✥ Planning and Celebrating Bicultural Liturgies ✥ Preparando y Celebrando Liturgias Biculturales

Peter M. Kolar, WORLD LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS

Guidelines for Multicultural Celebrations / Guías para Celebraciones Multiculturales (See GUIDELINES FOR MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATIONS by Fr. Mark Francis, CSV • Published by FDLC)

“The overarching goal of planning such celebrations is assisting a diverse assembly to find its unity in Christ rather than merely showcasing cultural differences.”

“La meta sobresaliente de la planificación de estas celebraciones es la de asistir a la asamblea diversa a encontrar su unidad en Cristo, y no sólo demostrar las diferencias culturas.” —GMC, p. 9

“The use of multiple languages in a celebration does not itself make a celebration multicultural”

“El uso de varios idiomas en una celebración en si no crea una celebración multicultural.”

Rather, it is a careful integration of the following:

• Full and active participation / Participación plena y activa

• Attending to non-verbal elements / Atención a los elementos no-verbales

• Frequency of multicultural celebrations / Frecuencia de las celebraciones multiculturales

• Pastoral Context and parroquial factors / Contexto pastoral y factores parroquiales

• Multicultural spirituality / Espiritualidad multicultural

“If the only time the various members of a community come together is at worship, these celebrations run the risk of being disconnected and artificial because they fail to reflect the lives of the community.”

“Si la única oportunidad que los varios miembros de la comunidad tienen para reunirse es durante la liturgia, estas celebraciones riesgan el estar desconectadas y ser artificiales, puesto que no reflejan la realidad de la vida de la comunidad.” —GMC, p. 10

The Challenge of Music Selection / El Desafío de Escoger Música Apropiada

How do you select music so that all who come together to worship feel “at home”? Songs and languages must be chosen carefully. Above all, learn and know the repertoire of each culture involved. The repertoire of any given community is broad and diverse. There is lots to pick from!

Possible Musical Solutions for Bicultural Liturgies A. Contemporary bilingual music. Bilingual music is the first and most obvious solution to multicultural liturgies involving English and Spanish. Today’s contemporary Hispanic composers such as Pedro Rubalcava, Jaime Cortéz, Al Valverde, Lorenzo Florián, Donna Peña and Eleazar Cortés have written new pieces which strive to be true to both English and Spanish languages. This music is often upbeat and draws on popular Hispanic musical styles. It also appeals greatly to youth and purely bilingual communities.

“Bilingual Music” can be bilingual in several ways. Know HOW a song is bilingual: • Fully bilingual means that the entire song is offered in both languages throughout (think of as dually-lingual). Look for the complete refrain and all verses to appear in both languages — ideal for mono-communities to learn separately but sing together as a unified parish. • Text-switching, where a song text alternates languages within a single phrase or sentence, tends to favor communities where most participants are bilingual (e.g. Pan de Vida). However, it must be used with caution when the majority of the congregation is mono-lingual, especially if really a “gringo sound with some Spanish words.”

B. Traditional melodies or hymns that exist in both languages. These tend to be European or American tunes that have been wedded to a Spanish translation or other text. (e.g. Hymn to Joy ~ Himno a la Alegría, The Strife Is O’er ~ La Ruda Lucha, Lift High the Cross ~ Alzad la Cruz). Many tend to be seasonal favorites, often coming from the protestant tradition. There are also instances where a Spanish-language song “crosses over” into the English-language repertoire (e.g. Pescador de Hombres). C. Monolingual Songs with short, easy refrains. A song doesn’t always have to be biilingual to be effective and appropriate for a bilingual liturgy. An all-Spanish or all-English song with a short refrain is a legitimate means of introducing new repertoire and cultural awareness to your assembly. This includes songs with a simple “Alleluia” refrain, or a short repeated text or call-and-response songs. Other creative solutions: • Ostinato refrains – (a simple repeated music phrase) in a single language with verses constructed to be sung by a cantor “on top” of the assembly refrain (e.g. Taizé). The verses may be in alternate languages. Appropriate for multilingual celebrations. • Traditional Latin or Greek texts – Provided they are part of your parish’s repertoire, traditional chants such as Ubi Caritas, Attende Domine, Pange Lingua and Regina Caeli may be an effiective way to unite languages in a multilingual celebration. Also, the Latin or Greek texts can be used for parts of the Mass Ordinary: Penitential Rite – Kyrie eléison, or Lamb of God – Agnus Dei. • Combinations of all of the above

Pastoral Reminders for Music Leaders Always be mindful of the congregation. Use worship aids or handouts to ensure that songs are accessible to the people. Provide “courtesy” translations of monolingual pieces. Rehearse sufficiently with all choirs for weeks before the celebration to make the best attempt at accurate pronunciation. Choose a mass setting engaging to both cultures. And teach new music to the assembly before mass begins, or preferably in the weeks preceding the celebration.

Use of Language within the Rite Use worship aids to assist in making the mass texts and readings accessible to the assembly.. Preaching should be done just bilingually, or even “bi-storytellingly.” Readings can be proclaimed in alternating languages (and printed in the opposite), the Gospel in both. Consider using a bilingual psalm and Gospel Acclamation. The intercession response could be sung bilingually with petitions in alternating languages. Have the presider alternate the languages of the Opening Prayer, Prayer over the Gifts and Prayer after Communion. The various portions of the Eucharistic Prayer can be done in both languages. Be mindful of the language of its musical acclamations.

Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms, Quinceañeras These celebrations are particularly challenging because of the nature of the congregation: often non-church-goers. These participants must be made to feel just as welcomed as the “regulars.” Use familiar music, extra-inviting dialogue, announcements to join in singing, worship aids, etc. Remember to always put yourself in the congregations’ “shoes.”

Worship Aids and Projection

Clear design and layout. Side-by-side format or stacked. Different fonts or styles for the two languages. Headings and explanatory directives in both languages.