FNJ, where do you want me to hold my "Beatles" pick? Hardee har har.
And with that I'll also have anchovies with my slices, thank you.
Speaking of humor, did you yourself catch the double entendre of pizza from
"PAPA JOHN?"
Ooh, the smoke of wood fired ovens wafts through the basilica walls! Cue the Church Lady!

we dont need to explore any more
there is already a treasure in our store
stop the experimentation we boldly implore
and then beauty will restore
the liturgy that is a bore

please pass the pepperoni and anchovies
i love vegetarians... they are very tasty!
(they roam the wilderness here in wy)

The one and only diocesan music workshop I attended, the speaker, who was supposed to show us how to implement music along with the new translations, focused on the modern pop-tune style Mass settings, basically made fun of chant saying that it doesn't work with English (while discouraging the idea of doing Latin chant, too), and entirely ignored the propers. What I got out of it? A "free" cold cut meal, an empty tank of gas, and the knowledge that nothing was changing in the diocese.

"I regret that I am unavailable because of previous commitments as I am still trying to master the intricate elements in Missa Lunatic."

Even better.

I believe that she is doing penance in chains in the crypt in the bowels of the cathedral the diocese until she recants and agrees to sing it. Being fed bread and water but also undergoing audio torture being forced to listen to the top hits of the St. Louis Jesuits 24 hours a day IN SPANISH TRANSLATION.

There is no wifi there. There is no hope.

I do love her willingness to speak up, no holds barred. People like her used to become tennis-shoe wearing sisters, clamoring to be ordained priests. She's taken the high road.
Benedict-gal, you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight....

It must be low blood sugar. It's all you can eat ribs at Buddy's BarBeQue tonight....best time to go, not for the all you can eat, but ribs are fresher from smoker to plate on a day like this.

Charles in CenCA said...

"TCJ,
I didn't know you worked in the Fresno Diocese! "

Apparently that diocese reaches far and wide!


CharlesW said...

"Noel, the pastor banned Missa Luna some months ago. He said he never wanted to hear it again. :-) "

Is that the one that sounds like dance music from the Caribbean islands?

TCJ, why yes, yes it does. Save for maybe Alaska, Fresno contains the largest geographical square mileage mass, I believe, in the contiguous. So wherever you are, there we are!
Should our new bishop ask my advice, I would recommend a helo, one with 50 calibre spray capability and some sort of liturgical napalm. So, just as he dismounts somewhere. whether near the Sierras, the Mohave, Bakersfield, Fressssszno, he can do a JPII crouching and declare "I love the smell of orthodoxy in the morning, it smells of....of...LITURGY!"

Oh, I forgot the Maine. Arkansas is bigger at what? Our Walmarts are quite big too! I've seen some of their chickens in adverts and not only are they scrawny, they have no scruples and are involved in more coverups than the Clintons, like that's possible. Think about it, Arkansas is a state whose capitol is Little Rock, but I don't know the city-see of Arkansas, but at least we have "SACRAMENTO!" But then again, we are the Diocese of Fresno, or "ashes," yes? As biblical as that may be, I'm troubled by an association with a Pelagianistic Lenten ditty that some of our own might not realize after Shrove Tuesday, which likely also occurs in Arkansas. Now I'm lost, it's all very Steinbeckian.

I gave up on these sorts of things. I joined a Cathedral Choir and never looked back except when I wanted to scare myself.

I played some 400 masses of "Mass for Moderns", which you probably don't have in the US. It originated here in Sydney, Australia and many people were glad to see it die when the new missal translation came out... and then some idiot adapted it to the new text.

If any of you want to try something from the colonies, take a look at Mass of Christ the Redeemer by Bernard Kirkpatrick.

My favourite mass settting (which I have sung) is Missa Papae Marcelli.

As one who has priest friends in Little Rock, I second Doug's commentary.

When I hear the terms, "diocesan" and "liturgy" used together, I go into hiding until it is over.

No offense taken, Charles. I just wanted it on the record! :-)

I am somewhat different than some of our diocesan musicians. I can read both text and music, don't want to be "uplifted" at liturgy, actually have a degree in music - among other degrees - and can't stand Haugen/Joncas/Haas compositions or hymnals titled "Gather," whether comprehensive, reprehensive or amalgamated.

A more significant factor, and on a more serious note, is that my pastor and I have followed the revision process for the Roman Missal for some years now. We have read and discussed relevant church documents including GIRM. We think we are doing exactly what we are supposed to do in both liturgy and music. Nothing there to "workshop" about.

