Views from the Choir Loft

Father Friel • Article Archive

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.—(Read full biography).

Fr. David Friel · January 11, 2015

What to Do with Musicam Sacram

Does the 1967 Instruction on Music in the Liturgy have any relevance today?

Fr. David Friel · January 4, 2015

Preparing Funeral Liturgies

Who Should Pick the Readings?

Fr. David Friel · December 26, 2014

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

The Huron Carol of St. Jean de Brébeuf

Fr. David Friel · December 21, 2014

Progressive Solemnity

A Reverse Concept?

Fr. David Friel · December 7, 2014

Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom

Hymn for the World Meeting of Families 2015

Fr. David Friel · November 30, 2014

Three Years Later

Blessings of the New Translation of the Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition

Fr. David Friel · November 23, 2014

What Will ICEL Do Next?

Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth gives details on what ICEL is doing now that the Roman Missal project has been completed.

Fr. David Friel · November 23, 2014

Looking East for Advent

Bishop Conley proposes celebration “ad orientem” for the season of Advent.

Fr. David Friel · November 16, 2014

Colloquium Friends & Chant Workshops

“Adventus Dona” in the Diocese of San Diego

Fr. David Friel · November 12, 2014

Restoring A Sense of the Sacred to the Mass

A Great Article over at One Peter Five

Fr. David Friel · November 9, 2014

Sacred Architecture & the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

When we come to church, there should be no question whether we are in a church or in a coffeehouse or in a multipurpose gym.

Fr. David Friel · November 2, 2014

Wakes in Church & Funerals at the Parlor

A Dramatic Reversal

Fr. David Friel · October 26, 2014

Only the Lover Sings

The South Philly Tradition of the Wedding Serenade

Fr. David Friel · October 19, 2014

Revitalizing Our Missionary Spirit

Celebrating Saint Isaac Jogues & Companions

Fr. David Friel · October 12, 2014

The Society for Catholic Liturgy

Two Contributions from CCW Bloggers

Is the USCCB trolling us?

I realize I’m going to come across as a “Negative Nancy” … but I can’t help myself. This kind of stuff is beyond ridiculous. There are already way too many options in the MISSALE RECENS. Adding more will simply confuse the faithful even more. We seriously need to band together and start creating a “REFORM OF THE REFORM” Missale Romanum so it will be ready when the time comes.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Common” Responsorial Psalm?

I try to avoid arguing about liturgical legislation (even with Catholic priests) because it seems like many folks hold certain views—and nothing will persuade them to believe differently. You can show them 100 church documents, but it matters not. They won’t budge. Sometimes I’m confronted by people who insist that “there’s no such thing” as a COMMON RESPONSORIAL PSALM. When that happens, I show them a copy of the official legislation in Latin. I have occasionally prevailed by means of this method.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Music List” • 5th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 5th Sunday of Easter (18 May 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The Communion Antiphon was ‘restored’ the 1970 Missale Romanum (a.k.a. MISSALE RECENS) from an obscure martyr’s feast. Our choir is on break this Sunday, so the selections are relatively simple in nature.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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

When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962

There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop

—Veronica Brandt

The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum

Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.

—Daniel Tucker