Benchmarks for a History of Liturgical Formation

A I begin, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the council and those who organized the Québec Congress for having invited me to speak today. I was particularly touched by this invitation because, as you know, I had to stand aside, much to my regret, from the organization of this Congress. So I would like to express before you all my grateful affection towards Lizette Larson-Miller, for this gesture of fellowship, and above all for having accepted to take over from me as president. Our president elect Martin Stuflesser and all the members of the council are of course included in this heartfelt thank-you. To be perfectly truthful, I should mention that I hesitated before accepting this invitation to speak here in Québec, because the underlying reasons for my well-founded decision not to come to Würzburg remain. At the same time, I had to re-orient my future academic obligations. And so it is with modesty and gratitude that I stand here before you this morning. I am as aware of the extent of the honour that you bestow on me as of my limits as to the task at hand.