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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

Mass Facing The People

Veronica Moreno · April 8, 2020

One more regrettable mistake by the Bishop of Boise, Idaho

See for yourself. On the left is the letter from 2020; on the right is a blog from 2016.

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Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2020

Banning “Ad Orientem” • Six Regrettable Mistakes by the Bishop of Boise, Idaho

Nobody’s perfect; we all make mistakes. His Excellency’s letter must be retracted as soon as possible.

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Fr. David Friel · April 8, 2018

The Turns at Benediction

To the Right or to the Left?

Jeff Ostrowski · January 2, 2017

“Table Altar” vs. “High Altar” (Novus Ordo)

It’s incorrect to say new Churches must be constructed with table altars.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 23, 2016

“Ad Orientem” • Why I’m Rejoicing over Sloppy Errors in the Catholic Herald

His assertion that “smoking out enemies” is best done by appointing them to high positions in the Vatican is absurd.

Jeff Ostrowski · July 17, 2016

Showdown in Arkansas over “Ad Orientem”

The Bishop of Little Rock has sent a letter (14 July 2016) forbidding his priests to celebrate Mass “ad orientem.”

Fr. David Friel · January 25, 2015

Bishop Conley & Advent “Ad Orientem”

The results are in.

Fr. David Friel · November 23, 2014

Looking East for Advent

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

Jeff Ostrowski · April 7, 2014

Preconciliar Missal Allowed Mass “Versus Populum”

These same exact rubrics have been found in Missals published in 1962, 1927, 1943, 1906, and 1886.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 27, 2014

“Turn Those Altars Around!” — Cardinal Lercaro, Consilium President (1965)

Could this be the missing link explaining why “versus populum” celebrations took over?

Fr. David Friel · November 4, 2013

Peculiar Altar Decorations

Reimagining the Altar Steps

Jeff Ostrowski · November 2, 2013

Pope Francis Celebrates Mass “Ad Orientem”

Pope Francis celebrating in this manner was a bit of a surprise, since members of his generation aren’t usually accustomed to “turning their backs on the people.”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 27, 2013

More On “Mass Facing The People”

The current rubrics tell the priest when to turn around and face the people, which would be superfluous if he were already facing them.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 27, 2013

Which Way Does Your Priest Face For The Prayer After Communion?

The current Missal was put together with haste, and even the Vatican dicastery had to apologize for all the errors and typos contained in those early 1969 and 1970 directives, as Msgr. Schuler has pointed out.

Jeff Ostrowski · August 22, 2013

Bishop Christensen Attempts To Ban “Ad Orientem”

“There is nothing in the Council text about turning altars toward the people.” — Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music List • (3rd Sunday of Lent)
    Readers have expressed interest in seeing the ORDER OF MUSIC I created for this coming Sunday, which is the 3rd Sunday of Lent (8 March 2026). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. This feast has magnificent propers. Its stern INTROIT (“Óculi mei semper ad Dóminum”) is breathtaking, and the COMMUNION (“Qui bíberit aquam”) with its fauxbourdon verses is wonderful. I encourage all the readers to visit the feasts website, where the Propria Missae may be downloaded completely free of charge.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    Grotesque Pairing • “Passion Chorale”
    One of our rarest releases was undoubtably this PDF scan of the complete Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) by Father Joseph Roff, a student of Healey Willan. One of the scarcest titles in existence, this book was provided to us by Mr. Peter Meggison. Back in 2018, we scanned each page and uploaded it to our website, making it freely available to everyone. Readers are probably sick of hearing me say this, but just because we upload something that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wonderful or worthy of imitation. We upload many publications precisely because they are ‘grotesque’, interesting, or revealing. Whereas the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal had an editorial board that was careful and sensitive vis-à-vis pairing texts with tunes, the Pope Pius XII Hymnal (1959) seems to have been rather reckless in this regard. Please take a look at what they did with the PASSION CHORALE and see whether you agree.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“I vividly remember going to church with him in Bournemouth. He was a devout Roman Catholic and it was soon after the Church had changed the liturgy (from Latin to English). My grandfather obviously didn’t agree with this and made all the responses very loudly in Latin while the rest of the congregation answered in English. I found the whole experience quite excruciating, but my grandfather was oblivious. He simply had to do what he believed to be right.”

— Simon Tolkien (2003)

Recent Posts

  • Consultor to the Vatican Council Enters the Fray • (Vis-à-vis Jeff’s Pipe Organ Assertion)
  • Palm Sunday • “Repertoire for Children’s Choir”
  • PDF Download • Communion (4th Snd. Lent)
  • Most “Congregational” Hymn • (In My Experience)
  • Music is the “Humble Handmaid” of the Mass

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