Walking up to church at St. Stephen's this morning, I noticed a little sign taped to the marquee announcing that the archbishop was going to be at the service today and I almost turned around and went home. Nothing against the archbishop, but you know how, when pointy-hats are in church, things can get long and boring really quickly. It wasn't that bad, though, and His Excellency only preached for eleven minutes.
Hymns this morning were Swabia ('Tis good, Lord, to be here) for the processional (the organist had to improvise between verses to extend the hymn), Jesu dulci memoria (O Sun of justice, Jesus Christ) for the offertory, Willcock's "The Lord is my light and my salvation" responsorial ditty for communion, and St. Flavian (Lord, who throughout these forty days) for the recessional. Mass setting for the Sanctus, Benedictus, Memorial Acclamation, and Great Amen was Hughes' Mass of the Divine Word, with Gregorian chant for the Kyrie, Intercessions, Our Father, and Agnus Dei. The choir extended the Kyrie with the 16th century John Taverner's Mass for Three Voices. They used the usual parish Russian chant for the Confiteor and the Gouzes Non sum dignus.
During the post-communion ablutions, the choir did a lovely job singing Richard Farrant's "Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy's Sake" and Henry Purcell's "Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts." They always sound so good when they sing traditional Anglican literature.
The service was a pontifical high Mass (or at least as pontifical as things get outside the cathedral in these dreary post-Vatican II days), but the Abp. as celebrant didn't chant as many of the prayers as the parish traditionally chants on a regular basis. Thankfully, the service didn't last any longer than it usually does on normal Sunday mornings.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Bishop quotes Jesus as he backs same-sex relationships
Bishop quotes Jesus as he backs same-sex relationships
By Nicola Boden
DAILY MAIL
©2008 Associated Newspapers Ltd
A senior bishop appears to have performed a complete U-turn by suggesting the Bible might sanction same-sex relationships.
Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, claims in a new book that the bond between Jesus and John the Disciple, as well between David and Jonathan, are possible examples of close relationships between two men.
The conservative evangelical's comments are all the more remarkable given his vehement opposition to the appointment of gay cleric Dr Jeffrey John to Bishop of Reading in 2003.
He was one of a group of bishops who wrote a letter of objection at the gay man's selection for the high-profile role, leading to him ultimately turning down the post.
In the book, A Fallible Church, Bishop Jones calls for Anglicans to "acknowledge the authoritative biblical examples of love between two people of the same gender most notably in the relationship of Jesus and his beloved [John] and David and Jonathan."
Referring to the Theology of Friendship report, he discusses John "leaning against the bosom, breast, chest of Jesus".
The Bishop also describes an "emotional, spiritual and even physical friendship" between David and Jonathan, who appear in the Old Testament books of Samuel.
When Jonathan, the son of Saul, King of Israel, first meets David after he slays Goliath against the odds, the Bible describes him as being immediately struck by the young man.
It reads: "And it came to pass, when he [David] had made an end to speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him with his own soul."
The Bishop asks: "Was their friendship sexual? Were they gay? Was at least one of them homosexual? Were they both heterosexual? Were they bisexual?"
Answering his own question, he then writes: "You assume that it is a person's sexual inclination that defines their personhood. Is it not possible to say that here are two men with the capacity to love fully, both men and women?"
Gay cleric Dr Jeffrey John was controversially selected to be Bishop of Reading in 2003. The Bishop of Liverpool and seven others opposed his appointment and he stood down
In the article, entitled "Making Space for Truth and Grace," the Bishop of Liverpool also apologises to Dr John for opposing his appointment to Bishop of Reading more than four years ago.
The gay cleric turned down the job due to the furore but later caused more controversy when he became Dean of St Albans in 2004 and "married" his partner of 30 years in a civil ceremony in 2006.
Bishop Jones writes: "I deeply regret this episode in our common life.
"I still believe it was unwise to try to take us to a place that evidently did not command the broad support of the Church of England but I am sorry for the way I opposed it and I am sorry too for adding to the pain and distress of Dr John and his partner."
Fellow clerics regard his latest comments as the mark of a distinct change in his views on homosexuality.
