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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Please Help Watershed Survive

Jeff Ostrowski · August 3, 2014

994 Saint Theresa NLESS I’M MISTAKEN, we’ve only had one fundraising campaign since our founding in October of 2006. I have to admit, I hate asking people for money; and some Catholic organizations drive me crazy by constantly begging for money in an alarmist way.

However, as President of Watershed, it’s my duty to inform you of the following:

(1) We’re a volunteer organization. None of our contributors, including myself, is paid a salary. 1

(2) You’d be amazed at the cost of keeping CCW running. 2

(3) We never want to see CCW disappear. We don’t want to remove the more than 9,000 musical scores, videos, and audio files we’ve uploaded. Please take a moment to remind yourself about a few contributions we’ve made over the years:

      * *  PDF Download • Five Examples of Watershed Projects


WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, we cannot continue. Serving you has been a pleasure and honor. Please prayerfully consider whether you can donate $5.00 per month.

      * *  Click here to discover three secure ways to donate.

Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and thoughtful consideration.


                                                          Sincerely yours, in Christ,

                                                         

                                                          Jeff Ostrowski, President
                                                          Corpus Christi Watershed
                                                          3 August 2014



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   We do sometimes pay a webmaster in Mexico to fix our website when it breaks.

2   Monthly costs you might not even realize include the ability to accept credit card donations ($60.00 per month) and the ability to send messages to our mailing list ($59.70 per month). Much more substantial, however, are “hidden” costs, like paying our Accountant to file yearly 501(c)3 tax papers. (I handle the bookkeeping on a volunteer basis, but I’m totally unqualified for the accountancy.) Finally, please remember that our artists receive the royalties from their sales, not CCW. This includes any liturgical products we promote. Some items are created by our contributors. Others (like the CMAA products) are sold by organizations we advocate. In the past, we’ve never excessively stressed this fact for two reasons: (a) until 2013, CCW did sell some products directly; (b) our composers have asked us not to belabor this point in an unprofessional way, since the products should stand on their own merits.

3   All donations are tax-deductible and may, according to our priest-chaplain, be considered part of your monthly tithe in service to the Church.

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

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —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 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

“What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ and that we love Him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And, without the love of Jesus, everything is useless.”

— Pope John Paul II (1979)

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.