Views from the Choir Loft

Catholic Artists Society 1

Fr. David Friel · October 25, 2015

HE THEME for this year’s “Art of the Beautiful” lecture series is “Spirit & Flesh: The Incarnation and Its Implications for Art.” The series is a project of the The Catholic Artists Society, which describes itself as an association of artists and media professionals. Presented in conjunction with the Thomistic Institute, the lectures are quite popular and would be of interest to anyone who appreciates the field of aesthetics.

This season’s lecture series addresses topics such as beauty, art, architecture, music, Scripture, and literature. Each in its own way, the talks look very appealing. Especially notable is the conclusion of the series, which directly addresses the relationship of faith and music. The speakers and topics will include:

It’s Complicated: Art, the Beautiful, and the True Good in Dante’s Purgatorio (Dr. Robert Royal, The Faith and Reason Institute)

”You Spoke in a Vision” (Ps 89:19): Iconoclasts, Exegetes, and God’s Word as an Image (Rev. Anthony Giambrone, O.P., Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception)

Incarnation and Transfiguration: Rediscovering the Iconic Nature of Church Buildings (Prof. Dennis McNamara, University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary)

Beauty and the Spiritual Senses (Prof. Francesca Murphy, University of Notre Dame)

Faith in Music (Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

The series will be held on Saturday nights at 7:30 PM in the Catholic Center at NYU, followed by a reception and sung Compline.

Again this year, these lectures look very worthwhile. They are sure to promote wonderful discussion of important topics related to the sacred liturgy.

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

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).

PDF • Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 Dec.)

The Responsorial Psalm may be downloaded as a PDF file (organist & vocalist) for 12 December, which is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When it comes to the formulary for this Mass, it’s astounding how infrequently it’s included in official books. Prior to Vatican II, one had to search through “supplemental material” printed in the back of hand-missals and graduals. But since 1970, the feast is virtually nonexistent. According to the UNIVERSAL KALENDAR, 12 December is the “Feast of Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious” (Die 12 decembris: S. Ioannæ Franciscæ de Chantal, religiosæ). Why should that feast overpower Our Lady of Guadalupe? In the United States, OLG is celebrated—and I’d assume in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Canada—but, as I said, the Propria Missae are virtually impossible to locate. I possess only three books which mention this feast.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplified Accompaniment (Advent Hymn)

Many organists are forced to simultaneously serve as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment (PDF) which in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal is hymn #661: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (for ADVENT). I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 2,900 times in a matter of hours—so there appears to be interest.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (Immaculate Concep.)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 8 December 2025, the feast of OUR LADY’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. In Latin, the title of this feast is: In Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Leo XIV on Sacred Music

On 5 December 2025, Pope Leo XIV made this declaration with regard to liturgical music.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

In 1951 (and again in 1952 and 1955) the Sacred Congregation of Rites gave permission to the bishops of the whole world to celebrate the “Vigil of the Lord’s Resurrection” as much as possible in conformity with the ancient ceremonial: the most noticeable change was to transfer the ceremonies to the late evening of Holy Saturday. During the experimental period the text of the Missal remains unchanged, and a special “Ordo Sancti Sabbati” has been published.

— Charles Richard Anthony Cunliffe (1955)