Francis Aidan Cardinal Gasquet

Jeff Ostrowski · February 28, 2016

Catholic Hymns Before Vatican II Will Shock You!

In spite of what you may have read online, hymns in English were often sung during Low Mass.

3 June 2021 • Re: “Mass of the Angels”

In the past, we have provided thirteen organ accompaniments to Mass VIII (a.k.a. “Missa de Angelis”). Some versions of the KYRIALE use the melody from Sanctus VIII for Agnus VIII also. Dr. Peter Wagner’s 1903 edition of the KYRIALE does this, as we mentioned earlier this month. Please sing through Sanctus VIII and then sing O Quam Suavis Est from the feast of Corpus Christi. Do you hear it?

—Jeff Ostrowski

1 June 2021 • Unsure of Author

The editors of this 1667AD Missale Romanum weren’t sure who wrote the VEXILLA REGIS hymn, so they wrote this in the margin. (To be fair, the original text by Bishop Fortunatus was greatly altered under Pope Urban VIII.)

—Jeff Ostrowski

24 May 2021 • FEEDBACK

M.B. wrote to us: “Dear Corpus Christi Watershed: please keep posting beautiful hymns! You have no idea just how helpful it is to me! God bless the work and efforts that you pour into making the liturgy more beautiful for God’s glory!”

—Jeff Ostrowski