Societas Liturgica came into existence through the initiative of Wiebe Vos, a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1962 he founded Studia Liturgica, “an international ecumenical quarterly for liturgical research and renewal.” In 1965 Vos called a conference of twenty-five liturgists from Europe and North America at the Protestant community of Grandchamp, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. With J. J. von Allmen as Chair, the conference discussed Christian Initiation and resolved to found a Societas Liturgica, “an association for the promotion of ecumenical dialogue on worship, based on solid research, with the perspective of renewal and unity.”
Encourage research in the field of worship and allied subjects.
Explore the pastoral implications of such research.
Facilitate the exchange of the results of this research and other liturgical knowledge.
Seek to deepen the mutual understanding of the various liturgical traditions.
Seek ways to make clear the relevance of liturgy in the contemporary world.
The foundation meeting of the Societas Liturgica took place at Driebergen in The Netherlands in 1967. That meeting studied the Constitution on the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council as well as recent work on worship by the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order. Thereafter the Societas has held congresses at two year intervals.
Most of the papers delivered at meetings of the Societas have been published in English in Studia Liturgica. There are now more than 300 members of Societas Litugica. The international and ecumenical character of the society is illustrated by the list of its successive presidents and Council members.