Dr Mike Homfray, who withdrew from the Anglican church because of perceived homophobia, said it was a "most profound shift".
He said: "I think Bishop Jones is saying he is now more able to live with difference and diversity and that it is necessary to keep the issue open and allow continued dialogue.
"Unless he was open to the possibility of embracing change, then he wouldn't be suggesting this as a way forward. That doesn't mean he necessarily fully embraces it himself, though. Not yet anyway, but he has moved."
Of David and Jonathan, Dr Homfray added: "They may have had sexual contact - but that doesn't make them 'gay' in a Western sense. No-one in the Bible can have that lable because it is a term with all sorts of social and cultural meanings."
The diocese of Liverpool said in a statement: "The Bishop's essay is asking us to find a new and more open way forward that doesn't compromise people's convictions, respects conscience and understands people's hurts and vulnerabilities in this debate.
"He is making a plea for continued debate in which there is both truth and grace."
By Nicola Boden
DAILY MAIL
©2008 Associated Newspapers Ltd
A senior bishop appears to have performed a complete U-turn by suggesting the Bible might sanction same-sex relationships.
Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, claims in a new book that the bond between Jesus and John the Disciple, as well between David and Jonathan, are possible examples of close relationships between two men.
The conservative evangelical's comments are all the more remarkable given his vehement opposition to the appointment of gay cleric Dr Jeffrey John to Bishop of Reading in 2003.
He was one of a group of bishops who wrote a letter of objection at the gay man's selection for the high-profile role, leading to him ultimately turning down the post.
In the book, A Fallible Church, Bishop Jones calls for Anglicans to "acknowledge the authoritative biblical examples of love between two people of the same gender most notably in the relationship of Jesus and his beloved [John] and David and Jonathan."
Referring to the Theology of Friendship report, he discusses John "leaning against the bosom, breast, chest of Jesus".
The Bishop also describes an "emotional, spiritual and even physical friendship" between David and Jonathan, who appear in the Old Testament books of Samuel.
When Jonathan, the son of Saul, King of Israel, first meets David after he slays Goliath against the odds, the Bible describes him as being immediately struck by the young man.
It reads: "And it came to pass, when he [David] had made an end to speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him with his own soul."
The Bishop asks: "Was their friendship sexual? Were they gay? Was at least one of them homosexual? Were they both heterosexual? Were they bisexual?"
Answering his own question, he then writes: "You assume that it is a person's sexual inclination that defines their personhood. Is it not possible to say that here are two men with the capacity to love fully, both men and women?"
Gay cleric Dr Jeffrey John was controversially selected to be Bishop of Reading in 2003. The Bishop of Liverpool and seven others opposed his appointment and he stood down
In the article, entitled "Making Space for Truth and Grace," the Bishop of Liverpool also apologises to Dr John for opposing his appointment to Bishop of Reading more than four years ago.
The gay cleric turned down the job due to the furore but later caused more controversy when he became Dean of St Albans in 2004 and "married" his partner of 30 years in a civil ceremony in 2006.
Bishop Jones writes: "I deeply regret this episode in our common life.
"I still believe it was unwise to try to take us to a place that evidently did not command the broad support of the Church of England but I am sorry for the way I opposed it and I am sorry too for adding to the pain and distress of Dr John and his partner."
Fellow clerics regard his latest comments as the mark of a distinct change in his views on homosexuality.
Dr Mike Homfray, who withdrew from the Anglican church because of perceived homophobia, said it was a "most profound shift".
He said: "I think Bishop Jones is saying he is now more able to live with difference and diversity and that it is necessary to keep the issue open and allow continued dialogue.
"Unless he was open to the possibility of embracing change, then he wouldn't be suggesting this as a way forward. That doesn't mean he necessarily fully embraces it himself, though. Not yet anyway, but he has moved."
Of David and Jonathan, Dr Homfray added: "They may have had sexual contact - but that doesn't make them 'gay' in a Western sense. No-one in the Bible can have that lable because it is a term with all sorts of social and cultural meanings."
