ABSTRACTIn 1963 the Vatican in Rome, as part of the Second Vatican Council, authorized vernacular languages to be used in Catholic liturgies around the world. For English speaking countries, a commission was formed to translate the Latin into English for the Mass as well as for all of the various rites such as baptism, anointing of the sick, marriage, and the ordination of priests and bishops. An International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) set to work, and by 1970 it had a provisionary translation completed. The commission then set out to revise its work in a more thoughtful and studied manner. These new translations were sent to the English‐speaking bishops all over the world for approval and comment, which were then revised accordingly. This work continued until 2002 when a new regime in Rome revised their instructions for translation, dismissed the work that had been done, and appointed a new international commission. This article documents the history of ICEL from 1969 to 2002.