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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

St. Cecilia Academy for Pastoral Musicians

Fr. David Friel · November 22, 2015

APPY FEAST DAY to all our musician readers! Although St. Cecilia’s feast is eclipsed liturgically this year by the Solemnity of Christ the King, there is nothing stopping us from celebrating her privately.

In honor of her feast, I would like to draw attention to a wonderful initiative that bears her name. Begun just over a year ago, the St. Cecilia Academy for Pastoral Musicians is a fantastic program offered by the Archdiocese of New York in order to educate, train, and form parish musicians.

The St. Cecilia Academy is largely the work of Fr. Matthew Ernest, Director of the Office of Liturgy for the Archdiocese of New York. Father Ernest is a Professor and Director of Liturgy at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

Credit is also due to Dr. Jennifer Donnelson, who serves as the Director of Sacred Music at Dunwoodie. She is also a board member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy & the CMAA and played an instrumental role in organizing Sacra Liturgia USA 2015 (summaries available here, here, here, and here).

Comprised of fully accredited, Masters level courses, the Academy operates through St. Joseph’s Seminary. Its purpose is to bring parish musicians to an understanding of liturgical principles while also forming them in the history and theology of sacred music. In this way, the program seeks to broaden the knowledge of already well trained musicians so that they can become well trained liturgical musicians.

In a post over at NLM, Dr. Donelson shares more insights about the program. She includes this quote from Fr. Ernest about how the Academy came to be:

In the New York area, some parishes are able to hire trained musicians as parish music directors. Other parishes rely on dedicated volunteers to provide music ministry. While these individuals are talented musicians, they often come to these positions, both salaried and unsalaried, with limited or no formation in the principles of liturgy and sacred music. For many years, there has not been a comprehensive formation program for pastoral musicians offered in the greater New York area. Numerous requests have been made by pastors of the archdiocese for a program wherein musicians can receive the education they need to effectively serve as pastoral musicians. With the support of Cardinal Dolan, the staff of the archdiocese’s Office of Liturgy and the faculty of St. Joseph’s Seminary began to discuss ways in which this need could be met in our area. The result of these discussions is the St. Cecilia Academy.

This initiative addresses real needs in the liturgical life of the Church. There is such a wealth in our faith, and the more people with whom these treasures can be shared, the better. It would be wonderful to see similar programs developed in many other dioceses.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Authentic Liturgical Renewal Reform, Evangelization, Sacra Liturgia, Saint Cecilia, Simple Steps To Improve Parish Music 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

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

An Indult of the “Commission for Russia” (25 November 1929) authorizes Bishops and Administrators Apostolic in Russia to permit the celebration of Mass and the reception of Holy Communion in the afternoon or evening, on condition that a Eucharistic fast of four hours from noon be observed.

— Sacred Congregation of Rites, 25 nov 1929

Recent Posts

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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