In what ways has your priest supported you?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,609
    Those golden moments...tells us about them.
  • ContinuousbassContinuousbass
    Posts: 357
    At one of our parishes we have a newly ordained priest who also loves Gregorian Chant. He noticed the chant Magnificat on my binder one day, and I was able to tell him about my experiences with chant.

    Looking at my binder he says "is that your music"?? He was astounded that anyone knew how to read it.

    He is very supportive and takes my side, so we really appreciate his masses and what he says in the homily. It is certainly nice to meet a priest that wouldn't dare kowtow to anti-chant crowd.

    He didn't really have to do anything to earn our respect, he just comes to us the way he is naturally, so that was fairly golden.
    Thanked by 8noel jones, aago M. Jackson Osborn ZacPB189 ClergetKubisz CHGiffen nun_34 KyleM18 Casavant Organist
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,008
    More than once he's forgiven my sins and restored me to God's grace...
    Thanked by 10mmeladirectress tsoapm matildac MarkThompson nun_34 KyleM18 Casavant Organist donr Vilyanor moderntrad
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,189
    I work for what I consider to be one of the best priests I have ever worked for in terms of ability, interest and vision. For the first time that I have known, I meet once a week with him to discuss music matters, liturgical needs and other matters. When I arrived, he asked me when I could do the Durufle requiem. I dropped my teeth and said it would take a while. I have ample money to support the program. He visits my choirs and encourages them in their work. He practices his singing with me. And thanks me for my work. Together we will make a great program.

    I am really blessed...I know.
    Thanked by 10M. Jackson Osborn canadash CHGiffen tsoapm Salieri nun_34 KyleM18 Casavant Organist BruceL rich_enough
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,386
    Surely, there are more!?
    Thanked by 1noel jones, aago
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    I no longer work for Fr. Peter Fitzgibbons, since I live on the wrong side of the Rocky Mountains now, but I was blessed to not need to meet with him often: I understood his expectations and he understood my inclinations... and they matched. We read (independently) the expectations of the Church and the situation in which we both labored.......

    What a blessing it is to have the confidence of one's pastor. All these years later, I still have fond memories.

    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn mmeladirectress
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,386
    There still must be more!!!?
    Thanked by 2noel jones, aago Casavant Organist
  • moderntradmoderntrad
    Posts: 49
    My pastor is the easiest guy to work for - he lets me run my music program and trusts my judgement. After working for him for a month, I asked to meet with him (my position is part-time, and I'm at the parish a couple of nights a week along with the sung masses throughout the week, so I don't have many unscheduled opportunities to meet with him on the regular for any length of time). We sat down and I asked, "Is there anything that I've been doing that you dislike or would like me to change?" His reply will always stick with me. He chuckled and said, "Are you doing anything that I should dislike? I hired you because I had faith that you could do the job better than me. Just don't do anything too happy clappy, and I'll never tell you what to sing."

    Sounds good to me!
    Thanked by 4Casavant Organist M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen BruceL
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,089
    a new organist once asked me if she could do Beethoven's Ode to Joy. As I knew she had already started practicing, for reinforcements I referred it to Father and he said... not no, but 'certainly not'. :-)
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn moderntrad
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    My relationship with my pastor is similar to "Moderntrad's" relationship with his priest. He never tells me what to do. We have similar goals when it comes to liturgical music.

    We had an associate who has since moved to the Cathedral. I hope to work for him someday. He was right out of the seminary and last year asked for a fully sung Mass on the Feast of Christ the King which fell on the Feast of St. Cecilia. We really worked well together toward a beautiful Mass. He takes time to properly learn his parts and involves me with questions and ideas where needed. He never minded being "bother" when I had something to discuss.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen moderntrad
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,609
    This lack of response reflects badly on priests or us!
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Alternatively, Noel, people may be too busy to comment here?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,609
    People who are strongly supportive of their priests and are interested in letting priests know that their work with us is appreciated would seem to be motivated.

    Otherwise they only hear about the negative complaints and we all gain that reputation.
  • ryandryand
    Posts: 1,640
    After switching to hymns and vernacular propers, we were getting emails from a very nasty woman - who would send her rants about music TO THE ENTIRE STAFF (including the school). It went on for months, and these emails were like 10 paragraphs of rambling each time.

    Finally the pastor hit "reply all" and suggested that she attend Mass elsewhere if our parish was making her so unhappy.
    Thanked by 3Continuousbass moderntrad Vilyanor
  • matildacmatildac
    Posts: 15
    I don't run the programme at our (tiny) cathedral--far from it, because that job doesn't exist in our diocese!--but I have had wonderful experiences with our rector. It was he who has pushed for choirs for all but one of our Sunday masses, because after looking at Sacrosanctum Concilium etc, he realised that he could help make the cathedral the exemplar of sacred music for the diocese. He also visits practices, which is really encouraging. This, despite being not a very musical man, or much exposed to hymnody and chant, as far as I can tell.

    When our director gently reminds him about reopening discussion about the proposed organ scholarships, his first question is "How much?", and his second, "Are you sure that'd be enough?" (Not, of course, that we musicians should be profligate, but I was absolutely stunned at not having to justify any amount in the first place.)
    Thanked by 6M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen canadash moderntrad kevinf noel jones, aago
  • stulte
    Posts: 355
    Mine let's me do what I do best: sing, play, direct (along with letting my group sing my own polyphonic compositions) traditional Catholic sacred music.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn noel jones, aago
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,077
    I'm in an odd situation, serving the EF under a MD who in turn serves the pastor (who does NOT say the EF). We have a rotation of 4 Latin Mass priests. And the best thing they have done for me is NOTHING. They don't get in my face about music choices, I try to keep them informed about doing oddball Masses. There's only really been one problem in 2.5 years.
  • Matthew
    Posts: 31
    We had a family (a few months back) insist on bringing in drums, guitars etc to do music for their deceased mothers funeral. One daughter claimed to be a church music expert (you know the type). During the 3rd meeting with this family to explain why we were unwilling to allow this, the cathedral rector told them they'd need to find their own priest and ministers as none of our cathedral staff would participate. We got up and left. After a few minutes the family came to us and had agreed to let us handle the liturgical arrangements for their mothers funeral. I've never been more proud and impressed by our rector then at that moment.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn Reval canadash rich_enough
  • Jen
    Posts: 28
    I've been very blessed to have a pastor that gives me full support and lets me do my job. I've always been impressed by the way he responds to those who complain about antiphons or the Latin chant by simply saying "I don't have any trouble singing along (with English antiphons)" or "I found it very moving."

    In the beginning he wasn't so sure about the antiphons/chants we used (we began with SEP and SCG) - but he didn't stop me from using them. Now he gets all choked up whenever we sing or he brings up in conversation the Offertory "Come and hear, all who fear God. I will tell what he did for my soul." (from SCG) To him, there is no song to compare to it.

    Now he is encouraging the director of our guitar/piano group to move in the direction of antiphons with contemporary music settings. No prompting needed.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen tsoapm eft94530
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