Last Chance to Sign Up - Online Conference for Catholic Music Educators

Don’t miss out on this conference celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jubilate Deo - this Friday and Saturday! Thursday is the registration deadline. More information and registration are available here.

Gregorian Chants Every Catholic Should Know: A Conference for Catholic Music Educators

Gregorian Chants Every Catholic Should Know:

Handing on a Core Repertory of Sacred Music to Youth,
50 Years after Jubilate Deo

A Virtual Conference for Catholic Music Educators, October 18-19, 2024

Will you hand on the Catholic Faith through the Treasury of Sacred Music?

In 1974, Pope Paul VI sent every bishop and head of a religious order in the world a small collection of Gregorian chants entitled Jubilate Deo.

This booklet contained a “minimum repertoire” of plainchant that he wished every Catholic in the world to know, with the aim of fulfilling the mandate of paragraph 54 of Sacrosanctum Concilium: “...steps must be taken to ensure that the faithful are able to chant together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.

50 years later, the handing on of this treasury of sacred music remains largely unrealized.

Will you join us in making it a reality?

Learn what, how, when, and why to do it in an online conference for music educators, featuring talks by 12 Catholics who will inspire you and equip you with tools you can use to hand on our Catholic faith by teaching young people to sing the Gregorian chants of the Church.

More Information and Registration Available at:

https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.regfox.com/jubilate-de

Registration Options
•    All-Access Live, via Zoom - $60.00
•    All-Access Live, via Zoom PLUS Archived Access - $100.00
•    Friday, Oct. 18th Only, Live Access via Zoom - $40.00
•    Saturday, Oct. 19th Only, Live Access via Zoom - $40.00

International Gregorian Chant Conference, Sept. 24-29

The Gregorian Chant Academy will host its second online International Gregorian Chant Conference from September 24 - 29th. The theme of this year’s conference is “Preserving and Proclaiming the Faith through Gregorian Chant.”

The conference will be held on the Academy’s website, and feature talks by five distinguished speakers, experts in the fields of Chant, Liturgy, Theology and Philosophy. Each day at 3:00pm PST, a 45-minute pre-recorded lecture and Q&A will be presented on a specific aspect of Gregorian Chant. To learn more and to register, please visit www.gregorianchantacademy.com/conference. The videos will remain available for viewing after the event for those who unable to attend live. The speakers this year are:

• Dr Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka: “Using the Gregorian Modes to Teach Chant”
• Prof. Giacomo Baroffio (PIMS): “Spiritual Formation of the Cantor and the Catechesis of the Chant”
• Prof. Federico del Sordo (PIMS): “Gregorian Chant in the Clerical Education after the Council of Trent”
• Msgr Alberto Turco (PIMS): “The Graduale Simplex for the Rebirth of Chant”
• Dom Alcuin Reid: “Preserving and Proclaiming the Faith through Gregorian Chant”

See the conference website for more details: https://www.gregorianchantacademy.com/conference

Sacred Music Collegium for Young Adults, August 6-12

The sacred music ensemble Floriani will hold a 5-day training intensive for young adults in Boston this August, aimed at forming intermediate-level musicians to become leaders in the liturgical renaissance of sacred music. Participants will get to sing and conduct chant and polyphony, apply what they practiced in the context of liturgies in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, sing daily from the Liturgy of the Hours, participate in seminars on liturgy and music, and enjoy communal meals and fellowship. Learn more and apply here:https://www.floriani.org/2023sacredmusiccollegium

The total cost is $1200, including tuition, lodging, and meals (except breakfast). The application deadline is June 20th: an Early Bird discount is available until May 30th.

Some years ago, I went to the Mass of the vigil of Pentecost in Rome, while Floriani were on a European pilgrimage tour. I had never heard of them before, and did not know that they would be singing; from the very first thing they sang, I was profoundly impressed, and it was easily one of the most beautiful Masses I have ever attended. I am sure that those who attend this event will have a really wonderful time.

