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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

“Pronouncing the Responses at Mass” • Phonetic Booklet for Altar Boys (Latin Mass)

Jeff Ostrowski · September 8, 2022

ALCYON. The halcyon days of my life were unquestionably when I was an Altar boy serving Mass. Those were the moments I was happiest and (I suspect) holiest. I especially enjoyed the weekday Masses on evenings in the countryside; they were spectacularly peaceful. I served so frequently, I was appointed as M.C. (“Master of Ceremonies”) while still in my teens.1

A Boy’s Gift • When I was a boy, someone gave me a ‘cheat sheet’ for Altar servers with phonetic pronunciation underneath each word. That was one of the most useful gifts I ever received, and it helped me commit to memory the required responses for serving at the Altar. We have attempted to create something resembling what I had back in those days:

*  Softcover • “LOW MASS: Making the Responses” (33 pages)
—Eligible for AMAZON PRIME • For Training Altar Boys • Traditional Latin Mass.

Stumbling Blocks • We have tried to clearly indicate common stumbling blocks, such as the infamous ‘changing endings’ in the CONFITEOR: “beáto Joánni Baptístae” vs. “beátum Joánnem Baptístam.” Etc.

Help Them Along! • This would make a splendid Christmas gift for boys attempting to learn their Mass responses. In today’s world, young boys need all the help they can get. Please consider giving them a helping hand!

1 I was given the unforgettable opportunity to serve as M.C. when the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter—FATHER JOSEF BISIG—visited from Switzlerland. Several years later, I was chosen to serve as M.C. for his successor, FATHER ARNAUD DEVILLERS.

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Altar Boy, Altar Boy Cheat Card, Altar Boy Responses, Altar Boys Extraordinary Form, Altar Server Cheat Card, Altar Serving Guide, Missale Vetustum, Responses For Low Mass, Responses Phonetic Traditional Latin, Serving Low Mass, Training Altar Boys Last Updated: September 16, 2022

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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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President’s Corner

    Music List • (4th Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 4th Sunday of Lent (15 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has sublime propers. It is most often referred to as “Lætare Sunday” owing to its INTROIT. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
    The COMMUNION ANTIPHON for this coming Sunday, which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A), is particularly beautiful. There’s something irresistible about this tone; it’s neither happy nor sad. As always, I encourage readers to visit the flourishing feasts website, where the complete Propria Missae may be downloaded free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Good Friday Flowers
    Good Friday has a series of prayers for various parties: the pope, catechumens, pagans, heretics, schismatics, and so forth. In the old liturgical books, there was no official ‘name’ for these prayers. (This wasn’t unusual as ‘headers’ and ‘titles’ for each section is a rather modern idea.) The Missal simply instructed the priest to go to the Epistle side and begin. In the SHERBORNE MISSAL, each prayer begins with a different—utterly spectacular—flower. This PDF file shows the first few prayers. Has anyone counted the ‘initial’ drop-cap flowers in the SHERBORNE MISSAL? Surely there are more than 1,000.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Stumped by “Episcopalian Hymnal” (1910)
    Some consider Songs of Syon (1910) the greatest Episcopalian hymnal ever printed. As a Roman Catholic, I have no right to weigh in one way or the other. However, this particular page has me stumped. I just know I’ve heard that tune somewhere! If you can help, please email me. I’m talking about the text which begins: “This is the day the Lord hath made; In unbeclouded light array’d.” The book is by George Ratcliffe Woodward, and its complete title is: Songs of Syon: A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Back in 2016, Corpus Christi Watershed scanned and uploaded this insanely rare book. For years our website was the sole place one could download it as a PDF file.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Dies Irae” • A Monstrous Translation
    It isn’t easy to determine what Alice King MacGilton hoped to accomplish with her very popular book—A Study of Latin Hymns (1918)—which continued to be reprinted in new editions for at least 34 years. This PDF file shows her attempt to translate the DIES IRAE “in the fewest words possible.” There’s a place for dynamic equivalency, but this is repugnant. In particular, look what she does to “Quærens me sedísti lassus.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
    For vigil Masses on Saturday (a.k.a. “anticipated” Masses) we use this simpler setting of the “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Monsignor Jules Vyverman (d. 1989), a Belgian priest, organist, composer, and music educator who ultimately succeeded another ‘Jules’ (CANON JULES VAN NUFFEL) as director of the Lemmensinstituut in Belgium. Although I could be wrong, my understanding is that the LEMMENSINSTITUUT eventually merged with “Catholic University of Leuven” (originally founded in 1425). That’s the university Fulton J. Sheen attended.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The following few hints on the selection of voices may be useful: (1) Reject all boys who speak roughly, or sing coarsely; (2) Choose bright, intelligent-looking boys, provided they have a good ear; they will much more readily respond to the choirmaster’s efforts than boys who possess a voice and nothing more; therefore, (3) Reject dull, sulky, or scatter-brained boys, since it is hard to say which of the three has the most demoralizing effect on his more willing companions.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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