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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

From Every Oops

Andrew R. Motyka · September 4, 2013

E ARE ALL AWARE, at least peripherally, that every mistake carries with it a learning experience. Some have big impacts on our lives, some give us insights about ourselves, and others we just say, “Wow, I never knew that.” This story is one of those last kinds, with a little bit of forced humility added in.

As most of you know, I just started a new position last November. As my first Easter in this parish drew to a close and we re-entered Ordinary Time, I learned something about my parish’s celebration of their feast day, Saints Peter and Paul. I learned that for many years now, the parish had shifted their titular feast from June 29 to the nearest Sunday.

I thought that was a particularly odd practice, and ran it by the director of worship. He agreed that the Sunday celebration should always take precedence when the Solemnity doesn’t actually fall on the Sunday. We talked it over with the rector, and there was much disappointment among the people. Hey, at least we were doing it right, right?

Cut to 2 weeks ago, when the director of worship emails me two different articles by the inimitable Gary Penkala over at CanticaNOVA Publications addressing this very subject. Well, fine. The parish feast day (as well as, as Penkala rightly points out, the patron feast day and the anniversary of dedication) can be celebrated as solemnities in their respective parishes. Of course I knew that. Furthermore, when June 29 falls on a Sunday (as it does next year), it’s a Solemnity anyway, so it will trump the Sunday. No problem. It’s all in the Table of Precedence in the Calendar.

Oh, what’s that it says? No way. I’ll have to check…um…yup. There it is, in the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar:

#58. For the pastoral good of the faithful, it is permitted to observe on Sundays in Ordinary Time those celebrations that fall during the week and that are agreeable to the devotion of the faithful, provided the celebrations rank above that Sunday in the Table of Liturgical Days. The Mass of such celebrations may be used at all the celebrations of Mass at which the people are present.

Well, shoot. Even if SS. Peter and Paul wasn’t a Solemnity, it would become one by virtue of it being the titular feast of the parish. So yes, they can transfer it to the nearest Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I wasn’t just slightly off in my focus. I was unabashedly, flat-out wrong. We’ll make it right next time. Now that I’ve had a couple of weeks to wipe the egg off of my face, isn’t that an interesting distinction in the calendar? Your parish has many opportunities to celebrate its titular feast, its patronal feast, and its anniversary of dedication.

Get partying!

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 Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —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

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’

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