August 29, 2014

What was in the news on August 28, 1964?

An English Mass is previewed as the United States gets ready for sacraments in the vernacular

Criterion logo from the 1960sBy Brandon A. Evans

This week, we continue to examine what was going on in the Church and the world 50 years ago as seen through the pages of The Criterion.

Here are some of the items found in the August 28, 1964, issue of The Criterion:

  • Mass in the vernacular highlights observance of Liturgical Week
    • “ST. LOUIS—The annual Liturgical Week got underway here with major stress on the 20th century Catholic’s mandate for responsible involvement, not only in the public worship of the Church, but also—in cooperation with men of all faiths and none—in efforts to solve ‘the problems and perplexities.’ Serving as both the foundation and keynote for the Week was the opening Mass offered at 5 p.m. [Aug. 24] in massive Kiel Auditorium. This Eucharist was in effect a preview demonstrating the broad potential offered by the constitution on the liturgy enacted by the ecumenical council, and the American Bishops’ decrees for putting it into effect, which are to become general throughout the country next November 29. English was used for all of those prayers and Scripture readings which the bishops have decided will be in the vernacular.”
  • Sacraments in English to begin September 14
    • “WASHINGTON—Traditional Saturday confessions in Catholic churches across the nation will have an unfamiliar ring for penitents in mid-September. The priest will absolve in English, reciting in the vernacular the formula customarily said in Latin. This change, probably the first to be noticed by the average Catholic, will be part of a sweeping revision in the administration of the Church’s sacraments and its sacramentals.”
  • KC drops system of ‘blackball’
  • Fr. Vincent Grannan, chaplain, dies at 53
  • Liturgical Commission is created
  • St. Meinrad monk bars ‘common worship’ plan
  • Clergy shifts announced by Chancery
  • Prelate gets splashy welcome
  • KC again sponsors State Fair booth
  • Answers to parents’ questions: The new math
  • Radio spreads religion and literacy in Brazil
  • New family center opened in Detroit
  • A photographic report from a South American mission
  • Reports deicide issue deleted from statement
  • Pope calls for peace in Cyprus
  • ‘Johns Girls’ to mark 25th year as religious
  • Newsweek’s analysis of encyclical lauded
  • Urges study of Teilhard theory of evolution
  • World’s population passes 3.1 billion
  • Cardinal Cushing raps Time article
  • Terre Haute lad grabs top award in Talent Show
  • Pontiff lauds work of Mission Crusade
  • Ice cream social scheduled Sunday
  • Seventh daughter becomes nun
  • Church’s antiquity, youth stressed by pope
  • Mixed reactions greet English in sacraments
  • Another Air Line gets dispensation
  • Kentucky shared-time ‘success’
  • Parish operates own program for aid to education
  • Major changes seen in Catholic schools
  • Diocese starts overhaul of high school courses
  • Franciscan body urges trade with Red nations
  • Sister in Mexico wears wig
  • Byzantine rite faces difficulties in Greece
  • Apathy to lay participation charged
  • CRS Bolivia aid tops $10 million
  • Catholic negligence cited in race riots

(Read all of these stories from our August 28, 1964, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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