Here's a blog many of us may enjoy: Fr. Cranky. Basically it's an anonymous conservative priest being incredibly frank. Definitely more frank than a priest should be, and I must say about half of the posts cross the line from frustration to uncharity. I would really rather not have this guy for a pastor. But so many of his posts I empathize with, as they echo thoughts I've had as a musician. Whether you find him brilliant, frightening, holy, unholy, charming, or despicable, it's a good read. And every so often, he has a great post like this.
EDIT: I fixed the link. He had to change blog names due to... er... copyright issues.
It does seem strange that, while he ponders letting parish staff go, he doesn’t account for the dependence on income that those staff members have probably developed. If my parish’s next pastor decides a FT music director is unnecessary, hopefully he will at least wait until I leave to discuss this with the administration! (Actually, that happened in my last parish; I was FT, and when I left, they decided—rightly, I believe—that a FT music director was overkill in a parish that size.)
This guy sounds like he'd be fun to work for. Staff's not taking the load off him, he's bombarded with questions from people they are supposed to train and organize...why pay a staff member who's not doing her/his job?
And when the whiners go up to him and complain about too much Latin and Gregorian Chant...he'd scorch them.
He links to this thread in his most recent entry... (http://frcranky.blogspot.com/2008/12/great-migration.html, paragraphs 6 and 7). Just thought I'd mention that. Whoever it is, he knows you're here!
Here's a routine reminder: Please stay on the original topic of the thread.
Charles - you have redeemed yourself from among this wicked generation!
Actually, I try to avoid generational stereotypes since I believe mine, Generation Y/the Myspace generation, is going to be FAR worse than the Boomers were. Lust for convenience, pragmatism, and entertainment knows no generational boundaries. I just hope Fr. C puts his zeal for orthodoxy to some good use in his parish, rather than despairing that nothing can be done. Until then, his blog is insanely entertaining to read, since I suspect so many of us have had those same frustrations, even as musicians.
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