CCCB confirms plans to publish new English-language hymnal for Canada, Music for Catholic Worship

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has confirmed publishing plans for a new English-language hymnal, to be called Music for Catholic Worship. The decision was made by the Conference’s Permanent Council at its June 2018 meeting. The current production schedule indicates the new hymnal should be in stock by Lent 2020.

Some 550 to 600 Catholic parishes across the country already intend to purchase the new hymnal. The English Sector National Liturgy Office will be sending confirmation to those parishes about the CCCB decision as well as updates as the project moves forward, including information on placing an order for the new hymnal. There are strong indications that the majority of parishes currently using Catholic Book of Worship III wish to replace it with an updated Canadian resource, while a number of other parishes currently using resources from the United States plan to replace or supplement these with the new Canadian hymnal.

Music for Catholic Worship will be the only version in Canada which reflects the changes in the third typical edition of the Roman Missal used in Canada and incorporates the New Revised Standard Version translation of the Psalms in the Lectionary approved for use in Canada.

The CCCB decision follows two surveys earlier this year – the first to seven dioceses considered key for the project, the second to all English Sector dioceses. Based on the results of the surveys, the project was recommended by the English Sector Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Hymnal which the Executive Committee had established to coordinate its preparations and publication.

Plans for the new CCCB hymnal have been endorsed by the English Sector National Council for Liturgy and the Sacraments and also the National Council for Liturgical Music. Members of the National Council for Liturgical Music have worked with musicians and choir directors across Canada to ensure broad support for the proposed musical content of the new hymnal.

A fact sheet on the new national hymnal as well as an outline of its contents are available on the webpage of the National Liturgy Office at http://nlo.cccb.ca/index.php/announcements. More information on Music for Catholic Worship is available from the National Liturgy Office at nlo@cccb.ca.

The CCCB wishes to express sincere gratitude to the members of the Hymnal Committee, who generously devoted many volunteer hours and shared their expertise in assisting with the selection of the content of the new hymnal, Music for Catholic Worship. The CCCB likewise acknowledges with sincere appreciation the evaluative and editing work of the National Council for Liturgical Music (NCLM), which prepared the presentation of the proposed content for the Bishops. Finally, the CCCB also extends thanks to the members of the Ad Hoc Committee for Planning, Production and Administration, who laboured with dedication to bring the project to its current stage of production.