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Views from the Choir Loft

A Good Reading

Aurelio Porfiri · September 9, 2014

HAVE OFTEN MENTIONED the name of Divo Barsotti. Divo Barsotti—who died at the age of 92 on February 15, 2006, at his hermitage of Saint Sergius in Settignano, north of Florence—was a priest, a theologian, the founder of the Community of the Children of God, and an extraordinary mystic and spiritual master.

When I discovered his works, in 2005, he was already very old and sick. So I came to know him indirectly through contact with Fr. Serafino Tognetti, the successor of Divo Barsotti as superior of the “Comunita’ dei Figli di Dio,” the congregation Fr. Barsotti had created. From that first contact, I started to study the books of Father Barsotti, reading book after book (he was a hugely prolific writer) and discovering the deepness of this man, a man that was also struggling with the Church at his time, as it has happened for many holy men. As I have mentioned, he was a Christian of extraordinary deepness, presenting a sort of new understanding of our relationship with God.

His works were not progressive, but always respectful and devoted to religious superiors and Catholic hierarchy. But still, having a very strong personality and the gift of parrhesia (the art of speaking clearly and without hypocrisy), sometimes he may have attracted some problems, that he always accepted as a message that God was sending him.

I HAVE RECENTLY FINISHED READING the biography written by Fr. Tognetti, published in Italy by Edizioni San Paolo with the name “Divo Barsotti. Il sacerdote, il mistico, il padre.” It is also available in English from Saint Paul Publications, with the title: “Divo Barsotti. Priest, Mystic, Father.” I am very happy that a work like this is now available for the English speaking world. Divo Barsotti was a lover of the Mass, of Gregorian chant, of Catholic tradition. I was able to see a video on YouTube of Father Barsotti saying the Mass, in which he interrupts himself many times, because of tears streaming incessantly when he was pronouncing the words of the consecration. He was a man immersed in God and his books about liturgy give us an idea of the deepness of what the Mass is and should be and the consciousness of Catholics.

The thoughts of Fr. Barsotti are not devotional or pious, but essential. He is a sort of artist of the word, trying to look for the naked idea more than constructing very pious statements with the help of a well-researched rhetoric. I cannot deny that his ideas have a deep influence on my own personal reflection. This is why I dedicated two books to him drawing on topics that use his teachings.


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many of Mæstro Porfiri’s compositions in PDF format.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Rev Divo Barsotti Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Aurelio Porfiri

Renowned as composer, conductor, theorist, author, pedagogue, and organist, Aurelio Porfiri has served the Church on multiple continents at the highest levels. Born and raised in Italy, he currently serves as Director of Choral Activities and Composer in Residence for Santa Rosa de Lima School (Macao, China).

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PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
7 June 2022 • FEEDBACK

From Chelan, Washington: “CCWatershed is a God-sent resource that I can’t function without! Such great work by the team to bring beauty back to our liturgy!” From Gainesville, Florida: “I am so appreciative of the work, of my brothers and sisters in music!” From Troutman, North Carolina: “Keep up the excellent work in service of the Liturgy!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We must say it plainly: the Roman rite as we knew it exists no more. It has gone. Some walls of the structure have fallen, others have been altered—we can look at it as a ruin or as the partial foundation of a new building. Think back, if you remember it, to the Latin sung High Mass with Gregorian chant. Compare it with the modern post-Vatican II Mass. It is not only the words, but also the tunes and even certain actions that are different. In fact it is a different liturgy of the Mass.”

— Fr. Joseph Gelineau (1978)

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