Deadline for submissions is September 1, 2010.

Administrative Team: Timothy Brunk (Coordinator), Lizette Larson-Miller, Rhodora Beaton

Call for Papers:

The Liturgy/Sacraments Topic Session invites proposals for papers to be given at the convention in San Jose in 2011.  The theme of the convention is “All the Saints.”  In view of this theme the Liturgy/Sacraments Administrative Team has identified a number of relevant topics for possible exploration.  The list below is meant to be suggestive, not exhaustive.

• Is veneration of the saints a waning practice in some quarters of the church?  Is it rising in other quarters?  What are the consequences (liturgically, pastorally, theologically) of these trends?
• In light of the traditional importance of both place and relics for the cult of martyrs, what is to be made of the contemporary resurgence of pilgrimage and memorials (e.g., to Santiago de Compostela)?
• What notions of sacramentality are associated with the relics of saints?  Why do many Roman Catholic altars have relics placed in them?
• How should the notion of liturgical worship taking place in and with the communion of saints be expressed in the 21st century?
• What is the significance of the litany of saints (e.g., at the Easter Vigil)?
• In what ways is devotion to saints an aid to ecumenical dialogue?  In what ways might it be a hindrance?
• Although saints are designated as such by the universal church, in fact devotion to a given saint is often associated with a particular region of the church (e.g., Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates in Latin America, but perhaps not in Central Europe).  In what ways might this be an expression of the richness and diversity of local churches?  Might this be polarizing?
• Traditionally, candidates for confirmation are encouraged to take a saint’s name.  How might this practice and the notion of the communion of saints serve to inform a 21st century theology of this often hard to understand sacrament?
• How might the choosing of a "Christian" name for baptism be both a hindrance and assistance in a global church?
• In an American church more and more shaped by Latin American influences, what can Catholics of European descent in the United States learn from such observances as the Dia de los Muertos?

Proposals should be between 200-500 words and include the author’s name, institution, and contact information.  The deadline for submission is September 1, 2010.  Notification of acceptance for presentation will be given by September 24, 2010.  A maximum of three papers will be selected for the session.  Please articulate in the proposal any audio-visual support required.  Authors of accepted papers must submit a 100 word précis by October 6.  Recall that CTSA policy limits presenters to one speaking role on the convention program.  Please send proposals to Timothy Brunk at timothy.brunk@villanova.edu.