The board of directors of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship has decided to revamp the organization to broaden its focus beyond forming ministers of sacred music and liturgy and to “reclaim the Catholic imagination,” especially through literature.
The institute will be reimagined “as a center for promoting Catholic culture,” continuing its emphasis on promoting sacred music, particularly chant, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone announced.
The board has appointed Maggie Gallagher, a senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based American Principles Project, as the institute’s new executive director. Gallagher, 56, graduated from Yale University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and has written several books. She is the founder and former president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, a nonprofit organization focused on research and public education on marriage and family law.
The institute was founded in 2014 to support pastors in their efforts to form lay people for liturgical ministries, including music directors, parish musicians, readers and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion.
In its new format, the institute will host at least four lectures on topics related to Catholic art, music, architecture and literature, with at least one of the lectures on some aspect of chant. The institute will host at least one concert of sacred music at the seminary, or a liturgical service such as vespers featuring sacred music.
“For me, Benedict XVI is about opening the door of beauty to God to as many who want to enter by that path,” Gallagher said. “The Mass, the liturgy and sacred music are indispensable. But encouraging a culture of Catholic art and storytelling is another closely connected goal. San Francisco’s amazingly ethnically diverse parishes provide many doors to beauty I’m excited to explore and promote.”
Archbishop Cordileone wants the institute’s vision to develop collaboratively with the board but shared some initial thoughts with Catholic San Francisco.
“This is a broadening of the institute’s mission to include the complete beauty of the church’s rich patrimony,” he said. “Education and instruction is probably a starting point leading us over time to the Catholic sense of formation.”
The archbishop said ethnic diversity in the institute’s programming could include Tongan sacred music and Vietnamese sacred music, which he noted are very harmonious with sacred music in the European tradition.
“Examining this could be enriching for all of sacred music,” the archbishop aid. “And both Latin-American and California Mission era music, both Latin and Spanish language, are beautiful examples well worth studying.”
Full story at Catholic San Francisco.
Is one to infer from the examples cited in the article that the good Archbishop sees nothing of value in [Ameriican] English sacred music?
None worth really emphasizing. We’ve been flying on eagles wings for so long now, mostly it just makes people nauseated.
YESSS!
mikem– America is a very young, non-Catholic country! And the post-Conciliar vernacular liturgy is extremely NEW!! We had the classical, beautiful, traditional Catholic Faith, and sacred Latin Mass and Divine Office, for over 2,000 years! The English of today, is also very lowly and modern– over four centuries of degeneration of our language, since its high point, during the era of the classic (Protestant) King James Bible and original, traditional, lovely Anglican liturgy, of England! Go to the Protestants, for good English sacred — Protestant– music, for worship! And the sacred English Protestant music by modern composers– makes everyone SICK, including me! (Very disharmonious, and ugly as sin!)
I was so overjoyed, when one time, an ambitious choir director wanted to do a lot of modern (Latin) 20th century Masses, mixed with Gregorian Chant propers, for a church with a Tridentine Latin Mass. He also wanted to do the “ugly-as-sin” modern Masses, written by very modern composers, for the Novus Ordo Mass, at the church. I could not stand that stuff, and did not want to spend my time learning it! Well– as it turned out– the priests all got together and placed a BAN on this stuff, saying that it is not fit for worship, and is extremely disturbing! I was so overjoyed, happy that I am not the only one who detests Modernism, in all its ugly forms!!
Posters who use the term “Modernism” should learn what it really means. It NOT mean adopting more modern styles in church music, architecture, etc. It is a serious heresy which denies that there is such a thing as objective truth, put simply.
The term “Modernism,” has many uses, not just the one referring to Roman Catholic religious heresies. The term of “Modernism” has also been used to refer to the era originating in the late nineteenth century, of new philosophical, literary, architectural, social, scientific, and artistic trends. The heresies of “Modernism” of the Catholic Church originated in the same historical era. Many people are repelled when they hear that there is going to be a big Modernist art show, architectural display, musical performance, literary reading or performance, etc.– because it may be quite disturbing, disharmonious, and unattractive (or “ugly.”).
Most people — and most Catholics!— without an education in the subject, have no idea as to the Roman Catholic ue of the term, “Modernism,” or “Modernist heresies.” Most have very little knowledge of Pope St. Pius X, and other Popes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most never heard of the “Oath Against Modernism.” Most people, even educated Roman Catholics of today– only know the term “Modernism,” as related to the Modern era– and scientific progress, social change, as well as often-unpleasant works of modern art, music, architecture, literature, and radical social literary works.
Of course– there are also many fans of Modernism in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, music, and radical social change!
Even the traditional Catholic gift shops and websites carry the newer statues made from resin or resin marble. If the newer statue express the same thing about the saint as the older statues did, it is not modernism but just a newer form of art. We must be careful to separate the two — being just a modern and modernism.
Anne T., Many people do not mind newer materials for making things– as long as the materials are good. Modern science has created many new materials for making all kinds of things– some are good, and some are not. As for modernist styles in church art, architecture, and manner of worship… style is a very controversial subject! In the Modern era, all traditional structures, rules, balance, harmony, beauty, and discipline, are typically disdained for a sort of wild,disharmonious anarchy or abstraction of some sort, often not very good, or appealing… but some like it, so that’s fine! Our Modern era is also called— the “post-Christian era”…very sad!
