TruthBeTold,

I don't know what kind of relationship you have with the new administration, but a humbly and kindly phrased letter that cites Vatican II, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI on the retention of Latin and Gregorian chant would certainly be in order. This letter could, perhaps, be copied to the chancery -- it depends on where your local ordinary and diocese are "at" with regard to these questions, but sometimes the mention of sending something to the bishop can make people nervous and back down. Also, surely mention that there was already a custom of long standing and, moreover, a custom that reflects the larger and very longstanding tradition of the Church... I don't know if any of this will help.

Ah, yes, don't forget to cite the new USCCB document "Sing to the Lord," which expressly recommends the use, and recovery where absent, of GC.

A staff member who copies the chancery is looking for a pink slip (and chanceries will invariably tend to support the monarchical powers of the pastor over staff). Parishioners (never anonymously) can escalate to the chancery if the pastor is unresponsive to the initial inquiry, but it's not worthwhile unless you have good reason to think the chancery would be sympathetic.

TruthBeTold, my experience has been that the musician can do NOTHING without the support of the priest.

"Friction" and division during Mass is not good.

So, 'don't cast your pearls before swine' --- in the sense that, you might not want to to try to "force" Gregorian chant in a situation where it will only cause friction. Go find a place that is open to it ...

--M. Jackson Osborn
Yes, I agree with what you have said. Unfortunately, there is no way to change the situation.

--ProfKwasniewski

Thank you very much for your recommendations.

--chonak
That is funny... yes... the Kyrie.

Yes, we sing the Mass and sometimes the diaglogues, but that is less since the new admin. However, we hope to implement the new chant that ICEL has ready for the New Missal.

We have been singing English propers, but they are being eliminated too.

--Liam
Totally. I don't think I am going there (above present powers that be)

--Brian Michael
Thank you for suggestions. I will look at those.

Where can one purchase the "Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles"?

--JMO
Yes... you think the way I do. No friction, but education in love.

--Charles in CenCA
They are determined to sing 'songs'... nothing else. All other things we have been doing, Gregorian chant, English propers, even solos, have been shelved in preference to active participation of the people.

Thank you everyone for your help and comments. I will let you know how things unfold as time goes on.

"Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles", is, sadly, out of print. It's Theodore Marier's hymnal for St. Paul Church in Cambridge, Mass., home of the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School.

There is a lot of grace to be gained from obedience.

I show my pastor as much trust and faithfulness as I can. He knows I will play whatever he asks:
even "Shepherd Me O God." In turn he eagerly accepts my choices when I offer a melismatic Alleluia as a more exciting alternative to his suggestion of the Celtic Alleluia, We have a good dynamic for a healthy chant filled liturgies. If he told me No Latin; I would defer to his authority over me with delight.I would suffer with joy, but I could still do a great job. And Father Kelly' s English chants are brilliant- if you can't sing Latin.
Our parish was once a bit closed to Latin , except for Taize. So I nurtured that repertoire ( that's got be worth something off my purgatory) and later gradually replaced the Taize with real Gregorian Antiphons. We still introduce new congregational chant hymns and songs in English and after time add the Latin text.

A pastor I worked with faced the "Latin Problem" by banning it form Mass, bit told me that we could sing all the Latin we wanted before and after Mass.

These bans come from complaints by influential people in the parish, not always the wealthy givers - as happens in some protestant churches - but rather the people who run the fish fries, the knights. People who have easy access to the pastor because of what they do.

The monday morning complaint calls are looked upon as mosquito bites and threats to leave the parish are welcomed. There seems to be a real disconnect between keeping the people happy and being a pastor. That must be the feudal aspect. Of course, when the only people you are responsible to you are the bishop and the pope. it's easy to go your own way not expecting the flyswatter of God to come down and wipe you out because you don't care about his people.

Michael Olbash: you don't work for the Catholic Church? But you make top-notch Gregorian recordings, correct?

Who only can be fired by Bishops and the Pope. And, aside from a few stellar priests, many who care less about whether people leave parishes.

JMO, yes, that's me!

FNJ, you remind us that the state of music is but a tiny symptom of a greater illness.

Wow, MJO... that is telling but very sad.

I think a sensible priest would interpret the rule thus: the folks who promulgated this rule weren't even thinking of Latin Mass ordinaries, and therefore didn't intend to ban them.

After all, surely the diocesan liturgy experts would not attempt to impose something so contrary to the Council's express intentions, let alone that they would try to con their wise bishop into signing off on it.

Or have you already received a written "no" in response to your inquiry letter?