The new English Canon will bring priests and people together in an offering, acting and singing community with Christ, Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan said at the first public demonstration of the Canon.

“It is only the parish priest who can provide the kindness and understanding necessary to explain and encourage the participation of the whole community,” the archbishop told 125 priests, nuns and laymen who attended the Mass and program in the basement of the old Marist School. Tuesday night. The Canon becomes effective Sunday.

The methods of technique which will change the emphasis of the Mass from its Latin rendition to a heart-to-heart liturgy were discussed by Dr. Dwight Freshly, professor of speech and drama at the University of Georgia.

“In a way, the priest are one with the people,” Dr. Freshly said. “The dignity of the priest’s manner must be that of a free man—Christ’s man. The spirit he radiates will get across to the whole community”.

Gestures, as well as delivery and tone should be used to introduce participants to a new idea. Rate of speech and stress of words will determine the meaning, the professor said. Both priests and lecturers must not read too fast to prevent an understanding of the beauty of the words.

Paul Shields, news director of WAGA-TV, read a passage from the English Canon. “We are stressing and realizing ideas, not words,” he said. “If we are not attempting to stress good English, the Mass might as well be in Latin.”

The many changes in the field of liturgy in such a short time are accomplishments due for the most part to the indefatigable efforts of Archbishop Hallinan, said Father John McDonough, pastor of Holy Spirit Church. “The priests of the Archdiocese of Atlanta know what he has done—and the effort and cost. We are extremely grateful.”

United in the spirit of the new liturgy, and with a thorough understanding of the Mass, the Church will survive—the priests and people will survive and be joyous, Father McDonough said.

“The Eucharistic prayer will be more readily understood as the central proclamation of our faith,” Father McDonough said. “We should stop thinking of special moments in the Mass—the consecration is involved in everything that takes place in the Eucharistic celebration from the beginning of the Mass to the final amen. The entire Eucharistic prayer enhances the final consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ”.

The English Canon requires a radical reappraisal—from the doxology, to the blessing and amen. Father McDonough said. “The Eucharist is in other words a reality, not of just this local Church, but of man’s whole Church as one with us. This is not a new thought, but it will come home to us.”

“Our blessing is not so much of this particular offering, but in a broader sense, thanking God and His Creation because we are in His image. The priests, and the people with us, direct all things to their final source. It is up to us to accept this translation, this challenged, so that in turn, we can change the world,” Father McDonough said.

Louis Erbs, chairman of the Liturgical Commission, introduced a new translation of liturgical music to be sung at Mass and priests and people joined in a practice session preceding the Mass.

In an interview following the celebration of Mass, Dr. Freshly said there is a common problem shared by all worshipping congregations, Catholic and Protestant alike. The priest or minister must be articulate and straight forward in his delivery. “I am impressed by the sincere effort of this archdiocese to instruct the priests and people in the basic skills of communication,” Dr. Freshly said.