Today marked several "firsts" for the schola. It was the first time we sang at the cathedral; the first time we sang at a Mass with the archbishop; and the first time we sang on live TV! Hopefully this'll be a great boon for the great chant crusade here in SA-town.


Some quick thoughts on today's liturgy:

-The best thing about Mass with the archbishop is Archbishop Gomez himself. He's pretty straightforward and by-the-book. I've actually attended Mass at my parish where he's celebrated the OF entirely in Latin.

-The liturgy planning committee gave the schola a fairly wide latitude as far as what we could or couldn't sing. The two big restrictions were that we had to use a cheesy vernacular Ordinary setting, and use a Responsorial Psalm. Otherwise, we sang full Gregorian Propers, plus the solemn tone of the Salve Regina as a Communion hymn.

-Unfortunately, it seems the cathedral ceremonies are very poorly planned. There was apparently a shortage of servers (how is that even possible for a cathedral church?), so incense was omitted at the last minute.... even though there was a deacon and three concelebrants.

-The worst mistake was that as soon as the processional hymn was done, His Grace began with "In the name of the Father..." before we could start the Introit; therefore, we had to just skip it. If it was an ordinary priest celebrating, I would have suggested to the schola that we just start singing, anyway.... but cutting the Archbishop off mid-sentence is surely a recipe for disaster, plus I'm sure it was just an accident. Next time we sing at the cathedral, I think I'm going to strongly recommend that there be no processional hymn, and that the schola just start with the Introit as the ministers process down the nave, medieval-style.

Nevertheless, today was a great victory for the liturgical movement and, I dare say, Our Lord Himself. May we continue to sing His praises in a manner which pleases Him the most.


On a side note, does anyone else think that San Fernando's stained glass windows are too small? The one above the altar is a pathetic excuse for a rose window, if you ask me. I know it's the thought that counts and all, but come on....

I was just getting out of the FastFrame custom framing store near Northwoods Theater when a kind lady who introduced herself as "Mrs. Thrillkill" (I'm sure I misspelled the name, but it sounds exactly like that) just randomly asked me, "are you the Wanton Papist!?"

The ensuing discussion on the status of Gregorian chant in this city and various other ecclesiastical subjects mentioned on this blog made me late for school, but it's reassuring to know that there are actually people out there reading. So, thanks a lot. For those of you out there who are local, please write to St. Pius X parish in support of the Gregorian chant program.


Also, "Mrs. Thrillkill", I'll teach all your kids how to sing Gregorian chant if you help pay for the picture I needed to get framed but couldn't afford.

I was recently reading this essay for someone's senior thesis about the role that religion played among the pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Eyes on God and Gold: The Importance of Religion during the Golden Age of Caribbean Piracy, by Emily Collins.

The following excerpt is based on the memoirs of a Father Pere Labat, a Dominican priest who ministered to pirates:

Labat’s memoirs describe an instance when Captain Daniels and his crew kidnapped and ransomed a group of settlers, including Pere Lucien, a cure of Saints (i.e. a person of spiritual faith). Daniels did not wish harm to his captives. He only ransomed them in order to obtain food for him and his men. Once he obtained food and drink for his vessel, Daniels requested the cure to say Mass for them. The request of Mass alone illustrates Daniels’ religious nature, yet what happened after Mass continues to confirm the importance of Christ to the captain.

If there were more men like Captain Daniels in this world, I'm afraid few priests would be alive today.

Yesterday on All Saints, also a Sunday, I got to assist in two back-to-back Masses. I started serving at the chapel Mass with Father Kloster at University Hospital, then drove straight to the Atonement church to begin working on chants for the Mass of All Saints in the evening.

The hospital chapel is, as you might imagine, a bit of a postmodern travesty. But it was a very reverent and humble low Mass; or as low as one can get with the Ordinary Form. It was very strange to see Father Kloster, who up until now I've only seen celebrate the Tridentine/EF Mass (he's one of two priests who regularly says the TLM at St. Pius X parish), say the OF; but it worked out. Somehow he gets away with saying it ad Orientem with a fiddleback chasuble and maniple, and even uses a little Latin here and there. Very cool; though I imagine if someone complained, it's not like anyone could do anything about it. Unfortunately, even as the sole acolyte, I had absolutely nothing to do except bring the cruets for the offertory, lavabo and ablutions. Pretty lame. Hopefully next time I'll have a bell to ring.

