English Martyrology
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 508
    I had an interesting question come up. We noticed in some feasts proper to the UK they have english translations for the Martyrology Inscription. I know that the USA does not have an updated Martyrology yet- waiting for the approval... but does anyone know if the updated English Version exists in the UK? If so, where can it be bought?

    We have been praying it in spanish due to the issue, but would be so great to have an english edition.
  • PLTT
    Posts: 174
    There no UK translation. A standard practice of the Dicastery of Divine Worship when approving new feasts is to approve a brief biographical note, Collect, Second Reading for the Office of Readings and entry for the martyrology.

    Generally speaking when it comes to the Anglophone world, there is 95% chance that the US will be the first to translate something. The USCCB has more resources to drawn on by far, compared with other conferences - not to mention a large market.

    I don't know if I am confusing you with another poster, but isn't your monastery OP nuns? If so, Martin Wallace OP (Assumption/Australian Province) had done an English translation of the martyrology a few years ago. Don't know how "official" it is - sometimes the religious get different permissions than the rest of the world. But I believe it is used in several houses, even in the Eastern and Western US provinces.....
    Thanked by 3irishtenor igneus CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,464
    The USA also probably has far fewer biographies of particular saints compared to the UK & Ireland for which to vet translation. ICEL did the heavy lifting for all the English-language episcopal conferences.
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 508
    @PLTT no, we are not dominicans.

  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,627
    In the middle of this recent podcast :- https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-tnniq-16eaa4f?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share Fr Andrew Menke, Executive Director of ICEL says they are 'just putting the finishing touches' to their translation.
    Thanked by 2monasteryliturgist igneus
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 508
    I sure hope that means soon, but I mean they keep saying the same thing about the Breviary and... still no breviary.
  • MonasticChantress
    Posts: 19
    Sister, do you read the USCCB liturgy newsletter? The October 2024 issue (the latest available free) has the proper texts for four recently added feasts! They also said they are just waiting for the new lectionary edition to work on actually having the Forthcoming Breviary printed . . .

    In some past issue, they gave samples of Martyrology entries for saints renowned for their liturgical prowess . . . we, too, eagerly await an English martyrology. We purchased a Latin edition from the Vatican, but it seems that English is more helpful for this text.
    Thanked by 1monasteryliturgist
  • PLTT
    Posts: 174
    @a_f_hawkins

    Unfortunately for them, there are now recently announced updates to both the Martyrology (new upcoming Latin edition) and the Liturgy of the Hours (biannual cycle and psalm prayers).....so unless they were in touch with someone from the Dicastery earlier, chances are an English edition will be pushed further.
    Thanked by 2Liam monasteryliturgist
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 508
    @MonasticChantress Yes, we agree. For the Martyrology we didn't have much success in Latin either. Spanish has been what we have been using since at least it has a good number of the new Saints. But of course English would be the best.

    I had been reading the free Editions of the USCCB... but last I checked they hadnt updated for almost a year- glad to know they updated again. I pray the breviary, lectionary, and martyrology come soon.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • MonasticChantress
    Posts: 19
    @PLTT Can you share the source for the "recently announced updates" you mention? Updating is great but at this rate the updates will never make it to us.

    Even with the Martyrology--I think the Latin edition is something like 2005 . . . but what have people/religious been praying in the decades since the change in the liturgy? When I realized what we were missing, it was obvious that there was this huge hole I hadn't been aware of, and how much our experience of the liturgy, the Church, the Communion of Saints, would be enriched by this relatively "small" but missing piece of the liturgical cycle.

    @monasteryliturgist Did you also see, in the new liturgy newsletters they announced the approved English translation of a revised Rite of Professions that will come out some time in a Study Edition? They give over a year or more until the mandatory use date, in order to give Institutes time to revise their own rites and get them approved.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen monasteryliturgist
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 331
    but what have people/religious been praying in the decades since the change in the liturgy?

    For those who are bound to follow the new calendar in their community, I cannot say, but as a member of the laity I personally have the Loreto press Martyrology, which gives an English translation of the Martyrology for the 1962 calendar, in what seems to me a very elegant and well done translation.

    I suppose it would be almost impossible to use such a book, as is, due to the calendar differences. If an official translation is not a requirement, you could have someone who is knowledgeable in Latin (and English) go through both Martyrologies (the Latin 2005, and the English 1962) and type up a version which arranges the English in the order of the 2005. I'm guessing you would have texts for about 80% of the Saints at least. Although I don't know if perhaps they changed the wording in 2005 too. That could be a problem... I also don't know about copyright, but if you purchase a copy of the book, and then use the book (by means of retyping the order of its contents for the needs of your community) without any form of the book leaving your community, I don't see how there could be an issue, legally or morally. One entity purchases the book, and the same one entity uses the book.

    But it is a difficult situation, especially if you have nobody comfortable doing any sort of translation work. Even as someone who prefers to hear Mass and say (sing) the Office in Latin, I still prefer the Martyrology in English, since it puts the images of the days Saints before ones imagination just that much more vividly.

    I wish you all the best, and will pray for your needs!
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen monasteryliturgist tomjaw
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 508
    @MonasticChantress yes I did see that one- not from the News Letter but by word of mouth. I am not sure what that will look like for us, because we had our rite approved based off of a translation from the Spanish Edition of our Rite. Spanish, is like our "Latin" in our community, the universal language so- everything gets checked from there. It would be nice to do things the right way if we could- I am not sure who would be in charge of that project. I imagine it would have to be a work done on a General Level.

    @OMagnumMysterium I think the major issue with that for us would be time- but also yes, I think the wording did change from the 65 edition to the 2005 edition.
  • PLTT
    Posts: 174
    @MonasticChantress

    The third typical edition of the Martyrology and the additional Supplement for the Liturgy of the Hours were announced in a communication of the Dicastery to the Episcopal Conferences. It doesn't seem to have made its way to the official pages yet. There are mentions here, however:

    https://www.cultodivino.va/en/attivita/activities-2025/card-arthur-roche-met-the-icel-bishops.html
    https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2024-12/roche-giubileo-formazione-preghiera-chiesa.html (Italian)

    I wrote a summary of the Supplement here:
    https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/258692#Comment_258692

    It is very large but unfortunately, for the moment, circulation of the new Latin texts online has been strictly forbidden by the Dicastery. It will be interesting to see how the Anglophone Episcopal Conferences proceed, especially as regards the Office of Readings. For the USCCB, I imagine that they will want to include at least the Psalm-Prayers in the main text - and perhaps other selected material like the 3 year Patristic reading on the Sunday Gospels.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • MonasticChantress
    Posts: 19
    @PLTT Thank you! I don't always look at this forum so I didn't see your earlier post, but a two-year cycle of Second Lessons and a set of Gospel-commentary homilies would be wonderful. The older Sisters sometimes comment on how the old Office used to have Gospel commentaries from the Fathers, perhaps more so or more relevant than today (given the previous unity of the liturgical texts for each day). The good thing is that I am still relatively young, so maybe I will get to see this come out in my lifetime!

    @monasteryliturgist Unfortunately Spanish would be more unhelpful than Latin for us, although it is probably a big advantage for your community with the rising number of Hispanic American youth discerning religious life. (We have some good friends who used to be members of your active branch, so we are familiar with y'all's Spanish "lingua franca".) Looking up the Dominican Roman Martyrology mentioned above, it looks like a "draft translation." But it appears that it would have the English of all the Roman parts.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen monasteryliturgist
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