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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

Twelve Films I Recommend to Catholic Artists

Gwyneth Holston · January 20, 2014


GWYN_Diary of a Country Priest Big
LTHOUGH TRULY meaningful films are few and far between, there are some that are profound on both artistic and theological levels. Most of the films on my list have subtitles and are in black and white. It takes more effort to watch these movies, but they stick with you for a long time.

Here are my favorites in no particular order. They withstand repeated viewing because of their richness and complexity. Most of them are available through the Criterion Collection.

Please comment with your recommendations!

1. Jeux Interdits (1952). Two young children cope with the idea of death on a small farm in France during WWII. This is suitable for teens and adults.


GWYN_Jeux Interdits

2. Diary of a Country Priest (1951). Excellent film adaptation of the book. A young priest is stationed in a difficult parish and all he does seems to result in failure. A visual representation of spiritual turmoil. This is suitable for all ages, but children and teens may find it incomprehensible.


GWYN_Diary of a Country Priest Small

3. The Flowers of St. Francis (1950). A series of vignettes that are of such purity and charm that they come very close to the spirit of the written version. This is suitable for all ages.


GWYN_Flowers of St Francis

4. The Seventh Seal (1957). A Swedish fantasy drama about the meaning of life. This is suitable for all ages, but I don’t think children would enjoy it.


GWYN_The Seventh Seal

5. Black Narcissus (1947). An incredible novel by Rumer Godden that follows the story of a group of Anglican nuns who attempt to found a mission in India. The intoxicating landscape attacks each of the nuns differently. This film is suitable for adults.


GWYN_Black Narcissus

6. La Grande Illusion (1937). A film by Jean Renoir that questions war via a dialogue by a cast of complex characters. Suitable for all ages, but only appreciated by adults.


GWYN_La Grande Illusion

7. The Ninth Day (2004). The story of a Priest who is on leave from a concentration camp for nine days. Each day he must converse with a young Nazi officer on the topics of good and evil. Suitable for teens and adults.


GWYN_The Ninth Day

8. The River (1951). Startlingly beautiful yet brutally unexpected film adaptation of Rumer Godden’s coming of age novel of a British girl in India. Suitable for adults.


GWYN_The River

9. The Mission (1986). Two Spanish Jesuits work in a South American mission and must defend them. Suitable for adults.


GWYN_The Mission

10. Pickpocket (1959). Interesting portrait of a man who flirts with temptation and almost loses his identity. Visually exquisite. N.B. The little girl from Diary of a Country Priest plays an adult in this film. Suitable for teens and adults.


GWYN_Pickpocket

11. Whistle Down the Wind (1961). When an injured wife murderer takes refuge on a remote Lancashire farm, the owners three children mistakenly believe him to be the Second Coming of Christ. This is suitable for children.


GWYN_Whistle Down the Wind

12. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). A priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids. This film is suitable for children.


GWYN_Angels with Dirty Faces

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 Gwyneth Holston

Gwyneth Holston is a sacred artist who works to provide and promote good quality Catholic art. Her website is gwynethholston.com. Read more.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“The Church has always kept, and wishes still to maintain everywhere, the language of her Liturgy; and, before the sad and violent changes of the 16th century, this eloquent and effective symbol of unity of faith and communion of the faithful was, as you know, cherished in England not less than elsewhere. But this has never been regarded by the Holy See as incompatible with the use of popular hymns in the language of each country.”

— Pope Leo XIII (1898)

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