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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

On Catholic Art

Christopher Mueller · January 6, 2016

882 Chris Mueller NE OF my colleagues recently pointed me to a lengthy piece on First Things by Dana Gioia, a Catholic, poet, and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. In it he considers the explosion of Catholic imaginative literature in the United States in the 1940’s-1960’s: writers such as Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, John Kennedy Toole, and numerous others. He contrasts that with today, where there are few, if any, Catholic novelists (a) who are considered national literary figures, (b) for whom their personal Catholicism is a strong part of their public biographies, and (c) whose Catholicism would be seen as an attribute worthy of respectful engagement by literary critics.

He makes the case that the disappearance of Catholic figures from the national artistic conversation is bad for both the country and the church. It’s bad for the country because ignoring Catholic voices limits the “diversity” of artistic expression in the national conversation. America has always been culturally Protestant, and the Catholic “outsider” has a valuable perspective to add. The paucity of Catholic artistic figures is in turn bad for the church because a lack of true artistry in the Catholic context limits the ability of the Church to engage the world. People are reached through their senses—through sight and hearing, as well as by engaging the mind—and true beauty attracts believers and non-believers alike.

While most of his piece is about writers and writing, he offers the caveat that discussing literature “provides a useful perspective on all the arts.” Toward the end of his piece, he provides a tour de force on how and what the Catholic artist is to do, and I think this bears quoting at length. Wherever he says “writer,” imagine the word “artist” instead (or imagine the particular kind of artist you may be: “composer,” “conductor,” etc.):

The Catholic writer really needs only three things to succeed: faith, hope, and ingenuity. First, the writer must have faith in both the power of art and the power of the spirit. The cynicism that pervades contemporary cultural life must be replaced by a deep confidence in the human purposes and importance of art. Art is not an elitist luxury or a game for intellectual coteries. It is a necessary component of human development, both individually and communally. Art educates our emotions and imagination. It awakens, enlarges, and refines our humanity. Remove it, dilute it, or pervert it, and a community or a nation suffers—becoming less compassionate, curious, and alert, more coarse, narrow, and self-satisfied.

This bears repeating: art is not an elitist luxury. It is a necessary component of individual and communal development, which refines our humanity. For those of us who work in sacred liturgy, shouldn’t we be bringing the very best we have to offer—including our most refined human expression—to our ceremonial worship of God?

A Catholic writer must also have hope. Hope in the possibilities of art and one’s own efforts… The main barrier to the revival of Catholic [art] is despair, or perhaps more accurately acedia, a torpid indifference among precisely those people who could change the situation—Catholic artists and intellectuals. Hope is what motivates and sustains the writer’s enterprise because success will come slowly, and there will be many setbacks.

Hope is what sustains the creative artist, because success will come slowly, and there will be many setbacks. Alas, all too true!

And finally, this powerful reminder to us all:

[T]here is a third element that has nothing to do with religion. The Muse is no Calvinist. She does not believe that faith alone justifies an artist. The writer needs good works—good literary ones. The goal of the serious Catholic writer is the same as that of all real writers—to create powerful, expressive, memorable works of art… The road to Damascus may offer a pilgrim sudden and miraculous intervention, but faith provides no shortcuts on the road to Parnassus.

All writers must master the craft of literature, the possibilities of language, the examples of tradition, and then match that learning with the personal drive for perfection and innovation. There is a crippling naïveté among many religious writers (and even editors) that saintly intentions compensate for weak writing. Such misplaced faith (or charity) is folly. The Catholic writer must have the passion, talent, and ingenuity to master the craft in strictly secular terms while never forgetting the spiritual possibilities and responsibilities of art. That is a double challenge, but it does ultimately offer a genuine advantage [of] …a profound and truthful worldview that has been articulated, explored, and amplified by two thousand years of art and philosophy, a tradition whose symbols, stories, personalities, concepts, and correspondences add enormous resonance to any artist’s work. To be a Catholic writer is to stand at the center of the Western tradition in artistic terms.

In other words, we must study and work, perfecting our craft, to ensure that our art is valuable measured in artistic terms. A musician-friend once said to me, “I think that the whole concept of a ‘Catholic artist’ is overrated. You’re either a good artist, or you’re a bad one. Good motivations can’t make up for poor product.”

And what is Mr. Gioia’s conclusion? “It is time to renovate and reoccupy our own tradition.” Or to quote an even more-estimable source, “Do not be afraid!”

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Christopher Mueller

Christopher Mueller is a conductor and composer who aims to write beautiful music out of gratitude to God, Author of all beauty.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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 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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Obey, then, these prescriptions sincerely and calmly. [viz. clerics must pray their office in Latin.] It is not an excessive love of old ways that prompts them.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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