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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

Gregorian Propers at a Nuptial Mass in “Southie”?

Richard J. Clark · January 17, 2014

OUTH BOSTON, KNOWN around here as “Southie” is a section of Boston most familiar to many around the country from the films “Good Will Hunting” and “The Departed.” It is also infamous for the convicted murderer and gangster, James “Whitey” Bulger, who inspired the latter of the two films. Yes. Glorious Gregorian Propers, polyphony, and hymnody at a Nuptial Mass in “Southie.”

South Boston (nowhere near the “South End” where the Cathedral of the Holy Cross is located…Boston geography is complicated…) is a colorful neighborhood, but forget what you know from TV and film. Historically a neighborhood of Irish immigrants, it is a deeply proud and Catholic neighborhood and a world unto itself. Once you go over the bridge into “Southie,” be certain you have entered a different realm.

This unique realm is where the wedding of Nori Elisabeth Pifer and Stephen David Fahrig enters, celebrated at the beautiful and historic Gate of Heaven Church, established in 1863. (Church musicians’ weddings are often extraordinary and unusual. We all might have our own wonderful stories. Please share them in the combox!)

O WHEN A GREAT PROPONENT OF GREGORIAN CHANT marries a Professor of Sacred Scripture at both St. John Seminary and Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, one is treated to a liturgical delight of joy, reverence, and catechesis. Not only was the Word of God sung in the propers, but the level of congregational singing was astounding, evident in the singing of the dialogues, the responsorial psalm and the glorious hymns.

Perhaps a model wedding in the Ordinary Form, it was also a model of catechesis. In the beginning of the wedding program, the couple offered no less than four pages of beautiful and fully accessible commentary on the Nuptial Mass. You can download the entire program (sans copyrighted material) here. Some excerpts:

“As our wedding ceremony begins, some of you might be asking yourselves, “Where are the bridesmaids? Where are the groomsmen? Why are the bride and groom walking down the aisle together instead of meeting at the altar?” Others might be wondering, “What’s with all the rituals? Incense, candles, Latin chant—I’ve never seen any of this at a wedding, and I’ve been to plenty of weddings!

“These are all excellent questions. While it is entirely permissible for Catholic couples to incorporate such traditions as bridesmaids and flower girls into their ceremony, these customs are actually rooted in royal and secular traditions that have little to do with the Catholic nuptial Mass. In fact, the rubrics (ritual instructions) of the present-day Catholic Rite of Marriage call for the nuptial Mass to begin with a procession of altar servers and clergy followed by the bride and groom, who walk down the aisle together…”

Take note that the procession included the hymn “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!” followed by the Introit, Deus Israel during the incensing of the altar. Listen to the recording and you can almost smell the incense!

The couple writes further:

“Because we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, it is deeply fitting that our wedding vows should be celebrated within the context of the Mass…How appropriate it is then, that we begin our married life together by being united with one another and with our Lord in the sacrament of the Eucharist.”

Notable too was the large number of clergy and seminarians present:

”The elaborate ritual gestures – precessions, incense, involvement of many deacons and priests – is not for the sake of pomp or show, but to give glory to God. In a particular way, we hope to glorify God through the beauty of the sacred music that we have selected for our nuptial Mass….”

HE CHANT AND HYMNS were exquisitely directed by composer, tenor, and founder of the Blackstone Valley Catholic Youth Choir, Michael Olbash. The greatly acclaimed virtuoso organist Mark Husey and rising star Ryan Lynch played the hymns with soaring dignity and transcendence. A beautiful Responsorial Psalm by Brian Michael Page was cantored by Sarah Rogevich. The incomparable Emily Lau cantored the the Gregorian Alleluia. Such remarkable voices graced the choir: Amanda White, Camilia Paris, Clare MacNamara, Erin Seaver Blazek, Patricia Almond, Sarah Mitchell, Matthew Stansfield, and longtime CMAA friend, Richard Chonak.

While I had the privilege of conducting two works by Victoria, these singers were so wonderful, I could have waved my arms like a chicken (I most assuredly did at times) and they still would have sounded beautiful.

UESTS AT A WEDDING USUALLY bring gifts for the bride and groom. But I felt as though the couple had given us a gift with such a profoundly prayerful experience. This experience uplifts and fortifies the soul, strength that we can take with us for a long time to come. Mark Husey put it best when he said of his experience, “I was so blessed to be a part of this. Such a rich harvest of grace was gleaned from this extraordinarily spirited celebration…we couldn’t help but be moved to greater love and joy.”

Congratulations, Nori and Stephen! Thank you for the gift!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: congregational singing, Nuptial Mass, Propers, Singing the Mass Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“In particular, today we must remember that our liturgy—celebrated according to the books promulgated by Saints Paul VI and John Paul II—must be preserved from any element from the ancient forms.”

— Bishops of Costa Rica —Hat tip to ‘Catholic Arena’

Recent Posts

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  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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