Vernacular Society of Great Britain Papers
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Introduction
8About the creator
3Contents
Catalogue
Reference code: GB-0033-CSU-D5
Title: Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain Papers
Dates of creation: 1942-1980
Extent: 5 boxes
Held by: Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections
Language: Latin and English

About the creator

The English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit was founded in 1943 to promote the use of the vernacular in the liturgy of the Mass. It began its work with a translation of the Rites of Baptism and Churching (excluding the form of the Sacrament) with a view also to compiling an English version of Vespers and Compline. The relationship between the previous hitSociety next hit and the Catholic Hierarchy was a fractious one throughout the 1940s and, following the refusal of the bishops to endorse the previous hitSociety next hit in 1952, it changed its name to the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain. This relationship did not improve, reaching something of a nadir in 1959 when the previous hitSociety next hit became embroiled in controversy with the Westminster Diocesan Council of Censorship, who forbad the publishing of an article in the previous hitSociety's next hit new journal, Language and Worship. However, following the decision of the Second Vatican Council in October 1962 actively to promote the use of a vernacular liturgy, the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit acted in an advisory capacity to the Hierarchy for the English translation of the Mass. It's purpose achieved, the previous hitSociety next hit disbanded in 1967.

Contents

The papers of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain and its predecessor, the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit, including secretarial papers covering a range of different subjects pertaining to the management of the organisation, including newspaper cuttings, newsletters, correspondence with the Catholic Hierarchy, papers relating to the Second Vatican Council, papers of the Latin Mass previous hitSociety next hit, and printed periodicals/pamphlets.

Accession Details

Donated by Keith MacMillan on behalf of the late Richard Cunliffe (1926-2012). Received 27 January 2015, Acc No Misc.2014/15:39.

Previous custodial history

Stored privately by Richard Cunliffe.

Conditions of access

Open for access.

Copyright and copying

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from pg.library@durham.ac.uk and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Catalogue

