Views from the Choir Loft

O'Fallon Missouri Mass Propers

Jeff Ostrowski · October 11, 2024

“Unsolved Mysteries” • What Happened To This Institute?

Dom Ermin Vitry, OSB, was in charge of building the pipe organ for the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, IL.

Jeff Ostrowski · September 6, 2024

Communion • (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)

This coming Sunday (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time) we’re singing the Communion antiphon in English as adapted by the SISTERS OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD (O’Fallon, Missouri). Their enormous body of work is usually referred to as The O’Fallon Propers. Click here to download this Communion as a PDF file. (For the record, I couldn’t […]

Jeff Ostrowski · August 5, 2024

“Reader Feedback” • 5 August 2024

Mr. RPD wrote: “I write to you regarding your recent release of 483 pages of Plainsong Propers in English, composed by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in O’Fallon, Missouri. I attended the English School in Helsinki from 1957 to 1969. The teachers were sisters of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, from O’Fallon, […]

Jeff Ostrowski · July 29, 2024

PDF Download • “O’Fallon Mass Propers” (483 Pages)

Including an English version of the “Dies Irae,” an English version of the “Lauda Sion,” and hundreds of pages of English Mass Propers.

“Reminder” — Month of December (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Dr. Mahrt explains the ‘Spoken’ Propers

In 1970, the Church promulgated a new version of the Roman Missal. It goes by various names: Ordinary Form, Novus Ordo, MISSALE RECENS, and so on. If you examine the very first page, you’ll notice that Pope Saint Paul VI explains the meaning of the ‘Spoken Propers’ (which are for Masses without singing). A quote by Dr. William P. Mahrt is also included in that file. The SPOKEN PROPERS—used at Masses without music—are sometimes called The Adalbert Propers, because they were created in 1969 by Father Adalbert Franquesa Garrós, one of Hannibal Bugnini’s closest friends (according to Yves Chiron).

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF • “Music List” (1st Sunday of Advent)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 30 November 2025, which is the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The ENTRANCE CHANT is quite memorable, and the fauxbourdon setting of the COMMUNION is exquisite. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are available at the feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Translations Approved for Liturgical Use”

According to the newsletter for USSCB’s Committee on Divine Worship dated September 1996, there are three (3) translations of the Bible which can be used in the sacred liturgy in the United States. You can read this information with your own eyes. It seems the USCCB and also Rome fully approved the so-called NRSV (“New Revised Standard Version”) on 13 November 1991 and 6 April 1992 but this permission was then withdrawn in 1994.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski