• 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)

  • About
  • Symposium
  • Hymnal
  • Jogues Missal
  • Site Map
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

Culmen Et Fons 2017 • On Liturgical Formation • September 18-22

Richard J. Clark · July 14, 2017

ITURGICAL FORMATION is vital for spiritual formation, which is why this conference is well worth attending! This year, the Culmen Et Fons Conference will be held at St. Adelaide’s Church, West Peabody, Massachusetts, from September 18-22 and will be hosted by Michael Olbash.

Register for the conference here.

From the conference website:

“Recognizing the critical need of enhanced liturgical and spiritual formation for both clergy and lay faithful, the organizers, presenters, hosts, sponsors, and delegates of the September 2017 Conference On Liturgical Formation seek to address precisely such a fundamental requirement for the vitality and vigor of the Church. The scope and the topics of the conference correspond precisely to the needs set out with characteristic clarity by Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in his 2016 London Address and in his remarks made in June 2017 at the Sacra Liturgia conference in Milan, Italy.

The principal speaker, Dom Alcuin Reid, will present papers on such topics as “The Spirit and Power of the Liturgy,” “The Liturgical Life of the Priest, the Liturgical Formation of the Laity,” and “Ongoing Liturgical Formation.” Father Thomas Kocik, a priest of Fall River, Massachusetts and author of The Reform of the Reform, will discuss “The Mutual Enrichment of the Two Forms of the Roman Rite.” Father Marco Testa, a priest of Toronto, Canada, will treat “The Elevation of Parish Liturgy through Plainchant and Sacred Polyphony.” Fr Neil J. Roy will address the means by which priests can form and prepare themselves for offering Mass according to the usus antiquior.“

Michael Olbash also writes:

I’m thrilled to be hosting the inaugural Culmen et Fons conference at St. Adelaide’s because I believe we have an important story to share. It is a fitting study of what Fr. Kocik calls “The Mutual Influence of the Two Forms of the Roman Rite on Each Other” in action. In the past decade, the parish has seen an astonishing increase in Mass attendance and financial stewardship owing in large part to the addition of a weekly traditional Latin Missa Cantata, use of handcrafted Roman vestments, emphasis on sacred music, and the acquisition of dozens of statues, paintings, and liturgical furnishings, many of which were adopted from merged or suppressed parishes

The success of St. Adelaide’s Parish in recent years is unquestionable. Parishes should take note that liturgical formation has lead not only to spiritual renewal, but on a pragmatic level, increased attendance and financial donations. Heeding the Church’s traditions and placing Christ at the center will always be the cornerstone of true evangelization.

Soli Deo Gloria

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

About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Custom preserves many things in liturgy after their first reason has ceased.”

— Father Adrian Fortescue (writing in 1916)

Recent Posts

  • “I Decided to Get a Plane Ticket and Fly 8,700 Miles From Singapore to Take Part.”
  • Alabama Assessment!
  • “How Has Nobody Done This Before?” • Vol. 1
  • “Exceeded Every Expectation!” • Mr. O’Brien’s Review
  • “81 Photos” • Sacred Music Symposium 2022

Copyright © 2022 Corpus Christi Watershed · Gabriel Lalemant 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.