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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

Dreaming in Latin

Veronica Brandt · July 12, 2014

Don Bosco INDING BEDTIME STORIES THAT ARE edifying for both parents and children can be a bit hit and miss (and miss and miss…) Many times there are stories I enjoyed from my youth that I am happy to read again, but that is a finite list. There are many books I would like to find time to read that would bore my kids to tears, but not this one.

My kids often wake up ready to compare dreams. There is nothing like listening to someone recounting a dream to bring home how ridiculous and pointless they can be. Most times they are much better forgotten.

Don Bosco’s dreams were startlingly thought-provoking. He was not allowed to forget them. His dreams were structured, usually with a guide to lead him and explain things (and to tell him to stop taking notes). They often provided guidance for his work, giving him material for talks and also letting him know the spiritual state of the boys in his care.

The dreams themselves, though useful, were not very comfortable. He was not overly keen to reveal his dreams, sometimes it would take a series of nightmares to convince him to retell a dream. They left him exhausted. Some left him in pain or with a foul stench that stayed for the rest of the day. Sometimes he would avoid sleep altogether.

But the aspect that might interest some readers here was that in the dreams there would be inscriptions or exclamations in Latin. Many were quotes from the Bible. Some came from the liturgy. It showed how this common sacral language could be used to emphasize timeless truths. It also heightened the sense of drama and mystery in the already very dramatic and mysterious dreams.

As the accounts of the dreams came from transcriptions from the talks of St John Bosco to his boys and his religious, he must have used the Latin in his talks, rather than just the vernacular. You could argue that Italian is so close to Latin it wouldn’t make so much difference, but these boys were from rough backgrounds.

Apart from the rhetorical effect of using Latin, maybe the main thing is that he used Latin because the messengers in his dreams used Latin.

A great book with much food for thought on the importance of prayer, the Sacraments, work and temperance, the four last things and especially on raising boys.

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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

“The spark of conversion can be struck by a single perfect liturgical gesture.”

— Cristina Campo (1966)

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