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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

“Outer Space Hymn” (1966) • In A Catholic Hymnal

Jeff Ostrowski · May 16, 2018

ERY SOON, the St. Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal will be sent to print, and this collection is truly unique. Our international committee has examined hundreds of hymnals, taking only that which is excellent—and discarding the rest. Magnificent new texts and melodies have also been commissioned.

It goes without saying we won’t select any of the “goofy” stuff found in too many American churches since Vatican II. For example, we will not be using the following text—printed by the progressive Collegeville Abbey 1—which has an IMPRIMATUR from 1966:

“And as we float along through outer space,
Past galaxies aglow in dark’s embrace,
Toward other worlds where brothers may await,
Do care for us now in our weightless state.”

88989 Roman Catholic “Outer Space Hymn” 1966

The “outer space hymn” reminds me a verse by Marty Haugen (a non-Catholic):

Not in the dark of buildings confining,
Not in some heaven, light-years away,
But here in this place, the new light is shining,
Now is the Kingdom, now is the day.

Those heretical lyrics were included in major Catholic hymnals for decades, such as the Worship Hymnal from GIA Publications. (And here’s a photograph to prove it.)

Our settings, however, are taken from the authentic liturgy, such as the Breviary hymns. (More on this later.) Many “traditional” hymnals consist almost exclusively of protestant hymnody, and we have avoided this pitfall in a marvelous way—after tremendous consultation and research.

BUT CREATING A GOOD HYMNAL involves much more than simply digging through old Catholic hymnals. Indeed, many of these hymnals contained melodies of a extremely low quality. Consider the type of music used in a Roman Catholic hymnal from 1878 (Hymnal and Vesperal for the Seasons and Principal Festivals of the Ecclesiastical Year):

88984 ROMAN CATHOLIC HYMNAL 1878

Here are some pages from a 1906 hymnal that was quite popular in America:

88988 St Basil Hymnal

American bishops saw nothing wrong with this type of music:

* *  PDF • Catholic bishops who supported this 1906 Hymnal

Those who serve on the committee to produce the Brébeuf hymnal do not feel melodies such as those possess the dignity (or artistic excellence) required for use at Holy Mass.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Whereas some orders have reformed since the 1960s, becoming more orthodox, the monks at Collegeville have gone the opposite direction. Not long ago, a seminary professor at Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville publicly described the traditional practice of preventing Eucharistic particles from falling on the floor as a “fetish”—yet he was not censured, and still continues to teach.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Heretical GIA Hymns Last Updated: July 7, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(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

The literal translation: “Lord, have mercy—Christ, have mercy,” does not offer much material for an acceptable song text. The words, not having any feminine syllables, are abrupt; the sounds are almost all muted and colorless; the rhythmic flow is too brief. So many people may prefer responses that further extend the song of the assembly, e.g., “Have pity on us, Lord” or “Pardon us and change our hearts.

— J. Gelineau attacking the KYRIE ELEYSON (page 64 in “Learning to Celebrate,” 1985)

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  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”

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