A View From The Loft

Professional Organization Memberships - Wherein Your Obedient Servant Rants . . .

2012-02-02T17:44:00.003-05:00

I was recently reviewing my curriculum vitae, as I do every year to include updated information and the like, and realized that under "Organizations and Affiliations" I had listed the American Guild of Organists and the National Pastoral Musicians, after which I included the parenthetic comment "not currently active."

Perhaps I need to either remove them from the list completely, or include an explanation as to why I'm no longer active.

It's simple -

I will not, and in good conscience as a serious-minded Catholic cannot provide financial support to the AGO. You see, national membership dues help fund their legal services department which fights and advocates for, among other things, rights for benefits for unmarried domestic partners and same-sex partners. This is dead contrary to Catholic Moral Teaching (otherwise, issues like the recent HHS announcement giving Catholic institutions one year to comply with provisions regarding contraception and abortion wouldn't mean a thing).

Perhaps this is an unpopular point of view, and there are some who would gladly "pile on" and shout me down for being insensitive. But then again, nobody said that making the RIGHT moral decision was ever going to be easy, or make one popular.

Our Catholic identity at this very minute is being threatened in ways we never even imagined, and just remember. . . the choices we make in this life will determine where we spend the next.

No career or "networking" opportunity is worth losing my soul.

As for membership in the NPM, I haven't been for many years with them, either. The reasons for this aren't as straightforward, but in my opinion (and as should be obvious to anyone who reads this blog on a regular occassion will appreciate) the NPM generally does not share or actively promote my sense of Catholic identity or values in liturgy and music (the several good names that associate with the organization notwithstanding . . . I make no judgment on them regarding their decision to associate with the organization).

Just my tuppence. Now you know.

Nothing Ordinary about Ordinary Time

2012-01-14T15:42:00.004-05:00

I think the term "Ordinary" is an unfortunate label given to these Sundays between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, because it carries with it the implication (completely understood given the use of the term in regular speech) that these Sundays are commonplace. "Ordinary". Actually, it means "ordered" and refers to the numbered Sundays that fall outside the revised structure of the calendar that came out of the Second Vatican Council.

It's unfortunate that as a part of the prevailing attitude to over-simplify things, the importance of these weeks between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday have been lost.

Currently, the Church divides the calendar into Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter and Ordinary Time. Time was however, when the Church Year was seen as having two parts: the Mystery of the Incarnation and the Mystery of the Redemption. Within these two large divisions were smaller divisions: preparation, celebration and prolongation.

In the case of the Christmas Cycle we had Advent (preparation) Christmas and Epiphany (celebration) and the Time After Epiphany (prolongation) which comprised the 6 Sundays before Septuagesima Sunday. (Septuagesima literally means "70", but is not understood to be the 70th Sunday. Rather, it most likely acquired the name based on the name of the last Sunday before Lent, which was called Quinquagesima Sunday. There are 49 days from Quinquagesima, but if you include Easter Sunday, there are 50.)

The part I want to focus on is the "prolongation". Most folk have already taken down their decorations. I'm not surprised, since many of them had started celebrating Christmas sometime around November 28th, thus depriving themselves of the sense of preparation built into Advent. Even in the modern Church, most musicians and liturgists consider the Christmas season to be over by Epiphany, or at the very latest the Feast of the Baptism. Most churches will appear barren as all of the decorations have been pulled down and the "ordinary" (read, commonplace) decorations (plants, etc.) will have been returned to their usual place.

Here's what a wonderful little hand missal I own teaches about the Christmas Cycle:

Advent is composed of four weeks, during which we long with the patriarchs and prophets for the coming of our Lord.

Christmas brings before our eyes the birth of the Word Incarnate, Who is born in us, and His Epiphany, or manifestation to the world.

The time after the Epiphany includes from one to six Sundays, which recall to us the hidden life of Christ at Nazareth, and manifests to us His divinity.

I don't think there's anything particularly "ordinary" about these Sundays that come after Epiphany and I hope that you will share in the ongoing feasting and celebration. Lent and it's time of fasting and preparation will begin soon enough.

Brick by Brick - The Nuptial Mass Experience

2012-01-14T11:23:00.006-05:00

The Nuptial Mass went well, thanks to the unflagging efforts of the volunteer singers and most especially to the mother of the bride, Wendi, who spent a great deal of time and energy not only contacting and assembling the musical forces, but also dedicated herself to learning everything she could about "the mind of the Church" regarding liturgical and musical orthopraxis.

Wendi and I had entered into this with one outward goal in mind - to provide the music for her daughter's Nuptial Mass in full conformity with the desires of Holy Church. With the full cooperation of the Pastor and with the assistance of singers and other assisting laity, we were able to offer the Mass and celebrate the sacrament of marriage in a way that had most likely never been experienced by those in attendance ever before.

The reaction of those who attended has become a pleasant (and I'll admit intended and welcomed) consequence. More to the point, the experience has become the subject of conversation beyond the confines of the family and friends of the couple, or indeed even beyond the parish at large.

I was flattered, humbled and surprised to find that my name and this blog appeared on another blog, together with quotes from my previous entry about this wedding and quotes from Wendi's blog as well. Hat tip to the blog Society of Saint Gregory the Great. (Please go there and help spike the blogger's hits!)

Wendi's reflection (please go there and read her blog, too!) on the experience states in the clearest possible terms precisely why dedicating my time and efforts to events such as her daughter's wedding is so important. Outwardly it may appear that things like this are a "one-off" exceptional event. Not so. Now that people have experienced liturgy and music in this context, they have begun to ask out loud why things can't be done this way all the time.

It can, and it should. The Faithful have a right to the Mass celebrated in the manner desired and mandated by the Church, and those charged with the responsibility of celebrating the Mass and executing the music are obliged to follow the Church's directives.

Hopefully, as Wendi says, our commitment to this effort will bear much fruit!

A Nuptial Mass Experience

2011-12-30T20:59:00.003-05:00

In one week, I will have the honor of assisting as organist/cantor and chantmaster for the Nuptial Mass of a couple, the bride and mother of the bride both of whom have been an important part of my life. This will be a Nuptial Mass unlike any I've ever been a part of, with the possible exception of the one I served for back in October.

Why is this Mass so special and so important?

It's simple. It will involve an orthodox, serious-minded Catholic family, bride, groom and priest, and a Mass that will feature the actual chanted texts called for by the rite, sung in Latin by a group of musicians dedicated and committed to the restoration of chant in the Mass, and for a congregation that will both understand and appreciate what is happening. No "Here Comes the Bride, Fair Fat and Wide" at this wedding, oh no.

Here, for example, is the text the Church appoints for the entrance (Introit) that will be sung for this Mass:

God is in his holy dwelling place; the God who causes us to dwell together, one at heart, in his house; he himself will give power and strength to his people. (Psalm verse:) Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; and let those who hate him flee before his face.

Powerful stuff to begin the Nuptial Mass. The Church isn't interested in Hallmark card-style sentimental twaddle. This is an important moment in the life of a man and woman who have decided to join their lives in a holy, sacramental vocation; a vocation equal in importance to the Church with that of a priest or religious (nun or monk). Invoking God in this way shifts the focus from "the bride's special day" to a true sacramental celebration, which is the property of the Universal Church and nobody else.

I'm indeed looking forward to this Mass, which has been planned for and prepared by all parties concerned with great attention and devotion, and I wish the matrimonial couple all the best for their vocation.

Is Chivalry Dead?

2011-12-30T10:14:00.004-05:00

Some months ago, I became aware of an issue surrounding the Knights of Columbus (of which I was a 1st Degree Knight, until recently; continue reading) that was brought into stronger light by the estimable Michael Voris in a video from his series called "The Vortex". (Click here to see the video in question, along with links to other articles.)

After careful consideration of the facts, upon receipt of my annual dues bill from the Council, I sent the following letter:

I write to inform you of my decision not to renew my membership in the Knights of Columbus. This decision comes after careful and prayerful consideration and was not an easy one to make. However, the stakes in making this decision are quite high, and not to be taken lightly.

At the core of my decision is recognition that while there are many individual Knights and indeed many local Councils that are solid in their adherence to Catholic Teaching and promotion of Catholic ideologies in the public square, it is increasingly apparent that the national organization has little interest in taking strong positions regarding issues of Catholic Teaching. There are instances of this at the level of state and local councils as well.

Last year, I (and others) raised objections to Council ####’s advertising of a euchre tournament called “Tattas are Trump” to benefit the Komen Foundation in the newsletter, expressing great concern not only over the decision to permit the hall to be rented for such an event (given the Komen Foundation’s known ties to Planned Parenthood), but also to the name of the event which was an offense to Catholic moral sensibilities. As I explained in my letter to the now PGK, “tattas” is a slang term for breasts, and strongly associated with secular views that objectify women. For the Council to have its name associated with the event and with the advertisement language was I felt inappropriate and cause for scandal. His response was dismissive and lukewarm. In fact, I never received a written response to my personal letter to him, but rather was informed of his position on the matter via a forwarded email response he sent to another individual.

Please understand that I make no judgment regarding the faith life of any individual Knight of Council ####. Understand too that I recognize that members of Council #### have done much work that is laudable. I must however consider whether I can, as a serious-minded Catholic who strives to live in conformity with Catholic Teaching, continue associating with and providing financial support to an organization that for all appearances has become more a lucrative business that operates under the banner and protection of the Church and less an organization that consistently upholds the Teachings of the Church and encourages and supports its members to do the same.

I respectfully request that my name be removed from the membership rolls, and that the National organization also be notified so that I can be removed from their various mailing lists.

I also request that you forward this letter to the current Grand Knight.

I suppose it should have not come as any surprise or shock that while that letter was sent in early December, I have not received even so much as a phone call or an email in reply. Not surprised, but very disappointed. Apparently my instincts (and Voris') that the Knights in general, and especially those local councils that are under the leadership of supposedly "moderate" or "tolerant" (read, "liberal") Catholics simply fail to understand that the Church is in the fight of her life to regain a strong and unified identity in a culture and society desperately in need of a voice that proclaims without equivocation the core values that will rescue us from complete collapse.

It was a difficult decision, but a necessary one, and by all accounts clearly the right one. I encourage readers of this little blog to carefully consider their associations and affiliations and whether or not they work in cooperation with our ultimate goal of holiness and the welfare of our immortal souls.

Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenie!

2011-12-26T11:10:00.003-05:00

This is the way the Poles greet one another on Christmas, and I extend this greeting to you all! (Loosely, it means 'merry holy nativity', but 'Merry Christmas' will do!)

While the rest of the world is out frantically exchanging gifts for the right color/size/style/shape/make & model (which, by the way, Your Obedient Servant will be doing, sorry to say) and people begin the process of putting away "Christmas" for another year, the Church is just beginning her 40-day celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord. In the malls and on the radio and TV the carols will go silent, the images of the season will vanish. They've served their marketing purpose. In many European countries however, Catholics continue to celebrate Christmas up until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation (also called the Purification or Candlemas). In St. Peter's Square in the Vatican the Nativity scene will remain on display until then. Even in the USA, the Catholic Church will observe Christmas until the Feast of the Baptism of Christ.

So, while it's sadly over for the secular world, we Catholics have only just begun the celebration!

Merry Christmas to all, and very best wishes for a blessed and Happy New Year!

Save the Liturgy, Save the World

2011-12-21T17:04:00.003-05:00

I recently had the privilege of being included in an interview with our Deacon, Richard Bloomfield, and his wife as a part of a religion column regarding the new (corrected) translation of the Mass that was implemented just a few weeks ago on the First Sunday of Advent.

I was particularly pleased that the journalist asked, "why are these new words important?"

Many have asked this question, and I think the answer is very simple.

The world is at war with an ever-increasingly secular relativist society that is anti-Christian and most particularly anti-Catholic. Poking one's thumb in the eye of Catholicism is considered the last safe prejudice, and our Post-modern society with the cooperation of an extremely vitriolic and hateful mainstream media seems to take great pleasure in making every little new controversy in the Church an even greater horror than the last. Witness the "feeding frenzy" over His Excellency Bishop Finn of St. Louis MO, and his handling of a priest found to have child pornography on his laptop computer. Once the issue was introduced into the public forum by the local newspaper, the liberal national media began to swarm like sharks to chum. Or, the controversy over the nun who was excommunicated for permitting an abortion to be performed at a Catholic hospital in Arizona, over which she had decision-making authority, and which was contrary to Catholic Teaching. One would think that she'd been placed into an iron maiden and tortured.

So, here's the reason why these new words are important: 1) They are uniquely and distinctly sacred in their use (not heard in common speech on the street and in the mall) and taken together are more closely bound to the holy mysteries they seek to define; 2) they are more closely tied to the scriptures in their imagery and, 3) they are a more faithful translation of the original Latin, which is to this day the official language of the Church.

A perfect example was heard just this last Sunday. If you were paying attention, and if you were ever taught how to pray the Angelus (which, for those who don't know, is prayed at 6 AM, 12 Noon and again at 6 PM and commemorates the occasion of the Angel Gabriel's announcement of the birth of Christ to Mary; it is often signaled by the ringing of church bells first in three sets of three strokes, followed by a long toll), you would have recognized the opening collect (prayer) of the priest at Mass: "Pour forth, we beseech Thee O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that, we to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought into the glory of His resurrection." Not only is this a direct connection to the devotional prayer of the Angelus, but also ties in with the reading for the day, which was the account of the Annunciation.

An axiom of the Church is lex orandi, lex credendi, which loosely translated says that the way we pray defines how we believe. By extension, the way we believe forms how we live our lives. If we have no sense of the sacred mysteries in our public prayer, most importantly in how we pray the Mass, we will have no sense of unity of belief and will cease being a "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church", and will therefore have no legitimate and unified voice in the public square.

The struggle for our unique Catholic identity is at the heart and soul of the matter. There is now a third generation of Catholics who, thanks to the systematic hollowing out of the Faith by the liberals who have systematically misrepresented the goals and definitions of the Second Vatican Council, have no idea what it means to be Catholic.

If the Church is to survive, we must reclaim our unique identity so that we can regain the legitimacy of our voice in the public square. This must begin with the one activity of the Church that truly defines who we are, that is, the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and by extension how we pray and how we believe. And, in order for our regular participation at Mass to be truly transformative, we must enter more deeply into the spiritual truths reflected in the Mass, and the language we use must also reflect those deep spiritual truths.

Save the Liturgy, Save the World.

Say the Black, Do the Red; Your Obedient Servant Rants from the Loft

2011-12-14T20:57:00.003-05:00

When a priest celebrates the Mass, he is obliged to do as the Church asks. It's rather simple, really. There's a book on the altar (called the Roman Missal) that contains all the words he's supposed to say (without elaboration or embellishment) printed in black, and all the instructions regarding what he's supposed to do (how to hold his hands, when to make the sign of the cross, what vessels and other holy objects he is to use during the Mass, and how to use them) conveniently printed red. Basically, he can celebrate the Mass very easily by "Saying the Black, and Doing the Red".

The Faithful in the pews are obliged to do the same thing. There are certain words they are to say, and certain things they are to do at various points in the Mass. This is a part of what provides them with everything necessary to "fully, actively and consciously" participate, just the way Vatican II intended.

So, would some kind person tell me why, when the rite clearly instructs the people to strike their breast at the words, "Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" or to bow at the words, "And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man", very few if any people actually do it? Especially when, during the "Our Father", I see more and more people recently either holding hands or raising their hands in the same way as the celebrant when the instructions in the rite do not call for it? Why do they then lift their hands (held with others or not) up high at the words, "For thine is the Kingdom . . "? That's not in the rite, either. I've read a lot of documents, I've looked at a lot of different pew resources (hymnals, missalettes). I've seen the stuff about striking the breast and bowing, but nothing about holding hands with the person next to you, or in the same way as the priest does.

In fact, in the new pew cards provided by the Archdiocese of Detroit for the "new" (or "corrected" as I prefer to call it) translation of the Mass provide the instructions to strike the breast and bow in the text in red.

This is a recent phenomenon (the hand-holding and the like during the "Our Father") that is being introduced by folk who are new to our parish, and don't realize that the majority of the people around them aren't doing it.

So, let's keep with saying the black and doing the red, shall we?

Well, NOW what do we do?

2011-12-13T18:25:00.010-05:00

In connection with the implementation of the "corrected" (or revised, if you will) translation of the Roman Missal, which became effective on the First Sunday of Advent, the parish bulletin featured an insert prepared by Your Obedient Servant. It's rather long for a blog post, but I think it's worth posting here for the benefit of those who either don't go to Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, or do but missed the bulletin that Sunday.

For the nearly 2000-year history of the Catholic Church, singing has been the most important vehicle for prayer. Although many styles and genres of music have been introduced to the Mass over the years - some good, some bad - the Church has always emphasized the importance of singing, and pride of place of Gregorian chant as her official musical form, and does so even today.

In December of 1963, the Second Vatican Council promulgated the Sacred Constitution on the Liturgy (Sacrosanctum concilium), which set forth as a goal of the reform the establishment of full, conscious and active participation of the Faithful in all liturgical celebrations. In 1967, the Congregation of Rites promulgated the Instruction Musicam sacram that specified how this goal was to be achieved, based on three progressive “degrees” of participation. The “first degree” included the singing of the dialogues and responses between the priest and people (“The Lord be with you” . . . “And with your spirit”) and some of the “Propers” (those texts which change from day to day) sung by the priest alone, together with some of the “Ordinary” (those texts that remain the same from day to day, such as the Sanctus and the Lord’s Prayer) sung by the people alone. At every Mass where singing was included, these were to be sung, always. The remaining two degrees could not be employed unless the first was fully incorporated. The “second degree” included the rest of the “Ordinary” (Penitential rite, Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, responses to the General Intercessions and the Agnus Dei); the “third degree” were those parts of the Mass belonging to the choir or priest exclusively, including the chants for the processions at the Entrance, Offertory and Communion, along with the “Gradual” (which has been replaced with a responsorial psalm) and the “Alleluia”. If the Mass were fully celebrated in this way, each person or group of people would participate in the manner and the degree appropriate to their role in the liturgy – the priest singing those prayers belonging to him alone, the priest and people singing in dialogue, the people alone singing their parts (the “Ordinary”) and the choir chanting the more elaborate melodies to the texts appointed for the day (the “Propers”).

Although the Council emphasized the importance of the continued use of the Latin language and chant in all liturgies, there was a very quick move to introduce hymns in English, many borrowed from the Protestant tradition, into the Mass at the Entrance, Offertory and Communion, replacing the “Propers” with texts entirely unrelated to those that they replaced, significantly diminishing the importance of the choir and reducing the importance of singing the Mass to singing at Mass. So too, the dialogues between priest and people which were to always be sung as a means of directing the hearts and minds of the Faithful more fully toward the action of the priest at the altar became optional at the discretion of the priest celebrant.

