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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Church Is Alive And Strong!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 23, 2013

AY 18, 2013, was a powerful day of Grace. My brother, Mark, was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by the Most Reverend Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

The image you see toward the upper right was taken the night before, while the seminarians were practicing. After that, we all took part in a beautiful Sung Vespers and Holy Hour.

The music for the Ordination was sensational. Lucas Tappan has created an unbelievable “school of singing.” He currently directs forty (40) children and a whole bunch of adults. Their “sound” was so beautiful. I was not expecting to hear such a beautiful “sound.” Musicians will understand what I mean when I refer to the “sound” of the voices: lovely, unforced (as Fr. Finn would say!), and trained well. By the way, they used a Chabanel Psalm I composed, and it sounded amazing the way they sang it. They had all the high voices sing every other verse, and the low voices sang the alternate verses. All present joined each Refrain. Lucas is to be commended for his fine work.

Archbishop Naumann gave the finest sermon on priestly celibacy I ever heard. You can read it here:

      * *  Sermon on Celibacy by Archbishop Naumann

A few excerpts:

Of all the of these ordination promises, celibacy is perhaps the most counter-cultural.

In its first chapters, the scriptures speak to us the truth that human beings are not meant to be alone. We are built to be in communion with others. The relationship of marriage has a special place of importance above all other human friendships and bonds. The Bible tells us for this reason a man and woman leave father and mother in order to become one in flesh and spirit. According to the scriptures, the love of husband and wife most closely approximates the love of God for His people. Even heaven itself is described as a wedding banquet.

The Church asks those who will lead and shepherd her communities of Faith to give up the possibility of marital love as a prophetic witness that there is something even more important to our happiness than even beautiful intimacy possible in Christian marriage. More essential to our joy as human beings – no matter if we are married or single or a religious sister or priest – is intimacy with God.

In a world that mixes up physical sexual intimacy with love, this bold witness of celibacy is crucial. In a world where many are confused about something as fundamental as the nature of marriage, where many no longer are able to distinguish between pornography and beauty, where the lie of the sexual revolution – that physical sex is essential for happiness – continues to dominate our music and movies, prophetic celibate love is desperately needed.

Our culture continues to cling to the deception that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness, even though we are surrounded by the collateral damage of the sexual revolution – more that 50 million children aborted, epidemics of depression and physical disease, high divorce rates, and children deprived of the love of a father and a mother.

But the most astonishing thing was to hear my brother preach on Sunday. He did an incredible job.

May Jesus Christ be praised. In spite of all the evil in the world, He still takes care of His Church. The Church is strong. The Church is vibrant. Jesus Christ still offers His Grace to those willing to accept it.

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 Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 28th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 12 October 2025, which is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the dazzling feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

We cannot exaggerate our indebtedness to Dr. Julian’s “Dictionary of Hymnology,” a monumental work, without which we could not have reached the high standard of accuracy, as to both texts and authorship, which we set before us when entering upon our labours.

— Committee for “New English Hymnal” (1906)

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