{"id":38991,"date":"2017-10-20T10:30:28","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=38991"},"modified":"2017-10-24T06:11:18","modified_gmt":"2017-10-24T11:11:18","slug":"letter-from-a-distraught-parishioner-in-music-the-young-new-priest-is-the-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/20\/letter-from-a-distraught-parishioner-in-music-the-young-new-priest-is-the-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter from a Distraught Parishioner: “In Music, the Young New Priest is the Problem”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: I regularly receive letters from people struggling with difficulties with a young priest who is more traditional or conservative than is the parish. Here is one such letter, on the topic of liturgical music, and the response I gave. awr<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Father,<\/p>\n

I am looking for help in the area of liturgical music. I have been a parishioner and a choir member at X<\/em> parish for over 20 years.\u00a0There was a change in pastors and the young new priest, out of the seminary just a few years, is the problem. He called a meeting of the\u00a0musicians to \u201cdiscuss\u201d the church music. He wants a lot more organ music and more of the older music with some Latin. The pastor\u00a0is a really nice guy and gives very good sermons but he does seem to want to make little\u00a0changes to take the parish back\u00a0in time.\u00a0Our son in a parish in another diocese has a similar situation with a young priest.<\/p>\n

The parish has several sets of musicians who play guitar\u00a0and\u00a0only one who plays piano and organ.\u00a0Many of the parishioners\u00a0dislike the organ because, among other things,\u00a0it\u00a0tends to\u00a0drowns out voices of the congregation.\u00a0I am having difficulty finding an internet\u00a0site that is\u00a0gives a balanced view of liturgical music.\u00a0The\u00a0sites that come up seem very traditional and seem to favor Latin.<\/p>\n

I guess there are really two related issues here: organ vs. guitar and piano, traditional vs.\u00a0 \u201cmodern\u201d music.\u00a0What I would like is some history or theology on liturgical music that is up to date with Vatican II and Pope Francis. We know that the priest will be bringing with him a number of years of theology training (he studied in Rome). We would just like to know a little bit so that we could have a somewhat intelligent discussion and not just sit there.<\/p>\n

Do you have some personal insights that you would like to share on\u00a0liturgical music? Just about anything would be greatly appreciated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dear N,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m very sorry to hear of this difficulty, which seems to be becoming more common with some younger priests. As for the interpersonal dynamics, I can\u2019t really speak to that or offer any help or take sides from a distance. I advise you show great respect and support for your new priest, in the hope that he will respond in kind and a good compromise can be found. About all I can do from here is offer my prayers.<\/p>\n

For resources I would suggest, first of all, Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship<\/em><\/a> from the U.S. bishops. It treats all aspects of church music comprehensively, with balance and common sense. And here\u2019s a good book explaining the bishops\u2019 document: The Ministry of Music<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

It is true that the Church advocates some use of Latin. But: it has to be done well, it has to reach people, it has to be what they\u2019re ready for. The most important thing is to move very slowly in introducing it. The pastoral judgment (see Sing to the Lord)<\/em> is important.<\/p>\n

And while Vatican II advocated keeping some Latin chant, it also said that \u201cin the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else.\u201d (It\u2019s in Sacrosanctum Concilium<\/em>\u00a0from Vatican II if you want to google that.) The point is that Latin is not the main goal \u2013 it should give way to the much higher goal of people participating in the liturgy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to have organ and traditional hymns. But again, it has to be with sensitivity to the people, musical leading that is appropriate, and common sense about not making any changes too quickly. (Maybe this video<\/a> will help you.) The organist shouldn\u2019t play too loud, that\u2019s not difficult to solve. The first stanza can be louder to get it going, then back off so the people can hear themselves. Pick up the tempo, pitch it a step lower, and then the organ-led hymn is more likely to be appreciated. If singing is weak, the cantor should sing into the mic. But \u2013 this is important \u2013 he or she should back off more and more as the people claim the song and make it their own. Sing to the Lord<\/em> talks about this. A good little book to buy for cantors is\u00a0The Ministry of Cantors<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

You might say to the priest that making unwelcome changes too quickly will just turn people away from liking chant and organ, and even drive them away from the Church. It is important always to love the people, be sensitive to them, start where they\u2019re at, and make changes slowly. If the gradual changes are well accepted, you\u2019ve made much quicker progress than if you upset everyone.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d suggest just one Latin chant, the easiest Agnus Dei.<\/em> Have a cantor lead it joyfylly and confidently into the microphone, and DON\u2019T DRAG IT! Keep it moving. Maybe accompany it on organ (or guitar – that\u2019s actually possible!) so it doesn\u2019t sound\u00a0too stark or dreary. Just stay with that for about a year. I don\u2019t mean in every season and at every Mass, I mean don\u2019t try a second Latin chant if this first easy one hasn\u2019t yet caught on.<\/p>\n

Another helpful resource is the National Association of Pastoral Musicians<\/a> (NPM). Have at least one, or all, of the musicians join NPM. Go to their national convention. Subscribe to their magazine,\u00a0Pastoral Music.<\/em> By subscribing, you\u2019ll have full access to their website which has much helpful information.<\/p>\n

The Church allows guitar: that\u2019s a clear-cut legal issue and that\u2019s the answer to that question. Resources from OCP, GIA, WLP, and Liturgical Press are approved by the Church, with the explicit approval of the Bishop where they are published.<\/p>\n

The goal shouldn\u2019t be, in my opinion, forcing organ music and Latin chant on people because they\u2019re wrong and you\u2019re more Catholic than they are. The better goal is uniting people to Christ, drawing them into worship, energizing them for mission. I\u2019d think about how to make the organ music, and simple chant like the Agnus Dei,<\/em> so appealing to people that they want more of it.<\/p>\n

Explain how organ and chant are part of our heritage and unites us to our ancestors. Make sure the musical leadership is so solid, appealing, well-done, that it goes over well. Otherwise, you\u2019re just making things worse by introducing changes imprudently and setting people up to dislike what you want to draw them to.<\/p>\n

At every step, you have to listen to the people, respect them, and hear their feedback. Don\u2019t just talk about what the law says or what the Church really teaches (which, by the way, is quite ambiguous and complicated, and not as clear-cut when it comes to music as some priests think). Talk, above all, about love, life in Christ, community, being allured by the Gospel, growing together in Christ. The only way to \u2018change\u2019 people (which can sound presumptuous) is to love them and listen to them and learn from them.<\/p>\n

If you show openness to your young priest, and signal your willingness to learn more what the Church said at Vatican II and what the bishops advise in Sing to the Lord,<\/em> I hope this will help you priest maybe to learn more about the pastoral judgment and how to be more sensitive to his flock. It will stretch all of you, and it will require a lot of good will and openness on all sides.<\/p>\n

I hope this is some small help. You are all in my prayers.<\/p>\n

Fr. Anthony, OSB<\/p>\n

The letter from the parishioner and the response were lightly edited to make them suitable for publication, with the identity of the writer concealed.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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