Views from the Choir Loft

Spring Lecture Series • Society for Catholic Liturgy

Fr. David Friel · March 16, 2021

URING this unique year, wherein so much has been cancelled due to the pandemic, the Society for Catholic Liturgy (SCL) has been creatively offering additional events via Zoom. Back in September, for example, Prof. David Fagerberg began SCL’s Virtual Lecture Series with an engaging talk on What Happens to Us in Liturgy? Three additional lectures in the series have just been announced.

The three upcoming presentations are as follows:

The Mass in the Later Middle Ages: Decline and Vitality
Fr. Uwe Michael Lang
Saturday, 20 March 2021 • 11:00 AM (EDT)

Eucharistic Sacrifice in Maurice de la Taille: Does it (still) matter in today’s Church?
Michon M. Matthiesen
Wednesday, 14 April 2021 • 3:00 PM (EDT)

Suspecting Suspicion: What We Can Know of the Early Eucharist
Fr. Daniel Cardó
Wednesday, 19 May 2021 • 7:00 PM (EDT)

Fuller descriptions of each lecture, along with registration links, may be found in this flyer.

The SCL is to be congratulated for this very interesting and innovative lecture series. Readers who have a scholarly interest in liturgy—whether from architectural, musical, textual, or other perspectives—should consider membership in the Society. Membership is possible at full, associate, and student levels.

Since 1995, SCL has been dedicated to scholarly study and practical renewal of the Church’s liturgy. Members receive copies of the journal Antiphon, published three times annually.

More information about SCL is available here.

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

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).

PDF • “Music List” (4th Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 21 December 2025, which is the 4th Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is the famous “Roráte Coeli” and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 Dec.)

The Responsorial Psalm may be downloaded as a PDF file (organist & vocalist) for 12 December, which is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When it comes to the formulary for this Mass, it’s astounding how infrequently it’s included in official books. Prior to Vatican II, one had to search through “supplemental material” printed in the back of hand-missals and graduals. But since 1970, the feast is virtually nonexistent. According to the UNIVERSAL KALENDAR, 12 December is the “Feast of Saint Jane Frances De Chantal, Religious” (Die 12 decembris: S. Ioannæ Franciscæ de Chantal, religiosæ). Why should that feast overpower Our Lady of Guadalupe? In the United States, OLG is celebrated—and I’d assume in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Canada—but, as I said, the Propria Missae are virtually impossible to locate. I possess only three books which mention this feast.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplified Accompaniment (Advent Hymn)

Many organists are forced to simultaneously serve as both CANTOR and ACCOMPANIST. In spite of what some claim, this can be difficult. I invite you to download this simplified organ accompaniment (PDF) which in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal is hymn #661: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (for ADVENT). I’m toying with the idea of creating a whole bunch of these, to help amateur organists. The last one I uploaded was downloaded more than 2,900 times in a matter of hours—so there appears to be interest.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • “Santo Santo Santo”

Those searching for a dignified, brief, simple, bright setting of SANCTUS in Spanish (“Santo Santo Santo”) are invited to download this Setting in honor of Saint John Brébeuf (organist & vocalist). I wonder if there would be any interest in me recording a rehearsal video for this piece.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Leo XIV on Sacred Music

On 5 December 2025, Pope Leo XIV made this declaration with regard to liturgical music.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’