Recall the phrase, “Those who sing well pray twice.” In this case, “well” does not necessarily mean the beautiful, polished tones of an opera singer, or the acrobatic singing of a pop star. Rather, “well” means with the fullness of one’s body and spirit. Singing, unlike speaking, requires attention. It is a physical exercise that also draws one’s mental faculties into fuller action. The Holy Father himself, while not possessing what one would call a “beautiful” voice, nevertheless leads by example, singing all of those parts properly belonging to him in his role as celebrant of the liturgy. If he can do it, so then can we! Remember too, we do not sing alone. The Church teaches that it is “with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven” that we sing of God’s glory.

Along with the carefully executed revision of the Roman Missal, which corrects and enriches the texts of the Mass so that they more closely relate to their Latin original, and more deeply reflect their theological meaning and their relationship to scripture, the Church seeks to reclaim the importance of chanting at Mass (by including more chants in the Missal), reaffirming the pride of place of Gregorian chant and sacred music that is uniquely Catholic, and returning to the singing of the Propers by a choir, thus restoring the balance between those parts sung by priest alone, priest and people, or choir alone.

We are fortunate here at Our Lady of Mount Carmel to have a Pastor who understands the importance of singing the Mass, and for the most part we already do what the Church asks in singing the dialogues, some of the Propers and the Ordinary on a regular basis. It is his hope, and mine, that over the next several years we will continue to grow in our understanding and appreciation of the fullness of the rich musical traditions that are a part of our unique Catholic identity.

Stay tuned . . .

2011-12-13T18:11:00.003-05:00

You can read my latest post below.

And be sure to check back in the next day or two. Your Obedient Servant is on a roll, and you can expect to read at least two more posts in the next few days that will be informative and forceful. One will be on the subject of "saying the black and doing the red"; the other will be discourse on the importance of the new (that is, corrected) translation and the axiom, "Save the Liturgy, Save the World".

Read on . . .

A rose by any other name . . .

2011-12-13T17:36:00.007-05:00

We've turned the corner on Advent, and this year, unlike previous years for some time now, we'll have the luxury of a full fourth week. Our Pastor Fr. Ptak and our transitional deacon from Ss. Cyril & Methodius Seminary both mentioned in their homilies the importance of taking full advantage of this season to prepare our hearts, minds and souls to receive Christ, both in our commemoration of his Nativity, but also in anticipation of his Coming in Glory. Thomas Merton, a Cistercian monk, once said Advent is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ. Say whatever else you will about Merton, he did have moments of profound spiritual insight.

Last Sunday was what is sometimes referred to as Gaudete Sunday or "Rose" Sunday. The third candle in the Advent wreath at church and in your home is rose. If you attend a parish like Our Lady of Mount Carmel that preserves the traditions, you probably saw the priest (and deacon) wearing vestments that were rose (or rosacea) in color. Our Pastor just recently acquired a very beautiful new set of rose vestments from House of Hansen in Chicago. This color breaks the monotony of the purple of the season, marks the halfway point, and reflects the joy we anticipate in the Nativity of Our Lord during Advent and his Resurrection at Easter.

But why, you ask, the odd names? Well, here's a little something you can impress your friends with at the next cocktail party. These various Sundays with the odd names (Gaudete Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday in Lent) mark the midway point in these two important penitential and preparatory seasons of the liturgical year. And, their names aren't just randomly assigned. They come from the first word of the Introit chant or Entrance antiphon of the day. Advent III's chant begins, Gaudete in Domino semper (Rejoice in the Lord always); Lent IV's chant begins, Laetare Ierusalem (Rejoice, O Jerusalem). It is sad that in many parishes these texts (called Propers) are left unsung or even unspoken, and have been replaced with hymns or songs that do not share the same text or even the same poetic imagery. But that's for another post.

Now, being able to tell people where these names come from is impressive enough, but if you really want to score points with your friends and coworkers, you can tell them that the Second Sunday of Easter is called Quasi modo Sunday (as in the gentle-hearted but horribly disfigured bell-ringing servant of Notre Dame), because the first words of the Introit chant are Quasi modo geniti infantes, Alleluia . . . As newborn babes, Alleluia. But that must wait for a few more months.

In the meantime, consider availing yourself of the sacrament of confession, and may the rest of your Advent be blessed, as we await the birth of Our Lord and his Coming in Glory.

Doing What the Church Asks Us to Do

2011-10-27T17:39:00.005-04:00

I received an email informing me that there will be a funeral at the parish on Friday at 10 AM, with the usual request for confirmation of my availability to play for it. I never receive any details with these communications- who died, how old they were, were they Polish, Polish American or American- so I go into these Masses blind, unless I have a chance to talk to the Pastor or a staff person who may have additional information.

Today I found out more about the funeral for tomorrow, and it's tragic. Out of charity I'll refrain from giving too much detail that would identify the deceased, other than the person who died was far too young, the way he died was brutal, and the grief of the parents will be raw. I suspect the requests for music will include songs that comfort the grieving, regardless their appropriateness for use in the Mass. Needless to say I find myself once again asking questions about how the Church goes about preparing families for the obsequies. In the instant case, what would be most merciful and appropriate would be for the music to be exactly what the rites call for: the Proper texts of the Mass, chanted a cappella. As it is, I'm not sure what I'll face, but I'm quite certain that the grieving family will be completely ill-equipped to make appropriate decisions regarding the music, and no matter what they, or I, choose, it will fall short of what the Church asks us to do: pray for the welfare of the soul of the person who died.

I invite you to compare a typical song selected for a funeral (Amazing Grace, Be Not Afraid, On Eagle's Wings) with the texts appointed for the Requiem Mass, and ask yourself whether or not the former texts truly do what the Church asks us to do.

On the other side of the coin, I have two weddings (nuptial Masses) coming up on my calendar, and in both cases the couple have asked for the inclusion of chanted Propers and the singing of the Ordinary in Latin! They're not interested in making the music "beautiful" or "meaningful" by human standards. Rather, they are interested in celebrating the rites of the Church exactly the way the Church envisioned. Nonetheless, the music will be beautiful for both, precisely because it will be of the type and quality the Church has always insisted be used when celebrating the Sacraments of the Church- chant, sacred polyphony and instrumental music that draws the hearts and minds of the faithful closer to God through truly artful music, beautiful in its construction and execution.

I'm made to ask once again: if we are to claim the label "Catholic", why not do what the Church asks us, and in the way the Church asks us to do it?

Brick By Brick

2011-10-17T10:03:00.005-04:00

Good things are afoot in Wyandotte.

First of all, I was pleased to be informed that OLMC will resume offering the Extraordinary Form (Missa cantata) on the third Saturday of each month at 8 AM. Last spring we were informed that one of the two priests who came to our parish in turns (both from the same parish as associates, both trained in the High Mass!) was being assigned his first pastorate, and therefore would no longer be available to offer the Mass. Meanwhile, the other priest was to remain as associate at his parish, and would not have a brother priest associate with whom he could take our EF Mass in turns. It was a terrific loss, since attendance was gradually rising to nearly 70 on some Saturdays!

But, a few weeks ago I received a telephone call from our deacon, informing me that another priest trained in the EF had agreed to come every month. He too is trained in the High Mass (which, for those who may not be familiar, requires the priest to be able to chant certain prayers as well as the readings).

As an aside, I would remark once again that when I play the EF on Saturday mornings and then the OF at 5 PM for the regular weekend parish Mass, I find the deficiencies of the OF to be glaring and the herky-jerky quality of the "four hymn sandwich" paradigm to be unsettling. One can only hope that the Holy Father's desire for a mutual enrichment of both forms will begin to take shape and the OF will become still more reverent.

Which brings me to my second bit of news, and that is the progress we (Fr. Ptak and I) are making toward implementing not only the corrected translation of the Roman Missal beginning on the First Sunday of Advent but also moving closer to the Church's model for fuller participation of the Faithful at Mass through the inclusion of more of the dialogues between priest and people according to the chants provided in the new Missal. We currently do much more of the "first degree" of participation (as defined by the Instruction Musicam sacram of 1967 and alluded to in Sing to the Lord) than other parishes, and with a little effort, we will be able to move through the "second degree" and implement the "third degree", that is, the priest and people singing the dialogues, the people singing the Ordinary and a schola cantorum chanting the Propers (in English or Latin, depending on several factors), perhaps as early as Advent 2012!

Meanwhile, please pray for His Excellency Bp. Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph MO, as he bravely faces the wolves of the liberal secular media and those who seek to discount and destroy the Catholic Church. The notoriously liberal "priest" Thomas Reese, SJ never hesitates to weigh in when those who promote orthodoxy are being surrounded, making every little detail as lurid as possible.

Of your charity, please pray for him and for all leaders of the Church who face persecution.

2011-06-19T10:21:00.007-04:00

I admit, I like Fr. John Corapi. Or is it now just John Corapi? It seems that's the case, with the release of his "Black Sheepdog" announcement on Youtube. Either way, I have always had a healthy respect for his approach in presenting the unvarnished teachings of the Faith, forcefully and directly. It was in large part due to his presentations on the importance of regular confession, and his tips on how to make a good one and continue to grow in one's faith that I receive the sacrament more regularly. I was shocked and saddened, but not surprised, to hear that someone close to him decided to level scandalous accusations of misbehavior on him, and even more shocked (but not in the least bit surprised) that the rails were greased for his departure by those who should have been, to use a favorite adjective of the lefty-liberal cafeteria-type Catholics, more "pastoral". It all still sounds suspcious, and familiar.

Believe you me, I fully understand righteous anger and indignation against those in authority in the Church, when those with that authority lord it over us. It is more disturbing when heavy-handed treatment comes from those who have vowed to care for the welfare of immortal souls (priests, bishops). We all have stories; we have all dealt with anger and the desire for revenge or retaliation in one way or another against those who bring unexpected and undeserved misery down on us. It's a tragic effect of the Fall. I have my own stories, and so that's why I say I'm not surprised at what has happened to Corapi. In fact, it makes me realize that we're all in this fight together. Corapi is no different from me or any other person (lay or ordained) when it comes to being a target of Ol' Scratch.

It's particularly distressing when the Church begins eating its own, especially when this kind of cannibalism is all-too often driven by a fear established and defined by those who at their heart do not truly seek truth and justice in these matters, but rather seek to marginalize and eventually destroy the Church. The anger and fear does more harm than the problem itself, and the disciplines developed to correct the original "problem" become themselves the focus of attention. At some point the "witch hunt" becomes the end in itself, and groups like SNAP become the new "Holy Office", employing torture devices that make the rack, iron maiden and bastinado (a favored torture involving the battering of the soles of the feet with rods) seem like harmless playground fun. Smears, innuendo, slander, gossip, "leaks" from "reliable" (and always annonymous, protected) sources and libel are the new tools of "torture" that leave even worse injuries and scars and bring about not physical death, but spiritual death. Now simply because a few (by percentage compared to other fields such as public education) were guilty of what they were charged, and others in authority were complicitous, everyone is suspicious and fair game for public destruction. Even those with the most heroic virtue have their snapping point, and the forces of Evil work very hard to seek it out in those who are the strongest. When they reach that snapping point, the soul falls into peril, and the Devil moves on to his next conquest.

Those who keep their head down, engage in false humility and play the "go along to get along" game as a display of what they believe is Charity aren't interesting targets for the Evil One, because they're already hard at work, dulling the sharp sword of true virtue and bold proclamation of the Truth.

Saint Michael the Archangel,defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -by the Divine Power of God -cast into hell,

Satan and all the evil spirits,who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

The Death of Culture

2011-06-18T19:09:00.005-04:00

It's not uncommon these days to hear serious-minded Catholics speaking fully and clearly about the "Culture of Death." The poster child for the "Culture of Death", Jack Kevorkian, was called to his reward in a dignified manner and in a hospital bed where he benefited from palliative care, unlike his many victims who were hooked up to his "Mercitron", pumped full of chemicals and left for dead in vans and dumpsters.

But for now I want to engage in a play on words, and talk about something that serious-minded Catholics involved in sacred music, or indeed those who have a vested interest in the restoration of beauty, truth and goodness to the aesthetic of the Church, will find interesting . . . the Death of Culture.

Today for my postlude, I played a piece by Gerald Near based on a Gregorian hymn tune from York entitled Ave, colenda Trinitas, found in his collection, St. Augustine's Organbook. It is a fantasy-like free form piece with quotes and snippets of the melody buried in dense chords and fantasy-like scales throughout. It is a piece that is complex and at times phantasmagorical. It's also about 7 minutes long. In typical Catholic fashion, the lights in the church were being turned off while I was playing, and only two or three people remained in the church to listen. During the first few bars, indeed during the last verse of the closing hymn, most folk had already begun making their way to the doors, stopping to chat (shout, actually, since the organ was at full registration) with the celebrant (not our Pastor, let me be clear) or with friends.

After I finished the piece, and those who were in the loft to listen made their remarks of thanks, I locked up and made my way to the parking lot, where I was approached by a woman who asked, "Why do you sometimes play music at the end of the Mass that's so 'scary'?" She added that my postlude last weekend (the final variation of the "Choral varie" on the tune Veni creator by Durufle) was also too wild for her tastes.

I decided to seize upon this as a "teachable moment". I said two things. I told her that the Durufle piece was intended to evoke the wind of the Spirit at Pentecost. This may or may not be true, but it certainly seems to be the case. But the second part of my little speech goes to the heart of the problem.

I told her that we're surrounded on a regular basis with "music" that's designed to tickle the ear . . . it soothes and envelopes us in a kind of fluffy cloud of nothingness that we simply hear or don't, that devolves into a background "hum" that's familiar and comfortable. We hear it in grocery stores, shopping malls, doctor's offices, restaurants and even piped outdoors through speakers along the sidewalks of shopping districts. We play music in the background at home, in our car, at our place of business, and in elevators. Music no longer challenges us. We no longer listen to it actively. It's ironic that "full, conscious and active participation at Mass" was established as the gold standard for the reform, and yet active listening never seems to have found a place at the table.

This is why people see no problem with turning off the lights in the church even while the postlude is still being played. If most of the people are gone, the utilitarian purpose of the music is no longer being met. If they had a way to do it, I'm sure the organ would be shut off at the same time, just like one turns off the stereo in the car or at home when its purpose is served.

And this is the problem with music in the Catholic Church, or at least as it's experienced in most American parishes. It's utilitarian. It's designed to tickle the ears of the listeners. It's consumed rather than experienced as a functional and integral part of the liturgical life of the Church. People want music that entertains (so that we can attract and keep young people, usually), but does not challenge our imagination or intellect. This is even true of the dumbed-down ditties sung to the dull thrum of guitars that most call "contemporary Catholic music". The idea that music is part and parcel of the realm of mystery, beauty, awe, fear and reverence is lost on most people in the pews, precisely because music isn't used in this way anywhere else in our culture.

Even for funerals, when I play a meditative prelude setting of the Introit chant melody Requiem in aeternam, it's not uncommon for the people entering the church (and even the funeral directors) to shout over the organ as they find their place in the pews.

The employment of solo organ music before, during and after the Mass is an honored and valued part of our received traditions, is codified in the various documents, and is an important element in shaping the spiritual attitudes of the Faithful as they participate fully in the offering of the Mass. Our culture in this area is dead, but can experience a resurrection if only people would understand that as with other elements of the Mass (the hymns, the readings and prayers, even the liturgical colors, use of candles and the various vestments), there is a challenge to our understanding of the mystery we enter into.

If your parish is blessed with a good organist who strives to add to the beauty, awe, reverence and mystery of the Mass with solo pieces that you may find challenging, take the time to sit and listen to the music being offered. If you don't understand what you're hearing, or why the piece was selected or is important or relevant, do not hesitate to approach the organist and ask. We organists have dedicated our lives to learning and sharing this music with others, often at personal, financial and professional sacrifice. As for me, I consider it a part of my responsibility as a teacher of the Faith through music to educate and enliven people in their Faith.

Let's see if we can't resuscitate our Culture before it dies without dignity.

Paschal Mystery Marked by Crime

2011-04-25T08:58:00.003-04:00

It is with deep regret that my first major post after a hiatus is the news that Our Lady of Mount Carmel was victim to the crime of theft when someone made off with the night drop bag containing the collection (in the amount of many thousands of dollars in cash and checks) immediately following the "Rezurekcja" Mass, one of the most important celebrations of the Church, and for OLMC one steeped in Polish traditions.

You can read more about the story here. They incorrectly report that the theft took place after the 7:30 PM Mass, a typo I'm sure. It was after the 7:30 AM Mass.

It is easy to be angry about this, but what is sad is that someone would be either desperate or depraved enough to commit such a crime. We do know that the man who did this must have been very familiar with the way things are done, and with the labyrinthine layout of the sacristies behind the sanctuary and altars.

I ask your prayers for the welfare of the thief's soul, which is of course now in very grave danger, and also for the prayers of our Pastor and parishioners as we struggle with the impact of this horrible and senseless crime.

2011-04-17T19:37:00.002-04:00

*Sounds of crickets chirping in the distance . . . *

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last several months. I hope to remedy the problem after Easter. In the meantime, I wish everyone a very blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Report on the February 19 Presentation

2011-02-27T14:26:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to report that my presentation on "Full, Active and Conscious Participation & the Music of the Mass" went well, and was well-received. There were approximately 20 in attendance, which for this kind of presentation at our parish, given on a Saturday morning, is excellent. It also helped that the monthly Missa Cantata preceded it. All of the attendees were sympathetic to the cause of the "reform of the reform" and the restoration of chant and polyphony to the liturgy, so in some ways I was "preaching to the choir." They did have many good questions and the discussions were lively and intelligent. There was one attendee who spent about 10 minutes attempting to explain how an inner-city parish in nearby Detroit uses "liturgical dance" and why she didn't see that as an abuse. Despite careful (and charitable) explanations from myself and others in the audience (and as providence would have it, although I had not intended to discuss the issue, a quote from Ratzinger's The Spirit of the Liturgy just happened to be at my fingertips), she wouldn't let it go, and so I simply said that we had to move on.

The handout for the presentation included an outline (shown below), as well as a chronological listing of documents on music and liturgy from the Holy See, the USCCB and the Holy Fathers, going back to 1903 (Tra le sollicitudini), two charts based on paragraphs 28-31 of Musicam sacram illustrating what was intended for increasing participation through the systematic introduction of more chant beginning with the dialogues and ending with the Propers as well as an illustration of what typically happens in a parish (Propers replaced with hymns, dialogues only sung to make the particular liturgy "more special" or solemn), and four jam-packed pages of links to all of the documents online as well as other articles and websites (including this very good one.)

