Mass and Hymn in honor of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was a pioneer missionary of the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) who came to St. Charles, Missouri, from France and founded the first free school west of the Mississippi River in September 1818. Her journey with four companions from France to the New World was the beginning of the international outreach of the Society, now in 41 countries. Since 18 November 2017 the RSCJ community has been celebrating a Bicentennial Year of Prayer honoring Philippine’s life and work. On Sunday, 18 November 2018 at 2:30 PM in the St. Louis Cathedral the RSCJ community will conclude the Year of Prayer by celebrating a Mass for her feast day.  Archbishop Robert Carlson will preside over the celebration.

As one component of their bicentennial celebration, the RSCJs commissioned me to write a Mass and hymn in honor of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne to be premiered at the conclusion of the year of prayer. Scored for assembly, cantor, SATB choir and chamber orchestra, the Mass and hymn will form part of a live stream of the event that should remain up at the community’s website for 24 hours from 2:30 PM CST on. Live stream access should be available here.

Philippine was especially interested in spreading the gospel and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus among many ethnic and racial groups. At age 72, at the specific request of Fr. Peter Verhaegen, the Jesuit in charge of the mission, she went with three other Religious of the Sacred Heart to Sugar Creek, Kansas, to establish a school for Potawatomi girls. Although she was too frail for much of the physical work and could not learn the native American language, she spent much of her time in prayer, gaining the title among the Potawatomi of “Woman Who Prays Always.” To reflect in some way Philippine’s pioneering spirit, the various movements of the Mass offer motifs reminiscent of 19th C. black spirituals (“Lord, have mercy”) and native American chants (“Lamb of God”) in addition to Taize-styled mantras (“Universal Prayer”) and contemporary quartal harmonies (the Gospel and Eucharistic Acclamations). The “Glory to God” and the hymn “O God of Ev’ry Nation” are both written as vigorous quasi-processionals.

All those who might be in the St. Louis area ca. 2:30 PM on this coming Sunday are invited to the St. Louis Cathedral to join in the celebration. Those in other areas might want to watch the event through the live stream mentioned above for 24 hours after the event. In any event, please join in prayer to God in thanksgiving for the powerful example of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne and the faith and good works maintained by the international Society of the Sacred Heart she helped to found.

Michael Joncas

Ordained in 1980 as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN, Fr. (Jan) Michael Joncas holds degrees in English from the (then) College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN and the Pontificio Istituto Liturgico of the Ateneo S. Anselmo in Rome. He has served as a parochial vicar, a campus minister, and a parochial administrator (pastor). He is the author of six books and more than two hundred fifty articles and reviews in journals such as Worship, Ecclesia Orans, and Questions Liturgiques. He has composed and arranged more than 300 pieces of liturgical music. He has recently retired as a faculty member in the Theology and Catholic Studies departments and as Artist in Residence and Research Fellow in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Please leave a reply.

Comments

5 responses to “Mass and Hymn in honor of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne”

  1. Scott Pluff

    This will be a wonderful celebration of this great saint. She is well-known and venerated in the St. Louis Archdiocese, of which she is a patron saint. Congratulations and thanks to Michael Joncas for composing these pieces in her honor. This Sunday we will sing the hymn O God of Ev’ry Nation at all Masses at St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville, in the heart of St. Charles County.

    Reply
  2. Linda reid

    I watched the livestream and it was, indeed, a marvelous event in honor of this saint and her communities! The wonderful mass setting and hymn composed by Michael, contributed in no small part to it’s grandeur and prayerfulness. Everyone may not have access to an orchestra, but this mass setting is very accessible in it’s diversity of style and beauty! I look forward to it’s publication.

    Reply
  3. Bill Hobbs

    It was indeed a wonderful celebration. I was pleased to be with our Network of Sacred Heart campus ministers and musicians when Michael introduced the Mass parts and Hymn last year. Many Network schools, in Canada, the US and indeed around the world, have been learning and practicing the music in anticipation of this year’s bicentennial celebration. It was glorious to be in the Cathedral-Basilica on November 18th and hear the music performed live with an outstanding orchestra and the choir of St. Francis Xavier College Church. Thanks Michael for this wonderful composition!

    Reply
    1. Paul Boman

      You’re everywhere Bill!

      Reply
  4. Dawn Riske

    This hymn will be sung at the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, Missouri on her Feast Day, November 18, 2020, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her being established “on this side of the river.” Our new Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will preside. What a timely song, thank you, Fr. Joncas!

    Reply

Posted

in

,

by

Michael Joncas

Tags:

Discover more from Home

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading