mommy, how are anaphoras englished?

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Nov 26, 2006

Now you can confidently answer your seven-year-old's most embarrassing questions. An alert reader brings to our attention a very informative bio from The Pastoral Church at the Dawn of the New Christian Era. Jack Shea's your man:

Ordained a Roman Catholic priest in May, 1960. After teaching Latin, Greek, English, and Religion at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland, from 1960 to 1962, he became a member of the Society of St. Sulpice and studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, where he earned his doctorate in sacred theology. In 1964 he translated and published: The Eternal Year, by Karl Rahner. From 1965 to 1969 he taught ecclesiology and liturgy at St. Thomas Seminary in Seattle, and at St. Mary's, Baltimore ...

1969 -- now why does that ring a bell?

... when he was asked to become the Executive Secretary of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). In this role, he supervised the translation of many of the liturgical texts revised by Rome after Vatican II. These translations became the official liturgical texts for use throughout the English-speaking world.

And the spiritual harvest of these edifying labors?

In 1972 he left the canonical priesthood and pursued a career in technical and scientific writing, specializing in the areas of health research, patient education, and the application of social marketing principles to health communication programs. Jack puts his writing skills to practical use for ministry, and he officiates at weddings.

Surprised? Neither am I. Still, next time you find yourself at Mass scratching your scalp at one of those scout-prayer collects or prefaces, it'll help to call to mind the application of social marketing principles to health communication programs. We are an Easter People.