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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Sacred Architecture

Fr. David Friel · November 30, 2020

A Whale of a Pulpit

An unusual genre of ambo architecture

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Fr. David Friel · November 18, 2020

On the Dedication of Churches

Celebrating the dedication of St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls

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Jeff Ostrowski · October 12, 2020

Catholic Architecture • “Modern vs. Ancient”

A picture is worth 1,000 words…

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Fr. David Friel · February 23, 2020

Exploring the 5th/6th-Century Mosaics of Ravenna

These magnificent images are not only attractive to behold, but also deeply theological.

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Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2020

Imposing the Classical Style on Public Building Projects?

A rumored executive order would unify the architectural style of future projects and upgrades.

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Fr. David Friel · November 9, 2019

The Gratuity of Beauty

Thoughts on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Fr. David Friel · September 15, 2019

This Is a Cathedral, Not Disneyland

Several English cathedrals hosted peculiar amusements this summer.

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2019

Sacred Architecture and Brexit

A connecting link in the form of Gothic cathedrals

Fr. David Friel · August 28, 2016

On the Spirit of Conservation

A Reflection on the National Parks, Sacred Architecture, and “Laudato Si”

Fr. David Friel · December 13, 2015

Lighting Up Façades

Catholic churches ought not to be treated as houses of entertainment, but as houses of prayer.

Fr. David Friel · July 27, 2015

The Church of Our Savior

And the Case of the Vanishing Icons

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 · March 23, 2014

Secular Architecture

Reneging on the Promise of Public Art

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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

[on Latin] “No change in Mass: people have missals and can read. More vernacular can be useful in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Extreme Unction, Matrimony.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

Recent Posts

  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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