You'll notice that the presentation culminated in a discussion of the funeral Mass as an example of how the replacement of Propers with Hymns actually thwarts the Church's intention of increasing participation by employing hymns and songs that are at odds with the intended texts and prayers of the liturgy, and making the Mass about what the people want ("songs that bring comfort") rather than what the Church wants (the prayer in Charity for the repose of the soul of the one who died, and to ease their passing through Purgatory into Heaven). I used a comparison of the Proper entrance antiphon ("Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord") with the text of "Amazing Grace" to illustrate how the participation of the faithful becomes a focus on them and how they feel, rather than on the true prayer of the Church. After the presentation, several elderly folk told me that they want to ensure that their funeral is a proper Requiem, sung according to the NO with the chanted Propers, and not "On Eagle's Wings". I told them that they needed to put their desires in writing in some kind of legally binding document, such as their Will, to ensure that grieving family members who may or may not be churched or would be inclined to select contemporary songs or Protestant hymnody for their funeral will not be able to make such choices.

Here is the outline of the presentation:

Introductory Remarks

[Included two excerpts from section 14 of Sacrosanctum Concilium printed here]

Actuosa participatio Throughout the Documents

- What does the Church teach and how does the Church describe it?
- Interior versus Exterior participation
- Not just moving around and making noise

Sacred Music: How the Church Describes It

- Holiness, purity of form
- Chant and polyphony (Renaissance) as the model
- New compositions as “true art”

Progressive Participation versus Progressive Solemnity

[explanation of the two charts derived from Musicam sacram]

The Propers versus Hymns

- What are the Propers and Hymns?
- Preferences in the IGMR

Questions and Discussion

(Break)

Understanding What This All Means for the Future of the Mass

- The “corrected” translation of the Missal, Advent 2011
- More chant, more participation
- Turning toward God together

How Does This All Work? The Paradigm of the Funeral Mass

- The purpose of the Funeral Mass and the Teachings of the Church
- The principles of full, active and conscious participation applied to the Mass

The presentation lasted a little over 2 hours, but would have benefited from a three-hour time frame. It is almost a mini-seminar.

Clarification and Apology

2011-02-06T15:37:00.001-05:00

I owe an apology to my friends and colleagues as well as the Academic Dean of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary. I misread the documents of my appointment, and the proper title of my appointment is Adjunct Instructor of Sacred Music.

I had previously announced my appointment as that of Adjunct Professor. I apologize for the misstatement, and did not intend to mislead anyone regarding the nature of my appointment.

An Invitation

2011-01-10T09:24:00.002-05:00

Full, Active and Conscious Participation

The Music of the Mass

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church

Rev. Fr. Walter Ptak, Pastor
Superior Blvd at 10^th Street
Wyandotte, MI 48192

Saturday, February 19, 2011

10 AM o’clock until 12 Noon o’clock

Presented by Dr. David E. Saunders

Music Director/Principal Organist,
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

Instructor of Sacred Music,
Ss. Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake MI

Join Dr. Saunders, a serious-minded Catholic and a sacred musician committed to the “Reform of the Reform” and the reclamation of the unique identity of the Catholic Church, in a discussion of a key principle in the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, how it has impacted the musical and liturgical life of the Church, and what the future holds for the music of the Mass.

A "Brick by Brick" Confirmation

2010-12-27T08:17:00.004-05:00

Fr. Z (Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, the ubiquitous and estimable author of the weekly column in The Wanderer, What Does the Prayer Really Say? and moderator of his blog of the same name) uses the expression "brick by brick" to describe just how slowly and deliberately the shifts in attitudes and actions must be implemented in order to truly reform the liturgy and music of the Church and return chant and sacred polyphony as well as a true care and reverence in the ars celebrandi of the priest back into the Mass. Just as any edifice that will remain sturdy and yet also beautiful and last for a long time must be built with care, one brick or stone at a time, so too must these changes be implemented slowly, brick by brick, in order for them to remain stable and withstand the test of time.

Over the last 5 years I have become an advocate for what is called the "reform of the reform", a movement designed to aid in the restoration of chant and polyphony to the average parish Mass experience, or at least work to educate the parish community about what the Church truly desires of us when we celebrate the Mass, especially with respect to the music. Of course the place to start is with the parish choirs, and I have always sought to not just prepare music from week to week, but to educate and enlighten the members as to what I'm trying to accomplish and why.

Some readers of this blog may be aware of the unpleasant circumstances surrounding my abrupt departure from my previous parish in Minnesota, and the many struggles I faced on a near-daily basis as members of the staff, members of the music program and congregation would regularly agitate against the musical and liturgical philosophies I was working to advance.

It's been nearly two full years since I left there. You can imagine my surprise when I recently received an email from one of the members of the choir (who quite happily and ably sang in both the parish choir and the contemporary ensemble), letting me know how much he appreciated what I taught him about chant and polyphony while he sang in the choir, and that he had changed parishes, and is now attending Mass at one of the Twin Cities best "reform of the reform" parishes, singing in their choir. He attributed his growing appreciation for Latin texts, chant and sacred polyphony to what he had learned while singing in the choir under my direction at his former parish.

The gentleman in question is also a recent "lurker" to this blog, and I hope that he doesn't mind that I've shared this story. It truly was a confirmation to me that the work I do can bear fruit. We can never know how we influence the choices that people make, and at times (especially in this line of work) sacred musicians can feel as though their work is bearing no fruit at all, or worse, having the opposite effect.

Higher up and further in! Brick by brick!

Confession is good for the soul . . .

2010-12-20T17:25:00.008-05:00

I know that this is an old saw, often quoted, but actually it's rarely heeded.

As a convert, I wasn't very well prepared (or catechized) for proper participation in the exercise of the sacrament of confession (penance, reconciliation, whatever you want to call it), so permit me (as a convert from Calvinist Presbyterianism and then Episcopalianism) to share my perspective on this important sacrament of the Church.

Some folk wrongly view the participation in auricular confession with a priest as an invasion of privacy. Somehow, they think that it's unnecessary to confess, out loud to a priest (a stranger) either face to face or from behind a screen, one's sins and wickedness. "Why do I need another person to stand between me and God?" they ask. I'm not going to try to justify auricular confession and absolution to those whose point of reference may be jaded in this way.

Rather, permit me to share my perspective with those who are Catholic, who know that confession is one of the sacraments, but who nevertheless are afraid of it.

I love this sacrament. Why? Because it keeps me honest. If I'm able to quietly examine my conscience and recognize where I've fallen short, gone wrong or most importantly, offended God who is all good and deserving of all my love, then I know that God loves me in return, and wants me to draw closer to Him.

Priests don't sit in judgment. Quite the contrary; it's been my experience that most priests, being human and possessing of human frailties just as I do, are very understanding. They know that we want to live in conformity with Catholic Teachings. They understand what it's like to stand outside the grace of God, to be in a broken relationship with Him, to be unable to receive communion (to share in the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ), to live in darkness. They strive for grace and light and peace just as much as we do. Thankfully, they are uniquely consecrated, despite their own sinfulness, to aid us in restoring our broken relationship with God. Nothing gives me a greater sense of peace and joy than knowing that I have been graced to recognize and put a name to my guilt and have been blessed and assured through the Church that my sins are forgiven by someone who daily stands at the altar and, in unity with the Church Triumphant, Expectant and Militant, and in the name of Christ makes available to us the same graces and promises shared by the apostles at the Last Supper.

And this is ultimately the goal and what is most important. To receive communion during Mass while outside a state of grace is a deadly sin. The eternal welfare of the immortal souls of those who persistently receive communion apart from having made a good confession and received absolution are at stake, and eternal deadly punishment is assured.

At this time of year, as the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, approaches, many parish churches offer extra opportunities to examine one's conscience, make a good confession and receive absolution before receiving Christ in the Blessed Sacrament at Christmas. It is my hope that priests will courageously encourage everyone to participate in the sacrament before receiving communion, and let people know what is at stake.

So, why not enter the joy of the season in the way the Church asks of us? Take time out of the shopping, baking, planning and running around to find a church that offers confession, where the priests are solid and faithful to the Holy Father and the Teachings of the Church, and make a good confession and be fully prepared to welcome Christ into the world and your heart?

If you're a PETA supporter . . .

2010-12-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

Think about it. Very carefully. This is the way your donation money is spent.

Sunday's View from the Loft

2010-12-05T15:29:00.002-05:00

Today at the Polish language Mass, I chanted the responsorial psalm for the first time. The people in the choir were particularly gracious in their praise, and Fr. Flis, the priest who celebrates that Mass for the parish, also praised me at the end of Mass, said that today's music was the best he'd heard there, and encouraged others to participate in the choir. I am most appreciative of his support.

It is especially nice to receive his support, as he is affiliated with both the Polish-American Liturgical Center at Orchard Lake, and the Seminary of Ss. Cyril and Methodius as an adjunct faculty member.

Several months ago, Dr. Steven Ball was asked to assume the position of Professor of Organ and Sacred Music as well as Seminary organist, following the untimely and tragic death of Mr. Andrew Clark, who had served as Seminary organist for a number of years. Shortly after Dr. Ball's appointment, he began discussions with the Academic Dean exploring the possibility of expanding the sacred music course offerings at the Seminary, and my name was suggested as a possible candidate for a position teaching Western liturgical music history as well a course on the documents of the Church governing music in the liturgy and a practicum on the application of these norms in a typical parish.

So, it is with honor as well as not just a little bit of nervous excitement, that I'm able to announce that I have been taken on as a Professor of Sacred Music on the faculty of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan. I look forward to instructing young men called to the priesthood as well as men and women in lay ministry, aiding them in their development and understanding of sacred music and its role in the liturgy and culture of the Catholic Church.

Happy Feast of St. Cecilia!

2010-11-22T10:13:00.003-05:00

The "St. Cecilia" Window in the Choir Loft

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
Wyandotte, MI

(This window is currently hidden by an organ case. It is hoped that when the West Gallery and Choir Loft of the church are restored, this window and another, also hidden by an organ case,
will be reopened and restored to their former glory.)

St. Cecilia is the Patroness of artists and musicians. Herbert Howells composed a short anthem entitled, "Hymn to St. Cecilia" in 1960. Enjoy!

The Four Last Things: Our Ultimate Choices

2010-11-19T13:52:00.004-05:00

November is traditionally the time when Catholics pray more fervently for the repose of the souls of their beloved deceased. The Church teaches that while Heaven is the hoped-for final destiny on our spiritual journey (the Church Triumphant), even those who die in a state of grace aren't assured an immediate entrance into the greater beatific vision. Throughout our lives we commit sins for which we make our confessions and receive sacramental absolution (I hope!), but there are still temporal punishments we must endure despite the absolution of our sins. This is the purpose of Purgatory. It is the place where holy souls (the Church Expectant) are purified or purged of the remaining vestiges of sin and its temporal punishments that prevent us from entry into Heaven. While in Purgatory we cannot pray for our own souls, but we who are still alive in this world (the Church Militant) have an obligation to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory.

The Rites of Christian Burial are an important part of the liturgical life of the Church. Everything we do in this life is summed up in the vigil, funeral, committal and burial rites. Because this is so, I make the following appeals:

If you are a member of the clergy, please do not ignore the importance of teaching and reminding the Faithful, whose immortal souls are committed to your care, that what we do in this life will be judged in the next. Teaching the tenets of the Faith, the Ten Commandments, the Six Precepts, the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, the Beatitudes, the Seven Deadly Sins and the Contrary Virtues, Sins against the Holy Ghost and those Crying to Heaven for Vengeance and exhorting them to regularly receive the sacraments of confession and eucharist is the most important, and most loving thing you can do. We're now into a third generation of Catholics who do not know, understand or appreciate these Teachings, and they don't understand that their immortal soul is at stake. If ever you shied away from preaching on these matters, now is the time to screw up your courage and do so. Time is running out. Speak directly to them about the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Their immortal souls (and yours!) are at stake!

When it comes to funerals, let the Faithful who remain behind know how important it is to pray for the soul of the one who died. It is a huge disservice to preach a homily during the funeral rites that does little more than catalogue the good deeds of the deceased, or how warm and loving they were, or worse, suggest that the deceased is now in heaven. How many spontaneous canonizations have we heard during funeral Masses? The Church forbids eulogies during funeral Masses, and for a good reason. Often, eulogies will espouse notions, ideas and feelings that run contrary to Catholic Teaching, or turn the obsequies into a celebration of the life of the deceased. The funeral Mass is for the purpose of praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased, not a celebration of their life.

Ultimately, even those who remain have ultimate choices to make about where they will end up in the life to come: Heaven or Hell. The clergy have an obligation to help lead the Faithful to Heaven.

"Keeping Advent"

2010-11-17T18:32:00.007-05:00

This may seem a bit premature, but we are better than half-way through November! The Feast of Christ the King is already this Sunday, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving is already the First Sunday of Advent!

Two years ago, I decided to make a serious attempt, prompted by a thread over at WDTPRS, to "keep" Advent as a penitential and preparatory season in anticipation of Christmas. Unfortunately, due to health problems, it got off to a good start but I was unable to complete the discipline as I'd intended. Last year I was unsuccessful owing to a prolonged recovery from sinus surgery and I was living with my parents. Beyond a simple Advent wreath and keeping with prayers and devotions to the best of my abilities, again I was unable to "keep" Advent.

This year, I'm in my own apartment, in good health (Thanks be to God) and have all of the necessary elements ready to enter into this spiritual exercise.

Here's how it works.

I have Advent candles (three purple, one rose). I won't use real greens, as alas I'm an apartment dweller and I don't want to risk the fire hazard. I may get some fresh greens to put around it for Sunday IV.

My tree will go up with white lights, but instead of Christmas ornaments, the tree will be decorated with purple ornaments and some rose-colored ones, with just a few (3) gold ones hidden throughout as a symbol of the anticipation. The tree will be topped with a large purple bow. I will also have a swag of greens with white lanterns and a big purple bow hanging over the chest that will be the location of the Nativity set.

I'll be abstaining from listening to Christmas music at home, limiting myself to the few recordings of Advent music I own (a recording of the Advent Procession from St. James' Episcopal Cathedral, Toronto, and J. Michael Thompson and his Schola Cantorum of St. Peter the Apostle singing Advent Lessons and Carols, called, "Redeemer of the Nations, Come").

On Gaudete Sunday I'll make my Christmas cookies and write and post my Christmas cards.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, the purple and rose ornaments will come down and the Christmas decorations will go up on the tree, over the door and elsewhere in the apartment.

There are some who have a tradition of putting up the various elements of the Nativity in stages: the stable goes up on Advent I; the animals go in on Advent II; the shepherds on Advent III; the Angel on Advent IV; Mary and Joseph on Christmas Eve morning, and the bambino on Christmas Eve when I get home from Midnight Mass.

Here are some pictures of what things looked like the first time around. I'll post this year's pictures as things proceed.

So, what is everyone else doing?

Of your charity, please pray.

2010-11-17T18:18:00.004-05:00

Our Pastor, Fr. Walter Ptak, suffered a heart attack a week ago Sunday. Thanks to the quick response of his personal physician, he was taken to hospital and had a stent implanted in the offending artery with two more implanted last Monday. By all reports he's doing well, but is on restricted activities for the next several weeks.

At Father's request, his physician spoke to the congregations at all Masses last Sunday and reported on his condition. A full battery of tests revealed that his heart sustained no damage, and all other vital signs remain very good.

Please keep him in his prayers as he recovers.

Works of Mercy

2010-10-21T12:41:00.003-04:00

I was feeling kind of rotten last night . . . pounding sinuses and a cough . . . and was making my way through a stack of The Wanderer back issues.

Suddenly it dawned on me. I received numerous renewal notices last Summer, the last one colored red, but never renewed my subscription. Although I knew that the original subscription was a gift from a parishioner at All Saints, Lakeville (my former parish), I had absolutely no expectation that they'd renew it a second time.

I'm grateful for their generosity. For them, I'm sure it was a work of charity.

We both win.

It's been too long!

2010-10-20T18:28:00.004-04:00

It's been such a busy summer! I'll work my way backward from the present.

Our parish offers an Extraordinary Form Mass on the third Saturday of every month, and since its inception it has generally been "Low Mass with vernacular hymns", variously led either by me at the organ or a cappella by someone in the congregation, with hymns picked by our Reverend Deacon.

Back in the spring, flush with the success of our Solemn High Mass, I decided that we needed to "up the ante" on our every-third-Saturday Masses by offering it as Missa cantata. As we're blessed to have not one but two young priests offering the EF Mass who are capable of chanting the Mass, we've now switched to the sung form of the High Mass rather than Low, and I now have two of them under my belt. I've since approached a young man in my choir to see if he'd be interested in learning how to chant as well, so we're one person closer to having a proper schola to chant the Propers.

The organ at OLMC has been suffering from neglect for many years, and so I recently had some very basic repairs effected. What a difference! Now I must launch a campaign to raise the necessary funds to move ahead with much more costly repairs. Please, of your charity, pray that the parish will help fund these repairs.

Late August brought a life-challenging event: my mother had a stroke and heart attack. After a week at a local hospital it was decided that she'd be better off going to the Cleveland Clinic. On August 31 she had open-heart surgery with repairs to her aortic valve and the replacement of 12 cm of her ascending aorta that was full of calcification and presenting an aneurysm of nearly 8 cm . . . ready to blow! Needless to say, she received amazing treatment at Cleveland; she's been home for about 7 weeks now, and is very nearly her old self.

Back in late September my dear pet/companion Cody succumbed to end-stage renal failure and had to be put to sleep. Cody lived a long, spoiled life. He was 18. I've since adopted a new cat, a 2-year-old gray and white female, appropriately named Jadzia (a Polish name, short for Jadwiga, or "Hedwig", one of the saints of Poland). She's a youthful and sprightly creature! Pictures will be posted shortly.

But, the most recent excitement was attending a Solemn High Mass at Assumption Grotto in Detroit. The Mass setting of the Ordinary was by Igor Stravinsky, and the estimable Fr. John Zuhlsdorf was the celebrant and homilist. What an inspiration! Assumption Grotto is considered an important parish church, among several including St. Agnes in St. Paul, MN. Orchestral Masses in the Extraordinary Form are a regular occurrence there.

Finally, last Sunday I was inducted into the Knights of Columbus, First Degree. I hope to make Second and Third Degrees in the next month.

Photos of the Solemn High Mass

2010-05-19T23:13:00.006-04:00

Here are a few select photographs of the Solemn High Mass, celebrated at the High Altar (the first Mass of its kind celebrated in the Downriver area in over forty years!) Photos courtesy of Mrs. Richard Bloomfield. Rev. Mr. Bloomfield served as Deacon for this Mass.

