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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

My choir is devoid of this generation (And it’s a healthy sign)

Mark Haas · October 1, 2025

UR PARISH IS BURSTING at the seams with people of all ages. On any given Sunday—or even weekday Masses—you will see a sanctuary filled with people from every stage of life. There is a strong and steady body of retired parishioners, quietly faithful and prayerful. But what is even more striking is the sheer number of young families. Babies chirp, toddlers squirm, and children whisper (or occasionally yell) throughout the Mass. Far from being a distraction, it is music to my ears: a sign that the Church is alive.

This unique vitality is nowhere more visible than in the choir loft. I currently direct a 30-person adult choir that serves our highest-attended Sunday morning Mass. What’s fascinating about this ensemble is its age composition: the vast majority of our singers are either teenagers, college students, or retirees. At first, I found the absence of people in their 30s and 40s rather strange. Where was the middle generation?

Where is the missing generation? • One Sunday, while glancing down from the loft during the homily, the answer became clear. The “missing” generation was not missing at all—they were sitting right there in the pews, wrangling toddlers, calming babies, and guiding young children through the Mass. They weren’t absent from the Mass; they were fully immersed in it, fulfilling a different, deeply sacred role.

This moment helped me recognize something profound: our parish is extraordinarily healthy. It is not a deficiency that moms and dads in their 30s and 40s are not singing in the choir right now—it is a sign of vocation being lived well. These parents are doing the hard, holy work of raising children in the faith.

As Pope St. John Paul II wrote in Familiaris Consortio: “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” When mothers and fathers bring their children to Mass week after week—even when it’s difficult, noisy, and distracting—they are laying the foundation for a holy Church and a holy world. “The family,” John Paul II continued, “is the first and vital cell of society.”

The children belong • Some parishes “shew” away the children with the intention of engaging this middle generation of parents. When I was younger, it was common for the children of choir members to be taken to a nursery during Mass. At the time, it seemed like a practical solution; a way to keep the church quiet and allow the choir to focus. But in hindsight, I see how this practice—however well-intentioned—robbed young children of their rightful place within the Mass. By virtue of their baptism, children are full members of the Church and have a claim to the sacred mysteries being celebrated.

As a parish music director, I will always welcome anyone who wishes to join our choirs—no matter their age or season of life. But I also know that for many parents, the choir loft will have to wait. They are in the trenches, in the pews, holding sippy cups and pacifiers, teaching their children how to make the sign of the cross, whispering prayers into little ears, and modeling reverence.

Their time will come • Their role is no less liturgical than ours in the loft. There may come a time when these parents will have the freedom to return to choral ministry. When they do, the door will always be open. But until then, their sacrificial presence in the pews is a hymn of its own.

To every parent currently juggling sippy cups and hymnals, know this: your presence is more than welcome. It is essential. As you whisper prayers to your little ones, you are forming saints. As you calm a fussy toddler while the Sanctus rings out, you are building the Church. Someday, your hands will be free to hold music again—but for now, you hold something even holier: souls entrusted to you by God.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: September 30, 2025

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About Mark Haas

Mark Haas is a composer and speaker whose music has been sung in over 600 parishes and 10 countries. He serves as the Music Director at Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria, Florida where he lives with his wife and seven children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —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 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

“The revision of the liturgical books must carefully attend to the provision of rubrics also for the people’s parts.”

— The Second Vatican Council (SC §31)

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  • (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
  • PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
  • “Can Choral Music Survive?” • 3 Reasons It Will

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