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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

The New Spanish Missal as Opportunity

Fr. David Friel · August 12, 2018

OST English-speaking Catholics can remember the days of Advent 2011, when the present translation of the Missale Romanum was in its infancy. Anyone who has been involved in sacred music since that time can recount how significant that moment was for the Church in the Anglophone world. The adoption of that missal was about much more than just a new translation. That moment provided an opportunity for renewal in every area of parish liturgical life—a renewal that has taken root and borne fruit in many places.

A great deal of preparation went into the implementation of the 2011 English missal. There were pew cards, musical inserts, clergy workshops, adult education sessions, diocesan guidelines, etc. Well before it went into effect, the 2011 English missal was recognized as an important juncture in the life of the Church, and leaders rightly made sure that this juncture would not be crossed unaware.

Another moment, with similar possibilities, is upon us.

The rollout of a new Spanish translation of the Latin, 3rd typical edition of the Missale Romanum has begun. This new missal—the Misal Romano, tercera edición— has been produced for use in the United States of America. It became available from publishers beginning in May 2018, and its use has been optional since the Vigil of Pentecost (19 May 2018). Its implementation becomes mandatory on the First Sunday of Advent (2 December 2018).

Although my assessment is undoubtedly affected by the fact that I don’t presently work directly with any Spanish-speaking communities, it seems to me that preparation for this new Misal Romano has been less extensive than was the preparatory phase of the 2011 English missal. In one respect, this makes sense, inasmuch as the contrast between the new Spanish translation and the former version is not nearly as pronounced as was the difference between the old and new English translations. Nevertheless, making an adequate effort to prepare for the new Spanish missal remains essential.

One aspect of the new Misal Romano which deserves serious attention is its incorporation of chant. Just as the 2011 English edition of the missal was groundbreaking in its extensive use of musical notation for many of the chants of the Mass, so too the new Misal Romano, tercera edición will feature a wealth of quality chants for the Ordinary. The music of the new Spanish missal affords parish priests and musicians a prime opportunity to reintroduce truly sacred music into their celebrations, in place of the American-Hispanic music that has for so long been imposed upon their communities.

EADING THE WAY in this regard is the Zipoli Institute, an apostolate of the Institute of the Incarnate Word that provides resources to help make sacred music accessible in mission territories. The institute has published a lovely and user-friendly website that is rich with musical resources.

The new Spanish missal chants, which have been authorized for free and wide dissemination by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), are available from their website. Among their excellent Spanish resources are:

1. Practice recordings of the Misal Romano chants (in both standard and low pitches)

2. A printable booklet of the Misal Romano chants for congregational use (in both single-sheet and double-sheet formats)

3. A collection of quality, Spanish hymns for various occasions

In addition to their online resources, the Zipoli Institute is also sponsoring workshops to prepare clergy and laity for the implementation of the new Misal Romano. Their first workshops were held this spring in Washington, DC (27-28 April 2018).

Their next set of workshops will be held in Philadelphia, with a clergy-only presentation set for 9 November 2018 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. A presentation tailored to music directors, choirs, and congregations (but open to all) is scheduled for the next day, 10 November 2018, at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. The presenter on both days will be Fr. Andres Ayala, IVE.

A flyer with more details on these free workshops in Philadelphia is available:

    * *  PDF Download • SPANISH VERSION

    * *  PDF Download • ENGLISH VERSION

It should be noted that the Zipoli Institute is also a treasure trove of materials for the sung Mass in English and for Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Additional materials are provided or referenced for sacristans, for funeral/wedding planning, and for singing polyphony.

UCH GOOD has been accomplished over recent years in the world of Catholic sacred music in the English language. It took several decades to pass after the Second Vatican Council, but finally quality resources have emerged to facilitate the widespread use of English Propers and a nobler singing of the Ordinary.

The world of Catholic sacred music in the Spanish language cannot and should not be ignored. This new Misal Romano presents an immense opportunity for the Church in the United States of America. Let us pray that the introduction of this new translation of the Misal Romano will enable Spanish-speaking Catholics to sing a truly new song to the Lord!

Cantad al Señor un cántico nuevo, porque ha hecho maravillas . . . Aclamad con júbilo al Señor, toda la tierra; prorrumpid y cantad con gozo, cantad alabanzas. (Salmo 98)

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: ICEL New Translation of the Roman Missal, Misal Romano, Roman Missal Third Edition, Spanish Hymnal for Catholics, Zipoli Institute Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    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’ with regard to 1960s switch to 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
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th 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. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —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 sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceedingly swift and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat.”

— ‘Dr. Domingos Pinto Coelho, noted lawyer from Lisbon and chairman of the Bar Association (1917)’

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