year of the word
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has dedicated 2021 as a year of focus on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’.The initial launch will be on the feast of St Jerome, 30 September 2019, with the Year formally beginning in Advent 2019 during the Mass for the Immaculate Conception at 11am on December 7, 2019 at the Cathedral.
Bishop Peter (now Emeritus) described the purpose of the Year in these words:
‘At heart we want to help everyone be prepared to hear the Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy.’
Each parish has been asked to commit themselves to training / refreshing those who proclaim the scriptures in the liturgy. NORES have sent all parishes a diocesan Readers Course which it is hoped many will find useful. More printed copies can be obtained from them, or downloaded here: Year of the Word Readers Course.
There was a formal commissioning of many who proclaim the word in the liturgy, on the Second Sunday of Advent.
Emeritus Bishop Peter prepared a pastoral letter about the importance of proclaiming and hearing the Word in the liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent 2019. The pastoral letter can be read here.