Final week to register for Divine Office before it’s shut off to new users; already removed from app stores

UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS POST: The producer of DivineOffice.org has announced that this is the final week for registrations on its website. After that, new comers to the site will not be able to access its valuable audio/text of Liturgy of the Hours (USA/English version). As we reported earlier, this is an unfortunate blow in the Catholic app world–the award-winning Divine Office app is no longer available on the app store and the web site will soon be inaccessible to non-members. This is all due to licensing issues, apparently primarily with use of the Bible text, as today’s letter from DivineOffice.org states (copied below).

What you need to know…

• If you already own the app, you are safe. It will continue to operate for the time being. Because this is a legal/licensing issue, it is uncertain how long that will be allowed. It’s good for now.
• If you have registered on the web site, then you will continue to be able to access the audio/text of Liturgy of the Hours (English/USA) via your web browser. Because this is a legal/licensing issue, it is uncertain how long that will be allowed. It’s good for now.
• If you have not registered on its web site (owning the app isn’t enough; you have to register), then RUSH over there to get your registration in before DivineOffice.org is closed off to you.

Why is this news such a concern? All over the world Divine Office (as an app or on line) is an essential resource for praying the Liturgy of the Hours. This is especially critical for those who are sight-impaired as the fully-produced audio version of the various hours of the Office are provided each and every day.

Where else may we find audio version of the Liturgy of the Hours? Praystation Portable Podcast (Free) Download from iTunes or off their web site. This is a podcast of the principle hours of Liturgy of the Hours for every day of the week. It uses the approved English/USA translations. All this is is a simple dry read–including the hymn!  This podcast plays on any device that can play MP3 files. It links to your podcast app on you iPhone as well.

What is the best text app out there for Liturgy of the Hours? iBreviary (Free)   Apple ,  Android, Windows 7, Blackberry (direct download), and on the browser of your mobile phone.  Web-based device access (for Kindle, Nook and your computer etc.) Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD   This is a Breviary AND Roman Missal bundled into one full-service app.

Keep DivineOffice.org in your prayers for a speedy resolution to the issues involved so that they can go back to opening up their app and web site to new users looking for world-class audio production along with full text of these essential prayers of the Church.

Below is the message the DivineOffice.org producer sent out today:

Dear Community,

I take this opportunity to reiterate some of the recent events and ask for your help on our way forward.

You know by now, we have been asked to close off access to new community members while our content is reviewed for the purpose of granting us permission to use the 1970 version of the New American Bible. We have been allowed to continue to serve our current membership, to which we are very grateful. We will allow new registrations on our site for only one more week. We ask even our mobile app users to go to our http://DivineOffice.org website and register so you will be counted as part of our existing community.

When we first made the announcement to register, many of you praying with us, had difficulties doing so. We have worked hard since that announcement not to lose any of you or deny you access. Thank you for your patience throughout all of it.

At the same time the hard work, to secure permissions and replace content with the licensed content, is only beginning. And is already stressing our resources because, as you may already know, we have been required to stop the sale of our mobile apps (our primary source of income). Not everyone can afford to help, but if you can, please support this ministry as best you can with a monthly contribution.

We are also in the process of replacing some of the hymn music we are now using, also for copyright reasons. If you own license free recordings of music and want to share them with the community, we will integrate your content. Or maybe ask in your parish for such license free recordings, it will go a long way to save some of the ministry’s financial resources. You can send this content to us at support@divineoffice.org. Write to us at the same email address, so we can start a discussion there, if you have ideas on the subject and want to help.

Also an important request, we want to hear from any of you who are vision impaired or have a disability. Please send us an email to support@divineoffice.org and let us know about you so that we may better assist your needs. We have been in contact with some of you recently, for registration purposes, so we know how grateful you were, just for our assistance helping you gain access, but we can do better by you, so please write to us and let us know who you are and how we can better serve you.

We know Divine Office is a great good in the world, and you uphold it by your presence, your prayers, your help, and your witness. Our thanks to all of you willing to keep this important work from extinction and with your help we expect to emerge with the full blessings of our Church, which will be a significant boost to our mission to bring everyone everywhere into praying Liturgy of the Hours.

May God’s blessings and grace be with you
Dane Falkner
God’s servant and producer of Divine Office

You can contribute using the on-line form at the following URL: http://divineoffice.org/newsletter/contribute or you can mail a check.

Please make your checks out as payable to Divine Office and mail them to the following address:

Divine Office
c/o Surgeworks
4609 S. 2300 E.
Suite 103
Holladay, UT 84117 USA

Please include your email address and let us know if you wish this gift to be anonymous.

– Join us in prayer at DivineOffice.org