Colorado Sacred Music Conference - Aug. 9-10

2023 COLORADO SACRED MUSIC CONFERENCE

August 9–10

St. Mark Catholic Church

Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Build up Your Parish Music Program

“The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care” 

(Sancrosanctum concilium 114)

Register or learn more by clicking here

Music directors, accompanists, interested singers, parish clergy and seminarians: join us August 9 & 10 for an intensive two-day conference designed to lay out the fundamentals of building a strong, faithful parish music program.

Reinvigorate your music program by embracing Catholic sacred traditions, growing in musical knowledge, and building friendships with fellow Catholic musicians around Colorado!

Highlights will include:

• Understanding the powerful role of beauty in our spirituality and what the Church teaches about sacred music in the Mass.
• How to build a sacred music repertoire based on the Three Transcendentals of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
• Learning basic voice pedagogy, including: Improving the sound of your choir through a theological and holistic approach to vocal technique, and helping your choir to grow in skills like sight-reading, key familiarization, and tuning.
• The fundamentals of Gregorian chant.
• Basic and advanced accompaniment techniques.
• The opportunity to sing a variety of sacred music for Mass and Vespers.
• Breakout sessions for clergy and seminarians on the integral role of music in the Mass and how to become more confident singing particular Mass parts.
• Conversations about the joys, challenges, and questions that arise in music ministry.

See the complete schedule here.

Included are a resource book of approachable choral repertoire and rich Eucharistic hymns you can take with you.

The cost is $175 if you register by May 15 ($200 after that). All meals are included. Priests, deacons, and seminarians are FREE! The deadline for registration is June 15.

A supportive rate for parishes or individuals needing financial assistance. See the registration page to learn more.

Sounds of Heaven - Chant Training Intensive for Music Educators, San Diego, July 16-20

We are very happy to share this press release about Canticle, an intensive training program for music educators, which will be held thus summer in San Diego, California, on July 16-20.

Unlock the Full Potential of Your Music Program with Sounds of Heaven: A Chant Training Intensive for Music Educators

Canticle, a wildly successful youth choir program, is excited to invite music directors, educators, and youth group leaders to their immersive conference, Sounds of Heaven. This Chant Training Intensive is designed for those looking to incorporate Gregorian chant into their music programs and build successful youth choirs.

Hosted by Mary Ann Carr Wilson and other experienced educators, the conference will be held from July 16-20 at the historic church of Our Lady of the Rosary in San Diego’s Little Italy.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, meet like-minded professionals, and gain valuable tools and resources to help expand their repertoire and build a youth chant schola.

But it’s not all work and no play! The conference will include daily Continental breakfast and catered lunch, as well as a catered dinner meet and greet. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with other music professionals and bond over their shared love of sacred music.

The location couldn’t be better - just five minutes from the airport and with plenty of hotels and Airbnbs within walking distance.

Register now and get ready to experience the Sounds of Heaven! With Canticle’s method for success in working with youth choirs, attendees will have the knowledge and expertise to build a lifelong love of sacred music among the faithful. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to develop your skills, network with peers, and take your music program to new heights.

For more information and to register, visit this link: https://mailchi.mp/eff519a696c4/sounds-of-heaven
Contact Mary Ann Carr Wilson: maryann@canticleprograms.org

International Gregorian Chant Conference, Sept. 25 - Oct. 2

The Gregorian Chant Academy will host its very first online International Gregorian Chant Conference from September 25 to October 2. The conference will be held on the Academy’s YouTube channel (accessed by private link only), and consist of 8 distinguished speakers, experts in the fields of Chant, Liturgy, Theology and Philosophy. Each day at 3:00pm PST, a 45-minute pre-recorded lecture will be presented on a specific aspect of Gregorian Chant, followed by a live 45-minute Q&A session. To register, please visit www.gregorianchantacademy.com/conference. The videos will remain available for viewing after the event if you are not able to attend live. 15% of all profits will be donated to the Benedictine Monks of Norcia Foundation.

Free admission to all priests/religious: simply email Mr Christopher Jasper at gregorianchantacademy@fidei.email, indicating that you would like to attend and what diocese/religious house you belong to. Referral Rewards: Get 3 others to sign up and get the full amount of your ticket refunded back to you! Simply have them mention your name as the referent when they sign up.

