To coincide with Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish language week) the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference is announcing the publication, later in the year, of an altar edition of the new Roman Missal in the Irish language: An Leabhar Aifrinn Rómhánach. This new Irish language Missal will be published by Veritas, Ireland’s leading publisher of liturgical and Church resources.
Welcoming this new publication Bishop Martin Drennan, Bishop of Galway and chair of the Bishops’ Council for Liturgy said, “The publication of An Leabhar Aifrinn Rómhánach is hugely significant not only for the Church in Ireland, but for all who cherish our culture and heritage, particularly the Irish language. We become what we pray. When we pray to our God of life He transforms and renews us so that we become more fully alive with His life. When we pray the Mass we believe that God’s saving presence is active in our assembly bringing about our transformation.”
Bishop Drennan continued, “An Leabhar Aifrinn Rómhánach will serve those who celebrate the liturgy in Irish and will help to preserve the Irish language as a living language for worship. Tá áthas mór orm go bhfuil sé beagnach réidh agus tá suil agam to mbeidh cóip den Leabhar Aifrinn seo i ngach seipéal ar fud na tíre roimh deireadh na bliana seo.”
The Missal is the book that contains all the prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass. The new edition of the Missal came into use across the English speaking world in November 2011, having been in use since 1975. The Missal is first written in Latin and this Latin text is then translated into the particular language of the people. In this way, while the Mass may be celebrated in many languages across the Roman Catholic world, it is the same core Latin text that is being prayed by the Church.