Reflections on the Solemn High Mass; Next: Vespers with Benediction for Pentecost

2010-05-17T17:16:00.005-04:00

The first Solemn High Mass to be celebrated at the High Altar of OLMC was at the very least an historic event. As I reflect on the experience I realize just how many mistakes, fumbles and missteps I made throughout the Mass. It was for me a learning experience. For the Sacred Ministers of the Altar I have no doubt it was one among many celebrations of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

But I take heart in knowing that this was not a first for me, or for the parish, alone. For Mr. Tim Ferguson, who served as Subdeacon, it was a first as well. I'm sure he privately reflects (as I do) on each small detail, but as with anything that requires care, attention, and devotion, we reflect, learn and move on. This certainly won't be my only experience in executing the music for the Extraordinary Form, and I'm sure it won't be Mr. Ferguson's last time serving at the altar as a Subdeacon.

I realized today while reflecting on the whole experience that in my nervousness I completely omitted an entire portion of the Gloria Patri while chanting the Introit! When I shared this with a friend of mine, he quickly, in his typically dry wit, suggested that I contact the people who recorded the event for posterity and rebroadcast on the local access channel and request that that portion of the recording be suppressed. I don't think I'll do that. I think I'll live with the fact that unlike Our Savior, I have my flaws. I'm sure the Mass was still quite valid, and quite licit.

I now must press on to my next project, a celebration of Vespers with Benediction for Pentecost next Sunday. This too will be a first (or at least unique) experience for Mount Carmel parish. Although the original intent was to celebrate a "Solemn" Vespers, I have since discovered that we will not have the requisite number of Sacred Ministers available to execute the ritual according to the rubrics for Solemn Vespers. Perhaps I'll be able to coordinate this for another solemnity.

In the meantime, I'm working with the same choir that sang for the Solemn High Mass. They will be learning a whole new kind of liturgical music: psalmody. This celebration of Vespers will, unlike our previous endeavor, be based on concepts of the "reform" of the liturgy. Parts of the Office (for those unfamiliar, this is the term given to the regular cycle of prayers of the 'Liturgy of the Hours' as prayed privately by members of the ordained clergy and in religious houses) will be derived from the pre-Vatican Council Latin Office of Vespers, as well as based on the current Office, while some will be borrowed from the Anglican tradition. Of particular note will be a singing of psalm 114 (In exitu Israel) in a falsobordone setting by late-16th century Italian composer Tomas Luis da Victoria, and the canticle from Revelation (Salvation, glory and power to our God) set to Anglican chant, together with the singing of a setting of the Magnificat by 19th century English composer Charles Villiers Stanford.

The service will also include hymnody for Pentecost (Come, Holy Ghost and Come Down, O Love Divine) together with the proper hymns for Benediction (the O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo Sacramentum commonly sung at OLMC) sung by the congregation.

I hope that all who read this will be intrigued by this offering and moved to attend with attention and devotion. What better way to welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives and the world than to honor Him with song and adoration of His Son in the Blessed Sacrament?

Solemn High Mass Comes to Mount Carmel

2010-05-12T22:10:00.007-04:00

This Sunday, May 16 at 5:00 PM, Rev. Lee Acervo, Associate Priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth Michigan, together with our own Rev. Deacon Richard Bloomfield and Tim Ferguson, serving as Subdeacon, will offer Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension at the High Altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This will be the first time in over 40 years that the so-called Tridentine Rite will have been celebrated at Mount Carmel.

This celebration began as a conversation after a "low Mass with hymns" that is offered on the third Saturday of every month at OLMC, when I suggested to Deacon Bloomfield that we should celebrate a "Missa Cantata", bringing in a choir of voices experienced in the singing of chant and polyphony. Before I knew it, Mr. Bloomfield had not only secured the commitment of one of the visiting priests that regularly offer the Extraordinary Form at Mount Carmel, but had found all of the requisite Sacred Ministers, as well as a Master of Ceremonies (a crucial member of the Ministers of the Altar) and a full contingent of altar boys trained in the form, and even a group of older altar boys from Mount Carmel to act as special torch bearers. Participants will be coming from as far away as Windsor, Ontario, Canada to assist in this monumental undertaking.

The choir, made up of students and scholars of church music from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, under the direction of your obedient servant, will sing all of the chanted Propers in Latin as well as the Kyrie, Sanctus/Benedictus and Agnus Dei in a setting by 16th century German composer Hans Leo Hassler. Motets by 16th century English composer William Byrd and early 20th century English composer Sir Edward Elgar will be offered as well. Also featured will be a setting of the antiphon "Vidi aquam" by OLMC's former Director of Music Tadzeus Petrykowski. The congregation will join in the chanting of the Gloria and Credo, along with the singing of hymns in English at the entrance and close of the Mass.

Booklets with the texts of the Mass in Latin and English will be provided, especially for those unfamiliar with the Tridentine Rite.

All are invited to this historic event in the history of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, and experience the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated in the manner of the received traditions of the Church.

Witamy!

2010-04-12T23:11:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, Our Lady of Mount Carmel will play host to the Polish American Priests Association, with the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered by His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida.

It will be my honor to serve as organist for this celebration, and I look forward to hearing the sound of many priests' voices raised in worship of God and Jesus, especially as they sing favorite Polish Easter hymns.

May They Rest In Peace

2010-04-10T19:21:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty much speechless. I can only imagine what the people of Our Lady of Mount Carmel who are native-born Poles and still feel a strong connection with their homeland are feeling right now.

I have no doubt that this tragedy will feature prominently in tomorrow's 10 AM Mass.

May the souls of all the faithful departed, most especially these important political figures, rest in peace.

Please pray for the people of Poland as they face perhaps one of their greatest crises.

Wesołego Alleluja!

2010-04-04T12:54:00.004-04:00

I have completed all of the Easter celebrations with what I think is great success, all things considered. Not being Polish, and not knowing either the general Catholic traditions within Polonia, or the "customary" of Parafia Matki Bożej Szkaplerznej, it was a non-stop journey of discovery.

The Great Vigil doesn't feature too many different practices, but the first Mass of Easter Sunday, the Rezurekcja is very unique, as it begins with a visit to the empty tomb, the exaltation of the Cross, the chanting of psalms and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the empty tomb, followed by a full Eucharistic Procession and Benediction. Then the Priest Celebrant, assisted by the Deacon, removes his cope and dons a chasuble, and the Mass continues with the singing of the Gloria.

The choir really did an excellent job this morning, chanting the "Victimae Paschali Laudes" (in English) to the traditional melody for what I think was their first time.

The Rezurekcja lasts over an hour and a half, and the church was packed to SRO.

The Polish language Mass at 10 AM was thinly attended, and the singing unfortunately was very feeble, but thanks to one loyal choir member (Polish, of course!), we (he and I plus Sipkje, my assistant) were able to sing through the Mass even if nobody else did! I'm particularly thankful to this choir member as he brought me a homemade terrine made up of several game meats (rabbit and venison) together with veal and pork. It is eaten in thick slices on a good bread (I prefer rye) and topped with horseradish or ćwikła (a mixture of beetroot, vinegar, salt, sugar and horseradish) as a reminder of the bitterness of Christ's suffering.

After stopping at the home of a friend, I arrived back at my apartment to break into the meats from my blessed food basket, having observed the traditional Polish Easter fast wherein one abstains from meat from Good Friday until after the first Mass of Easter Sunday. The first thing eaten should be a blessed egg, but I had nobody to share it with, and preferred to tear into the meats. I also had one of the small bottles of wine to accompany. I shall have some chocolate and retire for a nap before going out again to join some parishioners who kindly invited me to share their Easter table.

Polish Blessed Food Basket

2010-04-03T16:25:00.005-04:00

Today I participated in another Polish tradition: the blessing of baskets of food that will be eaten in celebration of the Resurrection (Rezurekcja).

Tradition has it that a basket filled with various symbolic foods that are eaten after attendance at the first resurrection Mass of the day is brought to the church on Holy Saturday and blessed. The blessing begins with a traditional liturgical greeting, "Niech będze pochwalony Jezus Chrystus ; Na wieki wieków. Amen." There is then a brief explanation of the traditions, then three blessings; one for the eggs, one for the bread and one for the meat. The priest then processes through the church sprinkling the people and the baskets with holy water. He concludes the service by exhorting the people to continue in their prayers in preparation for the Great Vigil, and to continue abstaining from meat until after the first resurrection Mass on Sunday.

The full tradition is that one fasts and abstains from meat on Good Friday, and continues to abstain from meat through Holy Saturday until after attending the resurrection Mass on Easter Sunday. The first food to be shared is the blessed egg, the symbol of new and eternal life. This is typically eaten with horseradish (chrzon) to remind us of the bitterness of Christ's Passion. Then all other foods are fair game, including various meats and sweets.

Here is the basket I prepared:

And a close-up detail:

The contents of the basket are (Clockwise, beginning with a bottle of wine): a small smoked kiełbasa, another bottle of wine, a loaf of placek (a sweet, yeast-raised bread with raisins and a crumb topping), slices of another kind of sweet bread (or chleba), a cake of butter pressed into the shape of a lamb, another loaf of chleba (rye this time, with a cross marked into the top), a smoked picnic ham, onion skin dyed eggs and two wooden pisanki, there is also a chocolate marshmallow egg in a cellophane wrapper; in the middle is a small dish of chrzon (beet and horseradish) and a small dish of salt.There are also several small foil-wrapped chocolate eggs in the middle. The basket is also decorated with a bundle of pussy willow branches, a stalk of myrtle and a small branch of quince tied with a red ribbon.

The Kindness of Strangers

2010-04-02T18:53:00.007-04:00

Today, while coming down the choir loft stairs to receive communion, I was presented with a package wrapped in floral paper. What could it be?

It was this flower arrangement:

The address only said, "Dr. D.S. (organist), Our Lady of Mount Carmel" with the church address. The card inside was even more cryptic. It reads, "A posse ad esse: Animus facit nobilem," which I discovered, after some Internet research, is a common Latin motto which translates, "From possibility to actuality: the spirit makes (human) noble."

I have my own notions as to from whom this came, but I'll not make any assumptions publicly here.

Nevertheless, it represents what I can only consider to be the ongoing miracle that is my career change from the nightmares of Minnesota to the relative peace and many graces and gifts that come from serving the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The Sacred Triduum

2010-04-02T00:35:00.002-04:00

It began at sunset. Day one continues through sunset Friday. Go to the liturgy for Good Friday. Pray fervently for the Pope. Day two begins at sunset Friday and continues until sunset on Saturday. . . go to the Vigil. Attend it at OLMC, or at your own parish. But go and celebrate the most important event in history: the victorious resurrection of Christ; His triumph over Death and the Grave. Day Three begins at sunset on Saturday and continues until sunset on Sunday. Go back and sing and pray and receive Holy Communion and rejoice!

Preparing for Easter

2010-04-01T22:44:00.005-04:00

Tonight marked the celebration of Holy Thursday, OLMC-style.

Among the things that were different for me in this experience were: NO organ after the singing of the Gloria; the use of claquettes in place of bells during the consecration, an amazing procession of the Blessed Sacrament (with Knights of Columbus, children from the school carrying pots of lilies to decorate the altar), and one of the most gorgeous Altars of Repose, constructed over the north side altar, I've seen in many, many years.

After Mass, the Honor Guard of the Knights of Columbus posted two Knights in front of the Altar of Repose, standing guard over the Blessed Sacrament. Every 15 minutes or so, two more Knights would process up the side aisle and change the guard.

The women of the parish hold a Holy Hour from 9 to 10 pm; the men from 10 to 11 pm. From 11 to 12 AM, individuals may come for adoration. The doors of the church are locked at Midnight for security reasons, and adoration is suspended from them until tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, I've begun preparations for participation in a Polish tradition: the assembly of a food basket for blessing on Holy Saturday. I've done quite a bit of research and have assembled most of the necessary elements: a small loaf of bread (with a cross cut into it), butter pressed into the shape of a lamb, a ring of sausage (home-made and given to me by a choir member as a birthday gift!), a small smoked ham, chrzan (a type of prepared horseradish that incorporates grated beets), sweets (chocolate and some baked goods given to me by another choir member), salt, a bottle of wine, onion skin dyed eggs, a pisanka made of wood (painted and adorned with gold), and a bouquet featuring fresh pussy willow, a branch of myrtle, a sprig of quince and a small bunch of daffodils. A kindly parishioner is going to provide several slices of another kind of bread that is sweet with raisins and braided before being baked.

I've never made onion skin dyed eggs, but the recipe is easy. It was published in the parish bulletin last weekend. Here is the result:

A "Mode II" Kind of Day

2010-03-20T17:22:00.008-04:00

After several days of truly glorious warm weather, it has turned cold, and a leaden sky hangs overhead as a chill wind howls through the yet leaf-barren trees.

In the Gregorian modes, mode II is haunting, austere and cold, reflecting the weather and reminding us that despite the fact that we've "turned the corner" on the season of Lent (with the passing of "Laetare Sunday"), we're now entering into the last weeks of the Passion of Our Lord.

Thanks to the generosity of a parishioner who paid the registration fee on my behalf, I was able to attend the Chant Workshop led by Wassim Sarweh, Music Director of St. Josaphat Catholic Church, Detroit. Mr. Sarweh is the "go-to guy" for the execution of chant in the Detroit/Windsor area, and rightly so. I'd not met him before today, but knew of him by reputation, and he lived up to every word I'd heard said about him. He is talented and knowledgeable, and at the same time humble and approachable. He very clearly loves the Church and her music tradition, and is eager to pass his knowledge and passion for it on to those who wish to join him in the work of advancing the music of the liturgy.

The nearly all-day workshop included the celebration of the Extraordinary Form at the Church of St. Joseph in Detroit, one of the most amazing churches I've seen anywhere. Built in the Gothic style (with a distinctly German accent!), the church has been painstakingly preserved throughout the years, retaining the beauty of every aspect; the high altar and side altars, statuary, pulpit, organ, stations of the cross, every element beautifully preserved.

Music, liturgy, art and architecture all come together here in exactly the way the Church envisioned, even throughout the "reforms" of the Second Vatican Council. This church, coupled with the Extraordinary Form and its music, prayed and executed with reverence and devotion, clearly demonstrate what the Holy Father has been calling for: a hermeneutic of continuity; a re-connecting with the unbroken tradition of 2000 years of development. And, oddly enough, even though the Mass was celebrated with "only" a priest, two altar "boys" (both adults), a full choir and cantor and only a small handful of people in the pews, this was no empty intellectual exercise. There was plenty of "full, active and conscious participation" on the part of all parties involved.

Equipped with this recaptured knowledge, I'm pleased to be able to say that such experiences are not only possible, but will soon with patient and dedicated work be available to the parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Open Letter to Washington, D.C.

2010-03-19T11:15:00.002-04:00

Note: The following does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer, the staff or parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

Dear Washington, D.C. Politicians,

I write to express my deep concerns as a citizen of a country unique among all others in the world. Regardless of one’s own place on the political spectrum, I believe it is critical that all citizens, especially those who hold public office, take seriously the impact the current administration’s actions and policies are having on the liberties and freedoms set forth in one of history’s most important documents, the Constitution of the United States.

The issues at hand are the so-called “cap and trade”, “health care overhaul” and “stimulus” bills that have become the focus of attention. These issues are not unknown to you, and wider public opinion (as reflected in numerous polls from a wide field of sources) is clearly not in favor or support of the positions you have taken on these issues. Each of these issues have at their core a design that clearly serves to centralize federal government power, immobilize and cripple the private sector and systematically whittle away at the freedoms guaranteed to the citizens of this country by the Constitution. Taken together, these policy matters clearly represent a pattern of activity in the government designed to bring about a Euro-Statist-style government with central controls placed on every aspect of the private citizen’s life.

I believe you took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and to defend this nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The Obama administration, through the use of “czars” placed in positions of unaccountable influence, together with the use of Chicago-style political thuggery exerted by members of Obama’s staff, have pushed for legislation designed to undermine and circumvent the authority of the several branches of government, states’ rights and individual rights of citizens. So I ask you now as we approach midterm elections, will you publicly pledge to your constituents that you will uphold and defend the Constitution, and do all in your power to ensure that the freedoms and liberties embodied in that document remain inviolate? With respect to the health care legislation, for instance, can you cite to the exact section of the Constitution that specifically enumerates the kind of over-reaching power and authority these bills will vest in the federal government?

The citizens of this country aren’t an angry mob bent on spreading misinformation and untruths. We are concerned and afraid that the current administration is in the process of fundamentally changing the nature and structure of our Republic with unprecedented speed and aggressiveness.

I ask you to take very seriously the concerns expressed by the constituency that elected you to the important, noble, high office of U.S. legislator, rather than dismissing them as the ravings of an angry, misinformed mob, albeit often fueled with great passion. They, as I, seek to participate in the constructive advancement of those qualities found in this country that have made it great. The American people are paying very close attention to the actions and statements being made by our senators, representatives and the White House.

I wish you all the best as you to continue the important work that you do. Please know that when you act in a manner consistent with the desires of your constituents and in conformity with the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution, you have the support of the people who put you into office. However, when you act in your own self-interest to preserve your power structure, you do a great disservice to the constituents, and violate the oath you took to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Please think carefully about the choices you make as you cast your votes and consider the legacy you leave for our future generations.

Sincerely,
Dr. David E. Saunders, A.Mus.D.

Prayers, please.

2010-03-13T18:20:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling a bit more stressed and prone to shortness of patience of late, and we're coming up on a very busy time for the parish (40 Hours with many, many brief periods of organized prayer services that require me to play; Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter looming on the horizon). It's at times like this that I find my ability to remain calm severely crippled.

Your prayers of support would be greatly appreciated. S. Andrew is my patron, as well as S. Benedict. Prayers for their intercession would also be welcomed.

Forty Hours Devotion at OLMC

2010-03-12T11:28:00.004-05:00

This Sunday, the Mass at 12 Noon will serve a dual purpose: the Mass of the Fourth Sunday in Lent with its propers as well as the "Mass of Exposition" of the Blessed Sacrament to open the Forty Hours Devotions.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or so I'm told, is the only church in the area to continue celebrating the Forty Hours Devotions over the course of the three days that were assigned to the parish many years ago. Tradition held that parishes in the area were assigned a block of days in which to carry on the devotions in rotation so that people could go from one parish church to the next in succession, observing the devotional practices over and over again.

A well-written article about the history and practices can be found at the New Advent Catholic Dictionary.

