Bishop James P. Powers celebrates Mass in the chapel of the Chancery offices in Superior. The bishop often speaks of the transformative power of the Mass through meaningful participation. (Catholic Herald photo by Jenny Snarski)
Jenny Snarski
Catholic Herald staff
A Biblical Walk through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy by Dr. Edward Sri helps the average Catholic encounter Christ profoundly through a deeper understanding of the Mass.
Sr. Kathy Salewski, OSF, director of Evangelization and Outreach for the Catholic Churches of the Bayfield Peninsula, leads an adult faith formation group made up of women from St. Ann, Cornucopia, and St. Louis, Washburn. They started the study in late fall 2017.
Published by Ascension Press, the program is available for individual or group study and can be purchased in various forms, in both English and Spanish.
Sri – theologian, author and speaker – had been presenting the basic content for a decade prior to compiling it as a book. Released in January 2011, Biblical Walk uses the more precise, scriptural language of the new Mass translation which took effect at the beginning of Advent that same year.
In an April 2011 interview with Fr. Mitch Pacwa on EWTN Live, Sri spoke of the series’ goal – to give new life to the liturgical experience through understanding the profound significance of what is said and done at Mass.
“If we can understand [the Mass’] Biblical background more, we’ll be able to understand what we’re really doing at Mass, step by step, through all the rites and prayers of the liturgy,” he explained.
A “fantastic program,” Sr. Kathy said of Biblical Walk. Her group is hosting a Jan. 25 marathon session to view the series’ DVDs; members wanted a review for any content someone might have missed.
Throughout the series’ five sessions, the Tennessee-native, Chicago-raised Sr. Kathy learned just how much “of our liturgy comes from our Jewish heritage.” Having moved to Red Cliff and the Bayfield cluster after the new 2011 Mass translation took effect, she especially appreciated the depth of Sri’s explanations of the changes throughout the program’s liturgical tour.
One of the pivotal points for participants was something Sr. Kathy said is “obvious but wasn’t anything any of us have thought of” – content on the Liturgy of the Word explained that “lectors lend their voice to God so that God’s word can come out their mouth.”
According to the Joliet Franciscan, the group agrees they participate in the Mass in a totally different way, thanks to the study. It gives “a whole different awareness” of the Mass.
To learn more about the program, contact Sr. Kathy at 715-913-0167 or .
