Marquette Bishop John Doerfler wrote a letter to priests in his diocese in January spelling out what he wants.

The Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei will be sung and the Communion antiphon will be chanted.

An approved diocesan hymnal will be implemented by 2017, with other hymnals forbidden.

A series of liturgical music workshops and seminars will be offered in the meantime to get parishes on board.

Bishop Doerfler told the National Catholic Reporter that the musical initiative is intended to promote Pope Francis's emphasis on evangelisation.

"Music is a key part of the Sunday liturgy," he said, arguing that if fallen-away or potentially new Catholics experience good music at Mass, they will be more likely to return.

Bishop Doerfler's predecessor in Marquette, Bishop Alexander Sample, had been critical of some contemporary church music.

In a 2013 pastoral letter, Bishop Sample stated: "Some hymns in approved hymnals, music issues and misallettes do not reflect Catholic theology and should not be used."

Bishop Doerfler said his proposed Marquette hymnal will include about 300 pieces, ranging from traditional favourites such as "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name", Gregorian chant-style antiphons, and more contemporary pieces such as "Be Not Afraid."

"We are not banning music," he said. His goal, rather, is "to enhance what parishes are already doing."

The addition of chant will improve liturgical music in the diocese and it is accessible in style for even the smallest of parishes, said Bishop Doerfler.

Benedictine Fr Anthony Ruff, a liturgical music expert, appreciates Gregorian chant, but he questioned whether small parishes will have the resources to do chant well.

He also questioned whether a diocese can gather together copyrights for a hymnal from publishers who have their own products to promote.

Fr Ruff suggested that dioceses look to the US bishops' 2007 document "Sing to the Lord" as the basis for reflection on liturgical music.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Sing to the Lord
• Image: TaylorMarshall.com

The group behind the action, Koosha Las Vegas, have been entering churches during services, shouting at Catholics that they need to repent now or else.

The group has filmed the acts and posting them on the Internet.

This has happened in several parishes and the group has also protested outside a Catholic school.

Among the group's members are Muslims who have become Christian.

Las Vegas police said no arrests have been made because technically no crime has been committed.

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In a May 5 letter, Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines diocese ordered the local Catholic Worker House to cease holding services.

The local council of priests voted unanimously to strip the Catholic Worker House of its authority to hold Mass "for the time being".

Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, who presided over the eucharist service, was ordained by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in 2008.

Frank Cordaro, a co-founder of the Catholic Worker House in Des Moines, said the bishop is bullying.

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Fort Worth diocese is near Dallas, where three Ebola cases have been diagnosed.

The guidelines include not taking the Blood of Christ at Mass and the faithful not holding hands while praying the Our Father.

The Sign of Peace should not involve physical contact, but some other gesture, the guidelines added.

Priests should use an alcohol-based solution on their hands before and after distributing Holy Communion.

Priests should not distribute Communion if they feel ill, and should discourage parishioners who feel sick from coming to church.

Such restrictions are common during flu season, the diocese emphasised.

But the guidelines did make mention of Ebola.

The US federal government is trying to include faith communities in its efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola, inviting them to join in a conference call on Saturday with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Diocese of Dallas has not issued similar guidelines to Fort Worth's, but Ebola is much on Bishop Kevin Farrell's mind.

He offered prayers for the health care workers grappling with Ebola, expressed confidence in local health care authorities and wrote that "this is a time for our community to respond with calmness and compassion".

Meanwhile, Catholic nurse Nina Pham, the first person to contract Ebola within the US, has received blood serum from a survivor.

A priest at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Fort Worth said Ms Pham's mother told him she has seen and spoken to her daughter using Skype, and that she is in good spirits.

Authorities do not know how Ms Pham contracted the disease, as she is believed to have followed hospital protocols in treating an Ebola patient, who since died.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• Star Telegram
• Image: Real Clear