Myriad Creative Concepts, a little group which specializes in altar cards, has just announced their newest product: an altar card for the Latin Ordinary Form Mass. Here's the link.

Obviously, there aren't matching framed cards for the Last Gospel and Lavabo like in the Extraordinary Form/Tridentine, though the site is selling a separate laminated card for the mixing of the wine and washing of fingers. I guess this could lay flat on the altar or be held by an acolyte. Though I wonder if it is possible for the priest to habitually pray the Last Gospel as a devotion immediately following the OF Mass, as it was so often done by priests in the era before it was officially codified by Pope Pius V in the Missal of 1570. In the culture of medieval piety, it was popular for the faithful to ask a priest to read the Last Gospel over them as a blessing. Eventually, priests apparently got the idea to knock a lot of birds down with one stone by just reading it over everyone at the conclusion of Mass. There is no reason, then, why priests saying the OF Mass couldn't resume this practice today. And by extension, you could, in fact, see three framed cards resting on the altar during an OF Mass. HMMMM.....

In any case, this is an interesting development, although I'm told that certain churches such as the Brompton Oratory in London have already used altar cards in the OF Mass for a long time. I've also heard that a few were made back when the Novus Ordo was first rolled out in 1970, when certain liturgists were naively under the impression that Latin and ad Orientem were still going to be the norm for the new Mass. LOLZ.

One of the things I like about my parish church is its role in promoting fine sacred music. Every year, Our Lady of the Atonement has a "music series" typically consisting of several organ recitals, a Service of nine Lessons and Carols, a Palm Sunday concert, an orchestral Requiem, and similar events. I attended an organ recital last Friday evening, featuring a Mr. Clive Driskill-Smith (see his website here). As he explained to me during the reception afterward, he is the "Sub-organist" of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. In reality, this means he actually plays the organ while the official "Organist" directs the choir.

If you look at the banner on top of Christ Church Cathedral's website, you'll notice a coat of arms with a cardinal's galero over it. The shield bears, among other symbols, the rose of Lancaster and the lion of Pope Leo X. This is indeed the coat of arms of Thomas Cardinal Wolsey. He was the founder of the college, centuries ago when it was called "Cardinal College". After his fall from the King's grace, the school's name was changed to King's College, and then Christ Church... but the coat of arms remained. The musical program of the cathedral also operates under the same statutes as it did in Wolsey's time. The first Organist of Christ Church was John Taverner, the most prominent composer in England until Thomas Tallis. And no, I don't know why every guy in Tudor England was named either John or Thomas.


Back to the subject of my parish's music series program, there's a little blurb on one of the pamphlets for the series which says:

"The Church of Our Lady of the Atonement is pleased to announce its Music Series for the coming season. Now in its third year, the Music Series has hosted artists of local, national and international distinction. It represents an important apostolate of Our Lady of the Atonement Church, placing this parish among those religious institutions that, for centuries, have placed the arts under their patronage. The historical linkage between art and religion is unmistakable. It can be found in the paintings of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and in the music of Palestrina. The rich treasury of sacred music is a witness to the way in which the Chrisian faith promotes culture. It is a reflection of the Church's primary role in preserving and promoting art which lifts the human soul in praise of the Triune God."

I don't know who wrote that, but it's pretty spot-on. I don't know why all parishes don't do the same thing. My only complaint is that I was one of very few people who showed up to this event, who didn't have grey hair. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion that most people who attend these events are actually elderly members of the surrounding Episcopal churches who naturally have that good old high church Anglican taste, but whose churches have fallen victim to Common Worship or something. That's cool, but I hope it doesn't mean that (non-Anglo-) Catholics are troglodytes.

Pretty darn old news, but I was reading about Joe Pesci recently and saw that after that most unfortunate debacle with Sinead O'Connor having torn up a picture of His Holiness John Paul II on Saturday Night Live way back when, Joe Pesci hosted the very next episode and presented a fixed version of the picture. I guess that makes him a Defender of the Faith.... or at least Papal Champion.

