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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

Trappist Monks in Hong Kong Chanting

Andrew Leung · January 17, 2019

HE TRAPPIST MONKS (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) have been in Hong Kong since 1950, they fled from the Communist China and built the current Our Lady of Joy Abbey on the distant Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Like the other monks, they lived a simple cloistered monastic life and they prayed the Divine Office seven times a day.


OWADAYS, there are 17 monks at the monastery and they mainly sing the Liturgy of the Hours to simple chant tones in Mandarin. Recently, I was invited to share about Gregorian chant with them, especially with the younger monks. They told me that they are very interested in rediscovering their heritage, and thus singing the more complex Gregorian chant. Here is what we have learned after the first few sessions.


N THE PAST, I have also helped the monks at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, to start a schola formed by monks who are passionate in singing ancient chants. We had weekly rehearsals and individual singing lessons, and I would go to their Sunday Vespers and Benediction every week because the monastery is only 10-minutes-away from the parish I worked at. It was a very memorable experience and I am filled with joy as God leads me to another Trappist monastery, even though these monks really knows how to distant themselves from the outside world (I now have to travel 2 hours by train and ferry to get to this monastery).

CTL Trappist Monks in Hong Kong 6 CTL Trappist Monks in Hong Kong 2 CTL Trappist Monks in Hong Kong 3
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

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief 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 most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Père Joseph Gelineau represented everything that had gone wrong with the Church since the new liturgists had gained control.”

— Jean Langlais

Recent Posts

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  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?

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