SSGG's Schola Assists at Masses in Prineville, Madras

Part of the mission of the Society of St. Gregory the Great is to enhance all legitimate forms of worship, and to add some Latin chant to Novus Ordo English Masses in the Diocese of Baker.  

To this end, the Schola Cantorum of the Society of St. Gregory the Great visited St. Joseph Church in Prineville on October 29, and sang some of the Latin chants for the 6pm Saturday night Mass. Four members of the schola sang the first chants of the Kyrie Simplex for the Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei; they sang the Gloria from the Missa de angelis.  

The Schola also sang an English hymn at the beginning of Mass; the offertory hymn was Adoro te, devote; and the chant Ave Verum was sung for Holy Communion. As a recessional, the simple Salve Regina was chosen.

This was the Schola’s second visit to St. Joseph’s. Father Robert Greiner, pastor of St. Joseph’s, was happy to welcome the schola back. He sang most of the prayers and responsories of the Mass. Since there is no one who normally sings at the Mass except Father Greiner, it was an occasion he wanted to celebrate with as much singing as possible. This puts him right in step with the intentions of the US Bishops: the new Roman Missal contains more music than any previous edition, and the Bishops are encouraging priests to sing their parts of the Mass.

The Schola has also sung at St. Patrick Church in Madras. The pastor, Father Luis Flores-Alva, has invited them to return at the end of November. Father Flores-Alva is currently having his choir trained to sing a simple Latin Mass, as well as a Mass written in both English and Latin.

This is all in keeping with the documents of Vatican II, which state that the faithful should be able to sing Latin chants for the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei – and this is the minimal level of knowledge to be expected.  Besides reflecting the mind of the Church, the use of Latin and Gregorian chant in the Mass can also be a unifying factor in multicultural congregations.

The Society of St. Gregory the Great is willing to help any parish or choir who desires assistance with the Latin chants. A monthly chant workshop is held in Bend. In addition, on November 11-12, we are hosting a “Mystical Body, Mystical Voice” workshop which addresses the changes that we’ll be experiencing with the new translation beginning on November 27.  

See the side bar for more information on the workshops, or contact Stephanie Swee at swee0574@gmail.com or Judith (Jay) Boyd at drjayboyd@msn.com with any questions.

Liturgy "By the Book"

Many people in many parishes seem to be under the impression that what goes on at Mass is determined by the Liturgy Committee. Not so! With the new translation of the Roman Missal coming into use on the first Sunday of Advent, the fact that there really is a "right way to do it" may get a little more exposure.

Here are a few important points about the liturgy:

1. The Catholic Church is not a democracy. There are instructions, mandates, and guidelines that we either must or should follow with regard to the liturgy.

2. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) tells us how to “do” the Mass. It is an instruction, not a suggestion!

3. There are specific guidelines for the music in the Liturgy. We should not look at it as what “we” want for “our parish”, but rather, what the Church has in mind for liturgical music. This applies also to the furnishings and decoration of the church and sanctuary; the GIRM contains a chapter on this.

4. There have been several instructions on music in the liturgy issued from the Vatican. Many of the mandates contained in them have gone by the wayside in the US. This does not excuse us from knowing what we are supposed to do. We can read them for ourselves.

5. Canon law supports the right and the duty of Catholics to request and to be granted an authentic liturgy. We should ask that things be done properly, and we should make known to the proper authorities when things are not done properly. So if a person or group asks for a liturgy that follows the rubrics, their request has canonical authority behind it. Asking for things that are not provided for in the GIRM or other documents, or which are prohibited, carry no weight at all and amount to an attempt to hijack the liturgy for one’s own purposes.

6. Latin is the official language of the Church. Vatican II documents on the liturgy and music stated explicitly that the people should be able “to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 54, #1 – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). The "Ordinary" includes the Gloria, Kyrie, Sanctus (Holy holy), and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). We should all know those, in Latin!

7. As adults in the Church, we should all be actively seeking to grow in our faith. We cannot effectively pass on the faith to our children if we don’t know any more than they do. When we bring the liturgy down to the level of the children, we are not doing them any favors. They will come to see "church" as something "for little kids".

8. The music and the furnishings and décor of any Catholic church – the environment in which we celebrate Mass – should suggest and be conducive to awe and reverence. It's not about creating a "friendly" or "comfortable" atmosphere; our churches should reflect the fact that they are sanctuaries of God - the King of the Universe!

9. Maybe all of this, or most of it, or some of it, is new to you. If you did not know about these things before this, now I have given you the information, even if past, current, or future pastors did not or do not. What you do with it is up to you, but we are all held accountable by God to know these things. You can read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal here.

The treasury of our Catholic heritage is rich. It's time to rediscover it!