The diocese of Liverpool said in a statement: "The Bishop's essay is asking us to find a new and more open way forward that doesn't compromise people's convictions, respects conscience and understands people's hurts and vulnerabilities in this debate.
"He is making a plea for continued debate in which there is both truth and grace."
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Shrove Tuesday
Today is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras.
This is the last day to celebrate before the Christian season of Lent, which starts tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally on this day, foods are eaten that use up all the fat, butter, milk, eggs, and sugar ("rich" ingredients) in the larder, since Lent is a period of fasting and abstinence. These foods include doughnuts or fried dumplings in the Mardi Gras/French tradition or pancakes in the Shrove Tuesday/British tradition.
Who wants to go eat pancakes today?
This is the last day to celebrate before the Christian season of Lent, which starts tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally on this day, foods are eaten that use up all the fat, butter, milk, eggs, and sugar ("rich" ingredients) in the larder, since Lent is a period of fasting and abstinence. These foods include doughnuts or fried dumplings in the Mardi Gras/French tradition or pancakes in the Shrove Tuesday/British tradition.
Who wants to go eat pancakes today?
Monday, February 4, 2008
Saving throats
What with my need to be at the Verizon Center for the Wizards-Lakers basketball game by 11:30 Sunday morning, I opted to go to the 5:30 service at St. Stephen's. Attendance was light (about 2/3rds usual) due to the upcoming Super Bowling performance on television. I always wonder if the absentees for football actually made the effort to go to Mass in the morning, or if football needs to be added to the ever-growing list of Catholic mortal sins.
The 5:30 Mass is a capella with a cantoress. They do Gregorian chant Latin versions of the Mass setting. Hymns were Darnall's 148th (To God with gladness sing) for the processional, Wareham (O Jesus, joy of loving hearts) for the offertory, and Slane (Christ be my leader) for the recessional. They attempted a responsorial ditty during communion that no one in the congregation sang with the antiphon "I received the living God."
The highlight of Mass was actually after Mass, when they did the annual Blessing of Throats in honor of the patron saint of throats, Saint Blaise. After the service, those who wished could come up to the altar rail where the priest stood with crossed candles to touch the throats of the faithful and pronounce the throat blessing. Too bad all those football fanatics weren't there.....with all the yelling and screaming they were about to do, they, above all people, were in need of protected throats!
Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo. Amen.
The 5:30 Mass is a capella with a cantoress. They do Gregorian chant Latin versions of the Mass setting. Hymns were Darnall's 148th (To God with gladness sing) for the processional, Wareham (O Jesus, joy of loving hearts) for the offertory, and Slane (Christ be my leader) for the recessional. They attempted a responsorial ditty during communion that no one in the congregation sang with the antiphon "I received the living God."
The highlight of Mass was actually after Mass, when they did the annual Blessing of Throats in honor of the patron saint of throats, Saint Blaise. After the service, those who wished could come up to the altar rail where the priest stood with crossed candles to touch the throats of the faithful and pronounce the throat blessing. Too bad all those football fanatics weren't there.....with all the yelling and screaming they were about to do, they, above all people, were in need of protected throats!
Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo. Amen.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Chilly church
It was bitter cold this morning with a brisk, biting wind when I walked to the nine o'clock Mass at St. Stephen's. Definitely a bundle-up day and one of those times when I started thinking about how those balaclava masks really don't mess up one's hair or look all that stupid....
Not very many people were out this morning, and the pews looked surprisingly bare. Maybe with this being a holiday weekend, a lot of people were out late last night and they'll be going to later services. Or maybe they're just fair weather Christians, and they're staying home, warm in bed. What with my bad cold, that's what I should have done!
Anyway, the nine o'clock is always a "medium" Mass with cantoress only, no incense, and minimal chanting. Hymns this morning were Abbot's Leigh ("You are here! As we your people") for the processional, Repton ("He comes to us as one unknown") for the offertory, the Willcock "Taste and see" responsorial (again) for communion, and Ellecombe ("I sing the mighty pow'r of God") for the recessional.
