Rev. Patrick Whittle, TOR, gave the first of a series of talks on the liturgy to a filled Gentile Gallery on Oct. 27, 2025.
“The liturgy,” Whittle said, “is something that everybody speaks about and writes about. It has been commented on, it has been praised, it has been criticized, but who really knows the principles and norms by which it is to be put into practice? My hope in this series is that we shed light onto the principles of the liturgy, a blessing here at Franciscan University. We want to do it properly, and we want to give honor and glory to God for how we do it.”
Whittle began his talk by reminiscing about the experiences he had attending Mass as a child and how it led him to become a priest.
“First grade at the Easter Vigil Mass was one of the first moments that sparked my interest in the liturgy. It was a wonderful moment of captivation and engaging the senses. Shortly after that, I began playing Mass and saying, ‘I’m going to be a priest.”
As the first talk in the series, Whittle focused on an introduction to what the liturgy is according to the teachings of the Church. He cited Church documents on the nature of the liturgy and quoted the works of the saints. In doing so, he emphasized the importance of the liturgy throughout all periods of the Church.
“’Sacrosanctum Concilium’ shows that the liturgy is an exercise of the priestly office of Christ, and through our baptism, we enter into the threefold office of Christ as priest, prophet, and king,” said Whittle. “Through the liturgy, it becomes our duty to participate in this sacrifice, in the common priesthood of the faithful and in the ministerial priesthood of ordination, each according to their proper role.”
Whittle also brought up the numerous controversies surrounding the liturgy and its proper celebration that have been the topic of debates in the Church. He emphasized that when debates about proper celebration of the liturgy come about, we should ask ourselves if it manifests God’s glory to the world and if it draws us into the life of Christ and our sanctification.
The talk ended with a question-and-answer session in which students had the opportunity to ask Whittle their questions regarding the liturgy.
“I’m here to answer your questions,” he concluded. “And if you want to learn more, you can always read the doctoral dissertation of a guy named Fr. Pat Whittle.”