H.A. Reinhold and the Dialogue Mass

Today marks the death of Hans Ansgar Reinhold (1907-1968), a German born priest who took a leading role in the Liturgical Movement. Begun in late 19th century Europe, the movement made its way to America in the 1920’s. Its purpose was twofold: to make the liturgy more attuned to early Christian traditions, and to make it more relevant to modern Christian life. One of its major themes was the connection between the liturgy and social action. Born in Hamburg, he studied with Monsignor Romano Guardini at the University of Freiburg. In 1925 he was ordained a priest. An opponent of the Nazi regime, he was forced to leave Germany in 1935. In America he served at several parishes while promoting liturgical reform. He wrote several books on the subject, including The American Parish and the Roman Liturgy (1958) and Bringing the Mass to the People (1960). He was a major proponent of the “Dialogue Mass,” which stressed active participation by the laity in the preconciliar era.