The Mass setting was a mix of Hurd's New Plainsong Mass for the Gloria, Gregorian chant for the Alleluia and Agnus Dei (in Latin), Proulx's A Community Mass for the Sanctus and Benedictus, and Nestor's Mass for the Parishes for the Memorial Acclamation and Great Amen. The Psalm was sung to Proulx's antiphon for Psalm 28.
No real homily today. The pastor came out in choir dress and made the annual Archbishop's Appeal speech. Fortunately, it was short. After communion, a nun was there to make her community's annual appeal to the parish (it was coincidental that both appeals landed on the same day). I tend to like this particular community, since they do their work mainly with the elderly poor, a really underserved need in town because the elderly tend to be so quiet and private about their problems.
I hate it when nuns come to Mass. They always sit up front, and, during communion, they drink up all the wine!
Unlike Canterbury, where giving the congregation a swig of wine is actually an Article of Religion and running out would mean the priest would have to stop and consecrate more, Rome doesn't feel obliged to give the common people their weekly sip of vino. Some parishes here don't even bother with chalices for the congregation, so amongst the places that do offer wine, if a chalicifer runs out of wine, he/she just packs up and goes home, and you're just SOL that week for being washed pure from sin by the Blood of Christ.
The other problem with Catholic communion is the priests tend to really dilute the wine with holy water during the consecration. A lot of the time, my red wine looks like rosé! I remember as a child when I was an altar boy, I'd see these great big jugs of Gallo port in the sacristy. Using port gives the communion wine both syrupy sweetness and a little alcoholic bite, especially with Episcopal priests who tend not so much to pour some water into the wine, but who merely dribble a drop or two of water therein. For you non-Catholic/Anglican/Lutheran readers, it's the tradition of the Church to mix water and wine for the communion wine in commemoration of the passage in the Gospel according to St. John (19:34) talking about after the crucifixion of Jesus how "one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water."
Not very many people were out this morning, and the pews looked surprisingly bare. Maybe with this being a holiday weekend, a lot of people were out late last night and they'll be going to later services. Or maybe they're just fair weather Christians, and they're staying home, warm in bed. What with my bad cold, that's what I should have done!
Anyway, the nine o'clock is always a "medium" Mass with cantoress only, no incense, and minimal chanting. Hymns this morning were Abbot's Leigh ("You are here! As we your people") for the processional, Repton ("He comes to us as one unknown") for the offertory, the Willcock "Taste and see" responsorial (again) for communion, and Ellecombe ("I sing the mighty pow'r of God") for the recessional.
The Mass setting was a mix of Hurd's New Plainsong Mass for the Gloria, Gregorian chant for the Alleluia and Agnus Dei (in Latin), Proulx's A Community Mass for the Sanctus and Benedictus, and Nestor's Mass for the Parishes for the Memorial Acclamation and Great Amen. The Psalm was sung to Proulx's antiphon for Psalm 28.
No real homily today. The pastor came out in choir dress and made the annual Archbishop's Appeal speech. Fortunately, it was short. After communion, a nun was there to make her community's annual appeal to the parish (it was coincidental that both appeals landed on the same day). I tend to like this particular community, since they do their work mainly with the elderly poor, a really underserved need in town because the elderly tend to be so quiet and private about their problems.
I hate it when nuns come to Mass. They always sit up front, and, during communion, they drink up all the wine!
Unlike Canterbury, where giving the congregation a swig of wine is actually an Article of Religion and running out would mean the priest would have to stop and consecrate more, Rome doesn't feel obliged to give the common people their weekly sip of vino. Some parishes here don't even bother with chalices for the congregation, so amongst the places that do offer wine, if a chalicifer runs out of wine, he/she just packs up and goes home, and you're just SOL that week for being washed pure from sin by the Blood of Christ.
The other problem with Catholic communion is the priests tend to really dilute the wine with holy water during the consecration. A lot of the time, my red wine looks like rosé! I remember as a child when I was an altar boy, I'd see these great big jugs of Gallo port in the sacristy. Using port gives the communion wine both syrupy sweetness and a little alcoholic bite, especially with Episcopal priests who tend not so much to pour some water into the wine, but who merely dribble a drop or two of water therein. For you non-Catholic/Anglican/Lutheran readers, it's the tradition of the Church to mix water and wine for the communion wine in commemoration of the passage in the Gospel according to St. John (19:34) talking about after the crucifixion of Jesus how "one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water."