Speakers and Lectures:

• Sunday, 09/25: Dr Peter Kwasniewski, PhD: The Liturgical and Spiritual Primacy of Gregorian Chant in Sacred Music
• Monday, 09/26: Dr Edward Schaefer, DMA: The Nature of Rhythm: Mocquereau and Beyond (a case for Semiology)
• Tuesday, 09/27: Fr Mark Bachmann, OSB: Beauty and Benefits of the Solesmes Method (a defense)
• Wednesday, 09/28: Mr Nicholas Lemme: How to Analyze and Prepare a Chant for Mass & Improve Your Schola
• Thursday, 09/29: Dr William Mahrt, PhD: The Form and Function of the Alleluia and Its Melisma
• Friday, 09/30: Mgr Alberto Turco, PhD: Recitatives and Psalmody: the Basis for Modality and Gregorian Aesthetics
• Saturday, 10/01: Fr Chad Ripperger, PhD: Gregorian Chant and the Spiritual Life
• Sunday, 10/02: Bp Athanasius Schneider: The Importance of Gregorian Chant in the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy

Fr. Kocik notes: M.C. Training Webinar

B

eginning Monday, September 20, Mr Louis Tofari (Romanitas Press) will conduct a comprehensive Master of Ceremonies training program for the traditional Roman Mass, using the 1962 Missale Romanum. The webinar will include an outline of the Roman Missal’s historical development and associated reforms, a section-by-section examination of its contents, a review of its calendar and classifications, and instruction in using an Ordo to prepare the Missal. The five-session webinar will be hosted via Zoom conferencing and will feature slideshow presentations. Sessions will be held on September 20, 22, 24, 27 & 29 from 10:00am to 11:30am CST. For the benefit of those who cannot attend a live session, each session will be video recorded and shared with all webinar subscribers. The fee for a single subscriber is $65; group rates are available. Click HERE to subscribe.

TLM Training Webinars, Oct. 28 to Jan. 13

Beginning October 28, Mr Louis Tofari of Romanitas Press will host a 12-week curriculum of live Zoom webinars for priests seeking to understand better the liturgical requisites of the traditional Roman Mass, and to improve their knowledge and celebration of it. Each weekly session will be held on Wednesday, 3:00—6:00pm EST, and will consist of three 40-minute lessons with 20-minute intervals (thus two hours per week). Topics to be covered include the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the historical development of the Missale Romanum and a section-by-section examination of its contents, the different tones of voice prescribed by the rubrics, the proper positioning of the hands at various parts of the Mass, and the layout and appointments of the church building. Priests may subscribe to individual sessions or, ideally, to the entire curriculum. These webinars are intended for Catholic priests, but seminarians may also subscribe. Lessons will be recorded for the sake of participants who may be called away or unable to “tune in” live. For detailed information and to register, click HERE.

I would encourage any priest to avail himself of this opportunity, especially those who may be inclined to think they don’t need it because they’ve already attended a training seminar such as Sancta Missa, or have watched an FSSP or SSPX training video, or have been saying the traditional Mass for years now. The more knowledge, experience, and confidence priests accumulate, the more they tend to rely on their quick “already know the answer” instincts. Too many are making mistakes big and small, as I have, because “they don’t know what they don’t know.” I have learned many things, and learned to “unlearn” a few things, from these webinars. Mr Tofari’s “building block” approach provides participants not simply ritual instruction that builds upon previous lessons, but the rationale for it (which often has more to do with practicality than symbolism or aestheticism).

Latin Responses Webinar, October 5–30

Beginning October 5, Mr Louis Tofari of Romanitas Press will conduct a 4-week curriculum of live Zoom sessions for boys and men to learn the Latin responses in the traditional Mass. This uniquely integrated course will include a review of:

• liturgical Latin and its basics of pronunciation;
• the significance of the prayers said by the servers;
• important background information about the Preparatory Prayers, psalms and their structure, Psalm 42, the saints invoked in the Confiteor, etc.;
• an explanation and practice of the associated gestures and reverences (folded hands, signs of the cross, bowing, striking the breast); and
• homework exercises.