Too funny, Noel. I don't get out much, but I would hope it's not that bad.

I have met a couple of the newer musicians in Catholic parishes in my city. They are pretty good, for the most part. One of them is Protestant, but what denomination I know not. I suspect music may deteriorate a bit outside the bigger cities in the diocese.

I haven't been to anything like you describe. Maybe staying home is a good thing.

Did someone call me?

I am sorry. I have been absent. My beloved Aunt Mattie died and I had to take some time off to regroup. That is why I haven't even been blogging. It was rough. She was literally my second mother. Nonetheless, I am doing better.

Now, regarding the dreaded Missa Luna, that is certainly an abomination, along with the likes of Marty Haugen, Bob Hurd and such. For my Aunt's funeral Mass, I had to deal with the soloist's insistence on New Heritage Mass. The celebrant did not sing it; he would rather have had ICEL. What boggles the mind is that the soloist/organist is a member of the diocesan liturgical committee. She might know how to read music, but, her liturgical training is scant. The only concession I got was to chant the psalm, the Gospel Acclamation and the SEP Communion antiphon (as well as picking the Entrance, Offertory and Communion hymns). I just could not deal with Heritage Mass.

Sadly, this diocese has never seen fit to invest any proper time or treasure to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, especially in the area of Sacred Music. When we have had speakers, it's mostly been Peter Kolar and David Kauffman and what they did was just promote their stuff, not the Church's mindset on Sacred Music. My own parish did send folks to OCP gatherings, but, they did not learn anything about sacred music, just whatever OCP was peddling.

The end result is that we get stuck with drek from OCP in English and in Spanish. Parish music ministers take "Today's Liturgy" as gospel truth and know next to nothing about Musicam Sacram and Sacramentum Caritatis. They do not know that the Communion Chant is supposed to begin the moment the celebrant communicates and that the dreaded "sending forth" song is not supposed to go on into eternity.

How I wish we had Oratorians in my diocese. Brownsville is lucky to have them.

Cute, CW. But I do have friends in the trenches up there, one who stood by my wife at our wedding almost 39 years ago. I don't like, at all, how their think tank works, but the worker bees there aren't to be indemnified by association with a corporate gestalt of economic self-preservation which comes naturally to every human soul.
You wanna exorcize OCP, convince pastors everywhere that their economic modem will dry up sooner than they estimate by our righteous clarion to Intellectual Freedom.
However, jovial prayers of exorcism of the whole corpus are folly really. And, truth be told, likely a scandal upon any number of true believers who happen to earn a paycheck signed by John Limb. Let's play fair.

Charles, the best way to deal with OCP is to not buy their products. Be in the world, not of the world. ;-) OCP is certainly not the only publisher around, and all of them have gotten too powerful and influential. I am of the opinion that publishers should serve the church, not run it musically and liturgically.

I have heard far, far worse than Heritage Mass.

Heritage Mass is quite nice, for a metrical setting, from OCP, none the less. I'd take it any day over some of the other stuff they sell...

Ben, the organist/soloist was given the ICEL chants with plenty of time. She could have done them, but, she said that they were too much to learn. I just wanted my Aunt to have music that was fitting. At least I spared her from having "Here I Am, Lord", "How Great Thou Art", "Amazing Grace" and "Eagle's Wings" at her funeral, which is what the soloist/organist uses as her standards.

the problem is that many, many parishes do not know any better. Dioceses, my own, in particular, certainly don't know any better, either. When our own Cathedral broadcasts its Sunday Masses featuring Mariachis (OK, that is AWFUL we do not have these!) who do not know what liturgical season they are in, let alone what sacred music is, there is a serious problem

Yes, that. I did not know better but where was I to learn? I'm happy there is the thread about being nice to the newbies. Often there is simply no where to go for help. Mea culpa.

As you know, bishops come, and bishops go. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Good quote, Wendi.

At the opening inservice mass for the teachers of my Diocese the music teachers (I am one) got together to plan the liturgy. I mentioned that we needed to stay away from OCP music and start educating our fellow teachers on the beauty of chant. I was torn town, hands down. The cry was "no way!!!! The music was guitars, drums, tambourines, flutes, piano and trumpet. I was forced to sing as it's part of my job to "provide good music for the Diocesan masses along with the other music teachers". How sad! The next big mass is in the spring. I shutter at the thought!