In the 1960s, there were twelve dioceses chosen in the United States as tests for the Novus Ordo before it was promulgated. My diocese was one of these.
However, the NO was not just introduced on a Sunday. For at least nine months, all the adults in the diocese who wanted to do so, and many, many did, had classes on the liturgy conducted as discussion groups with readings from the council documents and histories of the liturgy in their homes. The council documents were not yet published at this time in book form, but loose-leaf notes were available. These discussion groups were conducted from Rome in order to get feedback from the laity on the NO. The pastor of my parish was very involved in these meetings and discussions.
Only after months of preparation and priming was the new Mass then introduced. Of course, the people were ready for this change and had been taught that this was all part of the continuity of Tradition. The feedback was positive.
The feedback came after the Mass was introduced and the results sent back to Rome.
I have only talked to one priest in my life so far who knew about this orchestrated effort to make the NO accessible and popular among the Catholics in these areas, for a positive poll result.
Does anyone else out there know about this? I do from tangential personal experience. I would like to invite comments from anyone who may have had experience in these liturgical discussion groups.