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Today's "blizzard"
It started snowing this morning before 11 a.m. with lots of lovely, big flakes. D.C. being D.C., schools and other organizations had already started closing and calling things off before the snow even began to fall. The snow has since stopped falling and there's a little bit of tiny sleet falling. There was just barely enough snow to dust the grass.
I don't know what this town would do if they ever got a "real" snow.
Here are some pictures of St. Mary's.
As always, click on the photos for a larger version in the Flickr album.
I don't know what this town would do if they ever got a "real" snow.
Here are some pictures of St. Mary's.
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As always, click on the photos for a larger version in the Flickr album.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
It's Sunday evening and I need an Ativan
Amongst other things I did today......
Church this morning: St. Stephen Martyr R.C.
Hymns: Rendez a Dieu ("When John baptized by Jordan's river") for the processional, Picardy for the offertory, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Willcock) for communion, and Salzburg for the recessional.
Mass setting: Hurd New Plainsong Mass and Proulx Mass for the City
Communion motet: Bach, "Now thank we all our God"
Homily: A new, young deacon....possibly his first Mass??
Church this morning: St. Stephen Martyr R.C.
Hymns: Rendez a Dieu ("When John baptized by Jordan's river") for the processional, Picardy for the offertory, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Willcock) for communion, and Salzburg for the recessional.
Mass setting: Hurd New Plainsong Mass and Proulx Mass for the City
Communion motet: Bach, "Now thank we all our God"
Homily: A new, young deacon....possibly his first Mass??
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Epiphany lessons and carols
Sunday being the Feast of the Epiphany, I went Sunday evening to St. Paul's K Street with my friend Spencer (the former Marine Band bassoon player who's a lawyer now) to hear Epiphany lessons and carols sung by choir of men and boys.
The church was packed. We ended up having to sit on folding chairs in the narthex.
I thought the music was all nice, and most of the anthems were very familiar. Afterwards, I was talking to John, and he was bewailing having three boys get sick that day and not being there to sing, but I thought they sounded okay. I'm still getting used to the new English guy they brought in as choirmaster. He does an excellent job of "repairing" problems when the boys are singing, and that's not something every director can do.
Benediction followed, but we slipped out and went to eat during the postlude before they started Benediction.
There was another reception in the parish hall after the service. Lots of cheeses of all sorts and egg salad tea sandwiches made up the bulk of the menu. They were serving a Spanish cava for the wine.
Here's a list of the program:
Prelude:
Pachelbel, Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her'
Titcomb, Chorale Improvisation on "Puer Natus Est"
Processional Hymn: Irby, Once in royal David's city
Invitatory Carol: arr. Ledger, Sussex Carol
First Lesson: Genesis 3: 8–15
Carol: Ord, "Adam Lay Y Bounden"
Second Lesson: Isaiah 9: 2, 6–7
Carol: arr. Lloyd, "I Saw Three Ships"
Hymn: Divinium mysterium, Of the Father's love begotten
Third Lesson: Micah 5: 2–4
Anthem: Handel, "He shall feed his flock" from Messiah
Hymn: Forest Green, O little town of Bethlehem
Fourth Lesson: Luke 1: 26–38
Motet: R. R. Terry, Myn lyking, "I saw a fair mayden sytten and sing"
Fifth Lesson: Luke 2: 1–7
Carol: Reginald Jacques, "Away in a manger"
Hymn: Wincester New, While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Sixth Lesson: Luke 2: 8–10
Carol: arr. Craig Phillips, "The holly and the Ivy"
Seventh Lesson: Matthew 2:1–12
Anthem: Mendelssohn, Christus, Op. 97 (There shall a star from Jacob come forth)
Hymn: The First Nowell, The first Nowell
Eighth Lesson: Hebrews 1:1–12
Carol: Mathias, "Sir Christemas"
Ninth Lesson: John 1:1–14
Hymn: Mendelssohn, Hark the herald angels sing
Closing Hymn: Adeste fideles, O come all ye faithful
Postlude: Keith Chapman, "Bring a torch, Jeaneatte, Isabella"
The church was packed. We ended up having to sit on folding chairs in the narthex.
