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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

This Holy Week Visit Sydney

Veronica Brandt · April 5, 2020

Sun, surf, sand and some really good Masses. Okay, maybe Masses aren’t a feature on most tourist brochures, but once this selection is discovered, I’m sure the tourism board will duly rectify that ommission.

I have for so long wanted to bring everyone to Mass with me. A significant reason I got married was so that all my friends would have to come to Mass at the Maternal Heart of Mary Church at Lewisham. Take a look at some of the videos on their Facebook page and I hope you’ll see why.

The view is amazing. This church was built for nuns, so it has a long choir section and a wooden screen separating the sanctuary from the main part where the congregation would normally sit. They have done a good job with the sound, but it falls far short of actually being there.

But Maternal Heart does not livestream a daily Mass, and although we love it a lot, we haven’t been there in person very often over the last decade. We frequent another FSSP Apostolate over in Western Sydney. Although based down on the plains, they would drive up to the Blue Mountains every week for Mass at our local parish church. We had a weekly Latin Mass within walking distance! (That would be an hour’s walk, and not one that I have ever accomplished, but I think the claim still stands)

The FSSP Parramatta are livestreaming daily Mass plus talks intended for their after school Catechism classes and evening adult classes. Their chapel is tiny, but they are doing a amazing things with the space available.

And lastly I would like to add our almost local Parish a little further up the Blue Mountains. Check out Blue Mountains Catholic with our wonderful priests from Argentina. This is where we would normally go for a weekday Mass. They also had an Adoration Chapel running from Tuesday morning through to Friday night each week.

For those willing to travel even further, Notre Dame Priory is streaming daily. Tonsured Benedictine monks praying in their new monastery.

I may be biased. Feel free to flood the Facebook Discussion with your recommendations. All these livestream Masses have convinced us to upgrade our internet connection, so I look forward to seeing any suggestions.


Since publishing, some more links have come to mind, so I’ll add them here in no particular order. There is a more extensive list from around the world at Mass-online.org. Also the Live Mass Apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter LiveMass.net.

  • Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, Scotland/New Zealand
  • Friars of St Francis, Sydney
  • Bishop Columba of Wilcannia Forbes – a great bishop serving an enormous diocese in Western NSW
  • St Anne’s Traditional Latin Mass, Belmont in Perth, Western Australia.
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: April 8, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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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

Amid all these old liturgical books, I find that I am happy and at ease; I feel at home.

— Dom André Mocquereau (1884)

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