The curriculum will be hosted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for a total of 12 sessions. Each session will run 45 minutes, starting at or shortly after 11:00am EST. The cost is for the entire course is $90 per participant, plus the required materials ($8.25 total); special group pricing is available if two or more participants will be viewing from the same device.

For more information and to subscribe to the webinar, click HERE.

For samples of the material to be presented, click HERE and HERE.

Canons of St John Cantius Relaunch Sancta Missa Website

Our thanks once again to the Canons Regular of St John Cantius in Chicago for sharing the following information with us about the relaunching of the SanctaMissa website.

“In the wake on the unexpected task of live streaming their Masses, the Canons Regular of St John Cantius have taken the opportunity to revamp and reorganize their website about the Extraordinary Form, https://www.sanctamissa.org/, which was first launched in 2007. The site offers a wide range of information, including video tutorials, lists of important documents, FAQs, and Gregorian Chant resources, all of which can help anyone, both the clergy and the laity, in learning more about the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

Since 2007, following Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, the CRSJC have been hard at work in educating priests, deacons, seminarians, servers, and the laity in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Using the 1962 Missale Romanum, the Canons have come to be known for their beautiful and reverent celebrations of the Extraordinary Form, and have taught over 1,500 through their Sancta Missa Workshops, and countless more through the online tutorials. Following on the new design of the site, more tutorial videos and resources will be added in the coming weeks. In conjunction with this re-launch, the Canons are offering onsite training in the Extraordinary Form for priests and seminarians this summer and fall; there are three workshops planned, August 24 to 28, September 21 to 25, and November 9 to 13.”

TLM Training Webinars to Begin May 13

Beginning May 13, Mr Louis Tofari of Romanitas Press will host a 12-week curriculum of live webinars for priests seeking to improve their knowledge and celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. Each of the twelve weekly sessions will consist of three 40-minute lessons (thus two hours per week), with approximately 20-minute breaks between lessons. Topics to be covered include the various liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the historical development of the Missale Romanum and a section-by-section examination of its contents, the different tones of voice prescribed by the rubrics, the proper positioning of the hands at various parts of the Mass, and the layout and appointments of the church building. Priests may subscribe to individual sessions (to be presented every Wednesday from May 13 to July 29) or, ideally, to the entire curriculum. These webinars are intended for priests, but seminarians, too, may subscribe. Lessons will be recorded for the sake of participants who may be called away or unable to “tune in” live. For detailed information and to register, click HERE.

I encourage all priests to avail themselves of this opportunity, even those who may be inclined to think they don’t need it because they’ve already attended a training seminar such as Sancta Missa, or have seen an FSSP or SSPX training video, or have been saying the traditional Mass for years now. The more knowledge, experience, and confidence priests accumulate, the more they tend to rely on their quick “already know the answer” instincts. Too many are making mistakes big and small, as I have, because “they don’t know what they don’t know.” After more than a decade of offering and assisting at the more ancient form of Mass, its inexhaustible riches offer me surprises.

TLM Workshop for Priests & Seminarians in Providence, R.I., Feb. 18-19

The Latin Mass Apostolate of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Una Voce Rhode Island will host a worskshop for priests on how to celebrate the traditional Roman Rite at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Providence, Rhode Island, on February 18 and 19th. The workshop will be presented by Mr Louis Tofari of Romanitas Press; Fr Thomas Kocik will also give a talk. For detailed information and to register, please contact Mr Joe Gallante.

A Report on the UGCC’s Recent Church Music Conference

We are grateful to the organizers of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s annual Singing Conference, and to the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission, for this report on the event, and the videos which accompany it.

