A 3 hour video training workshop, demonstrating the effective use of ritual, symbol, music and the Arts in Eucharistic and non-Eucharistic liturgical celebrations, as well as providing input and formation on the nature and structure of liturgy.
In Memory of You is a much anticipated video workshop on liturgy and ritual. It was directed and produced by Monica Brown and Hilary Musgrave RSC, from Emmaus Productions. Most of the sponsorship came from the Solidarity Fund of the Mercy Sisters of the Southern Province, Ireland, together with contributions from each of the Mercy Provinces in Ireland. It has been in the making in parish communities throughout Ireland for the past eight months.
A genuinely uplifting experience
Monsignor Olden from Holy Cross Church, Tramore, said he was very pleased for his community to be invited to be part of this video workshop. “Our involvement,” he says, “was a genuinely uplifting experience for me and for many of my parishioners. The care and artistic attention which went into the preparation was most impressive. We were delighted to be involved. We will be using this timely and relevant video, and I know we will find it full of meaning and help. I strongly recommend it to parishes and communities.”
Several other parishes and community groups around Ireland were involved in the video workshop. Among these were the Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne, Cork; Christ the King Church, Caherdavin, Limerick; St. Gabriel’s, Passionist Retreat, The Graan, Enniskillen; St. Laurence O’Toole Church, Baldoyle; St. Martin de Porres Church, Old Bawn; St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Rivermount, Finglas; Rathea Church, Lixnaw, Kerry; and the Sisters of Charity Community, Tramore.
Francie Ward from St Oliver Plunkett Parish in Finglas said, “The liturgy we were part of was beautiful. It made everyone feel how close God is to all of us. That feeling brought us closer together. We then experienced that presence of God in different ways – in dance, in song and in the quiet, gentle movement. It was an occasion of joy for all.” And Willie Byrne from the same community said, “The liturgy was most relaxing. A calm seemed to settle on all present even the very young. My little godson was so happy in this atmosphere where God was obviously present.”
Empowering the laity
“The group making the video definitely brought out the best in us,” says Annette and Tom Galvin from Rathea Parish. “We hadn’t realized the richness that was in us as a community until the people working on the video reminded us…”
The community from Old Bawn had a sense of being nourished and deeply moved by the experience of the Healing Ritual which they were involved in for the video.Prayers of the Faithful
The 3-hour video workshop demonstrates the effective use of ritual, symbol, music and the arts in eucharistic and non-eucharistic liturgical celebrations, as well as providing very practical input and formation on liturgy and important liturgical principles.Hands-on resource
One of the unique features of the video is the fact that it was filmed in ‘ordinary parishes’ and involves the members of the local communities. All that is demonstrated on the video is realistic and accessible, and in touch with the ‘typical’ parish community, opening up, in a meaningful way, some of the richness of our liturgical tradition. The liturgies and rituals presented in the video are as follows:
Supporting parishes
The video book contains detailed notes on the issues addressed in the video, as well as questions for discussion and reflection. It is an important part of the whole workshop style approach of the video.
The objective of the video is to support parishes in facing the challenges of liturgical renewal, not just by giving them creative ideas in the demonstration of the liturgies, but by providing formation through the workshop nature of the video and the book which accompanies it. The video can be used in an on-going manner in the formation of parish liturgy teams, such as in the training of Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, or Children’s Liturgy of the Word Teams. It can also help train Family Mass Group Leaders, musicians, choirs and youth in the use of mime, dance and drama in liturgy. Sr Hilary Musgrave, one of the directors of the video says, “It is designed to be a really practical, hands-on resource for parish liturgy teams, priests, chaplains, youth workers, teachers and those involved in liturgical formation. It is a resource that can be used by small groups to develop their understanding of liturgy. Also, through the rituals demonstrated on the video, they can see what is possible in life-giving, creative liturgy, and how to prepare good meaningful liturgies.”The video production team worked with a group of young people in Enniskillen on the Prayers of the Faithful. Those who were involved in this said that, “The saying that ‘actions speak louder than words’ was very appropriate for us in our contribution to the making of this video. The use of mime visually enhances and brings new meaning and depth to the liturgy. Participating in the Prayers of the Faithful in this new innovative way, exposed to us an extra dimension to prayer which struck a meaningful chord in us all.” Helen Higgins, who was the Prayer Leader for the Liturgy of the Word for Faith Sharing Communities, which was filmed in Rathea Church, Lixnaw, said she had a sense of the laity being empowered and able to form community. They could share faith, she said, in a most prayerful and life-giving way, with their priest, Fr Pat Moore, participating with them as one of the community in that faith sharing.
In Memory of You – Video and Book is available from:
EMMAUS PRODUCTIONS
The Ministry of Monica Brown
3 Main Street
Tramore, County Waterford
Phone: +3539(0)51 391784
Email: emmausireland@emmausproductions.com
Websites:
www.emmausproductions.com
www.liturgyplanning.com
www.liturgyplanningimages.com
