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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

Coming to Church on Time

Veronica Brandt · September 12, 2015

Peter's Watch Pastel on fabric by Peter Brandt 2014 OMEONE ASKED ME how I get to church on time with a family. I thought this would be a great idea for an easy post here – what could be simpler?

I know there are many, many things that hold up a family getting to Mass on time. I know it’s always just as you buckle up the car seat that the baby does that enormous poo that you’ve been expecting for a week, and then you find your 8 year old son is wearing trousers meant for someone half his size and you just remembered that bag of clothes you said you’d bring for that family. There are many possibilities that can set you back a good half hour in the mornings.

There’s also the illusion that Sunday is a day of rest. Now, I know it is a day of rest in the proper sense, but in practice it is a day requiring effort and diligence like any other day. This can be hard if you’ve been going out to work every day this week and you would like just one morning to sleep in. Or if your partner has been up early every morning this week and you would like just one morning when he or she can lend a hand making breakfast and getting the kids ready. The reccurrence of the word “just” should ring alarm bells here.

Firstly, I don’t get to the church on time – at least, not when I hope to get there. I hope to get there an hour before Mass starts in order to get the music ready, and we’re usually twenty minutes late. But twenty minutes late for being an hour early is still forty minutes before Mass starts.

My kids kick a ball around to burn off some energy. About 10-15 minutes before Mass we round them up and settle into the pews, ready for Mass. And then people start arriving.

That hour before Mass would be an ideal time to practise the music. Anyone complaining about music after Mass would be better off getting there before Mass and lending a hand. Possibly coming along for a Thursday night practice would be better still.

So, how to get to church on time?

It’s just like arriving late, except you do it an hour earlier. Say Mass is at 10am – tell everyone we’re going to get there at 9am and work towards that. If there is dissension, then sweeten the deal with something for after Mass – Sunday is a great day for having fancy food.

An hour seems like a long time. What will I do all that time?

You can spend some time just like you do after Mass – talking outside, buying raffle tickets in the Maternal Heart Car Raffle, finding out if there are any particular differences about Mass today, see if anyone needs help setting up. You can even go into the church and pray!

But the chances of actually arriving with a whole hour to spare are so slim that I wouldn’t worry about that at all. Just pick your target, take aim and enjoy having time to get settled in the church before Mass starts.




PICTURE CREDITS:

*   The picture is one of my husband’s drawings with prints, posters and postcards available via redbubble

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Children at Mass Last Updated: July 4, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Dom Vitry never claimed chant could not be used successfully with English words. No one need take my word for it. He was a pioneer on the matter of vernacular adaptation, and I need only refer you to the many publications of his own “Fides Jubilans” press. What he said was that adaptation involved some mutilation, and that we were faced with one or the other.

— Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt (1963)

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