A PARISH priest is preparing to fly to Washington to continue his work helping to translate a new edition of the Roman Missal.

Father Bill East, 56, who became parish priest of St Joseph's, in Potter Hill, Pickering, four years ago, is one of a handful of learned scholars working on the book, which helps lead Catholic worship.

He said: "I feel very honoured. It is a great responsibility to get it right. I feel a responsibility to my brother priests who have to stand at the altar and use it."

For the work, he needs to be familiar with the liturgy and theology in the Roman Missal, translate Latin, write clear English and have an ear musical enough to produce something a priest can sing.

He said: "The Vatican expressed a desire for a new translation which was more faithful to the original Latin than the present one we use, which is a much more free translation.

"The International Commission on English in the Liturgy approached me and asked me to help."

The work has been going on for two years, and during his trip to Washington next month, he will go over translations of the prefaces of the Mass.