30 July 2011

Singing Mass on a sideboard

The Chant Cafe has been doing good work promoting the great initiative of Simple English Propers for the Mass.

Today the book's editor Adam Bartlett reports on two priest directors of diocesan worship offices on vacation who are singing Mass from it, on a sideboard. Nice plates.

“This is Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, director of the Office of Worship in Boston, singing propers from the SEP at a Mass concelebrated by him and Fr. Jason Jalbert, Office of Worship director in Manchester, NH, on their summer vacation in Maine. I just love this picture because it demonstrates the possibility of something that was otherwise very difficult to achieve before."

Just a couple of questions. Who took the photo, when and while doing what? Was a chasuble worn? (Perhaps that was on the photographer.) How are they teaching priests to celebrate the sacred liturgy in Boston and Manchester?



14 comments:

  1. I am a seminarian for one of these two dioceses (for the sake of anonymity, I will not say which), and I know both Frs. Jonathan and Jason. Both are excellent liturgists and have greatly improved the liturgies in their respective dioceses. Both respond quite positively toward the Extraordinary Form and have introduced more Latin into cathedral liturgies in the Ordinary Form.

    They are on vacation--would it be better for them not to say Mass? It would also surprise me if the one taking the picture (Fr. Jason?) was not in a chasuble. A photo of two priests celebrating Mass on vacation should be not be used to make assumptions so quickly.

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  2. A priest on vacation30 July 2011 at 20:12

    Anonymous seminarian, on holiday or not the Mass is the Mass and deserves nothing less than our best as priests. These priests may well be good men, but if they're cutting corners because they're vacationing, that's not good enough.

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  3. "Excellent liturgists"? The picture speaks for itself.

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  4. Look on the bright side: Ad Orientem...

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  5. I give them credit for saying, nay, singing Mass while on holiday... and 'ad orientem', no less! (tongue in cheek)

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  6. Methinks Mt 12:7 applies here.

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  7. That's strange Pachus. Some people might think that the GIRM applies and that two priests, let alone two liturgy directors, can hardly claim innocence.

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  8. Hello, Friends. As the author of the original post I would like to clarify for you that this was a "posed" photo after a Monday morning daily Mass concelebrated by two priest friends on their summer vacation. No churches or chapels were readily available and they did the best with what they had.

    The liturgy was celebrated 'ad orientem' and the Mass propers were sung. Is this no reason to rejoice?

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  9. Oh, to answer the questions, if they haven't been answered already:

    >Who took the photo, when and while doing what?

    Fr. Jason did, in this staged photo, AFTER Mass.

    >Was a chasuble worn? (Perhaps that was on the photographer.)

    Indeed if was. And removed when the picture was taken, after Mass.

    >How are they teaching priests to celebrate the sacred liturgy in Boston and Manchester?

    According to the liturgical norms, and with a charity that does not appear to be found on this blog.

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  10. Anon-the-last: Even if it weren't a posed shot meant to promote the SEP, taken after the mass was finished -- which, in point of fact, it is -- what violation of the GIRM, precisely, would be on display here?

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  11. In your post Adam you wrote "This is Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, director of the Office of Worship in Boston, singing propers from the SEP at a Mass concelebrated by him". So that's not true? It was staged? Or is the truth too embarassing for these worship directors who probably are not very happy that someone posted a picture of what they do on vacation? Just asking.

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  12. These two priests are good friends and they casually sent me this picture which I quickly posted at Chant Cafe. Right after I wrote the post they clarified to me that they didn't want me to reveal where they were vacationing and said that this was actually a staged after Mass.

    The celebrating priest took the picture after Mass was over, and yes he was wearing a chasuble. The priest above was concelebrant and cantor. The assumptions made are erroneous and the intent is malicous.

    I ask that this post please be deleted.

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  13. The Liturgical Pimpernel2 August 2011 at 18:22

    No Mr Bartlett the post remains. It was and is not malicious and there is no lack of charity here. It asks clear questions raised by your own post and the picture you posted. If the photo was staged then it is a stunt not an abuse and your clarification is welcome, thank you. Readers can now know the truth of it and judge for themselves. But by your own words your post was inaccurate and done in haste. Your post was not malicious but it may have been imprudent. Has it been taken down?

    PS. The Pimpernel did and does commend your excellent work on the SEP.

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  14. Anon. following GIRIM 297 would be a start.

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