDLC then collaborated with
NOCERCC in undertaking a similar survey with priests ordained
1993-2003.
-
Lectionary Study
—
Requested
in 2002 by the Secretariat on the Liturgy, the FDLC study surveyed its
own membership, the Catholic Biblical Association, members of the
Catholic Academy of Liturgy (CAL), and members of the Notre Dame
Liturgy Listserve regarding the proclaimability and usefulness of the
revised Lectionary.
-
Marriage Rite —
In preparation for the English translation of
Ordo
Celebrandi Matrimonium, editio typica altera,
the FDLC conducted a membership survey regarding cultural adaptations
to the Rite of Marriage. The results of the survey were shared at the
2012 National Meeting of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions and at the
2012 November meeting of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship (BCDW).
Education
[click
for more information]
-
Formation
of the Assembly (English and Spanish) —
As
a grassroots organization with a primary focus on pastoral needs the
FDLC emphasizes education of the Assembly in a majority of its
publications though: [click for list]
-
Bulletin
Inserts in English and in Spanish such as those published on
Full, Active, Conscious participation.
-
Publications
in English and in Spanish such as The Mystery of Faith
-
Liturgical
Catechesis Project —
a web site where the laity may find answers to their
questions and where articles and resources are posted.
-
Continuing
education for Membership —
At the same time the FDLC sees the continuing education of its members
as an important part of its work. This ongoing education is
accomplished through:[click for list]
-
Annual
Meetings
—
Workshops and major presentations
-
Regional
Meetings —
In service presentations by guest speakers
-
The FDLC
Newsletter —
Timely articles on issues of concern to the membership
-
National
Workshops —
Workshops
such as Multicultural Workshops and Sunday Celebrations in the
Absence of a Priest and Roman Missal (co-sponsored with the
USCCB)
Publications
Publications
have been a significant part of the educational role of the FDLC. Books,
pamphlets, and bulletin inserts on various liturgical topics are
available. The Mystery of Faith: A Study of the Structural
Elements of the Order of Mass ( and its Spanish equivalent El
Misterio de Fe) has been an invaluable and widely used resource on the
Mass. The Federation also publishes an in-house newsletter that bonds and
networks the membership, keeping it informed and updated on current
liturgical policies and issues. With all its publications the FDLC has
been sensitive in responding to a multi-cultural Church. [Click
here to visit the FDLC Publications pages]
Web-Based
Liturgical Catechesis
In May of
2004, the FDLC initiated a free web-based liturgical catechesis resource,
intended for parishes and individuals. The site includes articles,
documents and resources for topics such as: Planning Liturgy
(Spirituality, Readings, Ministers), the Sacraments, Liturgy and Culture,
Liturgy and Social Justice and the history of the Liturgical Movement. The
site also has links to Roman Catholic associations and organizations
supporting the liturgical renewal. [Click
here to visit the FDLC Liturgical Catechesis pages]
Visions
and Dreams
As
we know well, the vision and Spirit of Vatican II is not fully realized.
Considerable progress has been made but we have only begun the journey
toward true renewal which is the change of attitudes, understandings, and
structures which will enable us to worship not merely out of a sense of
obligation but from a deep-seated conviction that we really have something
worth celebrating together. It is only through your courage, conviction,
and dedication that quality worship will become the norm. It is only
through an organization such as the FDLC that we will continue to have a
"grass-roots" national voice promoting from a pastoral
perspective the ritual prayer life of the Church.
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