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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Does a Liberal Arts Education Have Any Value?

Fr. David Friel · May 11, 2014

O MANY VOICES in the world today would have us believe that the goal of life is to receive specialized training, find a job that pays well, live comfortably, and enjoy retirement. There are many issues with that approach, but let’s just start with the first. When did the Western obsession with specialization take control?

In America, much of higher education has been reduced to mere career training. Students enroll in programs that have an absurdly narrow focus, and they are required less and less to broaden their studies. This is a far cry from the ideal of true “education,” which involves the process of being drawn out of oneself to wrestle with ideas and confront challenges.

The only fields of study that hold merit, we are increasingly being told, are those in applied sciences, particularly STEM-related studies. Studying anything that won’t directly translate to employment is seen as futile, purposeless, or even poor judgment. What about languages? What about music? What about philosophy & theology? What ever happened to the value of a liberal arts education?

I recently read a thoughtful article about liberal arts education in a newspaper opinion piece. The author (Leslie Anne Miller, a trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art) writes this:

It is time to recognize the importance of a well-rounded education and not lose sight of our rich cultural heritage, which has added such a critical dimension to life in this country. Without the visual arts, music, theater, architecture, and the like, future generations will have no sense of culture. Liberal arts degrees teach students how to communicate, think, solve problems, and be team players. Understanding the “why” is imperative; we know the “how” and “what.”

Had I not entered the seminary after high school, I likely would have gone to college to study journalism, literature, or something similar. My course of studies would have been fairly narrow and very much directed to helping me succeed in a particular professional field. One of my life’s blessings for which I am most grateful, though, is that I entered the college seminary and received a first-rate liberal arts education. That was not something I ever would have chosen on my own, but it opened my mind and heart in many unexpected and thrilling ways.

There is a place for vocational training, to be sure. But, is there not also a place for the liberal arts? We who are interested in the arts & culture & liturgy ought to encourage young people to take up the liberal arts. Life, after all, is about more than technical training and entry-level salaries.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Place the missal in the hand of the faithful so that they may take part more easily and more fruitfully in the Mass; and that they faithful, united with the priest, may pray together in the very words and sentiments of the Church.”

— Ven. Pope Pius XII

Recent Posts

  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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