This could be about any priest...

http://theblacksheepdog.us/

This could happen to any priest. In fact, when I first came across this website, I thought, "oh here we go again. Another priest who is whining because he has been "censured" by the Church authorities for preaching things that maybe were contrary to official teaching..."

Ooops, I assummed too soon, once I realized as I skimmed through it and gasped when I read the author's name at the bottom.

But I did find it interesting that much of what he said could have been from any priest--orthodox or heterodox!

(not to be airing the Church's dirty laundry or anything...)

EDIT:
Having no idea what was going on, or even any prior experience of Fr. Corapi, I was slightly confused about why he referred to himself as "no longer Father..." but this article helps me understand how I feel-
http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2011/06/my-first-reaction-to-corapi-news.html

Dear bishop of xxxx diocese (to which I am moving)

Why does it have to be so hard to find a job? All I want to do is serve the Church, really, honestly! I don't even have to paid a lot of money! All I want to do is to provide high-quality, sacred music, just like the Roman Catholic Church directs.

And the pastors and churches in your diocese are not exactly making it easy.

Here's a description of the last three full-time job openings in your diocese--

The most recent parish sounded very promising. They claim to appreciate both contemporary as well as traditional music, and say that their mission is in line with the values of the Second Vatican Council. Well, apparently we must not have read the same Vatican II documents, because after browsing around on their website for only a couple of minutes, I came upon a video of a large Mass from a couple years ago, and not only was the viewer blessed by "liturgical" dance, but the Mass also involved a large glass bowl filled with little pieces of leavened bread at the offertory. How original. (Um, the Eastern Churches beat you to that by a couple thousand years. Sorry guys, how about you stick with the directives for the ROMAN Catholic Church.)
I think I would cry every weekend if I worked there.

Also recently posted, is a parish that requires "comfort in various liturgical styles," as well as a Bachelor of Music, but declares that "no experience is necessary" for the applicant. Wow. Not sure how that would work. I was curious to discover more of what this church values, so I went to their website to read their mission statement. In the very first sentence of it, they call themselves an "open and welcoming Catholic community, centered in the Eucharist and celebrating God's gift of Diversity." Well, "Diversity" can be nice, but to put it right up there with the Eucharist? Hmmm... It appears that everywhere else on their website or bulletins that they use certain buzzwords, they are always capitalized, like "Peace and Justice" or "Diversity," but won't capitalize the word "bread" even when referring to the Eucharist. I only bothered to look at 3 of their recent bulletins, but 2 of them included pre-Vatican II bashing in the priest's bulletin article, as in "the bad old days when no one but priests or nuns were allowed to read the Bible." Moving along...

Prior to that, a parish that I had recently visited for a concert publicized a job opening. While at the concert, I noted that they had a pretty nice, new, organ, but that the "Stations of the Cross" around the sanctuary (which I believe are required in every Catholic Church?) were not exactly scenes from the Way of the Cross...they were more like "Happy Scenes from Jesus' Life." A church that does not appreciate the value of suffering, especially Christ's Redemptive Suffering, is not somewhere I want to be.

So, dear Bishop, please help me. Either find me somewhere to work; like I said, I really don't need a lot of money! I just want somewhere that will appreciate me! Somewhere that I can use music to glorify God, and not a parish whose theology centers around making people "feel good." Or else, please just lay the smack down in your diocese. Kick some butt, please. You're the bishop! I know of priests who get letters sent to the bishop because they preach things that are true and beautiful, (and those priests hear about it!) so why don't you do anything about priests who are actually disobedient to the directives of the Church? I know you won't do anything. Why bother.

With all respect,
-me

(A letter which I very seriously will consider sending if nothing changes in the next couple months!)

a job that I'm NOT going to apply for...

upon seeing a new job posting, always go and check out their recent bulletins, to find gems like this:

Those of us who grew up in the Catholic Church before Vatican II did not learn much about the bible or how to read it. In fact we were discouraged from reading it.

oh...those "bad ol' days..." when everything was sooo horrible!

for Catholics:

why do some priests give really long homilies and then use the shortest Eucharistic Prayer?

I don't really care what you have to say. I want the Sacrifice!

:-/

"Great Amen"

So, at most Catholic churches, the "Great Amen" at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer is taken as an opportunity to bring out all the bells and whistles and to make the loudest most complicated setting of music for a two syllable word ever.

I suspect that this tradition originated with some quote from St. Jerome about this particular "Amen" making the pagan temples tremble, or something like that.

However, at St. P, for pretty much the whole time I have been there, we have been singing the simple two-tone "A-me-en" that is the appropriate response to the tone on which the priest sang the final doxology. I wonder what people notice when they hear that and are used to hearing a much more complicated and un-chant-like version?

