Review of Aprendemos Sobre la Misa by Gerard Moore (Hispanic)

www.ltp.org/p-1907-aprendemos-sobre-la-misa.aspx
Aprendemos Sobre la Misa (We Learn About the Mass) is a book published by Liturgy Training Publications, written with young Hispanic children in mind. The books guides a child through the parts of the mass including prayers that are said by the priest and by the congregation; gestures of sitting, standing, and kneeling; and a guide on how to approach each part of the mass in order to get the most out of it.
In his book Parish Ministry in a Hispanic Community, Charles W. Dahm, O.P. describes the needs of the Hispanic Community in Parish life. He mentions the need for faith formation to be a family event, one in which the family is the center. He also discusses the importance of language awareness for newer immigrant families who may not speak English well, or who are not as comfortable speaking English as their native tongue. Lastly, Dahm focuses on the need for respect for the diverse nature of people and communities.
This book helps greatly with the first two. It offers the opportunity for children to learn about the mass with their parents. The books is easy to follow and can be used during the liturgy and in conversations to follow. It is written in Spanish, an is a fair translation. My concern however is with the respect for diversity. The book was not written with the Hispanic community in mind. It was written in English, and then translated into Spanish. While the translation is done very well, it does not translate over cultural lines. It is very much a Euro-American approach to the liturgy written in Spanish.