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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Solemn Mass • Ruins of Saint Mary’s Cathedral (Nagasaki, 1949)

Jeff Ostrowski · November 10, 2020

ERY SOON, December 7th will be here. On that day in 1949, most Rev’d Paul Aijirō Yamaguchi, Archbishop of Nagasaki, celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass on the ruins of Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Nagasaki. This was in honor of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier in Japan and concluded with veneration of the right forearm—the arm he used to conduct blessings and baptisms—of Saint Francis Xavier (inside a reliquary). Father Xavier was a very important Catholic priest whom Father Valentine Young spoke about in one of his sermons.

Nagasaki remained largely devastated by the atomic blast of 1945. Its people were still dying—slowly—from radiation poisoning. Nevertheless, they wanted to honor Saint Francis Xavier, and somebody had a camera:

A different angle shows what is left of the Cathedral:

Here is yet another angle:

More photographs:

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Mass Outside Invalid?

Due to government restrictions, California has been “locked down” since March, and all our Masses are celebrated outside. A few weeks ago, someone on Facebook—who not surprisingly calls himself an ultra-traditionalist Catholic—was promoting the idea that all Masses offered outside are “invalid.” This theologian (self-proclaimed) even mockingly referred to outdoor Masses as “tent revivals.”

It would be good to remind everyone that, objectively speaking, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is of infinite value no matter where it’s offered: in a prison cell, outside under a tent, inside a church, and so forth. Indeed, Views from the Choir Loft for decades has been posting striking photos of the Mass celebrated outside. Saint Charles Garnier frequently offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on a boat while traveling from France to Canada. By the way, Father Garnier died on 7 December 1649AD.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 1949 Traditional Latin Mass Ruins Nagasaki, Mass During World War Last Updated: November 18, 2023

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The chapter orders that any cathedral singer or instrumentalist who uses a paid leave of absence to try out for a post elsewhere shall automatically forfeit his post at Seville Cathedral.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla Cathedral: Chapter Resolution (7 September 1565)

Recent Posts

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  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?

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