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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

Weak-Kneed Prayers or Religious Patrimony?

Guest Author · September 17, 2014

0319_DO-LG N GOING THROUGH some old books that had been discarded by a Catholic school library, I found a book from 1982 on planning Masses with children. Filled with various articles about liturgical planning involving children, I chuckled at the drawings and skimmed through the text. One article on prayer (itself written and published in 1981) caught my attention. The author questions her readers:

“What will the next generation of students say about their school prayers? Will they rise up 20 years from now to criticize us for giving them a diet of weak-kneed prayers, full of trendy jargon and self-conscious posturing? Or will they complain that they have learned nothing by heart because we never used the same prayer twice? Or will they thank us for introducing them gradually to the strong and surprising words of praise that are a part of our religious patrimony?”

I could not help but think of my own grade-school years when all of us learned our prayers by heart (the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, among others) and had to practice them and recite them from memory to our teachers. This was certainly not the case across the country or the world.

Even today, in 2014, in one diocese in the United States, in a survey of 11th grade Catholic school students, only 28.1% stated that they always pray with their family before meals (48.6% stated always or often). In the same survey, 54.1% of 11th graders said they never pray the Rosary alone or with family at home.

The author of the article I found in that discarded book wondered what students would say about their school prayers 20 years in the future. It’s been 33 years since she asked those questions and I haven’t heard young adults thanking their elders for “introducing them gradually to the strong and surprising words of praise that are a part of our religious patrimony” (which, by the way, is not a bad thing: our religious patrimony should be passed down to each generation). Instead, one can see with groups such as the Juventutem International Federation, college councils of the Knights of Columbus, and various Newman Center campus organizations/parishes a return to authentic religious patrimony—a patrimony that was, sadly, not passed down.

Do we criticize the older generation for the “diet of weak-kneed prayers, full of trendy jargon and self-conscious posturing?” Do we complain that nothing has been learned by heart because no prayer was used more than twice? It’s been 33 years: the blame game has been played and doesn’t need to be played again. Rather, let’s focus on returning to our authentic religious patrimony so the next generation can thank us for that.


We hope you enjoyed this guest post by Fr. Alan M. Guanella.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Liturgy For Children Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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 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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Now with the elimination of Latin, the choirs that performed the treasures of sacred music are dying. Someone remarked that the study of sacred music is the history of its disappearance. In place of the authentic music demanded by the Vatican Council, all kinds of secular forms and inferior dance and combo music are heard.”

— Monsignor Richard J. Schuler (1971)

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  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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