D5/1/1-5   1942-1967
Newspaper cuttings, arranged chronologically, on the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit/Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain, as well as the use of the vernacular in the Mass generally, mostly from British Catholic newspapers including the Catholic Times and the Tablet
4 files & 1 volume 
D5/2/1-11   1943-1980
Secretarial papers, mostly reports, minutes of meetings, members correspondence and lists, publicity material and correspondence on the administration of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit/Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain:
11 files 
D5/2/1   1943-1944
Papers, including Bernard Griffin (later archbishop of Westminster) to J.H.S. Wharton arguing against the use of the vernacular in Mass services on the basis of needing to learn a number of languages to celebrate the Mass abroad (14 January 1943); a number of letters from Bernard Goode, A. Hulme, Oswald Sumner and others to Wharton offering opinions on Wharton's article in the Catholic Herald calling for the use of the vernacular in the Mass (January/February 1943); Samuel Gosling to Wharton on the need for the Hierarchy to prepare a report on the subject (10 February 1943); Wharton to Fr Connick enclosing the draft of a letter from Gosling to the Catholic Herald on the liturgy in English (14 March 1943); and Wharton to Fr Vermilyea on a manifesto for the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit (14 April 1943)
1 file 
D5/2/2   1945-1946
Papers, including minutes of the meeting of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit (16 January 1945); a number of letters from Rev Thomas J. McMahon (National Secretary to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association), Polycarp Sherwood, Rev George B. Ford, and others, to Wharton commenting on the manifesto of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit and the English Liturgist (January-May 1945); Gerald Ellard (St Mary's College, Kansas) to Rev H. Francis Davis (Oscott College) on support from the American Hierarchy to the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit (3 June 1945); and Maurice Quinlan to Gosling on the Universe's opposition to the vernacular (15 March 1946)
1 file 
D5/2/3   1947-1949
Papers, including C. Holder to Gosling enclosing notes on the vernacular liturgy in France (30 March 1947); Christopher Clarke to Gosling on the need for the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit to amalgamate with other organisations in other countries (5 March 1948); [?Gosling] to Archbishop Bernard Griffin asking him to sponsor a petition for an extended use of the vernacular in the Liturgy (9 March 1948); and correspondence between William Godfrey (Apostolic Delegate) and Gosling on the Holy See's opposition to an editorial in the English Liturgist (28, 30 April, 13, 16, 17 May, 17, 21, 22, 25 October 1949)
1 file 
D5/2/4   1950-1951
Papers, including Col John K. Ross-Duggan to the literary executor of S.J. Gosling concerning Gosling's death (16 November 1950); H. Francis Davis to Mr Johnston on the appointment of Dr Edward Neary as Acting Secretary following Gosling's death (9 March 1951); and H. Francis Davis to Dr [Edward Neary?], and Neary to Johnston, and other letters, on the rejection by the bishops of the use of the vernacular and its likely effect on the previous hitSociety next hit (26 April, 1 May 1951)
1 file 
D5/2/5   1952-1954
Papers, including minutes of the London meeting of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit (7 February 1952); correspondence between P. Whittington, E. Neary, Johnston, and others on drafting a constitution for the previous hitSociety next hit (March-May 1952); circular letter from Neary to members on the transfer of power to the London Area Section (24 June 1952); Neary to Whittington on Whittington's appointment as Acting Secretary (22 July 1952); [?Neary] to Bishop [?] asking him for his endorsement of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit (9 October 1952); a confidential memorandum on the Hierarchy's wish not to endorse the previous hitSociety next hit (1 November 1952); and the first newsletter of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain (November 1953)
1 file 
D5/2/6   1955-1959
Papers, including circular letter by C.R.A. Cunliffe (secretary) on the publication of a new journal ( Language and Worship by the previous hitSociety next hit (30 June 1958)); [?] to Fr Howell on the appointment of the bishop of Aberdeen to chair a special commission on preparing a vernacular ritual for the Scottish dioceses (18 July 1959); and correspondence between P. Lowry, Cunliffe, and others, on the Westminster Diocesan Council of Censorship's decision to censor an article in Language and Worship (October 1959)
1 file 
D5/2/7   1960-1961
Papers, including correspondence between Clifford Howell, C. Cunliffe, and others, on the Westminster Diocesan Council of Censorship's decision to censor an article in Language and Worship (January - April 1959); correspondence between Cunliffe, F. Hastings, A. Faulkner, and others, on the questionnaire commissioned by the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit to the secular and regular clergy of Portsmouth Diocese seeking views on the use of the vernacular in the Mass (June 1960, July 1961); minutes of a meeting of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit (20 March 1961); correspondence between Ronald Pilkington, P.J. Cassidy, Howell, and others, on Pilkington's decision to resign his position as chairman of the previous hitSociety next hit owing to the decision of Cunliffe to publish a memorandum to the preparatory Liturgical Commission of the General Council (October-November 1961); and minutes of a Special Committee meeting (16 October, 16 November 1961)
1 file 
D5/2/8   1962-1963
Papers, including correspondence between Cunliffe and various editors of Catholic newspapers, and others, on the publication of the Pope's Veterum Sapientia (March-June 1962); annual report of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit (October 1962); and correspondence between Cunliffe, the editors of the Universe and the Tablet, and others, on the decision of the Vatican Council to promote the vernacular in the Liturgy (October-November 1962)
1 file 
D5/2/9   1964-1965
Papers, including correspondence between Cunliffe, Donald Attwater, L.C. Shepperd, and others, on assistance to be provided to the bishops on liturgical reform (February-March 1964); Bernard Dunne to Cunliffe on Cunliffe's appointment as chairman of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit (1 May 1964); the appointment of a sub-committee to investigate the production of a recording of an experimental Mass in English (23 May 1964); minutes of a meeting of the executive committee (23 May 1964); John Challenor to Cunliffe, circular letter from Cunliffe to members, with responses from members, on the future of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit (21 January - May 1965); and a petition from Gareth Edwards to the bishops calling on babies and small children to be forbidden from celebrating Mass (6 March 1965)
1 file 
D5/2/10   1966-1980
Papers, including Cunliffe to the Very Rev Mgr John Humphreys on the consideration of texts to be used by the advisory committee on English in the Liturgy (27 June 1966); Cunliffe to the manager of the Midland Bank, London, on the termination of the previous hitSociety's next hit activities (22 September 1966); the death of Col John K. Ross-Duggan (1 August 1967); and Thomas T. McAvoy (University Archivist of the University of Notre Dame) to Cunliffe on the termination of the previous hitSociety next hit and the disposal of its records (28 August 1967)
1 file 
D5/2/11   1951-1952
Correspondence file (arranged alphabetically) including letters from C. Cunliffe, S.J. Gosling, C. Holt, Clifford Howell, C.F. Hynes, P.E. Holwell, and others.
For subjects see D5/2/4
1 file 
D5/3   1952-1967
Printed newsletters of the English Liturgy previous hitSociety next hit/Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit of Great Britain
1 file 
D5/4/1-2   1952-1962; 1963-1967
Papers relating to the attempts of the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit to secure the support of the Catholic Hierarchy, mostly correspondence between the previous hitSociety next hit and the English bishops, as well as reports on various viewpoints
2 files 
D5/5   1959-1961
Reports by Col John K. Ross-Duggan on participation in Mass services in Europe and North Africa
1 file 
D5/6/1-5   1960-1961
Papers, including correspondence and data, relating to a questionnaire commissioned by the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit to the secular and regular clergy of Portsmouth Diocese seeking views on the use of the vernacular in the Mass
5 files 
D5/7/1-2   1961-1965
Papers relating to the Second Vatican Council:
2 files 
D5/7/1   1961-1965
Memorandum of evidence submitted by the Vernacular previous hitSociety next hit to the Preparatory Commission for the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council
1 file 
D5/7/2   1964-1965
Papers relating to the concilliar constitution of the liturgy discussed at the Second Vatican Council, mostly correspondence between the previous hitSociety next hit and Catholic newspapers, as well as draft copies of the liturgy
1 file 
D5/8   1965
Papers of the Latin Mass previous hitSociety next hit, mostly newspaper cuttings from the Catholic Herald and The Times on the reaction to the introduction of the vernacular Mass
1 file 
D5/9   1965
Voting slips of those members unable to attend the Annual General Meeting relating to their views on the future of the previous hitSociety next hit
1 file 
D5/10   1944-1966
Printed religious periodicals and pamphlets
For more detailed catalogue entries, search for “British Vernacular previous hitSociety Archive” in the Durham University Library catalogue
49 printed items