In a recent post, Father Donnelly publishes a letter which he wrote to his parishioners, "Why We Are Singing Gregorian Chant" wherein he articulates clearly the mind of the Church and the desires of the Popes and the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. This letter is with reference to the celebration there at St. Jude's Parish and Shrine, primarily for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. One Sunday Mass is in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite integrated fully into the life of the parish and two are in the Ordinary Form in English with Gregorian chant with Solemn Vespers every Sunday afternoon:
"My motive for having you all learn to sing the chant is part of my priestly fidelity to lead you more deeply into the mind of the Church on sacred music and ultimately to enter into the true spirit of the Mass, which the chant, in its beauty, movement and text is geared to do. Admittedly it is a challenge for us all, but once we have a familiarity with this great treasure of the Church, we will find consolation and spiritual benefit."
Just do it!
5 comments:
Interesting that this headline appeared on my reader at the same time as yours.
Looking at your link to Fr. Lawrence Donnelly's blog makes me wonder why some of our shepherds make statements
such as this, " In 1966, the church interior is changed to
conform to the new liturgy and language changes made in keeping with liturgical directives inspired by the Second Vatican Council. The high altar and communion rail were removed, new platforms were built and confessionals added to the back of the church and removed from the
sacristy." .
I'm hoping that that statement was just something lifted from a parish history someone wrote, and not the personal expression of the blogger's mind. Nowhere did the Church mandate that high altars and communion rails be removed. In fact, given that kneeling is the Church's preferred way to receive Holy Communion, you could argue that in order to accommodate the preferred practice, communion rails are required in churches. At Saint Jude's, Vancouver, the communion rail was never removed. After I became parish priest there, with the advice of the pastoral council we started to use it again. The parish went from 100% of the people standing for Holy Communion, to 80-90% kneeling to receive, when given the option. Talk about your "vox populi". Children and young people especially are unanimous for the practise of kneeling for Holy Communion, not by their words, but by their choice of using this profoundly biblical and Christian gesture of kneeling in adoration in the presence of our Blessed Lord. Remember Saint Augustine wrote that before we receive Our Lord, we must adore Him first.
didobonaparte this link (http://archbishopterry.blogspot.com/2010/03/st-casimir-photo-round-up-visit-to-st.html )
might give you an insight as to the source of the above comments.
I hope that you won't be shocked.
Anonymous, I think dibonaparte followed the link thus his comment about "hoping!"
Truly, I'm hoping the same thing!
Anonymous, I did check out the link. I think the archbishop of Ottawa is to smart too be the original author of those comments. The text just looked like a "cut and paste" from a typical parish history write up and he didn't pay much attention. It was a blog after all, which by its nature is rather informal and off-the-cuff, and not an official church document which requires a great deal of time to produce. Call me naive, but I would rather err on the side of charity than have a permanent cynical outlook. After all, when the Titanic looks like it may be sinking, lets not worry about the arrangements of the deck chairs.
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