We do have moderators here to deal with questions of appropriate content for the forum, and the first guidance about content is in the Forum Etiquette Rules (see link in the right column on the main page).

Users with concerns about someone else's posting can contact any of us (me, G, Adam Bartlett, Aristotle Esguerra, AOZ, Jeffrey Tucker). JT's the final authority as Publications Director.

So if you're feeling censorious, there's a process you can use.

Slowly but surely, she turns them away with her terrible attitude. It is an unfortunate situation, but nobody dares to complain.

And why not? Is it not your responsibility to do so?

It may be hard to prove this kind of bad behavior. People can deny it.

It might be necessary to make your own "paper trail" of events over the next year or so, to demonstrate what's happening.

I'm sorry. Prayers.

"We don't want the choir to collapse completely."

It sounds like you can't expect the problem to be solved under the current director, going by your description of the situation.

Idea: can the sane members of the choir be of service outside of the parish? Sing at nursing homes, etc.? It would be good to have a more positive experience of working and singing together, and applying the abilities of the members.

They are in a co-dependent relationship. Neither of them would want to leave because they won't find another church that pays so well. She brings in a big donation from a third party every year for the music program. He needs a place to stay over on Saturdays; her apartment is close by. In return, she gets many more solos/weddings/funerals than other professional choir members. It's all too complicated.

So this is a reason not to stand up for what is right? Let them continue to poison things, creating a toxic environment...

Theo, just out of curiosity and not veiled criticism, what is the rationale for preparing a different Ordinary setting for every Sunday? Is this akin to the Msgr. Schuler programming? How does the congregation figure into such a schema?

just out of curiosity and not veiled criticism, what is the rationale for preparing a different Ordinary setting for every Sunday? Is this akin to the Msgr. Schuler programming? How does the congregation figure into such a schema?

I'm not familiar with the Msgr. Schuler programming. Please give me a quick overview if you can. In my town, a good number of churches program a different Mass Ordinary every Sunday at the principal Mass with choir. The more elaborate music suits the solemn character, which is often augmented by the use of incense and a longer procession. These Ordinary settings are choral settings, not congregational settings. People who attend the choir Mass stand and listen while the Mass parts are sung. Another reason for using the choral Mass settings is that there is such a vast literature over the centuries. It's good to draw on that part of our culture when churches have the resources to do it. As far as I know, some people love to hear a different setting every week. Some people are indifferent. Some don't like it because it feels like going to a concert. At the other Masses, congregational settings are used but most people don't sing (not uncommon in Catholic churches).

So this is a reason not to stand up for what is right? Let them continue to poison things, creating a toxic environment...

This will end when we the long-time volunteers are too old to sing. This will happen gradually over the next 5-10 years. Or when the choir director or the soprano section leader decides to leave. That depends on how the church wants to finance the music program. If neither of them wants to leave, we the outsiders can't do anything. We can't force them to resign, nor can anyone ask the church to fire them. So we try to be as civil as possible. Just too bad we can never attract a younger crowd to join us.

I think this particular local issue has been covered enough here on the forum, OK?

Sounds good to me, Chonak.

Well, questions about personal opinions and experiences tend to have digressions; it happens so often that I don't try to stop them. Also, such questions tend to be of broader scope than questions about objective facts and interpretations, so it's hard to say what is off-topic or on-topic.