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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

PDF Drafts • Ten (10) Gregorian Chant Litanies

Jeff Ostrowski · June 6, 2021

HE FOLLOWING DRAFT COPIES are somewehat “ugly,” and I feel embarrassed releasing them—but they’re all I have access to at the moment. As time goes on, I’d like to make very nice copies, similar to what my colleague, Veronica Brandt, did with the Litany of Saint Joseph. I believe the Latin title (“litaniæ”) is plural, but in English we usually say (singular) “litany.” 1 By the way, polyphonic composers—such as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina—composed litanies, as I once stole an invertible Kyrie from one! We will use a litany for our Corpus Christi procession this coming Sunday (since the “external solemnity” requires a procession) but I suspect Palestrina’s litanies would have been sung inside an oratory. It was surprisingly difficult to find litanies notated with Gregorian Chant. Several texts are in the Rituale Romanum, and numerous organ accompaniments for the litanies have been uploaded here.

*  PDF Download • Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
—Print this out on a double-sided sheet of paper.

Litanies I Currently Possess:

Perhaps readers can help re-typeset these? The best would be if each invocation could be written out, or at least made more clear:

*  PDF Litany • “Litany of the Saints” (1957)
—“Litaniæ Sanctorum”

*  PDF Download • “Litany of the Saints” (1928)
—“Litaniæ Sanctorum”

*  PDF Download • Litany of Saint Joseph (1949)
—“Litaniæ Sancti Joseph, Sponsi Beatæ Mariæ Virginis”.

*  PDF Download • Litany of Saint Joseph (1957)
—“Litaniæ Sancti Joseph, Sponsi Beatæ Mariæ Virginis”.

*  PDF Download • Sacré Cœur (1924)
—“Litaniæ Sacratissimi Cordis Jesu”—see note below.

* That file from 1924 actually has two (2) versions of the Litany of the Sacred Heart — click here to have just the first one formatted for easy printing on front/back pages.

*  PDF Download • Sacré Cœur (1957)
—“Litaniæ Sacratissimi Cordis Jesu”.

*  PDF Download • Sacré Cœur, Version B (1902)
—“Litaniæ Sacratissimi Cordis Jesu”.

*  PDF Download • Sacré Cœur, Version C (1902)
—“Litaniæ Sacratissimi Cordis Jesu”.

*  PDF Download • MOST HOLY NAME (1928)
—“Litaniæ Sanctissimi Nominis Jesu”.

*  PDF Download • Blessed Virgin Mary (1891)
—Six different Gregorian Chant versions of the “Litany of Loreto.”

Someone in a foreign country seems to have composed a Litany of the Most Precious Blood and here is the source of that file.

KEYWORD SEARCHES:

“Litaniae In Expositione”
“Litania Preces Et Orationes”
“Cantu Litaniarum Ad Omnes Sanctos”
“Dicuntur Cum Cantu Litaniae Sanctorum”
“Cum Litaniis Sanctorum”
“In Litaniis Majoribus”
“Litaniæ Sanctissimi Nominis Jesu”
“Litaniæ De Sacro Corde Jesu”
“Litaniæ Lauretanæ B. Mariæ Virg.”
“Litaniæ De S. Joseph”
“Index Litaniarum”
“Litanias Ordinarias”


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   It’s kind of like the Latin word “vexilla” which in English means “flag” or “standard”—but Father Fortescue translated it plural as “banners” in his translation of the VEXILLA REGIS.

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

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Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Gregorian Chant Litanies, Litany of Saint Joseph, Litany of the BVM, Litany of the Sacred Heart Last Updated: August 17, 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

    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 • “Music List” (Immaculate Concep.)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 8 December 2025, the feast of OUR LADY’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. In Latin, the title of this feast is: In Conceptione Immaculata Beatae Mariae Virginis. 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
    “Reminder” — Month of December (2025)
    On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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
    Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)
    We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“In my opinion, there should be reached the aim that all priests could continue to use the old Missal.”

— ‘Cardinal Ratzinger, Letter to Wolfgang Waldstein (14 December 1976)’

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  • PDF • “Music List” (Immaculate Concep.)

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