FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We
mourn the passing of visionary, a man of faith whose contributions to
the Church are legendary. As mentioned in the last issue of the
FDLC Newsletter, Monsignor Frederick R. McManus departed his
earthly home on the First Sunday of Advent, 2005 — forty two
years after the promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium.
This issue of the newsletter is dedicated to the
memory of Fred (as he was known by most). Why an entire issue? Fred's
life work was so considerable for him to be honored with nearly every
significant award in the field of liturgy and theology: the Pax
Christi Award from Saint John's University, Collegeville, MN, The
Berakah Award from the North American Academy of Liturgy, the John
Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of
America, and of course, the FDLC McManus Award, just to name a few.
He was also a recipient of the Papal
Benemerenti Medal and was made an
archimandrite of the Melkite Church. His significance was
recognized such that major U.S. newspapers such as the N.Y. Times,
the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe carried a
notice upon his death. The obituaries only recount a brief outline of
Fred's impact on the implementation of Vatican II reforms.
Interestingly enough, there was a discussion on the
Notre Dame Listserv just after the Washington Post obituary
notice ran stating that "in honor of his service, Monsignor McManus
was given the honor of celebrating the first English-language Mass in
the United States in 1964 in St. Louis." Listserv members who were
fortunate enough to have attended the 1964 North American Liturgical
Week in St. Louis had varying recollections of their first official
English-language Mass and who actually presided (was it McManus or
Msgr. Martin Hellriegel or Joseph Cardinal Ritter?) Just in case it is
ever a clue in Jeopardy...the answer can be found in the text of
Gerard Sloyan's
remembrances. If the obituaries presented the sketch of the
man, the reminiscences here offer color and depth to the portrait.
Read the tributes from such
noteworthy figures in the liturgical renewal as
John Page,
Gerard Sloyan,
Kathleen Hughes,
Joe Champlin,
Dick Butler, and
Virginia Sloyan and immerse yourself in a significant piece of our history. We
all owe a debt of gratitude to this servant of the Lord. He offered
his brilliance to the renewal of the liturgy, to the understanding of
the revised Code of Canon Law, to ecumenism, and to education, but
most significantly to God and to the people of God.
Lisa A. Tarker
Executive Director
