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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

Revealed! • A Fascinating Mass Rubric Very Few Know

Jeff Ostrowski · September 7, 2019

HE COMMITTEE which worked for five years to produce the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal was quite a diverse group. Some were laymen, others were priests—and most of our time was spent examining hymn texts and tunes. One of the members discovered an intriguing rubric that was still “on the books” much later most authors realize. As late as 1957, the Roman Missal contained this rubric:

Minister autem dextera manu tenens
vas cum vino et aqua, sinistra vero mappulam,
aliquanto post Sacerdotem eis porrigit purificationem,
et mappulam ad os abstergendum.

The Server, however, holding in his right hand
a vessel with wine and water, and in his left a napkin,
a little behind the Priest proffers them

[i.e. the communicants] the purification,
and the napkin to wipe their mouths.

That’s correct: An altar boy followed the priest, giving water and wine to those who have just received Holy Communion.

The member of our committee who discovered this is very smart and very honest. Nevertheless, you can verify the truth of his discovery by a Google search. (Don’t look in the 1962 edition, because this rubric was removed.) I know many liturgical blogs, but I am not aware of any author who has spoken about this rubric. However, Fr. Herbert Thurston (d. 1939)—a friend of Fr. Adrian Fortescue—was certainly aware of this rubric. His 1911 article is encyclopedic:

* *  PDF Download • Article by Fr. Herbert Thurston, SJ (1911)

Here’s an excerpt from his article:

82760 HERBERT THURSTON

An article from 1943 rightly says:

The Ritus Servandus, we may here remind ourselves, still preserves the medieval direction that the server follow the priest, as he distributes Communion, in order to give each communicant a sip of wine and water. How surprised people would be next Sunday to see the direction being carried out!

Please read two pages from an 1883 article by Fr. James O’Kane:

* *  PDF Download • Article by Fr. James O’Kane (1883)

Fr. O’Kane explores whether the rubric can lawfully be ignored. He also discusses where the practice has fallen into disuse and where it has not—giving the following reasons for why it became unpopular:

“…the danger of effusion, the poverty of the churches, the difficulty of presenting it to each when there is a crowd of communicants, the nausea some would feel, and so on.”

I mentioned how a member of the Brébeuf committee made this discovery. He told me that he saw this practice observed when he was ordained.

We must be very careful when it comes to the Sanctissimum. For many years, I have encouraged my choir members to drink water after receiving Holy Communion, although the current rubrics only require the celebrant to do so. In very old Catholic Churches (going 1,000+ years) there are fountains near the front which used to be filled with water, so the faithful could drink immediately after receiving Holy Communion. Nevertheless, Fr. Herbert Thurston was probably correct to write, in 1911:

“Nay more, I will go so far as to say that if any priest did carry out the rubric in question, he would—at an early date—have his attention called to the matter by his Bishop, and would be reminded that it was not for private individuals to revive obsolete observances, when they have been suffered to fall into desuetude by a Church fully competent to enforce her own enactments if she wishes to do so.”

UPDATE: We have been notified that three (3) days after our discovery, the blog of the Church Music Association of America has written an article commenting on this discovery.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   We desire to thank Berthold Kress, who found the image (see above) and posted it as part of a magnificent collection.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Last Updated: January 1, 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

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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 example) 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
    “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

    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
    “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

Random Quote

Ronald Knox explained why the Modernists do not compose hymns: “Birds of prey have no song.”

— Fr. George William Rutler (2016)

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