OLMC's schedule is as follows:

Sunday, March 14th
Opening of the Forty Hours @ Noon Mass
Gorzkie Zale (Bitter Lamentations) @ 3:00 p.m.
Evening Devotions @ 7:00 p.m.
(English Homily by Fr. Walter Ptak, Litany & Benediction)
Confessions following Evening Devotions

Monday, March 15th
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament after 8:00 a.m. Mass
Evening Devotions @ 7:00 p.m.
(Polish Homily by Rev. Dr. Stanislaw Flis, Litany & Benediction)
Confessions following Evening Devotions

Tuesday, March 16th
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after 8:00 a.m. Mass
Choir Tribute to Blessed Sacrament @ 6:30 p.m.
Solemn Closing @ 7:00 p.m.
(Bilingual Homily by Rev. Miroslaw Krol, Litany & Procession)

Chant Workshop in Detroit

2010-03-12T11:06:00.002-05:00

The second
Chant Workshop: The Modes

with Wassim Sarweh,

Organist and Choir Director at St. Josaphat, Detroit

Saturday, March 20, 2010

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

St. Joseph Church Hall, 1828 Jay St., Detroit

No experience necessary! Open to anyone interested in chant in any way, from amateur singers and/or curious observers to choir masters and/or professional musicians

Topics include:

The 8 modes of Gregorian Chant

Understanding rhythms

Brief history

Singing/conducting chant

Understanding the many methods of chant

And more...

Materials will be provided

2:00 p.m. Private sung mass in the Extraordinary Form at St. Joseph Church

Registration: $30 (includes simple lunch); $15 students

Free for priests and clergy

Send check payable to: St. Joseph Church (note Chant Workshop on memo line)

along with your name, address, phone number, and e-mail to:

Chant Workshop

St. Josaphat Cluster Office

4440 Russell St., Detroit, MI 48207

313-831-6659

Registration deadline is March 15, 2010.

For further information e-mail: info@stjosaphatchurch.org

Or call Wassim Sarweh at 519-259-7569

Poll Alert!

2010-03-08T16:29:00.003-05:00

Over at "What Does The Prayer Really Say", Fr. Z has posted yet another poll alert and a call to action, asking us to continue the battle for reclaiming and preserving our Catholic identity in the public square.

The dust-up involves a protest over a policy in the Archdiocese of Denver that precludes children of "same-sex" couples from being enrolled in Catholic schools. As he's already posted a considerable amount of information as well as links to a poll being run by the Denver Post regarding this issue, I'll simply invite you to click on the above embedded links to read what Fr. Z and the newspaper have to say. I encourage you to participate in the poll.

To add my own opinion on this, I think it is unfortunate that, just like O'Callaghan's invalid ordination is being used to front an anti-Catholic "cause", the situation in Denver is being twisted in order to gain sympathies for the lesbian couple, and the welfare of the child is being ignored. I think that it is most unfortunate that the child is being deprived of a solid Catholic education, especially since she really hasn't the capacity to understand the issues at stake. She has no "dog in the fight", she's been turned into a dog in the fight.

Please visit Fr. Z's blog and the newspaper and read up on this. The ongoing battle for our identity as Catholics is at the core of it.

Also, please pray for the Archbishop and the priest who are at the center of the controversy, as well as for the child who is an innocent victim in this matter. Pray also for the conversion of the lesbian "couple," and the misguided souls who are rallying to their defense.

University of Detroit Mercy's Scandalous Relationships

2010-03-05T08:43:00.004-05:00

The estimable group TFP Student Action has been a major player in challenging the actions and activities of Catholic universities and institutions all over the country, including the likes of "Notre Shame."

Here is TFP's most recent activity:

It is highly scandalous for a Catholic university to have any ties with Planned Parenthood or to present the largest abortion provider in America as a “career” resource. However, Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women (NOW) are currently listed on the web site of the University of Detroit Mercy – a Catholic institution.

For example:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Organization for Women (NOW) appear under “Career & Professional Resources.”
The “Women’s and Gender Studies” department also includes Planned Parenthood and NOW under “external sites of interest.”
Several feminist pro-abortion web sites also appear under “Resources.”
These listings are confusing to Catholic students and puzzling to pro-lifers nationwide who rightly oppose abortion and the culture of death.

Further investigation shows that Dr. Jane Schaberg, current Professor of Religious Studies and Women’s Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy, openly supports abortion. Her online bio states that she is a member of National Organization for Women and the dissident group Catholics for Free Choice.

Referred to as a "feminist biblical scholar," Prof. Schaberg authored a blasphemous book, first published in 1987, titled: The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives. The offensive work argues that Jesus was not conceived by the Holy Spirit, but most likely the result of rape.

For example, on page 95, the book states: "...Mary, in the tradition Luke inherited, experienced a disaster worse than barrenness: sexual violation."

As far as we know, Prof. Schaberg has not publicly retracted this opinion. Her book is still available online through Amazon. Yet, in spite of her unorthodox writings, Prof. Schaberg continues teaching religious studies.

Time to Protest

Send your instant protest message to Fr. Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J., president of the University of Detroit Mercy. Kindly urge him to delete every mention of pro-abortion groups from the university’s web site and ask him to consider replacing professors who publicly undermine Catholic doctrine.
Give this peaceful effort more impact by forwarding this article to your pro-life friends (or even your entire address book). With God’s help, the truth will prevail.

I've signed the online petition, and I invite you to do the same.

Food, glorious food!

2010-03-03T22:54:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday evening, one of the choir members came up into the loft (during devotions, while I wasn't playing, and before Mass) with an offering swaddled in a plastic grocery bag.

This was the second time she had come to me with a package like this. The first time was the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday . . . it was a plate of freshly home-made Pączki, those popular, deep fried dough balls filled with a variety of fillings that are eaten before Ash Wednesday, even by non-Poles. But, these were not your grocery store boxed jelly doughnuts merely posing as the real thing . . . they were the real thing . . . and still warm, no less.

I didn't think to take a picture of them before I ate them, but this time, I wasn't going to make that mistake.

So, what did she have this time? Meatloaf. But, no ordinary meatloaf. This was a patriarch among meatloaves. This meatloaf commanded great respect, and a certificate from my doctor stating that my statin medications were rated to deal with the aftermath of this gustatorial and gastronomic challenge.

A picture doesn't do this amazing bit of comfort food justice, but nevertheless, I present what may very well be the last word in meatloaf:

A Place Set Aside

2010-03-03T17:54:00.007-05:00

First of all, permit me to share a remarkable spiritual moment. A moment a friend of mine calls a "frying pan" moment, where God strikes us with an experience that drives home His power in a way that cannot be ignored.

Last night before devotions and Mass, during a brief exchange with a long-time acquaintance and member of OLMC, I was thanked by him for my prayers. I have been including him in my intercessory prayers during the morning office at home, but never told anyone I was praying for him specifically. I asked him how he knew I was praying for him, and he said, "I could feel it." Goosebumps, friends, goosebumps.

I don't recount this story out of pride, but rather out of extreme humility. I was not praying for him in the hopes of receiving a spiritual reward or acknowledgment. But, as I've been in a spiritually dry place for many, many months, this was a pure gift of affirmation that comes from the Holy Spirit alone.

The Office of Readings today included the account of the Israelites grumbling because there was no water to drink. The LORD instructed Moses to strike the rock to bring forth water so that the Israelites would know that God was with them and aware of their needs. And so with my spiritual life. I needed water, and God sent this person to provide it, and let me know that He hears my cry.

About a year ago I became interested in the idea of setting up a home altar, a special place set aside for holy activities. After several months of searching, I found a homemade desk that was the right size and shape. I acquired statuary, icons and votive candles to complete the setting.

It is currently set up in the second bedroom of my apartment, which serves as a study as well. It is the perfect place, as the mid-morning sun comes through the window, and I like to pray Vigils (Office of Readings) and Lauds (Morning Prayer) together in the morning.

Here is my home altar:

(Above:) On the wall from L to R: icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help; icon of Jesus Christ, High Priest and Victim (written by a monk of the Carmel of the Blessed Virgin Mary monastery in Lake Elmo, MN); icon of Christ Pantokrator.

On the shelf, from L to R: Our Lady of Walsingham (statue from the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in England; the town of Walsingham has two shrines, the Anglican shrine and the "Slipper Chapel" that serves as the Catholic shrine. The statue at the Anglican shrine more closely resembles the original, based on other images. The original was lost during the Reformation.); crucifix with vigil lights; the Sacred Heart.

On the "mensa" from L to R: statue of St. Michael the Archangel defeating the Devil, icon of Matka Boska Częstochowska; icon of my patron, S. Andrew; statue of S. Benedict (a replica of a statue on the facade of the Abbey Church of S. Meinrad Archabbey, S. Meinrad, IN).

The stool serves as both a place to sit while praying, as well as a prie Dieu when kneeling on the pillow. The pillow came from Target, of all places, but I selected it because it looked like a Pugin silk pattern.

Eventually I would like to paint the altar so that it will feature Marian blue on the shelf with fleur de lis and the drop around the front and sides will bear a motto in Latin from the Rule of S. Benedict. I'm also hoping to have a white cloth fashioned for the top that will hang down the sides for several inches.

Busy days in the Loft

2010-03-02T17:32:00.005-05:00

Lent always brings with it an increase in activities in any parish church. This is doubly-true in a Polish parish like Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Throughout the year, the parish celebrates devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Polish and English with Benediction every Tuesday. In Lent, Benediction is suspended, and the devotions are followed by Mass.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, the parish prays the Gorzkie żale ("Bitter Lamentations"), that includes hymns, litanies and prayers, most of which are sung. (If you're not familiar with the tradition, click on the word to follow a link to a site with a nice explanation and history of the devotion there.) My first experience of the devotion left me quite speechless. The hymns in particular are very haunting, and seem to be more connected to "classical" hymn traditions rather than the more folk-oriented or regional melody hymns sung in the vernacular at OLMC.

Fridays of course feature the Stations of the Cross devotions. They are prayed in English in the afternoon and then in Polish in the evenings.

"Avatar" and Catholic Social Justice Teaching

2010-02-28T19:02:00.005-05:00

OK, I admit it. I saw the blockbuster 3D phenomenon "Avatar". It was a feast for the eyes to be sure. It was sensual almost to the point of requiring sacramental confession and absolution.

But, I went into the experience with my eyes (literally) wide open, and my mind firmly fixed in reality and an understanding that what I was seeing was pure entertainment. To be sure there were not-so-veiled portrayals of corporate greed, "species-ism" and pantheism. There were hints and suggestions of frontal nudity, bizarre physical connections made between different "species", and even promises of a kind of reincarnation by the permanent transfer of a person's "mind" from a human body to a genetically engineered body of another race of beings.

These allusions to elements completely contrary to Catholic teaching were obvious to me, and therefore I was fully capable of understanding that what I was seeing was pure fantasy. No "teachable moment" here, apart from the usual humanistic pro-environment, anti-establishment stuff.

Apparently I missed something. I occasionally go online and check out the bulletins of the parish I served prior to becoming Music Director for OLMC. In this week's posted bulletin, I found the following:

"Avatar" is one of the top-grossing box office hits of all time,and while there are remarkable special effects to behold, there are also some great Catholic Social Teaching themes and discussions to be explored through the film. Use this film to look at what it means to be human, the use of force in the world, the unity and sacredness of life and more. Stop by the Justice and Service Commission display table in the Gathering Space to find some discussion topics for the whole family to consider. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops hosts a webpageof movie reviews. Check it out: www.usccb.org/movies.

Really?

Heresy comes Downriver, Pt. 2

2010-02-28T18:16:00.004-05:00

It is worth noting that a very important case is made (and an equally important distinction is lost) in the article discussed below.

O'Callaghan makes it clear that she isn't phased by being excommunicated. She calls it a "threat" that she was prepared for. She goes on to say that many canonized saints were excommunicated.

She misses several important points.

Firstly, the Church does not "threaten" with excommunication. Generally, it is by one's own actions that excommunication begins by intentionally engaging in actions that are contrary to Church Teachings. Out of charity and with a sincere desire to both protect the faithful from scandal and also admonish and educate the excommunicated, the Church informs the individual that they have broken away from the Church and are barred from receiving the sacraments. The goal is not to threaten, it is to correct spiritually and morally dangerous behavior; behavior which puts the individual's immortal soul at stake. The Church does this in the hopes that the person will seek counsel, renounce the action or ideology that led to the break with Rome and be reconciled with the Church. The Church always receives those who sincerely seek to be reconciled and be restored to communion with Her. In this way, excommunication is not de facto a permanent state. Communion with the Church can be restored, and in fact the process of excommunication envisions just such a restoration.

I submit the current relationship between the Holy See and the Society of S. Pius X. There is still much to be discussed and resolved between the Lefebvrist schismatics and the Holy See, but it was Benedict XVI who put forth the invitation for reconciliation.

This ties into the second point. O'Callaghan's suggestion that the Church canonized excommunicated saints is laughable on its face. I would challenge her (and who knows, maybe she'll actually read this and rise to the challenge!) to prove that each and every one of the saints she alludes to were in a state of serious sin and persisted in their error, and thus remained excommunicated until their death, at the time of their canonization. If I had money, I'd lay every penny I had on a bet that she in fact cannot point to a single saint that before death weren't reconciled with the Church and therefore no longer in a state of excommunication at the time of death, removing any impediment from canonization.

This is the real shame of what O'Callaghan has done. She has made a mockery of the very heart and soul of Christ's example and the Church's Teaching. Christ didn't forgive sins and stop there. He made it clear that one was expected to sin no more.

O'Callaghan wants to have her cake and eat it too. She wants to call herself "priest" and a faithful Catholic, and defy the very teachings she protests are in her bones.

Pray for her conversion.

He studied with WHOM!?!?

2010-02-28T14:37:00.008-05:00

After reading the post below ("Heresy comes Downriver"), come back and read this little bit of light-hearted levity.

This weekend's bulletin carried a brief introduction of me to the parish by Fr. Ptak. It was based on an article I submitted via email for Father to use. Because it had to be retyped (as "cut and paste" functionality isn't available in the bulletin publishing software), and because Father did the retyping at 1 AM, a very small typo must be corrected.

In the article, it says that I studied with Marilyn Manson. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this pop-culture icon, this spawn of Satan, this walking freak-show of androgyny, I offer the following picture:

I somehow rather doubt that the pipe organ, Gregorian chant or Western liturgical polyphony are a part of this man's (woman's . . . whatever) background.

Who I actually DID study with is the venerable Marilyn MASON, the longest-tenured faculty member and department chair at the University of Michigan. She has taught for 63 years, beginning her career as University Organist in 1947, following her teacher Palmer Christian. She is world-renowned, a champion of 20th century organ music, has given public performances all over the world, and studied in France with Maurice Durufle. She can legitimately trace her pedigological heritage all the way back to J.S. Bach. (Talk about your "apostolic tradition"!)

Here is her picture:

I hope that settles any confusion!

Heresy comes Downriver

2010-02-28T13:14:00.009-05:00

For those of you who receive or read The News-Herald, you will have seen what I consider to be an incredibly ill-written and scandalous article by Donna Abramczyk informing us that a former OLMC High School graduate and nun, Dena (Mary Ann Baronn) O'Callaghan was "ordained a Roman Catholic priest" on February 6 in Sarasota, Fla.

The article appears on the front page of the "Life & Leisure" section, nearly filling the whole page.

Several truly amazing things come to light in this article, not the least of which the "Roman Catholic Womenpriest" movement held its first conference in Detroit in 1975.

O'Callaghan's personal history includes switching orders from Felicians to Servants of Jesus, completing a master's degree in divinity at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, engaging in preaching and "co-celebrating" sacraments at a parish in Saginaw (where she met her husband, a priest) and being an instructor in the diaconal formation program at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

I mention these things because the pattern is telling: St. John's Provincial Seminary, now defunct (serving as a combination "spiritual retreat center", wedding chapel, golf resort and Episcopal apartments for the Archbishop of Detroit) is well-known to have been a hotbed of everything from mild heterodoxy to outright heresy; the Diocese of Saginaw was overseen by His Excellency Kenneth Untener, who openly promoted dissident causes such as Call to Action. How she was permitted to teach at Sacred Heart is beyond comprehension.

There are two very important points that must be made:

1) O'Callaghan's so-called "ordination" and all other such actions are not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, and any attempt on the part of Abramczyk to suggest otherwise is cause for serious scandal. Contrary to the report that O'Callaghan was "ordained a priest," there was no such ordination. The sacrament was not valid or licit, so therefore whatever else happened on that day in Sarasota, there was no ordination.

Later in the article, O'Callaghan points out (in an attempt to bring legitimacy to the act) that the "first women bishops in the movement were ordained by a male bishop in the Roman Catholic Church's unbroken line of apostolic succession, a requirement for ordination of priests."

Let's be clear (as Obama likes to say): the very moment a bishop attempts to engage in a sacrament that is not in harmony with Rome, it is never under any circumstances valid or licit, period. The apostolic succession isn't magical, it doesn't carry with it automatic validity. Part of the succession is predicated on being in harmony with the Holy See and the Magisterium.

O'Callaghan further asserts that the RCWP movement is merely reclaiming the status of women, who according to her were ordained in the early church up until the 1200's. I'm unable to respond to this assertion, but I'm certain that it is in some way a gross misrepresentation of the facts of history.

2) The Code of Canon Law states the following:

1024. A baptized male alone receives ordination validly.

However, in Abramczyk's article we read:

[Canon 1024] . . . states that only men, because they are in Christ's image, can be ordained priests. [Emphasis mine].

Again, let's be clear: NOWHERE in Canon Law is it stated that men only can be ordained priests because they are in the image of Christ. This is a scandalous misrepresentation of Church Teaching. We are all, by baptism, new creations in the image and likeness of Christ. The Canon does not make any such distinction when speaking of ordination. It is typical of progressivists like O'Callaghan to misrepresent Church Teaching in an attempt to discredit the Church, demonize the hierarchy and tap into anger over issues of gender discrimination in our otherwise "sensible post-modern society," thus gaining sympathy for the "movement".

Worse, Abramczyk fails to place the sentence in quotation marks, suggesting that it was a statement of fact, and not an opinion expressed by O'Callaghan.

All in all, the article is yet again another attempt by the secular media to misrepresent Catholic Teaching and cause division, scandal and derision for the Faithful.

In the meantime, in this Year of the Priest we must continue to pray for our priests and seminarians and continue praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. The Church continues to come under spiritual and political attack. Now more than ever it is important that serious-minded, orthodox Catholics be firm in their Faith, continue to read and study so as to understand what the Church teaches and not what the progressivist elitists have been promoting, share the Faith and in all charity catechize those who may not understand or who are at risk of falling away from the Teachings of the Church, and never cease praying.

