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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

“Savior of EWTN” According To Raymond Arroyo

Corpus Christi Watershed · January 12, 2016

861 Gracida Picture OME INTERVIEWS are excellent while others are execrable. I’m happy to report that Jim Graves has posted an absolutely brilliant CWR interview—very well done.

Here are some excerpts:

Catholic World Report : You count among your friends Mother Angelica.

Bishop Gracida : Yes. In fact, if you read Raymond Arroyo’s biography on Mother Angelica, you’ll see that he refers to me as the “Savior of EWTN.” After her highly publicized dispute with Roger Cardinal Mahony, he led an effort to get the bishops to deny her the right to call EWTN a Catholic network. I was able to save EWTN by using parliamentary procedure and his resolution was voted down.

Catholic World Report : You have an interest in the North American martyrs.

Bishop Gracida : Yes, I was fascinated by them. I remember reading The Last of the Mohicans as a teenager, and developing a special interest in the Jesuit martyrs. Years later, when I entered the Benedictine monastery, I had to propose three names to my archabbot, one of which he’d pick to be my religious name for the rest of my life. The first I chose was the Jesuit martyr René Goupil (d. 1642). To my great pleasure, the name was approved.

Catholic World Report : You joined the largest Benedictine Abbey in the United States, the Monastery of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. What made you want to be a monk?

859 Gracida Benedictine Habit Bishop Gracida : I had attended the University of Houston after the war and earned a degree in architecture. I began working as an architect, but something kept gnawing in me as I asked myself: is this what I want to do with the rest of my life? One day, while I was looking out the window of my office, I saw a frail old woman pushing a grocery cart. I had the urge to help here, but because of my work situation, I was unable to. God used that incident to get me to consider joining the monastery. I had also heard a talk by a Benedictine monk that impressed me, so I decided to check it out.

St. Vincent’s was originally founded to help German immigrants, and when I arrived at the monastery in 1951, there were still a few German monks alive. During meals, some of our table reading was in German. When I entered the community, I found I loved the liturgy. I loved polyphony, I loved Gregorian chant. I loved the Benedictine way of life, the prayer life and the intellectual life. There was lots of studying and reading. I began teaching religion to freshmen at the community’s St. Vincent College. I’d still be there, if the archabbot hadn’t forced me out.

858 Gracida John Paul II Catholic World Report : As a bishop, you’ve gotten to know some popes. What experiences can you share?

Bishop Gracida : Yes. I had been serving in the Diocese of Miami a few years, and Bishop Coleman Carroll, the ordinary, told me to get a passport, so I could accompany him to Rome. We went for the coronation of Pope Paul VI. I was stunned to have been singled out for this honor. I found Paul VI to be a gentle, humble man who really took a personal interest in you. He made me an auxiliary bishop after I returned home.

In 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, heard about a program with which I was involved with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He invited me to come to Poland to speak to him about it. I went to Krakow, but our visit was cut short when Pope John Paul I died unexpectedly. He had to go to Rome for the conclave that elected him pope. In the time we did have together, he was fascinated that I was an airman during World War II. He asked me hundreds of questions. We became friends. I have a cherished place for him in my heart.

Please go read the FULL INTERVIEW.

Samples of Bishop Gracida’s book are HERE.

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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President’s Corner

    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
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

“With all the powers of modern music open to him, from romanticism through French impressionism to the German and Russian modernists, he is yet able to confine all these contradictory forces on the groundwork of the Gregorian tradition.”

— Theodor Rehmann (on Msgr. Jules Van Nuffel)

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