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Views from the Choir Loft

Easter Vigil Readings With Dancer • St. Patrick Catholic Church (Seattle, Washington)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 9, 2015

HIS DISTURBING VIDEO appeared on the internet. It’s from the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening in Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church (Seattle, Washington): 1


This video doesn’t affect my family—in a certain sense—because it’s not my parish.

On the other hand, what if someone in the parish reported this incident to their local bishop? I’m not sure what actions could be taken, because the USCCB Liturgy Committee declared in 2012 that important sections of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) can be ignored. What’s to stop other sections from being ignored?

Moreover, if you read all the documentation provided by Daniel Craig, you’ll notice a justification being given. The GIRM says clearly (§48) that songs replacing the assigned texts must be approved by the Episcopal Conference. The “American Adaptation” for the GIRM—approved by Rome—says the local bishop can also give permission. But the Bishops’ Committee said the GIRM can be ignored, because “local musicians” without permission can decide for themselves which alternate texts are acceptable:

“The guidelines articulated in Sing to the Lord (2007) are given to guide composers in their composition and those who plan/prepare liturgy in the choice of music…”

You probably think I’m going to say: “See? Judge by that video whether people can make their own liturgical decisions.”  But that’s not what I’m going to say.

The GIRM is specific about getting a bishop’s approval because of accountability. We need to start following the GIRM as soon as possible! Then, if a bishop approves the type of goofy songs excoriated by Fr. Paul Scalia, that bishop will receive feedback.


UPDATE :

Judging from their facebook page, this parish seems to have similar things each week:

956 David Haas Liturgical Dancing


I was surprised to see composer David Haas comment in support. It might be instructive to compare the processional of an Extraordinary Form Mass with their procession dance.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   I’m 95% sure the current pastor, Fr. Patrick Clark, is the priest shown in several videos on their YouTube channel.

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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Jeff Ostrowski

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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

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Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“If he converses with the learned and judicious, he delights in their talent—if with the ignorant and foolish, he enjoys their stupidity. He is not even offended by professional jesters. With a wonderful dexterity he accommodates himself to every disposition. As a rule, in talking with women (even with his own wife) he is full of jokes and banter.”

— ‘Erasmus on St. Thomas More (England’s 1st lay Chancellor)’

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