St Michael the Archangel,
Defend us in battle,
Be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do you, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power,
thrust into Hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world,
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Memento homo . . .

2010-02-17T13:38:00.013-05:00

And so it begins, another Great Lent.

Modern culture has taught us to shy away from the realities of the Four Last Things (death, judgment, heaven and hell), and many of the proponents of the "spirit of the Council" have painted the sepulchres clean and white so that they don't have to deal with those realities.

The average funeral Mass today features hymns and songs all focused (most likely) on the resurrection, the happy bliss of eternal life in heaven with Jesus. It remains popular to call a funeral Mass (or a memorial Mass) a "celebration of the life of the deceased." In this way it is the life of the deceased that becomes the focus, rather than praying for the repose of their soul, which is the Church's stated purpose for the rite. The tone of the celebrant's prayers focus attention on praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased, offering up prayers and the sacrifice of the Mass for the forgiveness of their sins, and asking God, His angels and His saints to receive the deceased into heaven. In fact, the Missal of 1962 contains prayers for the deceased specified to be offered on the third, seventh and thirtieth day after burial.

The Church still teaches that the point of our life on earth is to grow in holiness as children of God, to seek God together and press toward the rewards of eternal life, and as S. Benedict says, to "keep death ever before you." Artists faithful to these teachings understood how important it was to face the reality of death head-on, and unlike the modernists, did not shrink away from placing this reality right before the eyes of the faithful, writ plain and large. In few (if any) modern churches will you see anything like the decoration at the top of this post.

While in Rome several years ago, I happened to walk into a church with some monuments (tombs or sepulchres) that incorporated real human bones into their design. I failed to take note of the church these were found in, so if anyone by chance recognizes these and can identify the location, your input would be appreciated.

Two real human skeletons hold up the medallion bearing the likeness of the deceased.

The angel of death (winged and carrying a scythe) stands guard over another tomb. The angel is a carved skeleton that is amazingly lifelike, but not made of real bones.

Apartment Blessing

2010-02-15T10:33:00.008-05:00

I have never had my home blessed by a priest before, so on Friday I had my apartment blessed. I invited Fr. Ptak together with Deacon Richard Bloomfield and his wife and Fr.'s nephew to join in the festivities. The blessing rite featured a reading from the gospel of S Luke, followed by the chanting of psalm 112 (chanted by your obedient servant, according to the S Meinrad psalm tone 1). Intercessions were offered, and then Fr. Ptak walked through the apartment sprinkling each room with holy water. A champagne toast, smoked salmon, shrimp and cheeses with fruit were enjoyed over lively conversation following.

(L to R: Your obedient servant, Dn. Bloomfield and his wife, Fr. Ptak, Joe Wienclaw)

I was humbled to receive several very nice housewarming gifts, including this replica of the famous icon of Matka Boże Częstochowska, blessed and brought back from Częstochowa, Poland by Fr. Ptak on his last trip there. As he put it, "You're playing for a Polish parish now, so you better have a Polish icon."

2010-02-05T20:01:00.004-05:00

"The man that hath no music in himself
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are as dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted."

~ Lorenzo to Jessica, The Merchant of Venice, Act V, Scene I.

Ann Arbor Day Trip

2010-02-04T15:06:00.015-05:00

It was time for my annual physical, and since my doctor's offices are located in Ann Arbor, I decided to go to downtown AA for lunch.

First stop: Sushi.com, a popular and affordable Japanese restaurant in the central campus/State Street area.

Sushi, of course (tuna, salmon, mackerel, salmon roe and asparagus roll), with miso soup and a salad of iceberg lettuce with grated ginger dressing.

Then, it was off to the Burton Memorial Tower to listen to the daily carillon concert.

I was pleasantly surprised to find my assistant at Mount Carmel, Sipkje Pesnichak, holding forth in the playing cabin.

Espresso Royale Cafe is also a popular haunt for the students. I worked as a barrista at the North Campus shop during my last year of doctoral work. Their Italian roast house blend remains my favorite for making espresso at home.

The Nickels Arcade, next to Espresso Royale, reminds me of some of the arcaded shops in England.

It houses specialty shops, including one of the last surviving traditional pipe, cigar and men's shaving requisites shops in Michigan, Maison Edwards.

Like, it's funny, you know?

2010-01-23T09:56:00.002-05:00

I doff my cap to the Creative Minority Report, (and to Fr. Z) for this:

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

The "View" these days . . .

2010-01-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

It has been busy times, indeed, both in the loft and at home.

Last Friday I had the opportunity to participate in a unique exercise in the spiritual work that calls us to "bury the dead." An acquaintance from OLMC asked me to provide the music for the funeral of a friend's mother. (It turns out that the friend was a distant relative of noted pugilist Rocky Marciano!) It's always an interesting exercise to provide music for a liturgy at a church other than one's own home, and in this case it was no disappointment. It is both disturbing and reaffirming when one discovers just how orthodox one is in the face of practices in the average "Spirit of Vatican II" parish, I can tell you. When the use of the approved music of the Church, rendered in chant and in Latin, are challenged by someone in a position of authority, it demonstrates just how many bricks we have yet to add to the wall (to borrow an analogy from Fr. Z). When I suggested that the chant, "In paradisum" be sung during the incensing of the casket, I received a response that "the diocese requires that we sing a particular song." I suggested that "the approved chants of the liturgy in Latin are always appropriate." It seemed a disarming reply for which there was no further response or discussion.

I encountered an individual I'd met numerous times in my travels, and was most distressed when we had an exchange about the anticipated revised missal texts. This person actually posited that he hoped and anticipated that the majority of priests and bishops of the Church in the US would ignore the directives from Rome and not use the new translations. Friends, the belief that you are too stupid to understand words like "consubstantial" and "ineffable" or grasp the depth of the mystery the words evoke and contain is still pernicious. Dissident, defiant bishops like His Excellency Donald Trautman are still all too in favor of diluting the Faith and dismissing the importance of using words that speak to the subtleties of our received traditions, and we must in all charity both instruct and challenge them, and their outdated, "spirit of Vatican II" ideologies. It was perhaps an act lacking in charity (and one for which I must make a confession) that I suggested to this individual that he should consider becoming an Episcopalian. But really, if he feels that the Holy See has no real authority to enact or enforce these changes, then perhaps he'd be much more comfortable throwing in his lot with those who fully reject Magisterial authority, as the Episcopalians by definition do.

OLMC continues to observe the many expressions of the Paschal mysteries of the "Winter Pasch" (perhaps a term I've held over from my progressivist NPM days), with the singing of "Kolenda" and Christmas carols during Mass until February 2. It's part of the Polish traditions observed at Mt. Carmel. On January 24, the "Polonaise Choir" will sing for our Polish language Mass at 10 AM, followed by a short 1-half hour concert. With all of the decorations, poinsettas and the Nativity still adorning the church, it only seems appropriate that we continue to celebrate while the secular world moves on to Valentine's Day.

At home, I've completed the process of settling in, and now I'm looking towards having the apartment blessed according to forms I've researched on the 'net. I'm hoping that the Pastor, Deacon and members of the parish choir and staff will come and join in the celebration. Everyone seems genuinely interested in having me settle and stay for a good, long time, and I welcome their friendliness and hospitality.

Wesołych Świąt, Boże Narodzenie!

2010-01-10T22:03:00.015-05:00

The majority of American Catholics have probably already packed up the trees, lights, banners, Nativity scenes and other decorations from their churches and homes, but Polonia continues to observe the festivities of the birth of Our Lord in church and at home. In the Polish tradition, like many other European countries, the observance of Christmas continues throughout January, with the last day of observation falling on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.

These pictures are late in coming, but lack none of the inspiration or genuine expression of the ongoing joy of the season the people at Our Lady of Mount Carmel continue to express both as faithful Catholics and as deeply devoted Poles in America. These were taken by a member of the choir, from the loft of Mount Carmel during the Pasterka (Mass at Midnight).

The choir awaits instructions from your obedient servant during warm-ups before the pre-Mass music and Kolędy.

The church before Mass, during the singing of the Kolędy by the choir and congregation:

The Pastor, Rev. Walter Ptak, kneeling before the Nativity after having placed the Infant in the crib and blessed the creche. He is singing the traditional Polish lullaby, "Oj maluśki maluśki ."

The Sacred Ministers have returned to the sacristy to vest for Mass, and your obedient servant breaks forth with the introduction to the opening hymn, "O Come, All Ye Faithful", the full swell of the mighty 1958 Schantz blazing in its glory. Yes, I'm wearing cassock, surplice (Anglican style, from Wipple & Co., London) and doctoral hood from the University of Michigan. I'm a convert from Anglicanism, and consider myself an early arrival from the "Anglican Use" movement.

Our Deacon, the Rev. Mr. Richard Bloomfield, surrounded by altar boys, proclaims the Gospel.

Fr. Ptak delivers his Christmas Homily.

Our weekend Associate Priest, Rev. Stanislaw Flis, concelebrates, with altar boys kneeling around the altar. It is a typical European tradition to vest certain altar boys in mozettas, the short red capes they wear over their surplices.

All in all, the Pasterka was a wonderful experience, very different from any I've had as a Catholic Sacred Musician in my 15-plus years serving the Catholic Church.

I can only imagine what Lent, Holy Week and Easter are going to be like!

Szczęśliwego nowego roku!

A musical "bon-bon" for your enjoyment

2010-01-10T20:19:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry that I haven't updated much. I've been busy trying to reduce the number of boxes I have to climb over to get from one end of my apartment to another. I think I've succeeded. And, I don't have to search to find the cat. He's found his happy places here and there, and knows where his food and litter box are to be found.

In the meantime, here's a fun little posting I stumbled upon in my forum-crawling this evening. (There are some typos in the text that appears, but it's a wonderful recording of a very inspiring if not "patriotic" hymn!)

Happy Feast of St. Andrew!

2009-11-30T10:49:00.006-05:00

Today is the feast day of my patron, Andrew.

As I'm only into the third day of recovery after my sinus surgery, I'm not able to observe it to the fullest, so of your charity please offer a prayer and ask St. Andrew to intercede for me.

O Christ, our Lord, Who didst beautify the most blessed
Andrew with the grace of apostleship, and the crown of martyrdom, by granting to him this special gift, that by preaching the mystery of the cross,
he should merit death on the cross;
grant us to become most true lovers of Thy holy cross,
and denying ourselves, to take up our cross and follow Thee;that by sharing Thy sufferings in this life,we may deserve the happiness of obtaining life everlasting.

Amen.

The recovery is going well, but it's going to take a few weeks to be in tip-top shape. For the most part, the discomfort is not unlike a severe head cold, but there's also some pain in the front teeth and the tip of the nose. I can tell already, however, that breathing is going to be so much easier, and much of the coughing and gagging I was experiencing from the deviated septum and polyps has already been eliminated.

I am very thankful for the wonderful service and expert abilities of the surgeon, Dr. Thomas Wiemert, and the anesthesiologists and nurses. I'm also grateful for the many prayers offered for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Asking for Prayers

2009-11-27T06:04:00.004-05:00

Today I will be having outpatient surgery; a nasal polypectomy and septoplasty. The otolarygological surgeon is one of the best in the area, and came highly recommended, especially by my primary physician who himself together with his brother had the same procedure at that hands of the same surgeon.

Yesterday, Fr. Ptak heard my confession, anointed me and I received communion.

I have no doubt that the surgery will be quick and have no complications, but nevertheless I ask you, of your charity, to pray for me, the surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurses.

The Doctor is On the Move!

2009-11-24T23:58:00.004-05:00

I've just settled on an apartment in the lovely Downriver community of Riverview to take up residence beginning the middle of December. I decided that the sooner I can be close to OLMC the better, especially since I've been driving all the way from Ohio to play Masses on the weekends.

While I was waiting for my application to be approved, I took a drive around the area, and was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this incredible example of Art Decco architecture just down the street from my soon-to-be-new home:

It's a transmitter station for WJR, Detroit's "Great Voice of the Great Lakes."

Being a lover of architecture, I thought this was a very exciting find, indeed. Click here for a nice article about the facility and the history of the station.

Happy New Liturgical Year!

2009-11-23T15:11:00.012-05:00

I've been away from blogging for a while, and I'm sure many have lost interest, but I thought I'd make a new entry and see if I can't get myself back into the routine of making regular posts. Consider this a "New Liturgical Year's Resolution."

November is an interesting time in the Church year. The readings always center on the topic of "End Times" and the coming of the Kingdom. The month begins with two interesting feasts: All Saints and All Souls. This is when the Church remembers first the "Church Triumphant," a comemmoration of all those who have been recognized formally as saints by virtue of their exemplary lives and by miracles attributed them after death. This is followed by All Souls, when the "Church Militant" (that's us) prays for the "Church Expectant", all the holy souls who are not yet enjoying the full beatific vision, but rather are going through a purification of their souls in preparation for entrance into heaven. Purgatory is perhaps one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Church, and the one that receives the greatest ridicule from Protestants together with disident Catholics. It is part of the fullness of Catholic teaching on the subject of the Communion of Saints, and one that if understood provides serious-minded Catholics with great hope and deep devotion.

All Souls at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated in a traditional Polish way, with a Requiem Mass and a catafalque set up in the crossing of the church. The catafalque is a decorated bier, complete with candles and flowers, with or without a casket. Many European Catholic churches, especially Cathedral churches, still use a catafalque for state funerals and Requiem Masses for Bishops and Cardinals. Here is a photo of a traditional catafalque I found posted at the New Liturgical Movement blog:

In addition to the catafalque, OLMC sets up four stations at the four corners of the church with a candle and vase of flowers. At the conclusion of the Mass, the sacred ministers are led in procession from station to station by crucifer, thurifer and acolytes, and prayers for all the faithful departed are recited at each. Part of the prayers feature incensing the station and the four cardinal points around it. The prayers alternate between Polish and English language at every other station. The other important ritual of this Mass is the reading of the names of all who died out of the parish in the previous year. This is done before the Mass begins. Then immediately following the homily, representatives of each family come forward and light a large vigil light on the Marian side altar. These candles remain burning throughout the entire month of November, reminding us to pray for their eternal rest.

The last Sunday of the liturgical year is the feast of Christ the King. This feast reminds us that it is not an earthly king to whom we owe our allegiance, but to the Heavenly King who is, was, and is to come. The very next Sunday the new liturgical year begins with the First Sunday of Advent, and we start over again, entering the cycle of Christ's birth, passion, death and resurrection. Just as with the New Year of the secular world, this liturgical new year gives us yet another opportunity to begin again anew, to reconnect with our deepest and most basic beliefs.

The "New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia" (sorry about the pun) describes the purpose of Advent in this way: for the faithful to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate Go of love, thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.

Last year, I tried to "keep" Advent by refraining from listening to Christmas music before Dec. 24, by using simple decorations with greenery, purple bows and ornaments, and by setting up my Nativity figures in a systematic way, adding figures each Sunday while also lighting the next candle on the Advent wreath. As I'm not living on my own, I won't be able to be this focused, but I'll do what I can to observe what the Church teaches about Advent.

How will you "keep" Advent this year?

Sacred Music "Day of Reflection" Report

2009-10-22T14:13:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of days. I presented the workshop on Saturday morning, and then had to prepare to play the voluntaries for Sunday Masses at St. Louis King of France in St. Paul where my good friend and colleague serves as organiste titulaire de l'orgue Cassavant . Tuesday I played for the noonday recital at St. Louis as well.

The "day of reflection" on Saturday was an intimate gathering, made up of the music directors of the two parishes under the care of the priest I was working with, and also included volunteers from the music ministries, about 16 in all. There was also a Theology III seminarian from St. Paul Seminary and a local "supply" priest in the gathering. Only the directors acknowledged the ability to read music, and indeed none of them (save one of the music directors, the seminarian and the two priests) had read the documents of the Church regarding music and liturgy.

I began with my own background, what I had come to understand as the purpose of sacred music, and why I considered myself a "sacred musician committed to the reform of the reform." I shared with them what I meant by those terms and how I had moved from a more typical "spirit of Vatican II" understanding of them to deeper understanding of the intimate link between music, liturgy, the formation of souls, and the teaching and "mind of the Church".

After a break I presented a list of the documents, (including web addresses where they could be found on the Internet for free), divided into categories: official documents governing music and liturgy from the Holy See, guidelines from the USCCB (and the importance of recognitio in determining whether a document is binding), writings of the Holy Fathers, articles and commentaries and finally, informative links (including to MusicaSacra.com and its forum board). Part of this segment included a lively discussion about the importance of using the texts appointed for use in the liturgy rather than freely-written texts. Several people sitting at the back were members of the "contemporary ensemble" of one of the parishes and took exception to an article I quoted from that took issue with the text of the song "Table of Plenty." They suggested that the music and text were "meaningful" and gave them "warm fuzzies". I think it was beneficial, as the Pastor and others weighed in on the importance of music not as a means of eliciting emotional responses but rather in properly disposing people to participate in the liturgy, both internally and externally. ("Full, active and conscious participation" was discussed in this segment).

There was also discussion about Benedict XVI's important work to bring about a "hermeneutic of continuity" out of the rupture created just after VCII. This became important in our final section.

After one more break we came back together and I shared some ideas about how to introduce chant, select music and texts more closely connected with the liturgy and therefore the "mind of the Church" and resources they could consult apart from the material (hymnals, music and planning resources) made available from the usual sources (OCP, GIA, WLP and the others). The books I shared included the Gregorian Missal, Parish Book of Chant, By Flowing Water, and Graduale Simplex. I stressed the importance of a "brick by brick" approach. I explained that great care needs to be given to the process so that we do not, in our attempt to bring about the reform of the reform, commit the same sins against charity that were committed by those who have created, facilitated and permitted the hermeneutic of rupture to occur and continue over the last 40 years.

A wonderful luncheon followed, and some discussion at the tables continued.

It was a good experience all around. I'm sure I made mistakes, but the priest I worked with was very kind, reassuring and supportive. He hoped that there could be future seminars presented at his church by others in the field. I was honored to be the first.

2009-09-30T14:52:00.005-04:00

Sacred Music

&
The Reform of the Reform

A Day of Reflection

St. Joseph Catholic Church
Rev. Fr. Jay Kythe, Pastor
23955 Nicolai Ave

Hastings, MN

Saturday, October 17, 2009
9 AM o’clock until 1 PM o’clock

Presented by Dr. David E. Saunders

Join Dr. Saunders, a serious-minded Catholic and a sacred musician committed to the “Reform of the Reform” and the reclaiming of the uniqueness of the identity of the Catholic Church, as he shares his experiences and learned insights into the “mind of the Church”, the development of music and liturgy in light of the documents of the Church before and after the Second Vatican Council, and the future of sacred music and the liturgy .

