# Societas Liturgica

Societas Liturgica is the international ecumenical society for the study of Christian liturgy and worship. Societas Liturgica has around 300 members who are researchers, academics or practitioners. Anglican members of Societas Liturgica also serve as members of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation.

## History

Societas Liturgica came into existence through the initiative of Wiebe Vos, a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1962 he founded Studia Liturgica, "an international ecumenical quarterly for liturgical research and renewal". In 1965 Vos called a conference of twenty-five liturgists from Europe and North America at the Protestant community of Grandchamp, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

## Presidents

The presidents of Societas Liturgica are each elected for a two-year term of office.
| Dates | Name | Nationality | Denomination |
| 1967-69 | Placid Murray | Ireland | Roman Catholic |
| 1969-71 | Ronald Jasper | UK | Anglican |
| 1971-73 | Pierre-Marie Gy | France | Roman Catholic |
| 1973-75 | Jean-Jacques von Allmen | Switzerland | Reformed |
| 1975-77 | Balthasar Fischer | Germany | Roman Catholic |
| 1977-79 | Thomas Talley | USA | Anglican |
| 1979-81 | Frederick R. McManus | USA | Roman Catholic |
| 1981-83 | Hans-Christoph Schmidt-Lauber | Austria | Lutheran |
| 1983-85 | Geoffrey Wainright | USA / UK | Methodist |
| 1985-87 | Robert F. Taft | USA | Roman Catholic (Byzantine Rite) |
| 1987-89 | Donald C. Gray | UK | Anglican |
| 1989-91 | Paul De Clerck | Belgium | Roman Catholic |
| 1991-93 | Bruno Bürki | Switzerland | Reformed |
| 1993-95 | Paul F. Bradshaw | UK / USA | Anglican |
| 1995-97 | Irmgard Pahl | Germany | Roman Catholic |
| 1997-99 | Jacob Vellian | India | Syrio-Malabar |
| 1999-2001 | John Baldovin | USA | Roman Catholic |
| 2001-03 | Yngvill Martola | Finland | Lutheran |
| 2003-05 | Ottfried Jordahn | Germany | Lutheran |
| 2005-07 | David Holeton | Czech Republic | Anglican |
| 2007-09 | James Puglisi | USA | Roman Catholic |
| 2009-11 | Karen B. Westerfield Tucker | USA | Methodist |
| 2011-13 | Gordon Lathrop | USA | Lutheran |
| 2013-15 | Lizette Larson-Miller | USA | Anglican |
| 2015-17 | Martin Stuflessor | Germany | Roman Catholic |
| 2017-19 | Joris Geldorf | Belgium | Roman Catholic |
| 2019-21 | Bridget Nichols | Ireland | Anglican |
| 2021-23 | E. Byron (Ron) Anderson | USA | Methodist |

## Congress

There are full meetings of Societas Liturgica, known as Congresses, every two years. A selection of the papers from each congress is subsequently published in English in the journal Studia Liturgica; in French in the journal La Maison Dieu; and also in German.
List of congresses :
| Year | Location | Theme |
| 1967 | Driebergen | The liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council and the elaboration on worship of the World Council of Churches 1969 |
| 1969 | Murroe | Liturgical Language |
| 1971 | Strasbourg | Contemporary Worship |
| 1973 | Montserrat Abbey | Prayer Today |
| 1975 | Trier | Eucharistic Prayers |
| 1977 | Canterbury | Christian Initiation |
| 1979 | Washington DC | Ordination Rites |
| 1981 | Paris | Liturgical Time |
| 1983 | Vienna | Liturgy and Spirituality |
| 1985 | Boston | The Lima Text |
| 1987 | Brixen | Repentance and reconciliation |
| 1989 | York | Liturgical Inculturation |
| 1991 | Toronto | The Bible and Worship |
| 1993 | Friburg | Liturgical Space |
| 1995 | Dublin | The Future forms of the Liturgy |
| 1997 | Turku | Liturgy and Music |
| 1999 | Kottayam | Liturgical Theology |
| 2001 | Santa Clara | |
| 2003 | Eindhoven | The Cloud of Witnesses |
| 2005 | Dresden | Worship as Transformation - "To Heal a Broken World" |
| 2007 | Palermo | Liturgy and the Public Square |
| 2009 | Sydney | The Liturgical Year: the Gospel encountering our time |
| 2011 | Reims | Baptism: Rites and Christian Life |
| 2013 | Würzburg | Liturgical Reform in the Churches |
| 2015 | Quebec | Liturgical Formation: traditional task and new challenge |
| 2017 | Leuven | Symbol of what we are: Liturgical Perspectives on the question of Sacramentality. |
| 2019 | Durham, UK | Anamnesis: Remembering in Action, Place and Time |
| 2021 | Online | Liturgy and the Arts |
| 2023 | Maynooth | Liturgy and Ecumenism |

## Notable members

* Bruno Bürki
* Paul F. Bradshaw
* Ronald Jasper
* Dom Placid Murray
* Louis Weil