Bangladesh church holds national seminar on liturgy

Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Prayer (EC-LP) in the archdiocese of Dhaka held a national seminar for active participation with liturgical hymns for Catholics from June 3 to 8. 

The event took place at Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Banani, Dhaka.
 
The main aims of this national seminar are “To give guidance to the liturgical life of the Church in Bangladesh, especially to provide liturgical texts and to assist with liturgical music and hymn.”
 
On the other hand, the main objective was to promote the active participation of Catholics in the liturgy. 
 
Selected participants from the eight dioceses of Bangladesh attended the seminar. 
 
“Eucharist is the source and summit of the Church. So, we need active participation during the Mass,” said Bishop Gervas Rozario, chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Prayer in his welcome speech. 
 
“In the Eucharistic celebration, the liturgical hymn is important because it makes us alive and active,” he said. 
 
During the seminar, Father Patrick Gomes said, “Liturgical music today allows the community to participate actively in the liturgy, relating to both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These are the two main parts of the Catholic liturgy.”
 
Church hymns are a form of worship. They serve as a prayer of thanks and an expression of commitment, he explained. 
 
Diponkar D’ Rozario, a participant in the seminar said, “I learned a lot of new things during the seminar. At the same time, I have been inspired to participate in the Eucharist,” he added.
 
Sreya Driba from the Mymensingh diocese, said, “By participating in this seminar, I learned many things, especially the importance of hymns and Psalms during the Mass. So now, I lead the Sunday hymn properly and be active in our parish.” – Nikhil Gomez