Petition to Drop Charges Against Pro-Life Protesters

2009-09-21T18:14:00.004-04:00

Fr. Z has posted a very important article at his blog, "What Does The Prayer Really Say." The University of Notre Dame has filed formal charges against a short list of folks who quietly and peacefully protested against the presence of Pres. Obama at UND and against the conferring of an honorary degree upon him.

Read the full article here: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/09/petition-to-notre-dame-pres-fr-jenkins-please-drop-the-charges-again-pro-lifers/ and sign the petition that's linked there.

Serious-minded Catholics must reclaim the public square, and we must come to the support of our brothers and sisters when they are wrongly accused.

A Busy Weekend

2009-09-20T16:34:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday our parish returned to its monthly celebration of "low Mass" in the Extraordinary Form. Rev. Fr. Charles White, Associate at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth MI offered the Mass, with Rev. Mr. Richard Bloomfield and myself assisting at the altar. This was my first time out as an "altar boy" for the TLM. Although I'd studied the prayers and responses along with the rubrics regarding the ringing of the bells, I was barely prepared, and felt unworthy to be so intimately involved. As it was low Mass, the altar servers spend the majority of their time on their knees. Mine began to give out, and the last few minutes were quite painful. Thankfully the thought that came to mind was that I should offer up the pain in union with Christ's suffering, and recall that many generations before me had endured this without complaint.

Having experienced the Mass in this form, I have gained a healthy respect for any priest who takes it upon himself to learn and offer the Mass according to the usus antiquior. The sheer amount of attention to detail is incredible; each word, every gesture carries with it a depth of reverence that I now recognize as being absent from the average celebration of the Holy Sacrifice. If only more priests would undertake to learn the EF, even if they only celebrate it in private, I believe as the Holy Father does, that the reverence and deliberate celebration of the Mass according to the current rite would regain this lost sense of mystery and transcendence.

It is my hope that we can take this to its next logical step, that is the celebration of the Mass according to the norms of the "Missa cantata," with the priest and schola singing the propers, and the congregation singing the ordinary.

Priest's sins at Mass - an update

2009-09-16T13:42:00.005-04:00

My thanks to a good friend and lurking reader of this blog for bringing a post by Fr. Zuhlsdorf over at "What Does the Prayer Really Say?" on this topic.

If you're interested in reading more, here's the link: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/09/priests-learning-from-the-past-de-defectibus/

Fr. Z always provides wisdom and insight, as to many of the folk who participate in the discussion threads.

50 Ways to Sin at Mass

2009-09-13T18:06:00.009-04:00

There's an old saw often used by priests antithetical to the restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass. They say that they don't want to try celebrating it because the Church teaches that there are 50 different occasions for serious sins to be committed by the priest while offering the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form. I've heard this several times, even as recently as this morning.

I'll set aside whether or not the assertion is true for now. Perhaps there's a priest who lurks around this blog who would like to field this one.

What I do wonder is: Is it somehow less important now to "Say the Black and Do the Red" in the "New Mass" than it was "back then"? Are priests no longer bound in conscience and under pain of sin to offer the Mass with attention and devotion? Did the Holy See change things during and after the Second Eccumenical Council so much that now priests don't have to worry about being reverent, deliberate and attentive to what they're doing while offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? The Church teaches that even if a priest is in a state of serious sin, he may still offer the Mass validly and licitly, does she not? And most importantly, we all commit sins daily, which is why we go to confession. Can't a priest who thinks he may have sinned during the sacrifice of the Mass seek a brother priest and make a confession? Or did that go out with Vatican II as well?

See, it's not that hard, and the Church doesn't place an unreasonable burden on anyone in this matter.

I'm not a priest, but I see no difference between the occasion for committing a sin while offering the Mass and dealing with the multiplicity of opportunities to sin offered by the world on a daily basis.

It seems to me that if a priest is willing to shy away from doing the one thing he is most importantly ordained to do, that is confect the sacraments and offer the Mass with due care and respect for the rubrics, he may also be willing to avoid addressing important issues like preaching on the four "last things" or exhorting the people to examine their consciences and go to confession regularly.

It makes the concept of lex orandi, lex credendi all the more important.

The Extraordinary Form Returns to OLMC!

2009-09-13T15:15:00.007-04:00

I was thrilled to read in our parish bulletin this week that our deacon, Rev. Mr. Richard Bloomfield, will be coordinating the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (also called the "Extraordinary Form" or the "Tridentine Rite") at OLMC, begining on Saturday, September 19 at 8 AM, and every third Saturday thereafter.

In July of 2007, the Holy Father issued an Apostolic Letter motu proprio ("by his own hand") entitled, Summorum pontificum. In it, the restrictions on the celebration of the Mass according to the Tridentine Rite were eased, permitting parish priests to offer Mass using the Missal of 1962 (or Missal of Blessed John XXIII) rather than the "New Mass" (Missal of Paul VI, or Missal of 1970) as is currently commonly used. Prior to the issuance of this Letter, any parish wishing to celebrate the Mass according to this rite were required to petition the local Ordinary (bishop) for permission, and were called "indult parishes." They were few and far between. The Letter went into effect on September 14, 2007, the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. Since then, parishes all over the country, indeed all over the world, have returned to the use of the rite. Men and women of all ages, and even children attend these celebrations, and despite the exclusive use of the Latin language, nevertheless experience a sense of holiness, reverence and awe which many maintain was lost with the introduction of the reforms of the New Mass. Bilingual (Latin/English) hand missals with the full text of the rite with instructions for participation are available through many Catholic bookstores and resource sites on the Internet. Use of a bilingal hand missal permits people to gain a deeper understanding of the texts and further deepen participation. In most parishes, before the homily the priest celebrant will repeat the readings in English, and deliver the homily in English as well.

At OLMC, we will be celebrating what is known as "low Mass" (also called, "quiet Mass"). This is the Tridentine rite in its simplest form: two lighted candles on the High Altar, one priest who offers the Mass at the High Altar, facing liturgical East (sometimes incorrectly characterized as "with his back to the people") and who does not sing, no prayers of the Mass are sung or chanted. A choir may sing hymns, or there may be no singing. At some point, it is my hope that we can begin with the adding of hymns sung by a choir (schola) and congregation, and eventually move up to "Missa cantata" (or "high Mass" or "sung Mass") that will include more music in the form of chanting by the priest and schola. Below is a photo of "Solemn High Mass" with full ceremonial being celebrated.

Men high school age and above are needed to assist at Mass. If you are interested in assisting, you are invited to contact Deacon Bloomfield through the parish office.

If you are in the area on Sept. 19 at 8 AM, please plan on attending this truly wonderful expression of our Catholic faith, as given to us through the received tradition!

Sunday's View from the Loft

2009-09-13T14:56:00.003-04:00

The weather is cooling, and the pews are filling up again as people return to a regular order of things, after the summer months with its shorter Masses of fewer hymn verses and shorter homilies.

The choir (inquiring new members and returning seasoned ones) will gather in the loft after Tuesday evening Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotions on Sept. 22 to get to know me and permit me to share with them my vision and goals for the music program at OLMC. Here's a sneak preview: The full choir of volunteers combined with four "choral scholars" (compensated singers interested in learning about the nuts and bolts of running a parish choral music program) will sing for more elaborate "choral Masses" on the first Sunday of each month, featuring polyphonic settings of the Ordinary and the chanting of some of the Propers, along with hymnody for the congregation. On the remaining Sundays, a more streamlined Mass with congregational settings of the Ordinary will be used, and the choral scholars will assist with the addition of a motet during communion. Major celebrations, especially Christmas Midnight, with the singing of the traditional Polish kolendy will be more of a "come as you are" choir, with special rehearsals in preparation. The hope is that the first choral Mass will be on the first Sunday of November.

The people of OLMC continue to be lavish in their praise and words of thanks for my work so far, and I'm grateful for their wonderful sense of patience as I learn the "customary" of the parish, especially for the Polish language Masses. I'm enjoying the experience of learning and becoming familiar with the traditional Polish hymns that the people love so much, and sing with such enthusiasm and love.

We Shall Never Forget

2009-09-11T08:41:00.004-04:00

"So much death. What can man do against such wreckless hate?"

Theoden, King of Rohan and the Riddermark in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic "The Lord of the Rings" said it so well. Exhausted and nearly defeated, trapped inside the deepest recesses of Helm's Deep, with Uruk-hai beating down the only doors between the remnants of his kingdom and death, he speaks these words of profound truth.

Aragorn, heir-apparent of the Kings of Men, responds that they should ride out to meet them, to stare death and evil in the face with all the hope and fearlessness that can be summoned up in their souls.

So, mounting their horses they do just that, only to be joined by Gandalf, bringing all of those from the Riddermark whom Theoden, possessed by evil under a spell by Saruman, had bannished from the kingdom. They all appear on horseback on a high ridge to the east of Helm's Deep, with the rising sun shining forth behind them with great intensity. They spill down the mountainside like a great wave, dashing against the remaining Uruk-hai, killing many and sending the remainder into their death among the trees that had gathered to participate.

What can we do against such wreckless hate? Meet it with justice and truth, never shrinking from our call to be peacemakers, but nevertheless entering into the unsavory task of warfare when justice dictates, as the Church teaches.

Today I will be fasting, and abstaining from all pleasures. I'll be on my knees for an hour at the local perpetual adoration chapel. And, unlike many who either can't bear the sight because it so profoundly offends their sensibilities or who think these dastardly, wicked, bloodly deeds were carried out by our own government and not by Islamic terrorists bent on crushing our freedom and way of life, I will watch the video footage and remember that over 3,000 people were killed that day, wantonly and coldly, by people who of their own choice had cast their lot with the Evil One.

Call to Holiness Conference in Detroit

2009-09-10T22:01:00.002-04:00

This is a "don't miss unless you're dead" event, I can tell you! Rather than me typing up a summary of the event, please visit their website and read about some of the wonderful speakers, including Fr. John Zuhlsdorf of WDTPRS who will speak on this year's topic, "Treasures of the Mass."

The Ongoing Battle for Our Catholic Identity

2009-09-02T18:13:00.004-04:00

In June of 2009, the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis (locus of my previous church position) posted an official announcement from the Holy See declaring that a deacon had been dismissed from his clerical state after said deacon had sought illicit ordination to the priesthood by a woman priest. (You can read the official announcement by going here and scrolling down to the bottom of the page for the "official announcement" blocks of text).

Now, Fr. Z has brought to our attention that the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper is taking a poll regarding the ordination of women, as part of an article about a local nun who was suspended from teaching in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for her continued support of the ordination of women priests.

So far, nearly 70% of those voting are saying women should be ordained priests. It's not a very scientific poll, but nevertheless I think it would be helpful if all serious-minded Catholics who visit this blog head over to the Cincinnati Enquirer site and cast their vote.

Cat Days

2009-08-28T18:07:00.014-04:00

I have served as staff for the last 17 years to my cat, Cody. He's been in declining health, but who wouldn't be at 17? (That's 84 to you and me!)

He's been acting strange lately; sleeping even more than usual, not begging for breakfast in the morning, and sticking to me like glue any time I'm around. It turns out that these were the precursors to a seizure, which finally struck today.

I was headed down the stairs to my rooms, and Cody greeted me at the foot of the stairs as usual. Then, with no warning, he began to walk in circles, then went stiff, fell over and began jerking violently. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his tongue darted in and out of his mouth, along with copious amounts of drool. This lasted for about 1 minute, after which he began HOWLING very loudly as he came out of it. I called the vet then rushed him over to the vet's office for some treatment (a shot of steroids to help ease the swelling of the brain that usually follows a seizure).

There are realities to face: he already has moderate kidney failure and the vet says he likely has a tumor in his brain causing the seizures. I'm sad to see this happening, but in a very real way points up what St. Benedict tells us in The Rule, which is to "keep death every before you."

There's a long history of cats being companions to Benedictine monks in monastic enclosures, and even our Holy Father has a cat named "Chico." The members of the parish choir at my previous position kindly gave me a copy of that book as a gift after my untimely resignation. This is Chico:

Cody is expressing not just the reality of death, but the reality of the cycle of life. He's not human, and I realize that. There is no hope of the resurrection given to the lower orders. Nevertheless, he lives his life in conformity with the laws of nature, and reminds me daily that I am called to live my life in conformity with the laws of nature as taught by the Church.

Dog Days

2009-08-26T21:56:00.009-04:00

The last few weekends at Mount Carmel have been fairly quiet, the people seem quite happy with my work so far, and have continued to be complementary and lavish in their praise. The high temperatures and humidity have made playing for Mass a challenge at times. When it's hot and humid outside, it's even more so in the church, especially in the loft. A satellite-controlled clock in the loft also shows the temperature, which climbed up into the mid-eighties by the 12 Noon Mass. I often wondered if heavy black clouds were going to form in the ceiling and a thunderstorm was going to break out inside the church!

The parish is gearing up for its annual festival, which brings in the majority of the income the church relies upon for its operating expenses for the year. I'm looking forward to experiencing the parish community in high-spirited celebration . . . piwo, food, games, and more piwo.

Our deacon caught news of the bishop of Tulsa's decision to celebrate all of his Masses ad orientem at the cathedral on Fr. Z's blog (What Does the Prayer Really Say?), and mentioned it to the Pastor. There has been some discussion about introducing ad orientem worship for certain Masses at Mount Carmel, although there is the need for careful and deliberate catechesis before this can happen.

Lex orandi, lex credendi

2009-08-18T13:00:00.010-04:00

A local church has been getting a lot of ink in the local newspaper, the Toledo Blade. I won't go into the reasons why it's been getting so much coverage, but only tell you that this last Sunday the editors of the Blade saw fit to devote a portion of the covetted "above the fold, front page" location and an entire inside page to the CedarCreek [sic] Church, a local mega church boasting a congregation of 8,300-plus members.

But what do they believe in? What are their core doctrines? Perhaps a quick glimpse of some key quotes from the pastor, Lee Powell, holds the answer. But first, a description of the physical plant. According to the article, the church is "Designed to look like a movie theater [from the outside], the 54,000-square-foot building has a 1,400 seat sanctuary [sanctuary . . . right. Altar? Cross? Candles? Certainly no tabernacle. . . maybe auditorium would be more apt.] with state of the art multimedia equimpent, padded theater style seats, and cup holders for the free coffee or soda pop available in the lobby." [So far, we see that the CedarCreek experience is no different than going to the local Cineplex, except I've never gotten free anything at our movie theaters.]

But wait, there's more! The music, as described in the article is, "played LOUDLY and skillfully by top-level musicians [I don't know of any "top-level" musician who would be considered skillful for playing loudly] who crank it up on secular Top 40 and Christian rock songs." [chop] "We play music that people would actually hear when they turn the radio on," Mr. Powell said. "Nobody turns on the radio and hears pipe organ." [True, and I don't go to church to hear Taylor Swift sing to me about how I belong to her. Nevertheless, Michael Barone, host of the American Public Media program, "Pipedreams", might disagree that people don't turn on the radio and hear pipe organ. ] "I'm not against those churches because they're going to reach people we don't. But we're interested in reaching the unchurched and they're not interested in the pipe organ or stained glass." [They aren't? How do you know? How is it that for centuries people who were illiterate or of simple faith and humble spirit were profoundly impacted by the beauty of the organ or stained glass? Is Top 40 music played LOUDLY, skillfully or otherwise, really reaching the "unchurched"? It seems to me that this is the same elitist and arrogant view that the progressive "spirit of Vatican II" types have been trying to sell Catholics. "We don't need Latin or that chant stuff in the Mass, people don't like it. They don't understand it. We need to make sure that their experience of God and the worship of God is something they can understand." In other words, no different than going to the movies.]

Seems like Mr. Powell, with the theater-style experience, is interested in marketing and packaging as much as, if not more than, content. This may have something to do with his formation. He holds a two-year degree in marketing, and there's scant reference to his theology or seminary education. Of course, I may not be in a position to judge, since I've never heard one of his sermons. I wonder if he preaches LOUDLY and skillfully. I wonder if, as a companion to the Top-40 secular music played there, he draws his theology and moral teachings from examples found in TV sitcoms, reality shows, PS3 games, Youtube and Facebook.

By the way, compare his "success" and how he views the unchurched as being consumers who he has determined won't benefit from the beauty of a pipe organ, or stained glass, or well-executed chant and polyphony, or unique ecclesiastical architecture to that of St. John Cantius in Chicago.

What I find most disturbing about this is not the lack of concern for the connection between beauty, truth and goodness, or indeed the power of these to draw people of any level of sophistication to a transcendent experience of the Mystery of God. What I find most disturbing about the article and the views expressed by Mr. Powell is the emphasis on the consumer-driven attitude that surrounds every aspect of the work of this particular church. It seems to me that Mr. Powel has reduced the care for people's souls to a numbers and marketing game rather than an emphasis on the life of the world to come.

Retreat Reflections

2009-08-18T12:35:00.005-04:00

I've been back for a few days now, and have re-entered the all too real world after a time away from the "dailiness" of life.

This was not a directed retreat as such, but I've come to discover that the Holy Spirit always directs, even despite our efforts to be structured or at leisure. I was on my own to do as I please. Of course I chose to attend the regular schedule of prayer offices and Mass in the abbey church, but apart from that I was not on a schedule and could read, nap and take walks when I was moved to. Even when we have no idea what we will get out of our experience, God speaks when we clear out the clutter and listen.

The Rule of St. Benedict instructs us to guard our speech, something my gregarious nature finds difficult. There is no imposed silence at meals in the guest dining room, and not wanting to appear unsociable I always asked if I could join a table or group of people. I had several conversations at meals that were uplifting and enjoyable as well as some that were challenging and even upsetting. What I learned from this is that sometimes it's best to listen and only speak when there is something truly important to say.

I had heard that the parish church of St. Boniface in nearby Fulda, IN was home to an historically significant organ, worth the 4 mile excursion to go see and possibly play. (You can jump here to see the specifications and the history of the instrument and church, or here for the parish website). It is a beautiful church, as you can see from the picture above, and the organ though small is very charming. It's not intended to play the high repertoire, rather it seems to be purposed for accompanying liturgical singing.

Music at St. Peter's Rome

2009-08-10T17:28:00.003-04:00

I'm heartened to read an article posted by the ubiquitous Jeffrey Tucker over at the New Liturgical Movement reporting on important progress made in the music used at Mass and other celebrations at the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica of St. Peter the Apostle in Rome (sometimes affectionately referred to by me as the "home office").

It seems to me that if it's good enough for Rome, it ought to be good enough for us!

Brick by brick, as Fr. Z says.

