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“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

World Meeting of Families 2015 & the Papal Visit to Philadelphia — Part 1 of 2

Fr. David Friel · October 11, 2015

ATE SEPTEMBER was a grace-filled time here in Philadelphia. A visit from the Holy Father to our country is rare, but his presence in our own city was extraordinary. I have spoken with hundreds of people in the two weeks since the events, and, by all accounts, the World Meeting of Families 2015 was a grand success. Coupled with the papal visit over the weekend, it was a great week to be a Philadelphian and to be a Catholic. Many people to whom I have spoken have described the week as “electrifying” or “energizing” or “refreshing.”

Mass was offered at the Pennsylvania Convention Center each day as part of the World Meeting of Families Congress. His Holiness celebrated Masses on Saturday morning at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul and on Sunday afternoon on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. These Masses required a team of priests to serve as masters of ceremonies. As part of that team, I would like to share some of the experience with you.

Next Sunday, I will post a summary of Msgr. Marini’s remarks to the servers before Mass. This week, I will share with you a few behind-the-scenes photos.

First, you will see the golf cart used to transport the Holy Father during his stay at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary; the cathedral altar set up with a 7th candle; and the vestments laid out in our cathedral sacristy for the Saturday morning Mass:

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Below is a photo of the long, vaulted hallway in the Philadelphia Museum of Art that served as the vesting area for concelebrating priests; a look at Archbishop Chaput’s birthday cake, which was on display in the papal vesting room on the Parkway; and a couple of backstage views; There is also a photo of what Pope Francis would have seen from his chair behind the altar:

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A few photos of the seminarian servers with the papal MCs; a photo of the choir rehearsing with David Kimock, conducting from a lift:

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For overseas trips, it is apparently customary for the Vatican to produce a special missal for the Holy Father to use throughout the Apostolic journey. The missal contains all the texts for the liturgies during the trip and nothing else. Inside the missal for this visit to Cuba and the USA, you can see the title page, the start of the canon (which was prayed in Latin at both Masses in Philadelphia), and a reading in Vietnamese:

PopeBook5 PopeBook4 PopeBook3 PopeBook2 PopeBook1

The Holy Father’s Fiat exiting the sacristy area en route to the airport and departure for Rome; a pizza shop near the seminary (affectionately known as “Padre Pio Pizza,” on account of the religious décor) produced commemorative papal pizza boxes:

WMOF14 WMOF13

Philadelphia is a place filled with history, art, and unusual doses of civic pride. It is also a place filled with great love for our Holy Father. We are deeply grateful for the visit of Pope Francis, who brought the ministry of Peter into our midst.

Next week, I will post an inside account of Msgr. Marini’s last words to the servers before the papal Masses on Saturday & Sunday of the World Meeting of Families week.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pope Francis 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

“As late as 1834, British society had many restrictions on any person not adhering to the Anglican church. For example, Roman Catholics could not attend a university, serve on a city council, be a member of Parliament, serve in the armed forces, or even serve on a jury.”

— Regarding the Church of Henry VIII

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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