Although modern Rome does not speak this language, Latin is still alive and vibrant

in the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, it is the official language of the Church.

Many of the prayers of the Mass are sung in Latin in our very own diocese, so it is

prudential to familiarize our students with these ancient prayers in the language of the

Church, so that they can more fully appreciate and participate in liturgies which use

them.

A mastery of the Latin language can provide access to much of our rich Catholic

heritage as contained in ancient Church documents. To understand Latin is to

understand the complete meaning of a text in a language that was used at the time it

was written. An educated Catholic learns much from the ideas and values of past

generations and applies lessons learned to his own daily life, making the Church

ever relevant.