When this forum, started it was small and served a community that was seriously engaged in the sacred music project and need an opportunity to communicate. Over the years, matters have changed. It is now the world's major portal in English for all information concerning Catholic music. The membership is gigantic and the traffic global in scope. Google loves it. All spiders do. It is a tool of education, evangelization, and community building.

I know you are aware of this most of the time. We need to maintain decorum and decency in every way, not making it too much of an insiders club, and being aware that most people come here without a clear sense of the Roman rite and its demands. The Newbies need to learn and they need to encounter an open space with a positive outlook toward what is possible.

If, on the other hand, they encounter factionalism, wrangling, political argument, negativity on everything, cries of heresy, and the like, we will not be doing the cause any favors. Folks, this forum can make the difference in what the future looks like. You can make the difference in parish after parish just by the things you post here.

So many of you are contributing so generously of your time and talent. This is great work, a real service. So many grateful for this. Diversity of course is welcome and good, and forthrightness about your opinions is a good thing, provided that they are stated with a good will.

Let's just be aware that the spirit alive here can make the difference.

The CMAA has never tried to police this space. This stems from the conviction that letting people sort things out for themselves will lead to the best possible results in the end. I would just like to encourage collegiality and generosity going forward, that is, using this freedom responsibly.

It is an odd thing how this forum has ending up as a global portal to changing the face of Catholic music. No one set out to make it that. But you built it into that and now we must all face the responsibilities that have fallen to us.