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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

Looking East for Advent

Fr. David Friel · November 23, 2014

HICH WAY should the priest face during Holy Mass? The long tradition of the Church has been that we—priest and people together—face eastward during the celebration of the liturgy. Many people erroneously think that this practice was changed by the Second Vatican Council; in reality, not a word of Sacrosanctum Concilium addresses the issue. As such, celebration ad orientem is still perfectly legitimate and is, in fact, the presumption of the GIRM.

Bishop Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, NE has drawn recent attention for directing that all Masses celebrated during Advent at his Cathedral of the Risen Christ be celebrated with the priest facing east. I have heard from a few other priests in the diocese who intend to follow their bishop’s example in their own parishes. I encourage you to read his brief pastoral column for yourself so that you can see the very pastoral language he uses to introduce this initiative.

This will, without a doubt, upset some people. But would those same people be equally upset to see photos of Pope Francis celebrating Mass ad orientem (see HERE and HERE)? We need to get beyond the stage where this manner of celebration is (or is at least perceived to be) the odd penchant of a few agenda-driven clergy. As anyone who is a student of the liturgy or of church history will know, there is nothing “new” about celebrating Mass facing east.

For more background information on celebrating Mass ad orientem, check out the various posts on the topic available HERE. Having celebrated Mass with both postures, I can attest that there is tremendous beauty to be discovered in the act of priest & people together turning toward the Lord. The logic, normality, & naturality of ad orientem worship makes me question if the true “agenda” lies not so much with those in favor of facing east as it does with those who insist that “the spirit of Vatican II” must not be undone.

Time has marched along since the tumultuous days of the post-conciliar period. Since that era, the Church has witnessed the rise of multiple generations who have none of the hang-ups about Latin & ad orientem & chant that so defined their parents’ or grandparents’ upbringing. Is it possible to hope that a new day might be dawning?

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, Bishop James Douglas Conley, Mass Facing The People Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Giovanni Doni is known for having changed the name of note “Ut,” renaming it “Do.” He convinced his contemporaries to make the change by arguing that 1) “Do” is easier to pronounce than “Ut,” and 2) “Do” is an abbreviation for “Dominus,” the Latin word for the Lord, Who is the tonic and root of the world. There is much academic speculation that Giovanni Doni also wanted to imprint himself into musical canon in perpetuity because “Do” is also ulteriorly an abbreviation for his family name.

— Giovanni Battista Doni died in 1647AD

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