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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

Sacra Liturgia 2015 — Update II

Fr. David Friel · June 3, 2015

UESDAY was another day filled with excellent lectures at Sacra Liturgia USA 2015. In addition to the lectures, the liturgies have been most rewarding, and the hospitality of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, in the care of the Dominicans, has been first-rate.

The morning’s first lecture was delivered by Rev. Thomas Kocik, former editor of the journal Antiphon. The title of the talk was simply, “The Reform of the Reform.” Father Kocik’s fundamental assertion was that any authentic reform of the reform must begin with the Extraordinary Form as the point of departure, not the Ordinary Form.

In the course of his presentation, Father Kocik also listed a number of practical ideas for how a priest might transform his celebration of the Ordinary Form. Among his ideas were these:

1. Use the rite of blessing for water, with the proper chants, in place of the Penitential Act.

2. Employ the proper chants during each of the processions.

3. Chant the orations, prefaces, & the Gospel.

4. Use incense on every Sunday & solemnity, not just on special occasions.

5. Omit the intercessions on weekdays.

6. Opt for a silent preparation of the gifts.

7. Do not neglect the Latin language.

8. After catechesis, introduce the celebration of Mass ad orientem. [In the interim, consider using the “Benedictine arrangement.”]

9. Wear black vestments for funerals, All Souls Day, and other Masses for the Dead.

10. Do not omit the optional sequences.

11. Occasionally use the Gradual instead of the Responsorial Psalm.

12. Utilize the full complement of Votive Masses in the Missal.

13. Use the Roman Canon.

14. Bow your head at the names of the Trinity, the BVM, and the saint of the day.

All of these suggestions, of course, fall within the bounds of current liturgical law and require no special permission. Many priests have already taken some or all of these steps toward bridging the gap between the Ordinary & Extraordinary Forms.

Dr. Margaret Hughes (sister of fellow blogger David Hughes) gave a marvelous presentation entitled “The Ease of Beauty: Liturgy, Evangelization, and Catechesis.” Her paper gave evidence of her mastery of philosophy and bore the mark of her specialization in the philosophy of Joseph Pieper.

Among her many salient points, Dr. Hughes proposed that resting in what is good is the truest, fullest way of being active. She also said that “beauty is a harmonious meeting of the objective and subjective.” Of course, the experience of beauty in life should remind us that we are wayfarers on a journey, en route to the vision of total beauty.

Mr. Gregory Glenn is the founder & Pastoral Administrator of the Cathedral of the Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, UT. He gave an engaging and humorous lecture outlining the history of how his choir school came into existence and how it has come to flourish. I am in awe of what he and his helpers have accomplished. Mr. Glenn did not inherit a well-established institution, after all; he forged the choir school, rather, from nothing and shaped it into a seedbed for world-class art.

In passing, Mr. Glenn pondered how some people can complain that it is too difficult for children to learn a Gregorian Mass ordinary. He offered a fascinating statistic that there are only 283 words in the Latin ordinary. Surely, children are capable of approaching such a limited number of vocabulary words.

Several other wonderful presentations have been made so far. I sincerely hope that the ideas being shared this week with conference attendees will lead to liturgical revitalization at the grassroots level in the communities we serve.

682 Sacra

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Ad Orientem, Authentic Liturgical Renewal Reform, Beauty, Catholic Youth Choirs, Latin, Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, Omitting The Sequence On Pentecost, Propers, Reform of the Reform, Sacra Liturgia 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

    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Music List” • 29th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 19 October 2025, which is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Liturgical Round (“Canon”) in C-Major
    Those who direct children’s choirs are always on the lookout for repertoire that’s dignified, inspired, and pleasing—yet still within reach of young choristers. Such directors will want to investigate this haunting liturgical round (PDF download) which has been married to the KYRIE from Mass VI (EDITIO VATICANA). I have provided an accompaniment, but it’s only for use during rehearsal; i.e. when teaching this round to your choristers. I also provided an organ accompaniment for the KYRIE—which some know by its trope (Kyrie Rex Genitor)—so that your congregation can take part when this round is used as a choral extension during Mass.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    “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 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

Random Quote

“Johann Baptist Singenberger (d. 1924) held in trust a letter from Pius X giving him permission to use men and women in his festival choirs. He neither published it nor used it, lest he embarrass the Holy Father.”

— Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt (August 1957)

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