Following the death of H. A. Reinhold in 1968, Godfrey Diekmann referred to him as a liturgical prophet.’ Diekmann, a liturgical giant in his own right, called on others to follow in Reinhold’s steps and ‘take up his mantle in the thorny task’ of pastorally implementing the liturgical changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council. Over forty years later, that task remains every bit the challenge it was in Reinhold’s day. As cries for social justice resound, liturgy more than ever must be the tie of relevance that binds the church to the world. It is this essential link ‘between liturgy and social justice ‘that Julia Upton discovered in Reinhold and that she wonderfully retrieves in tracing his life and legacy. In doing so, she takes up H. A. Reinhold’s prophetic mantle and inspires us to do so as well.

Julia Upton, RSM, is a member of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. She holds a doctorate in theology from Fordham University and is professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University (NY), where she currently serves as university provost.

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