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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Solemn Mass • Ruins of Saint Mary’s Cathedral (Nagasaki, 1949)

Jeff Ostrowski · November 10, 2020

ERY SOON, December 7th will be here. On that day in 1949, most Rev’d Paul Aijirō Yamaguchi, Archbishop of Nagasaki, celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass on the ruins of Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Nagasaki. This was in honor of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier in Japan and concluded with veneration of the right forearm—the arm he used to conduct blessings and baptisms—of Saint Francis Xavier (inside a reliquary). Father Xavier was a very important Catholic priest whom Father Valentine Young spoke about in one of his sermons.

Nagasaki remained largely devastated by the atomic blast of 1945. Its people were still dying—slowly—from radiation poisoning. Nevertheless, they wanted to honor Saint Francis Xavier, and somebody had a camera:

A different angle shows what is left of the Cathedral:

Here is yet another angle:

More photographs:

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Mass Outside Invalid?

Due to government restrictions, California has been “locked down” since March, and all our Masses are celebrated outside. A few weeks ago, someone on Facebook—who not surprisingly calls himself an ultra-traditionalist Catholic—was promoting the idea that all Masses offered outside are “invalid.” This theologian (self-proclaimed) even mockingly referred to outdoor Masses as “tent revivals.”

It would be good to remind everyone that, objectively speaking, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is of infinite value no matter where it’s offered: in a prison cell, outside under a tent, inside a church, and so forth. Indeed, Views from the Choir Loft for decades has been posting striking photos of the Mass celebrated outside. Saint Charles Garnier frequently offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on a boat while traveling from France to Canada. By the way, Father Garnier died on 7 December 1649AD.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 1949 Traditional Latin Mass Ruins Nagasaki, Mass During World War Last Updated: November 18, 2023

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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

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

At the Catholic gathering (Katholikentag) held at Breslau in August, the Papal Nuncio celebrated Mass for 80,000 participants, facing the people (the “Missa versus populum”).

— “Orate Fratres” Magazine (23 Jan. 1927)

Recent Posts

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
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