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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

Feast of Bl. Álvaro del Portillo

Andrew Leung · May 12, 2016

CTL Bl. Alvaro del Portillo ODAY IS THE FEAST DAY of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, the successor of St. Josemaría Escrivá and the first prelate of the Opus Dei. Don Álvaro was beatified last year in Madrid and you may remember this post where I shared about the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Beatification.

Bl. Álvaro was one of St. Josemaría’s first followers. He was also among the first handful of members of Opus Dei, well before official Church approval. He became the first prelate and bishop of Opus Dei after it was named the first and only personal prelature of the Church in 1982. Under his leadership, Opus Dei was brought to many countries and they continue to encourage people to sanctify their lives through their daily work. His love for the poor, loyalty to the Church and the Holy Father is often recalled. Don Álvaro was a very close friend of St. John Paul the Great, and at his request, Álvaro founded the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross which is now thriving in Rome. Here is a short video about the life of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo by Romereports:

Opus Dei played a huge role in my formation as a Catholic, and it is because of Opus Dei, that I became interested in the liturgy and the Church’s Tradition. There is no doubt that they are defenders of the Church’s teachings and traditions. I would like to share one more video, the highlights of the transfer of the body of Bl. Álvaro from Saint Eugene to the Crypt of Our Lady of Peace. In this video, you will see beautiful vestments and the beautiful Chapel of Our Lady of Peace located in the headquarter of Opus Dei in Rome. The crypt church is the prelatic church of Opus Dei and the mortal remains of Saint Josemaría Escrivá are contained in a casket located beneath the altar.



Beato Álvaro de Portillo, Ora pro nobis!

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 Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(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

[Speaking of those who wish to eliminate Latin from the liturgy.] “One may well wonder what the origin is of this new way of thinking and this sudden dislike for the past; one may well wonder why these things have been fostered.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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