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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

What Is Currently Happening? Let’s Be Honest.

Jeff Ostrowski · June 4, 2013

EVERAL PEOPLE wrote to me after we posted this morning’s interview with Dr. Scott Smith. They all had the same basic question:

“What are these ‘bad texts’ referred to constantly during the interview? What do you mean people are ‘replacing’ the Propers? What does that mean?”

Those are good questions. I suppose the best answer would be for folks to listen to the rest of the interviews. However, let me try to quickly give some “Cliff’s Notes.” Toward the end, I will also give concrete examples of texts used to replace the Mass Propers.

Please note: I am not condemning anyone. I, myself, have replaced the Propers hundreds of times. This is not about denouncing anyone. I’m merely suggesting that we start a dialogue about why we’re doing what we’re doing.

INETY-NINE percent of Catholic parishes replace the texts given to us by the Catholic Church and tradition in the following way:

1. Entrance Antiphon (“Introit”): Anything we like, in any musical style, with a text written by anybody (Catholic, non-Catholic, sometimes even an atheist)

2. Offertory Antiphon: Anything we like, in any musical style, with a text written by anybody (Catholic, non-Catholic, sometimes even an atheist)

3. Communion Antiphon: Anything we like, in any musical style, with a text written by anybody (Catholic, non-Catholic, sometimes even an atheist)

Certainly the Church allows us to replace the Introit (a.k.a. “Entrance Chant”). It is also permitted to replace the Offertory and the Communion. However, let us recall that the Church has assigned special, ancient, beautiful texts from Scripture for each and every Mass, the vast majority of which date back more than 1500 years! Why do 99% of Catholic Churches replace 100% of the Propers 99% of the time?

EARLIER, I PROMISED to mention some specific texts and hymns (songs?) used in place of the Mass Propers. One example would be Stay With Me by Erich Sylvester, which I found by opening up the most popular Catholic hymnal of the last four decades (published by the largest Catholic publisher). Here are the lyrics to this song, still sung by many parishes:

I am a man without envy
No roof and no walls to defend me
In hope that someday you’ll defend me
And take all my troubles away

Walk with me, talk with me
Tell me about all the good things you’ve done
Stay with me, pray with me
Leave all your blues in your shoes at the door

I went to school for a long time
Expecting to stay in a straight line
Until I discovered that great minds
Don’t move in a straight line at all

I was a child once, I know it
My mother has pictures to show it
But she always knew I’d outgrow it
I guess that’s what pictures are for

I have no intention of going through “the list” and naming a bunch more songs. We all know “the list.” I think the last time I went through “the list” was for a 2007 article I wrote. Let’s consider just one more example. This song by Carey Landry was used fairly frequently by Catholic parishes when I was growing up in the 1990s. Although it’s been more than a decade, I can still sing this song, because it was often used to replace the Introit at Mass:

Refrain: Great things happen when God mixes with us;
Great things happen when God mixes with us;
Great and beautiful, wonderful things;
Great things happen when God mixes with us.

Some find life, some find peace; some people even find joy.
Some see things as they never could before
and some people find that they can now begin to trust.

Some find health, some find hope; some people even find joy.
Some see themselves as they never could before
and some people find that they can now begin to live.

Some find peace, some are disturbed; some people even find joy.
Some see their lives as they never could before
and some people find that they must now begin to change.

SOMETIMES IT HELPS to remind ourselves that Church music has been awful in the past (although never on the level of the situation following the Council). Consider this example, by Fr. Aidan Nichols:

In 1901, Fr. Fortescue suffered from a lady who sang badly while “beating on that kind of instrument whose altogether inappropriate name is Harmonium.”

What did Fortescue do? When he got his own parish, he worked extremely hard and made his little parish choir unbelievably wonderful. We are called to do the same. Let’s get busy!

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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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

And since it is becoming that holy things be administered in a holy manner, and of all things this sacrifice is the most holy, the Catholic Church, to the end that it might be worthily and reverently offered and received, instituted many centuries ago the holy canon, which is so free from error that it contains nothing that does not in the highest degree savor of a certain holiness and piety and raise up to God the minds of those who offer.

— Council of Trent (1562)

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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