Preparing for Retreat

2009-08-06T17:09:00.007-04:00

I'm getting myself ready to go on a brief private retreat at St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. It is one of only two archabbeys in the United States, and home to a community of Benedictine monks of the Swiss American Congregation. The other archabbey is St. Vincent in Latrobe, PA, Benedictines of the American Cassinese Congregation.

Part of the purpose of this retreat will be to hit the spiritual "reset" button; to quiet down my racing mind and salve my chafed soul. Some who frequent this blog know of my recent past, and will appreciate the need for a time of reflection and meditation, moving away from the "dailiness" of the world and toward the "dailiness" of a routine governed not by the clock, the radio and television and the press of worldly worries but rather one in which "each day we begin anew," experiencing a kind of daily death and resurrection as a way of entering into the Paschal Mystery. St. Benedict well understood that straining toward perfection as the world views it ends in exhaustion and dissappointment. Benedictine spirituality views life as a balanced rhythm of ora et labora, prayer and work, with time for study and recreation.

It's my usual practice to take a stack of books, some spiritual reading, some light fiction, and some professional reading, and jump back and forth between them during the intervals between the horarium and meals. I also leave my pocket watch on the dresser. The tower bells of the abbey church tell me where to be and when. The cell phone is also shut off, and turned on once in the morning and once in the evening to make sure that I didn't miss a critical telephone call, which almost never happens.

Since I typically arrive late in the afternoon, I try to time my arrival to allow for attending vespers, then have dinner and a walk around "the hill" before retiring. It usually takes me the better part of the evening to settle in, and the external and internal quiet doesn't really become natural until the afternoon of the first full day.

I hope to have a chance to meet with some of the monks, especially Fr. Meinrad, the director of oblates, Fr. Abbot and Fr. Columba Kelly, a master of chant and sacred music. I also hope to have a chance to play the fabulous organ of the abbey church, built by the firm of Goulding and Wood.

Who's Visiting the Loft?

2009-08-03T16:02:00.002-04:00

As a neophyte blogger, I was amazed to discover that my blog is being "hit" by people coming from far-flung places like Australia, Italy, the Phillipines and France as well as Canada and the U.S.

I wish I could figure out a way to list all of the individual places in the U.S. and Canada. The majority are from the Midwest, especially Michigan and Minnesota.

Welcome all!

Sunday's View from the Loft

2009-08-03T15:16:00.010-04:00

This week, I had a brief but fascinating conversation with the deacon of our parish, the Rev. Mr. Richard Bloomfield. Mr Bloomfield, as I found out, has played a prominent role in the greater Archdiocese of Detroit, acting as a sacred minister for celebrations of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (also variously known as the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Rite Mass). He assisted at a celebration of the TLM earlier this year at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, MI and regularly assists at St. Josaphat Church Detroit's TLM.

As he explained it, he wasn't trained so much as reacquainted with the rubrics of the TLM at what could well be considered one of the "Mother Churches" responsible for bringing the TLM back into the collective conscience of the Church, St. John Cantius in Chicago Illinois. Mr. Bloomfield is no stranger to the Mass celebrated according to the Missal of 1962, as this was the only Mass he knew until the neck-snapping changes of the Second Vatican Council took place in the U.S. in the early 1970's. He is just one of the many "hidden treasures" I'm finding as my time at OLMC continues.

The work of becoming more familiar with the celebration of the Mass in Polish and developing a mastery of their unique hymns continues. I have been slowly learning the language, focusing primarily on being able to read the liturgical texts as I accompany the vernacular settings of the Mass in use at OLMC. It's slow, but not impossible.

I did have an interesting conversation with a member of the choir who has been helping me learn the language. He remarked that in the polyglot missalette (Pan z Wami) used there he noticed that the English translations didn't match the Polish. I wonder if the Polish translation is as awkward and lacking in poetic and literary (as well as theological) sophistication that many complain is a problem with the English translation. My guess would be that each translation is independent of the other, that is, each are derived from the approved Latin version, and in this way the English translation would not necessarily reflect a translation of the Polish. Which, of course, leads to the question: will the soon-to-be-released new English translation of the Sacramentary be accompanied by an updated translation into Polish? For example, will the response in Polish, "I z duchem twoim" (roughly, "And also with you") be changed to be closer to the Latin "Et cum spiritu tuo" ("And with thy spirit") as it will in English? I shudder to think about having to recraft the music of the Mass setting they're currently using to accommodate a new Polish translation when I haven't even mastered the current one!

2009-07-30T14:08:00.002-04:00

"I know the Unknown God," said the little priest, with an unconcious grandeur of certitude that stood up like a granite tower. "I know his name; it is Satan. The true God was made flesh and dwelt among us. And I say to you, wherever you find men ruled merely by mystery, it is the mystery of iniquity. If the devil tells you something is too fearful to look at, look at it. If he says something too terrible to hear, hear it. If you think some truth unbearable, bear it."

-- Fr. Brown, from "The Purple Wig" by G. K. Chesterton

Our Upside-down World

2009-07-29T12:01:00.006-04:00

Fox News just ran a little piece on a report from the World Health Organization on the dangers of sun bed tanning booths, popular especially among teens and folks in their twenties. The doctor being interviewed stressed these dangers by equating them with being exposed to poisons, toxins, and other carcinogens. Interestingly, these are increased risks of illness and possible death, but not a certainty. This is important because he went on to say that some state legislatures have begun considering the passing of laws that would require that minors obtain written consent from their parents before being permitted to enter into a tanning service.

The upside down part? Some of these same states are passing laws that would guarantee that parents would not be notified nor would their consent be required before a minor receives an abortion.

So, let me get this straight. One is a lifestyle choice (getting a fake-bake tan) that carries with it personal risk, but not certainty of death. The other is a "choice" (getting an abortion) that guarantees the death of an unborn child. The government wants to protect children from a risk by requiring parental knowledge and consent, but seems little interested in protecting an unborn baby from certainty of death, at the same time denying parents the right to know what their minor child is engaged in.

Sunday's View from the Loft

2009-07-28T11:05:00.002-04:00

This was a fairly quiet weekend at OLMC. Prior to the 8 AM Mass the final day of prayers for the St. Anne novena were prayed, and immediately following the Mass those who participated in the novena prayed another set of prayers (in Polish, by the way) followed by the veneration of what I believe is a first class relic of St. Anne that has been in the possession of the parish for many years. Unfortunately the press of other obligations made it impossible for me to participate in the veneration and get a better look at the relic. I'm hoping to get a chance this week to view it and perhaps obtain some more detailed history of the relic and how it came to be in the custody of OLMC.

I am struck at just how many different devotions and novenas are actively prayed by the faithful of OLMC. So far, I've discovered that there's an active group of the Holy Name Society, the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, and regular novenas to St. Anne, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and First Friday Sacred Heart devotions. It is clear to me that despite what I had been led to believe in my dim and more liberal past, a high degree of participation in devotional practices is not an indication that the Sunday liturgy is somehow not "doing enough" to nourish the people. I've discovered that the opposite is true. As the Church teaches, the Mass is the source and summit of our faith from which the life blood of the parish flows. As such, people don't flee to devotions to fill a perceived void in their spiritual lives from an impoverished Sunday liturgy "experience" (as the progressivists would have us believe). Rather, they realize that the devotional practices are an enhancement of and continued experience of the graces received from regular reception of the sacraments. Just as important for the people of OLMC, there is an earnest desire to see to it that the traditions of the parish are passed on and continued by the next generation.

Plans for a Sacred Music Seminar

2009-07-27T21:23:00.008-04:00

I'm quite excited that I'll be traveling back to Minnesota in October to present my first seminar in sacred music, at the request of Fr. Jay Kythe, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Miesville MN and St Pius V Catholic Church, Cannon Falls MN.

The current plan is to open with morning prayer, featuring the use of St. Meinrad psalm tones for the psalmody. This will be followed by three presentations on sacred music in general, documents of the Church governing the selection of music within the Ordinary Form of the Mass (the current form celebrated according to the Missal of 1970) and an overview of the various sources of music for use in the Mass in conformity with the "mind of the Church."

The main purpose is to de-mystify the subject for the average parish musician and open the doors to the many possibilities not normally discussed or explained by the mainstream resources commonly consulted by most parish musicians.

The seminar will conclude with the celebration of a Mass, incorporating the various kinds of music discussed during the presentations, thus giving the attendees a taste for how they too can begin entering into the "reform of the reform" with confidence.

As updated information regarding the final arrangements become available, I'll be posting them here. So if you've found your way here from the New Liturgical Movement website, please come back regularly to check up on the latest news.

Beauty, Truth and Goodness

2009-07-25T10:07:00.003-04:00

Yet another day of wretched weather. I'm off to view some wonderful art at one of the nation's top 10 museums, the Toledo Museum of Art.

I recall going there many times as a child, on field trips with my grade school classes, and always being fascinated by the religious art. The museum houses a considerable collection of religious pieces (an example pictured above), including an interesting pastiche of a cloister; four different sets of colonnades in four different architectural styles (from different monasteries, I believe) surrounding a faux open-air courtyard with a well head in the middle. Within the colonnades are ambulatories housing the majority of the liturgical art of the collection, including reliquaries, chalices, pyxes and processional crosses, many from Spain and France.

If you live in the Toledo area, or find yourself passing through with time to spare, I highly recommend stopping here.

A Good Day for a Book

2009-07-22T13:52:00.001-04:00

A grey pall hangs in the sky today, and it's been drizzling rain on and off. I'm a bit weary of all of the news; the endless debate about healthcare and our President's relentless television appearances. Not that these aren't important, and as I and other bloggers have said, we are facing difficult times economically as well as philosophically. But to be single-minded, to eat, sleep and breathe the sometimes frightening, sometimes angering, sometimes depressing affairs of the day could easily drive one's sense of balance, not to mention blood pressure, to the tipping point.

This is the perfect day to curl up with a good book, and so I've recently picked up a copy of the Father Brown Mysteries by the noted Catholic Christian apologist and novelist G. K. Chesterton.

Being a Sherlock Holmes fan, I've read and re-read the Canon numerous times, and decided that Holmes, Poirot et al have had their day, for now anyways. And, I think it's particularly apropos to turn to a priest, albeit a fictional one, in this Year of the Priest for my regular dose of light reading.

So far, I've had quite a few visits to my blog, but few responses. How about sharing your favorite light reading? What's on your nightstand or perched on your end table next to your favorite chair? Which author or fictional character do you turn to for relief from the sometimes grim realities of the day?

Sunday's View from the Loft

2009-07-19T18:05:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday was the optional memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Fr. Ptak, Pastor of OLMC explained that in 1899 representatives of the Polish community in Wyandotte applied to the Archbishop of Detroit for the formation of a Polish parish church. As the meeting took place on July 16, the Archbishop assigned Our Lady of Mount Carmel as patroness of the parish. Polish tradition refers to Her as Our Lady of the Scapular, however the Archbishop, being of German heritage, was unfamiliar with this name. The cornerstone bears two different legends, the first in Latin, "Ecclesia B.V.M. Monte Carmeli", the other in Polish, Kościół Matki Bożej Skaplerznej. Thus it is the only parish church in Detroit that bears two distinct names for the same patroness.

The parish also is home to an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that has a rather interesting story attached to it. The Pastor owns an embroidered image of Our Lady approximately 12 inches high, which was removed from an old vestment and was being stored in his suite in the rectory for later use on a new vestment. In 1995 while work was being done on the roof of part of the suite, a fire broke out, and the entire room as well as its contents and portions of ajoining rooms were gutted. While inspecting the ruins the shirt box containing the image was found, singed but intact. The tissue paper inside was also only lightly discolored, and the image was completely intact. An aluminum ladder was found melted, the copper gutters around the outside of the room were melted, the entire contents of the room were reduced to ash, except the image of Our Lady. If you look closely at the picture of the interior of the church at the head of this blog, you will see the framed image placed on the Marian side altar in front of its tabernacle. A prayer card has been produced with the image on the front (shown above) and a brief history of the image on the back.

While only Holy Church can declare an image or anything connected with it to be miraculous, there is one additional event connected with prayers of intercession to Our Lady as depicted in this image. A woman took the card with her to visit her uncle (I believe is the relationship) who was 92 or 93 and was hospitalized with but a few days to live. Doctors had told the woman to begin funeral arrangements. She gave him a copy of the prayer card pictured here. He meditated on the image and prayed the prayer on the back. Two days later he was released from the hospital.

Now more than ever we as Catholics need to seek out and beg for the help and protection afforded to us by our Mother. If you are in Wyandotte, consider stopping at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and offering a prayer for Our Lady's powerful intercession.

Benedict's Wrist

2009-07-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

News has been flying around the Interweb all day about His Holiness and his broken wrist.

The latest is that he's doing just fine, had some minor outpatient surgery under local anesthetic, and will be up and fighting heresy and liturgical abuse in no time.

In the meantime, would you please say an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for his health and protection?

Dziękuję!

Obamacare: The Quintessential Culture of Death Issue

2009-07-17T08:03:00.000-04:00

For serious-minded Catholics, government-run healthcare is a right-to-life issue of the first water. Once decisions regarding one's treatment options are out of one's control and in the hands of a bureaucrat who is looking at "comparative effectiveness" studies and using actuarial tables to approve or deny one treatment over another, or deny treatment altogether, the value of all human life becomes threatened, not just that of the unborn.

And, truly it's the elderly and the infirm who will be the real losers in this scheme. Just as an "unviable tissue mass" poses an inconvenience, embarassment, or impediment to career advancement and can therefore be aborted, so too can our beloved "seasoned citizens," many of whom are just as mute as their fetal counterparts, be disregarded or allowed to suffer and die for the sake of "cost effectiveness."

(The preceeding views are solely those of the blogger, and do not necessarily represent those of his employer).

Happy S. Swithun's Day!

2009-07-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

Over at The Sensible Bond blogspot, there's a great article about S. Swithun.

Here's an excerpt:

Today is traditionally the feast of St Swithun, bishop of Winchester. If people know anything about him, it tends to be the legend that associates his feast day with summer weather. Should it rain today, the legend states, it will rain for forty days. If it stays fine today, then it will supposedly stay fine for forty days. When Saint Swithun died in 862, his mortal remains were buried at his own request outside the old minster of Winchester. There his grave could be walked upon and there it lay open to the gentle elements; a bishop must be humble, even in death. In 971, however, after the construction of the new minster in Winchester they moved his body from the original grave and into the new church where a shrine was established until the Reformation (now re-established). Yet, that very night, a terrible rain storm began and it reportedly rained for forty days. This was said to be a sign of the saint's wrath at his being moved.

Sunday's View from the Loft

2009-07-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

This was my second weekend at OLMC, and one which lacked help from my assistant organist, who was enjoying herself around my old stomping-grounds in Minnesota, attending the Hymn Society conference. Thus, I played all four Masses, and experienced all four permutations of the congregation including the Polish language Mass.

Apart from the usual "honeymoon" feeling, I must say that without exception the parish community was warm, welcoming, and not short on either praise or opinion about things. What I found most striking is that the congregation seems to appreciate "plain cooking" when it comes to their music. No fluff, no extravagance, and no silliness. They want their hymns, especially those from the Śpiewnik, to be played with the same simplicity, directness, dignity and joy that the rest of their lives reflect. Not unlike the food and piwo they shared at the parish picnic after Mass on Saturday, their approach to music and liturgy is unapologetic. The folk who gather in the loft to help lead the singing for the Polish Mass sing with a full-throated enthusiasm that some might find a bit overwhelming at first. Could they be "trained up a bit" in vocal technique? Oh, probably. And for the English language Mass at 12:00 Noon, the choir will continue to be trained in the importance of good vocal production and diction.

The point is, I found it refreshing to sit at the console and play through a Mass in a very predictable and straightforward way without wondering what kind of wild hair the priest might get, what changes to the flow of the liturgy he might make on the fly, or what over-the-top "gameshow host" banter he might come out with either in his homily or his impromptu announcements at the end of the Mass. Even the few little mistakes I made (due to local "customaries") were quickly forgiven and forgotten with a wink, nod and smile.

I think everyone is going to be very happy, and the honeymoon, God willing, won't be over too soon, if ever.

2009-07-11T13:31:00.002-04:00

I see more Anglo-Catholic parishes applying for personal ordinariates in the very near future.

At the General Convention of the ECUSA, Presiding Bishopess Katharine Jefferts Schori pronounced that the concept of individual salvation was the greatest "Western heresy" and to believe that any of us alone can into a right relationship with God.

Apparently, two thousand years of orthodox teaching on the part of the saints, Church and early Church Fathers has been wrong, and it took a clear-minded 21st century woman to see through the falsehoods and arrive at the liberating truth.

I suppose we should have some charity with respect to Jefferts Schori; she's fallen into the same trap that most progressivist liberal "We Are the World" types with an axe to grind for Holy Mother Church fall into: they see the form, ignore the matter and proclaim it all idolatry.

Obamacare: The Quintessential Culture of Death Issue

2009-07-08T17:22:00.002-04:00

For serious-minded Catholics, government-run healthcare is a right-to-life issue of the first water. Once decisions regarding one's treatment options are out of one's control and in the hands of a bureaucrat who is looking at "comparative effectiveness" studies and using actuarial tables to approve or deny one treatment over another, or deny treatment altogether, the value of all human life becomes threatened, not just that of the unborn.

And, truly it's the elderly and the infirm who will be the real loosers in this scheme. Just as an "unviable tissue mass" poses an inconvenience, embarassment, or impediment to career advancement and can therefore be aborted, so too can our beloved "seasoned citizens," many of whom are just as mute as their fetal counterparts, be disregarded or allowed to suffer and die for the sake of "cost effectiveness."

(The preceeding views are solely those of the blogger, and do not necessarily represent those of his employer).

Requiescat in pace

2009-07-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of the father of some friends of mine, who passed away in hospice yesterday after a brief illness.

Although he wasn't Catholic, in speaking with people from his church who knew him well, I'm told he had hidden spiritual depths.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord

And let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul,

and the souls of the all faithful departed

through the mercy of God

rest in peace.

Amen

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2009-07-07T21:05:00.001-04:00

The picture in the header of my blog is a daytime picture of the sanctuary and nave of my church. It shows just how much has been preserved over the years and how the people of the parish have seen fit to keep much of what was chucked into the dustbin at other churches during the early iconoclastic years of the season of silliness.

As a part of the ongoing stained glass window restoration, pictures of the two original windows in the west end gallery, covered up by the "wardrobes" (the divided cases of the 1958 Schantz organ that stand in either corner of the loft) have been posted to the parish website. It is hoped that sometime in the future the west gallery can be renovated such that the organ will occupy a single case in the center, thus restoring this and another window back to the full view of the congregation as they walk down the center aisle toward the west end doors. The St. Cecilia window is on the left side of the gallery.