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Corpus Christi Watershed

We’re a 501(c)3 public charity established in 2006. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and run no advertisements. We exist solely by the generosity of small donors.

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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

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

“In my capacity as the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, I continue to remind all that the celebration toward the East (versus orientem) is authorized by the rubrics of the missal, which specify the moments when the celebrant must turn toward the people. A particular authorization is, therefore, not needed to celebrate Mass facing the Lord.”

— ‘Robert Cardinal Sarah, 23 May 2016’

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “2025 Booklet for Participants for the Sacred Music Symposium” — (155 pages)
  • Luis Martínez Must Go!
  • Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
  • PDF Download • “Gospel Acclamation” for 29 June (Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles)
  • “Hybrid” Chant Notation?

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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.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

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