From Thursday, September 26, to Sunday, September 29, cantors, singers, choir directors, clergy, and all those interested in church singing gathered for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s second annual Singing Conference, or “SingCon,” a weekend of prayer, learning, and fellowship, at St Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut. Under the leadership of Deacon Daniel Galadza, and with the support of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission, the gathering was organized by a group of American and Canadian cantors, church musicians, and other clergy and laypeople, and hosted by the Eparch of Stamford, Bishop Paul (Chomnycky), and Fr Bohdan Tymchyshyn, rector of St Basil’s Seminary. Over seventy participants came from parishes in every part of Canada and the United States, as well as the UK and Germany, included many college students, young adults, professionals and married couples, along with several Roman Catholic and Orthodox participants, whose presence demonstrated the value of sacred music in strengthening ties between sister Churches and in ecumenical dialogue.

This year’s gathering continued the previous year’s initial efforts to advance both the availability and the quality of Church music in the English-speaking world by bringing together cantors and choir directors to meet one another, network, share resources, discuss various issues, and—most importantly—to pray together.

Four practical workshops were offered over the weekend, on 1) the Divine Liturgy (using The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship published by the Sheptytsky Institute), 2) introducing Vespers into parishes, 3) services from the Trebnyk, or Book of Needs (Baptism, Marriage, Funerals; the equivalent of the Rituale Romanum), and 4) the sources of the Kyivan and Galician liturgical music tradition. Networking sessions during meals led by Linda Dudar covered topics such as how to develop a choir, and how to trouble-shoot mistakes and misunderstandings that inevitably arise for leaders of church singing.

Part of Matins on Friday morning

The participants divided the remainder of their time between rehearsals, tours of the Stamford Seminary Museum and Library, and the celebration of liturgical services (Vespers, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy) with homilies by Frs Martin Canavan and Joseph Matlak, culminating in a Saturday evening Vigil and Sunday morning Divine Liturgy. Bishop Bohdan (Danylo) of St Josaphat Eparchy in Parma, Ohio, the English-language coordinator of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission, presided and preached at the Vigil on Saturday evening and at the concluding Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the chapel of St Basil Seminary. Roman Hurko’s new composition The Jesus Prayer had its world premiere, sung by the choir during the Communion.

On Thursday evening, after Vespers, dinner, and a word of welcome from Bishop Paul participants continued with a rehearsal and Town Hall/Armchair session moderated by Larisa Cronin, entitled “High Place, Altar, Krylos, Pew: Tell us, what’s your point of view?”, a forum for various perspectives on church singing in the UGCC, from bishops and priests to cantors and lay people. Metropolitan Borys (Gudziak), this year’s representative from the bishops, encouraged those present to continue their ministry of church singing and invited them to Philadelphia in 2020.

On Friday evening, cantor Joseph Roll gave a keynote address on the history of liturgical music at the Stamford Seminary. Professor Roll, who had organized similar church singing conferences in the 1980s and 1990s, provided an overview of the numerous liturgical translations and musical arrangements that were prepared in the seminary’s halls by its professors, clergy, and students, among them Fr (later Patriarch) Lubomyr Husar, Mother Andrea of the Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God, and Prof. Ivan Zadorozhnyj. The lecture received a standing ovation.

A key result of the conference is that the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission will have a better sense of the support, resources, and training that cantors, choir directors, and singers in the UGCC in North America need to fulfill their vocation. Participants expressed the urgent need for official translations and publication of liturgical books in both English and Ukrainian, as well as resources that will help them sing the services in those books.

SingCon’s focus on English-language liturgy and singing in the UGCC stems from the 2017 decision of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC to create local linguistic groups within the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission. At the encouragement of Bishop Benedict (Aleksiychuk) of Chicago, a committee was formed at this year’s SingCon to prepare statutes for the formation of the Church Music Association of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in North America. This meeting was attended by, among others, Bishop Basil (Losten), Bishop Bohdan (Danylo), and representatives of the Church Music Association of America (NLM’s parent organization).

Information on the schedule and the music, as well as photos and videos from the weekend, can be found on the conference website (www.ugccmusic.com) and on the Facebook page of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission (https://www.facebook.com/plc.ugcc/) with the hashtag #SingCon2019.

The next SingCon is scheduled for October 1-4, 2020, in Philadelphia, and will be hosted by the Philadelphia Archeparchy. For updates, subscribe to the mailing list on www.ugccmusic.com or write to hello@ugccmusic.com.