For myself, now that I am used to it, I am always struck with appropriateness and ease with which it is sung. In fact, I find that when I go to other parishes and the priest sings the doxology, and my mouth opens in preparation to sing the final, easy, fluid Amen, I am literally *jarred* when the instruments interrupt loudly to introduce us to some loud, completely unrelated, musical ditty.

And to those who might argue that this "simple Amen" is not "resounding" enough to qualify within the writings of church history? Well, you should have been at my church for confirmation this week when the bishop sang the doxology. The church was completely packed, and let me tell you, boy, did that "Amen" resound. It was the most natural thing in the world. Every single person sang it, and not one felt "forced." A glorious sound to attempt to sum up the majesty of the Consecration.

cardinals

am I not that funny, or is this the funniest Fr. Z quote that I have ever read?

Lastly, I have a single male Cardinal visiting regularly. I hope he finds a girlfriend soon and starts a local consistory.

this is interesting...

I love reading things like this on the VIS and thinking "this doesn't happen every day..."

"OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father removed Bishop William M. Morris from the pastoral care of the diocese of Toowoomba, Australia."

and then going and reading more thorough articles...

one of my heros

seriously. and this hardly shows a sliver of his genius

Triduum

I was feeling pretty blah earlier this week, thinking about tonight, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday and all the liturgies that I have to do and the work the choir had to do, and especially about how little sleep I'm going to get on Saturday night! and so I was just sort of wishing that it would just hurry up and be Easter afternoon already!

But during Mass tonight (which was absolutely beautiful, btw, more on that later...) I almost began to cry several times, realizing that this will be my last Holy Week at St. P, and wondering where I will be next year. I honestly have NO idea. It's pretty scary.

I am pretty sure, that never again will I experience another church, where the congregation heartily sings the Latin chants of the Mass, where they sing six verses in latin of the Pange Lingua, where a parish of 500 families can produce a choir that can pull off Durufle's 6-part Ubi Caritas!

I am so blessed. I can't even begin to describe it. But, I will admit, it took work. I had four Holy Week's here before I've felt this way; weeks of anxiety and not-singing-anything-terribly-impressive lol.

Here's the lineup:

Holy Thursday:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Gloria VIII
Psalm: Our Blessing Cup (a contemporary SSA arrangement)
Gospel Accl: Respond & Acclaim
Washing of Feet: (I wish we had more appropriate music to sing that reflected the proper texts for this time, but unfortunately everything that is in the hymnal of a "servant" character is either extremely trite, or else theologically questionably appropriate.)
Ah,Holy Jesus
Glory Be to Jesus
Offertory: Ubi Caritas (Durufle! woot woot! and they rocked!)
Ordinary: The usual
Communion:
Hoc Corpus
O Domine (Palestrina)
Humbly We Adore (Adoro Te)
Sing My Tongue (6 verses, Latin)

Good Friday
Psalm: Respond & Acclaim
Veneration of the Cross:
Reproaches
Psalm 51- Miserere (4-part chanted setting by some 20th century Italian, can't remember whom, alternating with chant)
Were You There (if needed)
Offertory (or whatever it's called): What Wondrous Love
Communion:
Pater, Si Non
Sing My Tongue (Picardy)

Easter Vigil:
7 Psalms (mix of R & A and CTK Psalms)
Gloria: chant
Psalm/Alleluia: R & A
Litany of the Saints (Becker, with REAL Saint names.)
Vidi Aquam
Offertory: At the Lamb's High Feast
Communion:
Pascha Nostrum
Worthy is the Lamb (Fishel)
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol)
I Know that My Redeemer Lives (Duke Street)

Good Friday

I have always noticed that the Gregorian Missal (Graduale Romanum), from which I base most of the music for Mass, is strangely silent on music at Communion on Good Friday. Since it isn't even a Mass, there isn't a "communion antiphon."
Given that, this year, I was thinking that we would just have silence for Communion, since that seems not only appropriate on Good Friday, but that seems to be what the book is telling me, as well as being a lot easier for the choir to not have to sing for an additional 5-10 minutes!

Then I came across this thread on my favorite forum, which seems to give other sources that do suggest that there is appropriate music.
http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4574

Sigh, what to do. It's barely a week away! And I have like 2 or 3 choir rehearsals before then (with lots else to learn!)

Either silence will be starkly appropriate, or else 7 minutes of awkwardness. lol.

I almost fell off my chair!

I just got an email from our diocesan worship person regarding music/liturgy for First Communion Masses, and at the bottom it said this:

"Since our parishes use such a variety of hymnals, I do not have a list of music suggestions for Holy Communion. However, I do not recommend the theology found in "Take the Bread, Children" by Herbert Brokering (GIA). ".

woot! finally! something remotely helpful from them!

pontifical (low? solemn? something) Mass!