Perhaps this center to promote Catholic culture– as described in the article, above– desires to reclaim and to honor what is great, within our Catholic religious tradition, and promote it. Not throw everything away, just because of the modern world, and replace it with modernist styles, which may not be as good… reclaim what is truly good! Our Church, our Mass, are very holy, all the best must be offered, to give great honor and glory to God!
It is a sad truth, that many Catholics of today, have almost no exposure to the richness of our traditional Catholic culture. In fact Catholic culture has been nearly exterminated– and many say they do not want it— instead, they prefer modernist trends. And Pope Francis does not seem to support the traditional, rich patrimony of Catholic culture, either! I am so sorry for young Catholics who have re-discovered the beautiful Latin Tridentine Mass, and want to be a part of that, raise their children in it– and Pope Francis tries to discourage them! How sad! Plus– how very sad, for young men desiring to become priests, and offer the Tridentine Mass!
Archbishop Cordileone is leaning to the left. Vietnamese music along with Gregorian chant? Really?
If you haven’t attended the Tongon Mass in Maui, you have really missed a good example of spiritual music. It rivals Gregorian chant.
I’ve read that Pope Francis has seriously been considering, along with top liberal Cardinals– to end the “Summorum Pontificum” of Pope Benedict. Very sad!
I hope not, and I doubt it. The TLM is acknowledged by EVERY Catholic authority to be both LICIT and VALID. With church attendance plummeting all over the Western world [and Australia] it would be insane to deprive Catholics who are faithful in Mass attendance from going to a valid form which more closely meets their needs. But, these days, you never know. [I attend the Novus Ordo Mass, and have no problems with it—unless the celebrant and his entourage turns it into a dog-and-pony show. My experience is that this is happening less and less, because the younger clergy—while not rigid, as some write—show a greater reverence for the Mass as SACRIFICE and ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE RUBRICS, mirabile dictu!
As long as the abomination of desolation continues at MHR nothing Cordileone does has any merit
Take a deep breath people. And pray for Archbishop Cordileone. You do not see the quiet revolution.
I’ve seen the music at the Spanish language Mass transformed. Where once there was “mariachi” music there are now Ordinaries from Missa de Angelis and Orbis Factor right alongside Spanish language hymns with reverent words (if still a little bit bouncy melodies…can’t have it all instantaneously). A good priest or music director can transform the music, but it takes time.
Are you looking at the Tongan and Vietnamese music the same way the Spirit of Vatican II folks look at Latin chant? Think about it.
I once went to an English Mass with chant in Laotian. I found it quite reverent and beautiful. The tone was similar to Gregorian. Hopefully, the lyrics were orthodox, but since the sermon did not contain any heresy, I assume the lyrics were too.
As one who couldn’t carry a tune in a backpack, I have never been all that big on singing and often found it was more of Catholic Karaoke for those wanting a captive audience they otherwise couldn’t attract, and who probably wouldn’t come to church unless they could ‘Perform’.
I recall one Musician / Pianist who was more of a ‘Liberace does Catholic Light’ grandstander. He was a hyper militant homosex activist and when I once offered an Intention for the Good of Pope Benedict the Wise – he got up and stomped out of the room in a huge vapor cloud of hissy fit.
Questions as to why the Parish was employing someone so Hostile to the Pope and Church Teachings – were Not Welcomed
I give Archbishop Cordileone much credit for promoting our rich history of Sacred Liturgy, Music and Art. It is discouraging to see 4 negative comments. I, too, wish that MHR church would go away, as well as all the LGBT issues (that are not gay at all), women priests, married priests and all the many dissentions the Left promote.
But, leading the Church in the positive is another (and I think better) way. Seeing the beauty in our Church will bring more people back than going after the dissenters. Remember how ugly it got when AbC tried to merely require teachers in Catholic HS to uphold Catholic teachings??
Peggy – I must disagree with you about ‘Married Priests’ – as Saint John Paul II permitted Married Episcopal Priests to ‘Pope Up’ and join the Catholic Priesthood. Those Men I have met who did this were uniformly Fine Holy Men, and in every respect deserving of their position
I also know of Men who were Married, but upon the untimely death of their wife – entered the Priesthood
They too were Wise and Holy Men, and often times had insights to aid Parishoners that others of the never married ranks did not
Given the horrid cost in ruined lives and lost treasure from the homosex Ephebophile Attack on Adolescent Boys – covered up at the highest levels of the American Church – Married Heterosexual Priests are a welcome addition to…
I recently attended a weekday Traditional Latin Mass at a church in Archbishop Cordileone’s archdiocese. This church has a beautiful Sunday choir for its Sunday Latin Mass. I was expecting the weekday Mass to be a low Mass as it had been a few years ago when I had been there midweek.
I was completely surprised to find there was a cantor singing the propers and ordinaries. And beautifully done.
His Excellency knows what’s going on. I’m sure this was implemented with his encouragement.