I thought the music was all nice, and most of the anthems were very familiar. Afterwards, I was talking to John, and he was bewailing having three boys get sick that day and not being there to sing, but I thought they sounded okay. I'm still getting used to the new English guy they brought in as choirmaster. He does an excellent job of "repairing" problems when the boys are singing, and that's not something every director can do.
Benediction followed, but we slipped out and went to eat during the postlude before they started Benediction.
There was another reception in the parish hall after the service. Lots of cheeses of all sorts and egg salad tea sandwiches made up the bulk of the menu. They were serving a Spanish cava for the wine.
Here's a list of the program:
Prelude:
Pachelbel, Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her'
Titcomb, Chorale Improvisation on "Puer Natus Est"
Processional Hymn: Irby, Once in royal David's city
Invitatory Carol: arr. Ledger, Sussex Carol
First Lesson: Genesis 3: 8–15
Carol: Ord, "Adam Lay Y Bounden"
Second Lesson: Isaiah 9: 2, 6–7
Carol: arr. Lloyd, "I Saw Three Ships"
Hymn: Divinium mysterium, Of the Father's love begotten
Third Lesson: Micah 5: 2–4
Anthem: Handel, "He shall feed his flock" from Messiah
Hymn: Forest Green, O little town of Bethlehem
Fourth Lesson: Luke 1: 26–38
Motet: R. R. Terry, Myn lyking, "I saw a fair mayden sytten and sing"
Fifth Lesson: Luke 2: 1–7
Carol: Reginald Jacques, "Away in a manger"
Hymn: Wincester New, While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Sixth Lesson: Luke 2: 8–10
Carol: arr. Craig Phillips, "The holly and the Ivy"
Seventh Lesson: Matthew 2:1–12
Anthem: Mendelssohn, Christus, Op. 97 (There shall a star from Jacob come forth)
Hymn: The First Nowell, The first Nowell
Eighth Lesson: Hebrews 1:1–12
Carol: Mathias, "Sir Christemas"
Ninth Lesson: John 1:1–14
Hymn: Mendelssohn, Hark the herald angels sing
Closing Hymn: Adeste fideles, O come all ye faithful
Postlude: Keith Chapman, "Bring a torch, Jeaneatte, Isabella"
Monday, January 7, 2008
New church
Yesterday for Epiphany, Laurent and I went to the 10:45 Mass at a new church, St. Dominic's, which is over by Laurent's new apartment in the L'Enfant Plaza area. The parish dates back to the immediate post-Civil War era, and the present structure and pipe organ date to 1887.While the exteriors are very different, I found the structural aspects of the interior worship space of the church to be very reminiscent of St. Patrick's Church downtown near Chinatown, which dates from the 1870s and may have been an inspiration to whoever designed St. Dominic's. Fortunately for St. Dominic's, they had a fairly tasteful renovation in the early 1960s, whereas St. Patrick's was attacked in the early 1990s with rather more contemporary elements. St. Dominic's remains a traditional and pretty church.
Of course, it's difficult to note these things with just one visit to a church, but the congregation appears to be older, smaller, and less affluent than some of the other parishes in town. I expected to see more ethnic diversity, but other than the altar party, the congregation seemed almost completely white. The pew book racks—usually filled with hymnals, breviaries, Bibles, tracts, etc.—were barren, and only a too-light distribution of the annual paperback temporary hymnal Breaking Bread could be found.
As we walked into the nave, I was encouraged to hear an organ and flute prelude featuring music from Messiah. The organist plays from the loft, and seemed to have a handful of instrumentalists up there helping him (at least I don't think that was a choir, since I never heard voices from up there). The minister of music, an older man with a music-theater technique, cantored from the music stand in the sanctuary.
Hymns for the morning were "Joy to the World" for the processional, "O Come All Ye Faithful" for the offertory, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" during communion, and something called "Sing a New Church" sung to Nettleton ("Come thou fount of every blessing") for the recessional.
