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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

Jeff Ostrowski • Article Archive

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He completed studies in Education and Musicology at the graduate level. Having worked as a church musician in Los Angeles for ten years, in 2024 he accepted a position as choirmaster for Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Michigan, where he resides with his wife and children. —Read full biography (with photographs).

Jeff Ostrowski · March 19, 2014

“Anticipated” Mass or “Vigil” Mass on Saturday Night?

“Father Calewaert opposed the proposal because it would gravely damage Sunday.”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 17, 2014

Gregorian Chant As A “Weapon” — Seriously?

A drafter of USCCB guidelines on church music has said: “Some individuals and organizations seemingly use chant as a weapon to advance their agenda and judge others.”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 11, 2014

1970s Theology Has Affected The Celebration Of Mass

“The first task of all specially designated ministers is to serve the assembly. Their conscious and deliberate target is to help the assembly bring itself to life…” — Fr. Eugene Walsh

Jeff Ostrowski · March 10, 2014

“Father Bugnini has only one interest: press ahead and finish.” — Cardinal Antonelli, 1967

“Paul VI … declared that he had been hurt by certain arbitrary liturgical experiments and pained by a certain tendency to de-sacralize the liturgy.” — Cardinal Antonelli (19 April 1967)

Jeff Ostrowski · March 9, 2014

Church music need not sound “Catholic” says drafter of USCCB guidelines

The author calls people who appreciate Gregorian chant “conservative” and those who don’t “liberal.” Are such labels really helpful?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 4, 2014

How Many Syllables Does The Word “Catholic” Have?

Do you sing “ain-juhl” or “ain-jell” for the word “ANGEL” ? Do you sing “hevv-ihn” or “heav’n” for the word “HEAVEN” ?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2014

Should Catholics Kneel At Mass?

To be absolutely clear: President Barack Obama is not the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2014

Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli Speaks About Roman Missal, Third Edition

Bishop Serratelli says “most bishops are bald” because the confirmandi cannot answer basic questions when they are examined.

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2014

Peter Wagner 1903 Kyriale In Gregorian Notation

Dr. Franz Karl Prassl has given us a tremendous gift.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 24, 2014

Reform Of The Reform: A Perspective

“How much annoyance among our loyal Catholics could have been avoided if evidence had been provided that various elements had been taken from old sacramentaries and were not arbitrary innovations.” —Bishop of Regensburg (1979)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 24, 2014

Is the Kyrie part of the Penitential Rite?

Many priests and liturgists omit the “Kyrie eleison” when the rubrics clearly forbid this.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 19, 2014

Comedian Jimmy Fallon Wanted To Be A Priest

“My grandfather was very religious, so I used to go to mass with him at like 6:45am to serve Mass and then you made money too if you did weddings and funerals.”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 17, 2014

PDF Download • 1974 “Graduale Romanum”

“How can we celebrate this new rite when we have not yet got a complete missal, and there are still so many uncertainties about what to do?” — Pope Paul VI (1969 General Audience)+

Jeff Ostrowski · February 17, 2014

1965 Video • Dedication of an Irish Cathedral

The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, commonly known as Galway Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Galway, Ireland.

Jeff Ostrowski · February 13, 2014

Why Can’t We Use Secular Music During Mass?

Listen to these audio files. Is there any difference between “My Little Pony” and Dan Schutte’s 2012 “Glory To God” setting? Is that a cause for concern?

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    ‘Bogey’ of the Half-Educated: Paraphrase
    Father Adrian Porter, using the cracher dans la soupe example, did a praiseworthy job explaining the difference between ‘dynamic’ and ‘formal’ translation. This is something Monsignor Ronald Knox explained time and again—yet even now certain parties feign ignorance. I suppose there will always be people who pretend the only ‘valid’ translation of Mitigásti omnem iram tuam; avertísti ab ira indignatiónis tuæ… would be “You mitigated all ire of you; you have averted from your indignation’s ire.” Those who would defend such a translation suffer from an unfortunate malady. One of my professors called it “cognate on the brain.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”
    Father Cuthbert Lattey (d. 1954) wrote: “In a large number of cases the ancient Christian versions and some other ancient sources seem to have been based upon a better Hebrew text than that adopted by the rabbis for official use and alone suffered to survive. Sometimes, too, the cognate languages suggest a suitable meaning for which there is little or no support in the comparatively small amount of ancient Hebrew that has survived. The evidence of the metre is also at times so clear as of itself to furnish a strong argument; often it is confirmed by some other considerations. […] The Jewish copyists and their directors, however, seem to have lost the tradition of the metre at an early date, and the meticulous care of the rabbis in preserving their own official and traditional text (the ‘massoretic’ text) came too late, when the mischief had already been done.” • Msgr. Knox adds: “It seems the safest principle to follow the Latin—after all, St. Jerome will sometimes have had a better text than the Massoretes—except on the rare occasions when there is no sense to be extracted from the Vulgate at all.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Reminder” — Month of November (2025)
    On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)
    We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The Princess of the Palatinate once described German Protestantism to Louis XIV with this formula: “In our country, everyone makes up his own little religion.” Every priest, or almost every priest, is at this point today. All the faithful have to say is “Amen.” They are still blessed when the pastor’s religion does not change every Sunday, at the whim of his reading, the foolery he has seen others at, or at his own pure fancy.

— Professor Louis Bouyer (1968)

Recent Posts

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  • Father Cuthbert Lattey • “The Hebrew MSS”
  • Goofy 1974 Hymn • “A Man Can Kill With a Gun, a Bomb, or a Lance”
  • They did a terrible thing
  • What surprised me about regularly singing the Gloria in Latin

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