• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • Our Team
    • Views from the Choir Loft • “Our Team”
    • Our Editorial Policy
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Saint Antoine Daniel KYRIALE
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

Does Having Children Preclude Service As A Catholic Musician?

Jeff Ostrowski · June 17, 2015

623 Young Children At Church HEN WE BEGAN having children, attending Mass became quite difficult. Holding a child in Mass requires immense energy and tremendous patience, especially when you look around and notice that every other child behaves in Church except yours.

I remember being very angry, because I didn’t feel like I was adequately participating during Mass. All I did was struggle to contain my energetic child. We tried going to Mass separately, but this was tough, because wives prefer attending Mass as a family—and who can blame them? Catholic mothers & fathers who raised large families offered advice, but none of it worked. Moreover, when their advice didn’t work, some blamed the failure on us—so we eventually stopped asking for advice.

HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS on this matter. I have no idea if they will make any sense.

When we make time to attend something—be it a birthday party, sporting event, or piano recital—a major part is the fact that we show up. We have to plan for it, dress the children, buckle them into the child safety seats, bring them snacks & drinks, take their nap schedule into consideration, and so on. Even though we can’t pay as much attention to the Holy Mass as we’d like, I think God understands that taking care of the children is difficult. One of the failures of the American public school system has been treating each child as if he will grow up to be a scholar. In fact, not all children are wired the same way. Some might like books, while others prefer running around in a field. Some children enjoy carefully listening to hours of lectures, while others manifest different talents and abilities. In some ways, the liturgical movement fell into the same trap. The assumption was that every man, woman, and child—no matter what their background—should participate at Mass in exactly the same way. I would suggest that parents watching small children during Mass cannot participate the same way a liturgical scholar might.

If one has Church musician obligations, sometimes it will be necessary for husband & wife to attend different Masses, yet nothing prevents them from attending daily Mass together as a family.

Those of us who attend the Extraordinary Form in Los Angeles can take advantage of the world’s greatest cry room—but I still hold our 2-year-old son during the Homily & Creed to give my wife a tiny break. The organist allows our son to touch the organ keys during the Homily (see image above).

The life of a choirmaster is truly demanding. I believe it’s one of the hardest professions in the whole world, because it involves so much stress nobody realizes. Moreover, the added stress of the situation we’ve been discussing doesn’t help matters.

On the other hand, if we stop and think about how much suffering 1 there is in the world—and how much suffering has occurred throughout history—we soon realize that God is not asking too much of us.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   I’ve been reading about the gruesome wars of the 1940s and 1950s. It is a truly horrifying study. For example, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), more than 22 million Chinese civilians were killed.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

I am convinced that if the Church is to prosper in the present age, it cannot hesitate to embrace and support traditional Catholics, traditional liturgies and traditional moral values. “Do not conform yourself to this age,” St. Paul warned followers of Christ. (Rom 12:2)

— Most Rev. Thomas Tobin, Bishop of Providence (12 August 2022)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Download • “Kyrie for the Ordinary Form in Honor of Saint Thomas More”
  • Antiphons Vs. Hymns • A “Both/And” Church
  • What Robert Did to My Graphics
  • “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
  • This Sunday! • Q&A “Developing a Youth Choir Program”

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

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.