Puer Natus Est Nobis

A blessed and Merry Christmas to all of you from RPC. Remember, this is just the start of the Christmas season for us, whereas cultural Christmas ends at 12:01 AM on December 26.

Enjoy having Tuesday night the 30th off from rehearsal, and we'll see you on January 6, 2015!

And once more we bid farewell to our beloved patron, Fr. Francisco. Ave atque vale.

Watch What You Ask For

Former (but not forgotten) RPC'er Shirley Beasley reminds us that, much like a recent Geico commercial, we need to watch what we ask for when we say we want more Latin in the liturgy. Here is Peter Mottola's translation of Marty "Don't tell anyone I'm not Catholic" Haugen's Gather Us In:



Hoc in loco lux lucens nova
Tenebrae nunc evanescuntur
Vide nostrorum metus somniaque
Lati tibi hoc aprico die.

Congrega nos, perditi et relicti
Congrega nos, caeci claudique
Voca nos et exsuscitabimur
Nomen sonatus tunc oriemur.

Juvenes quorum vitae occultae
Et senes qui quaeritamus te
Cantabamur per cunctam historiam
Et luci mundi vocati sumus.

Congrega nos, divites superbi
Congrega nos, qui contumaces
Da nobis cor humile miteque
Ut carmen audacter ingrediamur.

Hic vinum accepimus et aquam
Hic accepimus panem vitae
Vocabis filios filiasque
Vocati denuo sal terrae esse.

Dona vinum miserationis
Dona nobis panem quod es tu
Nutri bene et doce nos facere
Vitas sanctas atque corda vera.

Neque domi nec aliquo caelo
Spatium lucis longe annuae
Hoc in loco, lux radiens nova
Hodie regnum, nunc jam dies.

Congrega nos, et tene in saeculum
Congrega nos, et tui nos fac
Congrega nos, omne nationem
Ignis amoris in visceribus.

And then there's Dan Schutte's Gloria from Missa Equi Mei Parvi ("Mass of My Little Pony"). I had to sit through this in Felton, CA last month.

Very Nice

All of us were getting an eyeful of the altar at St. Peter Canisius today:

As I took this, I heard a voice behind me say, "No pictures allowed in here." It was Deacon Russ Bergin, and he had a perfectly straight face. Then he smiled.

There Is Such A Thing As Too Early

Kathy has reminded us numerous times about the need to be on time for rehearsals and call times. Well, this past Sunday she faced what might be termed a "happy problem" at the Cathedral: too many people showing up too early! Many of us who were there offered to help her arrange the chairs in the choir loft, but she explained it was a job only she could do because she knew where she wanted the chairs to go.

So the moral of the story is to just leave Kathy alone when she's arranging the chairs before Mass. That will especially be important on Christmas Day, when our call time will be right around the time of the 9:30 AM Mass letting out.

Why Gregorian Chant Rocks

According to this article, chant doesn't just "rock," it could also help you live a healthier life!

Why Gregorian Chant Rocks (HT: Chant Cafe)

P.S. Hey, Judy, we're doing our part to keep chant alive!

Dec. 21: 4th Sunday of Advent

At St. Peter Canisius, 8 AM. Pencil snow into the forecast. (P.S.: It's also St. Peter Canisius' feast day!)

Introit: Rorate

Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (no Gloria): Mass XVII

Offertory: Hail Mary, Full Of Grace

Communio: Veni O Sapientia

Recessional: Veni, Veni Emmanuel/O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Butbutbutbut...Nobody Wants Latin In The Liturgy!

Oh, really?

This movement seeks to ensure that the faithful Mass lifts the believer out of the world and up to heaven, rather than dragging the Mass down to the standards of the world. . . .

“Once we introduced the ordinary form in Latin, the congregation started growing and continued to grow.". . .

[T]he sight of 600 children at the same Mass chanting the Sanctus together with their whole hearts silences those who say children can’t or don’t want to do this.

BTW, both the Cathedral and Holy Spirit Mission are having 6:30 PM EF Masses for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception tomorrow (Monday) night.

Fr. Francisco Gratias

Back in 2010, my dear friend and former Cathedral friar Fr. Masseo Gonzales informed me that a new friar was coming to St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral and was very interested in doing Extraordinary Form Latin Masses. Fr. Masseo knew I was involved with RPC, so I passed along this information to Kathy. She was skeptical at first, but soon found this to be true. So began our relationship with Fr. Francisco Nahoe.

More than four years later, Fr. Francisco has allowed us to bring the splendor of chant and polyphony in Novus Ordo and EF Masses to numerous Northern Nevada (and beyond!) Catholics who either had never experienced it or had not heard it since Vatican II. Even if they didn't like it, they couldn't say they hadn't been exposed to it. Fr. Francisco has also worked tirelessly in helping the poor, defending life, and protecting religious liberty in his time in Reno.

He departs St. Thomas Aquinas and Reno as one of the best friends RPC has ever had. This mere post on a website/blog is insufficient for us to express our gratitude for what Fr. Francisco has done; we would never have accomplished what we have over the last four years without him. Of course, we can pray for him:

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear our humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father Francisco. Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.
In his loneliness, comfort him. In his sorrows, strengthen him In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.
O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much.
Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Amen.

Local Christmas Concerts, or Hey! Unto You A Child Is Born!

Kathy pointed out tonight at rehearsal that many Northern Nevada churches will host Christmas concerts between now and December 25, and maybe even a little bit afterward (remember, December 25 begins the Christmas season for Christians, whereas that's the end date for cultural Christmas). Considering there no longer appears to be an Ecumenical Choir Festival to speak of, attending these performances would be a good way to support those of different denominations who also seek to glorify God through their music. And, they can often be cheap nights out.

For starters, bass JP DeChambeau will be soloing at South Reno Baptist Church's Christmas Musical this Saturday evening (Dec. 6) beginning at 6:30 PM. If you can't attend in person, SRBC will be livestreaming the concert. Elsewhere:

• McQueen High's choir will have its concert at Immaculate Conception Church on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7 PM.
• The Rock Church in Sparks is hosting the Reno Pops Orchestra for its "Joy To The World" concert on Friday, Dec. 12. 
• Not so much on the cheap side, TOCCATA sings Handel's Messiah on  Friday, Dec. 12 at First Methodist Church and Friday. Dec. 19 at Grace Church.
• Ike Ndolo and Sarah Kroger sing for an Advent concert, "Lift Up Your Heads: A Night of Song and Good Cheer" at St. Rose of Lima on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

If you know or hear of others, post a comment below or e-mail me at pault3331 *AT* gmail *DOT* com.

Dec. 14: Third Sunday of Advent

At the Cathedral, 4 PM.

Introit: Gaudete in Domino

 Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (no Gloria): Mass XVII

Credo III

Offertory: Benedixisti
Savior of the Nations, Come (S, A, T, B)


Communio: Dicite
Veni O Sapientia

Recessional: Veni, Veni Emmanuel/O Come, O Come Emmanuel