Priest and Server Training for the EF in England This April

The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales will be holding a residential training conference for priests, deacons, seminarians and laymen wishing to learn to celebrate or serve Mass in the Extraordinary Form. It will be held at Prior Park College near Bath, England, from Monday, April 9th to Thursday, April 12th.

Requiem Mass during 2016 Training Conference

Training will be in small groups. For clergy and seminarians, this will be provided by priests experienced in the Extraordinary Form; for servers this will be provided by laymen with years of experience in the Extraordinary Form.

Training group at the high altar.

Training group at a side-altar

Low Mass, Missa Cantata and Solemn Mass will be covered, although participants will be expected to be proficient at Low Mass before progressing to the more complicated forms. No previous experience is necessary, and participants will be divided into groups, according to their abilities. There will be daily Mass and other liturgies intended to be an example of best practice.

FEES
The fee for attending is: £120.00
Full-time students: £60
Seminarians: FREE OF CHARGE

The conference will start after lunch on the Monday and conclude before lunch on the Thursday. Lunch on the Monday and the Thursday can be booked at extra cost, £5 per lunch for all participants. A booking form and payment facility can be found on the Latin Mass Society’s website: www.lms.org.uk

The main liturgies, all of which will take place in the school chapel, will be open for anyone to attend:

Monday, April 9th (Annunciation):
5pm High Mass
9pm Compline

Tuesday, April 10th:
11am High Mass
5pm Vespers and Benediction

Wednesday, April 11th (St Leo):
11am High Mass

Thursday, April 12th: 11am High Mass

ABOUT PRIOR PARK

Prior Park, which currently houses an independent Catholic school, is set in 28 acres of parkland, and was built in the 1730s as a country mansion for a local quarry owner named Ralph Allen. Its architect, John Wood, used Bath stone from Allen’s quarries to create a building in the Paladian style on a hillside site that overlooks the city. The grounds contain several impressive features, including an ornamental bridge, also in the Paladian style, over an artificial lake.

The original mansion

After Allen’s death, the property passed through a number of owners, and in 1828 was purchased by Bishop Baines, the Vicar Apostolic for the Western District. His intention was to establish a seminary on the site, which he eventually did, along with a school. It was also his intention to build a cathedral at Prior Park, but this never happened, due to the ever-present shortage of money. However, he did manage to build a very fine chapel.

The chapel

The seminary closed in 1856, when the students transferred to Oscott College. The school continued until the buildings were occupied by troops during the First World War. A fresh attempt was made to establish a boy’s boarding school at Prior Park in 1925, which is the fore-runner of the present school.

Prior Park College is very suitable for the needs of the LMS training conference. There is plenty of sleeping accommodation in single rooms (not ensuite), and common rooms will be available for relaxation at the end of each day. Also, Prior Park has a reputation for serving excellent food. The chapel is particularly beautiful, and retains its original High Altar and reredos in a spacious sanctuary very suitable for the traditional liturgy. It also has four side altars, which will be used for the training by the smaller groups.

Prior Park is located on a hill about a mile from the centre of the City of Bath, which has many Roman remains. Bath is about 100 miles to the west of London, and there has a good train service connecting Bath with London and other parts of England.

Priests learning the Extraordinary Form at St John Cantius

This week priests from across the USA and Canada are with the Canons Regular of St John Cantius learning the ceremonies of the Latin Mass. The priests participated in Solemn High Mass for the feast of Mary, Queen of Poland (May 3rd) at Saint John Cantius Church, Chicago IL.

Since being asked by Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I. in 2007, the Canons Regular have hosted 65 workshops in the Latin Mass in Chicago and locations around the world, helping over 1,000 priests to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

For more information about these workshops click here.

Sacred Music Symposium, Los Angeles, 29-31st May

Corpus Christi Watershed has announced the first details of their Sacred Music Symposium. Subtitled Best Practices: Working with Amateur Church Choirs, the symposium is aimed at choir directors who are looking for help in introducing traditional music to choirs and congregations. It takes place in Los Angeles at the end of May.

