Robert Prior, former organist and choir master of St. Michael's and Our Saviour during Fr. George Rutler's pastorate passed away on Sunday, July 8, 2018.

There will be a Memorial Mass at St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston, NY on Thursday, July 12 at 10:45 am.

The announcement can be read here: http://doylebshafferfh.tributes.com/obituary/show/Robert-Anthony-Prior-106244455.

Mr. Prior's musical skill, dedication, and vision were a key part of the outstanding liturgical ministry at Our Saviour during Fr. Rutler's tenure there. In addition to the rota of ordinary form Masses, he assisted with occasional celebrations of the Tridentine Latin Mass before Summorum Pontificum and the restoration of a weekly Sunday Missa Cantata in the extraordinary form after the motu proprio came into effect.

I worked with him at Our Saviour as one of the servers for the ordinary form High Mass and then as M.C. for the Latin Mass. He was an outstanding musician with excellent liturgical instincts (things that don't always go together!) and always a pleasure to work with, even when that was early in the morning, late at night, or at the end of a long week of Holy Week services. He was patient with our "big ideas" and "preferential option for the awesome," but also a wise adviser when we got too ambitious.

Some of his organ playing can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HLUNst2Iyg

Richard Chonak pointed me to some of his recordings of choral conducting here: http://www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com/recordings/additional/

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei, requiescat in pace.