Contact: Erin McClellan, 503-460-5363, erinm@ocp.org, Kelcee Marcum, 503-460-5358, kelceem@ocp.org; both with OCP  

PORTLAND, Ore., March 10, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the implementation date of the new English translation of the Roman Missal draws closer, OCP offers new resources including the Mass Settings Comparison Guide and official ICEL chant recordings to assist church leaders in uniting their worship communities under the new texts.

Available on their new Roman Missal resource page, the Mass setting guide is designed to give busy music directors a way to compare OCP's Mass settings. Users can hear sound samples, preview sheet music and enjoy recommendations for new and revised settings based on current popular Masses -- including those not published by OCP.

"The Mass Settings Comparison Guide gives music leaders a quick way to review settings and ultimately find the right styles to engage their parishioners -- based on settings they already know," says Director of Artists and Repertoire, Tom Tomaszek. "We constantly strive to serve our customers, giving them useful tools to ensure a smooth transition to the new texts."

Also included in the comparison guide are the settings that will be available in the 2012 Breaking Bread and Music Issue missal programs. Masses selected for other missals will be added to the document as they become available.

"We're encouraging church leaders to begin planning for the new translation now," says OCP publisher, John Limb. "Ultimately, these resources will help them and their assemblies become comfortable with the new texts."

Parishes looking for more traditional music options for the revised Order of Mass can now listen to full-length recordings of the official ICEL chant Mass parts. OCP, in partnership with the National Pastoral Music Association (NPM), has made these recordings available -- for free.

In addition to the ICEL chant recordings and the Mass Settings Comparison Guide visitors to OCP's new Roman Missal resource page will find practical tools, catechetical articles, links to useful websites, free downloadable assembly editions of Mass settings and more.

About OCP
OCP, a not-for-profit publisher of liturgical music and worship resources based in Portland, Oregon, has been in operation for more than 80 years. Worship programs produced by OCP are used in two-thirds of Catholic churches in the United States and are distributed worldwide. More information is available at 1-800-LITURGY (548-8749), ocp.org and Facebook.com/OCPmusic.