Named teachers, as you can see on the poster below are: Dr Horst Buchholz, Dr Alfred Calabrese, Jeff Ostrowski, Meaghan King and Fr James Fryar of the FSSP.

For further details see the poster below or go to: www.ccwatershed.org/symposium/

Dr Calabrese will be having a busy May! The previous weekend in Dallas he is organizing a conference at his parish in Dallas, Texas, St Rita’s, on beauty and the liturgy, which will culminate in the world premiere of Catholic composer Frank La Rocca’s new oratorio, A Rose in Winter on the life of St Rita.

If you click the poster below you can see it at a greater magnification...

Veterum Sapientia: A Latin Conference in DC, Aug. 2-8

This August, Catholic Univ. of America and the International Institute for Culture will host a conference called Veterum Sapientia, a week-long Latin program for Catholic priests, seminarians, and those men and women belonging to religious orders. This program seeks to respond to the call of Saint John XXIII’s Apostolic Constitution Veterum Sapientia to revitalize the Latin language in the Catholic Church. This full-immersion (Latine tantum) program offers intensive instruction in the language to intermediate and advanced students of Latin.

Veterum Sapientia offers a unique, guided exploration of the most important categories of writing that make up the Church’s Latin patrimony, with exercises ordered toward helping participants grow in their understanding of the mechanics of the language and internalize new vocabulary through active use. Classes and related activities (e.g. meals, games, walks) will be conducted in Latin and in a combination of Latin and English, as appropriate to participants’ level of experience. Plenary class sessions and some small-group work will be devoted to reading and discussion of texts representing the major genera of Latin writing in the life of the Church: scriptural Latin, patristic Latin, liturgical Latin, scholastic Latin, ecclesiastical (curial) Latin, and Gregorian chant (hymns). In other small-group sessions, participants will be guided through active exercises in speaking and in simple writing, based on material from these representative texts. Participants will work with instructors every day, experiencing a series of plenary and small-group class sessions for a minimum total of six hours of instruction daily. Common lunches, dinners, and evening recreational activities will also be provided, offering opportunities for informal conversations in Latin. All class sessions, common meals and recreation activities will be conducted on the Catholic University of America and Theological College campuses.

Further information, including such details as tuition and lodging, can be found at the conference wesbite: https://veterumsapientia.com/.

Becoming a Better Confessor - A Conference for Priests Offered by the Thomistic Institute

From July 7-9, the Thomistic Institute (an apostolate of the Dominicans’ Eastern province) will be holding its fourth annual Conference for Priests at Baltimore’s historic Basilica of the Assumption. The conference is titled “Becoming a Better Confessor: Using the Virtues and Vices in the Confessional”; Mass, Lauds and Vespers will be celebrated each day, and there will be opportunities for private Masses celebrated by priest attendees. Further information is available at the conference website, www.thomisticinstitute.org/priest, and in the flyer below.

Recent EF Training in Mississippi

I

n the first week of September, at the invitation of the new bishop of Jackson (Mississippi, USA), the Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius gave a Sancta Missa Latin Mass Workshop in cooperation with Una Voce Mississippi. Priests learned to offer Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum, as men learned to serve at the altar for Low Mass and High Mass. For those interested in learning more about the Extraordinary Form, the Canons will offer additional workshops for clergy and seminarians in Chicago this fall, and Fr. John Zuhlsdorf will give a conference for laity (and interested clergy) at St. John Cantius in Chicago, October 3-5.

In joyous thanksgiving for the graces flowing from the pastoral guidance of Bishop Kopacz, on September 5th a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart (Missa cantata) for first Friday was offered in the Extraordinary Form by Fr. Scott Haynes, SJC, at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson, with Fr. Anthony Rice, SJC, homilist (video highlights HERE). The schola of Una Voce Mississippi sang for the Mass and the cathedral organist, James Scoggins, provided fabulous organ music on the Rieger organ (made in Schwarzach, Austria). With the leadership of Bishop Kopacz, the Latin Mass, celebrated according to the usus antiquior, is returning to the Jackson Diocese. Deo gratias!