The Mass setting was something called Mass of Glory by Bob Hurd and Ken Canedo. It's got a 1991 copyright date to it, but it has the syncopated rhythm sound of pop music from the late '60s and early '70s. They didn't use the Gloria from the Mass (I thumbed through the hymnal trying to find the Gloria setting without success), so the first thing I heard from the setting was the Sanctus; it reminded me of the song "Look at all my trials and tribulations" from the Lloyd-Webber musical Jesus Christ, Superstar.
The priests all seemed older, and I didn't get a chance to meet any of them. The liturgy was pretty standard, though virtually nothing was chanted. Ceremonial was at a minimum and they didn't use any incense. The one odd thing I noticed was after the epistle, they had the reader go to the altar to get the big missal book and walk it over to the ambo without any musical cover; then, they did the Gospel alleluia and the celebrant walked over to read. I didn't notice how the book got back to the altar.
Anyway, St. Dominic's seems to be an innocuous enough parish. It's just three blocks from Laurent's new place, so it makes more sense for him to go to Mass there than walk five blocks to the Metro stop and come all the way back to Foggy Bottom for Mass. We'll see what transpires, though, since he tends to like to go to Mass with someone, instead of alone.
I thought the stained glass windows inside the nave were particularly beautiful. They appear to be from the late 19th century. A lot of the stories were about the Dominican Order, and if you look closely, you'll see depictions of the pope wearing the old papal triple tiara.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Church in Christmastide
I'm such a bad Christian.
Yesterday was a Holy Day of Obligation, and I didn't go to church. I'd planned on going, but the several people with whom I generally go to church were all lying unconscious in their beds, and I just didn't feel like going alone. At one point, I started to go to one of the neighborhood churches, but when I checked their Web sites for a start time, they'd not updated their calendars, so I didn't know when to show up.
Sunday, though, Laurent wandered over and we ventured off to St. Stephen for the 11 o'clock Mass, where they were observing the Feast of the Holy Family. The celebrant was all excited about it, and told us during the homily that that's because his middle name is Joseph.
Hymns were Irby for the processional, Divinum Mysterium for the offertory, a nasty responsorial version of Greensleeves for communion marching music, and Gloria for the recessional. Proulx's Mass for the City made up most of the Mass setting, with Gregorian chant Kyrie and Agnus Dei, and Hurd's New Plainsong Mass for the Gloria.
The choir sang local CUA professor Leo Nestor's anthem "Who Comes?" as a post-communion motet. It was a sweet song reminiscent of carols like the well-known British atheist John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music".
After Mass, I snapped a photo of the organ and some of the choir (usually they have 8 to 10 singers), and a picture of the sanctuary still bedecked in Christmas greenery (remember, it's still "Christmas" in the Church through next Saturday).
Yesterday was a Holy Day of Obligation, and I didn't go to church. I'd planned on going, but the several people with whom I generally go to church were all lying unconscious in their beds, and I just didn't feel like going alone. At one point, I started to go to one of the neighborhood churches, but when I checked their Web sites for a start time, they'd not updated their calendars, so I didn't know when to show up.
Sunday, though, Laurent wandered over and we ventured off to St. Stephen for the 11 o'clock Mass, where they were observing the Feast of the Holy Family. The celebrant was all excited about it, and told us during the homily that that's because his middle name is Joseph.
Hymns were Irby for the processional, Divinum Mysterium for the offertory, a nasty responsorial version of Greensleeves for communion marching music, and Gloria for the recessional. Proulx's Mass for the City made up most of the Mass setting, with Gregorian chant Kyrie and Agnus Dei, and Hurd's New Plainsong Mass for the Gloria.The choir sang local CUA professor Leo Nestor's anthem "Who Comes?" as a post-communion motet. It was a sweet song reminiscent of carols like the well-known British atheist John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music".
After Mass, I snapped a photo of the organ and some of the choir (usually they have 8 to 10 singers), and a picture of the sanctuary still bedecked in Christmas greenery (remember, it's still "Christmas" in the Church through next Saturday).
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