• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • Our Team
  • Catholic Hymnal
  • Jogues Missal
  • Site Map
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

A Guardian of the Sacred Tradition in the South — Part 2

Andrew Leung · June 16, 2016

CTL A Guardian of the Tradition in the South 2 WO WEEKS AGO, I went on a trip to the South. It was a very relaxing and musical trip. And how appropriate is it to celebrate the Feast of the Body of Christ, Bread of Life, during the Memorial Day weekend when we remember those who lost their lives in battle. The Body of Christ is the eternal bread from heaven, the source and summit of our faith.

I spent my Sunday in Chattanooga, TN, and I went to a Novus Ordo Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul for the first time. We celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (technically not an external solemnity since it was in the new form). I sang with the choir at the Sung Mass and the Eucharistic Procession. It was a very powerful experience and here is why:

—It was a real Sung Mass (Propers and Ordinaries, including the Creed, chanted in English or Latin);

—Everyone sang their parts in the dialogue (the deacon even intoned the Kyrie, which is the proper way to do it in the OF);

—The basilica was filled with large families (at least half of the faithful were children and youth);

—The Anglo and Hispanic communities joint together for the Eucharistic Procession;

—There was a strong presence of the clergy (5 priests and 2 deacons were in the procession, which is very good for a medium sized parish).

I was impressed by these people of the parish, both clergies and laity. They are very passionate in their faith and are willing to be witnesses by marching through downtown Chattanooga in the warm weather.

The part that impressed me the most the presence of the clergy. I see the clergy of the parish interact with people a lot when I visit this parish every time. They all wore their cassocks which help parishioners to recognize them, even from a far distance. I never understand why some people are always against the idea of priests wearing cassocks! Wearing cassocks is not a form of clericalism! The cassock shows the identity of a priest, who is ordained by the bishop to minister to the Church. They are the “fathers” of the community and the cassocks show their role. One of the things I learned during my pastoral year is that the presence of the clergy and staff members at parish events is very important! The cassocks are tools that help bring people to the priests.

CTL Poster SSMW 2016 USICIANS in the Southeastern region will have the opportunity to attend a one-and-a-half day Summer Sacred Music Workshop at this wonderful parish. The workshop will be held at the basilica on July 22 and 23. Now is the time to REGISTER for the workshop and spread the news to your pastors, parish musicians and any friends you may have in the area. Participants don’t have to be Catholics and there is no limit on their age (last year, we had a few middle schoolers joining our workshop and they enjoyed it a lot). So, download the picture of the flyer on the left and SPREAD THE NEWS NOW! The more participants we get, the better the experience will be! We hope to see you there!

For those of you who cannot make it to this workshop, I would ask you to keep all the faculty members and participants in your prayers. Please pray that our workshop will have a good and successful turnout, for the final preparation that is going on now, and that God will touch the hearts of everyone participating through the beautiful music. Thank you.

A preliminary schedule with the session descriptions is available for viewing now.

    * *  PDF • PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE AND SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

Subscribe to the CCW Mailing List

Andrew Leung

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).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

For several months, we have discussed the complicated history of the various Christmas feasts: the Baptism of the Lord, the feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and so forth. During a discussion, someone questioned my assertion that in some places Christmas had been part of the Epiphany. As time went on, of course, the Epiphany came to represent only three “manifestations” (Magi, Cana, Baptism), but this is not something rigid. For example, if you look at this “Capital E” from the feast of the Epiphany circa 1350AD, you can see it portrays not three mysteries but four—including PHAGIPHANIA when Our Lord fed the 5,000. In any event, anyone who wants proof the Epiphany used to include Christmas can read this passage from Dom Prosper Guéranger.

—Jeff Ostrowski
6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski
2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’

Recent Posts

  • 19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts
  • PDF Download • “Mass Propers For Sundays And Holydays Set To Simple Melodies” (429 pages)
  • Hidden Gem: Salvum Fac Populum Tuum (Bruckner)
  • Landmark Documentary on the Renewal of Sacred Music
  • Thou Hast Saved the Good Wine until Now

Copyright © 2021 Corpus Christi Watershed · Charles Garnier on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.