A little blurb on the news from New York Times circa 1992:

This little video describes exactly what's wrong with the Labour Party.




Of course, it was most likely intended to be a parody of early 20th century conservative attitudes, but in light of this article I recently came across, there are some real sickos in charge of "Great" Britain's immigration policy.

The UK Telegraph: "Labour wanted mass immigration to make UK more multicultural, says former adviser".

In the words of former Labour policy advisor Andrew Neather:

"I remember coming away from some discussions with the clear sense that the policy was intended – even if this wasn't its main purpose – to rub the Right's nose in diversity and render their arguments out of date."

Via the New Liturgical Movement blog, I've been made aware of the current standards imposed on guest choirs when singing at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

If you click here, you can access the document in full.

Many of the points therein, which were unimaginable under the John Paul II reign, are now just common sense; for example, the point which states that "Gregorian chant has first place". It's such a relief to now that that's a no-brainer.

Of particular interest was the list which stipulates which settings of the Ordinary are to be used, based on the season or feast. Most Latin-using churches are only aware of Mass VIII, aka the Missa de Angelis. But it's so sing-songy and late in composition that some argue it's not even real Gregorian chant; it's certainly not medieval in any case.

Sundays of Advent: Missa XVII Credo IV
Sundays of Christmas: Missa IX Credo IV
Sundays of Lent: Missa XVII Credo IV
Sundays of Easter: Missa I Credo III
Sundays of Ordinary Time: Missa XI Credo I
Feasts of Ordinary Time: Missa VIII Credo III
Feasts of the B.V. Mary: Missa IX Credo IV
Feasts of the Apostles: Missa IV Credo III

I really hope my parish implements this for our Latin Mass. I don't know how everyone couldn't be sick of the same old Gloria and Credo every single time. The Vatican Kyriale has 18 or so different options for the former, and 4 for the latter.

With the goal of better understanding the traditional Anglican movements, I visited the local Anglo-Catholic church here in SA-town; a quaint little place called Saint Edward the Confessor "Catholic Church Western Rite" (website here). Don't let the established Internet presence fool you, though. There were about seven people total in the pews this morning. It's an extremely small congregation, about half of which are very elderly women.

This church probably confuses most casual Catholics who happen to pass by and visit, since nowhere on the premises does it actually say "Anglo-Catholic" or anything of the sort. I believe in reality, the church is part of a communion of Western-rite Orthodox bishops. I can't say for sure, though. I noticed a Hispanic couple that came in late (sometime during the homily) and seemed to be confused by the order of Mass, but venerated the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe afterward and probably assumed it was like any other Catholic church!


One thing I learned today based on this visit is that St. Edward's is a "missal church". In the Anglican world, that means a church which uses a missal (like the Anglican Missal, English Missal or Knott Missal; or even the pre-Reformation Sarum Missal) instead of the Book of Common Prayer or its modern derivatives. From what I could tell, the order of Mass was pretty much exactly like the Tridentine Mass, except in Elizabethan English. Prayers at the foot of the altar, last gospel, and so forth. I couldn't think of any deviations, except that the rector, the Rev. Father Arthur Barrymore, added some general intercessions after the announcements.

I also confirmed that my pastor, the Rev. Father Phillips, was formerly associated with this community before he came all the way to Rome. Therefore, Father Phillips must have had some experience with using this missal and, if the upcoming revisions to the Anglican use's liturgy allow it, we might actually see a "vernacular Tridentine Mass" at Atonement. Just my wild speculation; I meant to ask Father this evening after Mass and forgot. And now that I'm training to serve at the local Tridentine Mass, I might be pretty useful around the parish if a vernacular version of the same comes around.

Father Barrymore was a pleasant old British priest to chat with afterward. He couldn't stop telling me the history of the various church furnishings, most of which were salvaged from the post-Vatican II worldwide wreckovations; including an electric organ from San Fernando Cathedral, and an altar from an Italian convent with the relics of a 5th century or so martyr inside. I hope that he sees how the water's fine and it's quite safe to cross the Tiber.