Various Pre-Christmas Items

• Kathy snapped this photo of Fr. Vincent Juan, fresh from his six-month sabbatical, at a recent staff dinner for his parishes of Assumption Catholic Church in Truckee and Our Lady of the Lake Mission Church in Kings Beach. We thank Fr. Vince (whom Kathy describes as "such a kind priest") for giving us a new place to sing on a regular basis, although also deserving of hat tips are the couple who had been going to St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in Reno who informed Fr. Vince about us; and Fr. Walsh, who filled in for Fr. Vince during his sabbatical and graciously let us sing. We will be visiting Assumption once a month through June.
• Speaking of which, Kathy recently released the remaining schedule for our season, subject to change as always. One unconfirmed date is a return to Our Lady of Tahoe in Zephyr Cove on Saturday, May 11 after a 10-year absence; if so, that will be thanks to our patron and OLT's current pastor, Fr. Larry Morrison.
• Because both Christmas and New Year's Days fall on Tuesdays this year, we will have only one (1) rehearsal on January 8 for our Baptism of the Lord Mass at Assumption on January 13. Don't be naughty! Make sure to listen to the sound files Kathy sent around not only for this Mass but for Christmas Day also. She can tell when we have and haven't listened, so be good for goodness' sake.
  

Snow Day (Night): What This Means

Well, a heavier-than-expected snowstorm took out our rehearsal tonight. Just wanted to make you aware that leaves us:

• One (1) more rehearsal before our Gaudete Sunday Mass in Truckee on Dec. 16; and 
• One (1) full rehearsal for our Christmas morning Mass in Washoe Valley.

As Kathy asked us, give a listen to the Gaudete Sunday proper sound files; she can't spend a lot of time on them next week. We might also want to (gasp!) take a few minutes out of Family Feud reruns to look at the rest of the music for that day.

Oh, by the way, another storm is possible early next week. Ah, there's nothing like December in Northern Nevada, but at least this is helping the Sierra snowpack.

Meanwhile in Rhode Island...

Aerial photo of Providence, RI by Peetlesnumber1 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

It's rare--but encouraging--to see this sort of editorial (!) in a Catholic newspaper. From the Rhode Island Catholic:

Beauty and truth are intertwined in the art and design of [pre-Vatican II] churches which elevate the worshipper’s mind to God and to his or her eternal destiny. The old pipe organs played music that enchanted the listener to the sounds of Gregorian chant, polyphony and various other timeless tracts. The Mass is both eternal and universal — celebrated everywhere, in every culture and every tradition.[...] Maybe it’s time to go back to something old, venerated and solemn rather than trying to re-invent the wheel for the sake of novelty.

Read the whole thing at the link above.

Meanwhile in Oxford...

[Image of the Oxford University Coat of Arms from Wikimedia Commons.]

Some great quotes from this Catholic Herald article about Gregorian Chant at the University of Oxford:

For those who have heard of Gregorian Chant at all, it immediately identifies us with the Catholic liturgy, and at the same time with something whose cultural and artistic value exercises a powerful attraction. We are the people who take chant seriously, and we sing it – naturally – in the Catholic liturgy. If you want to hear it being sung, or sing it with us, that’s where we’ll be. [...]

The effect of the schola on its members is not, of course, its main purpose. It exists for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, by supporting the celebration of Mass. [...]

It was good, therefore, to read this account concerning a young woman from Miami, who attended a Mass supported by this same Schola in Oxford when she was passing through:

During her post-collegiate travels she became resolute in converting to Catholicism after attending a Missa Cantata, or sung Mass, in the parish of her favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic who penned the “Lord of the Rings” series.
When she heard Latin hymns coming from the choir loft, Tavakoli said, it felt like “hearing angels on high.”
She was mesmerized. “It truly is extraordinary,” she said. “There is something beautiful and sacred about this form of the Mass.” 

Yes, there is. And that is why we sing chant and polyphony.

 

Sad News and Good News

Kathy lost her sister-in-law earlier this week. As we prayed last night, but in English:

V. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.
R. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.

We also lift up Kathy, her husband Bob, and his family in this difficult time.

On the upside, this is another RPC first: Assumption Parish in Truckee will host a post-Mass coffee get-together for us on Sunday, November 25 (Christ The King in the OF). Again, let us ask Our Lady of the Snows to intercede for us so we can make it there! Fr. Walsh (not the recently ordained one) told us this past Sunday our music made him feel like he was in seminary again, and many parishioners thanked us for coming. It is our pleasure!

Calendar Notes

I have put our very preliminary schedule on Google Calendar. Some highlights:

• So far, we're only singing at The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Truckee and Holy Spirit Mission in Washoe Valley. Dates may be added at Corpus Christi in Carson City and/or St. Peter Canisius in Sun Valley. Stay tuned.
• Yes, we have dates at Assumption in November and December. Our Lady of the Snows (and the Chain Controls), pray for us!
• Christmas and New Year's Days both land on Tuesday this year. I cannot imagine us rehearsing on either evening, but if I am wrong, I'll let you know.
• Lent (Ash Wednesday), Easter, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi (our usual last Mass) are all later in 2019. They fall on March 6, April 21, June 9, and June 23 respectively.

We're Back, As Usual

Actually, that Green Day song title would be too late; our rehearsals resume starting Tuesday night, September 25 at 7 PM in the usual location. As usual, we need new singers in all four parts, but especially soprano and bass, so go get 'em. As not so usual, we now need an accompanist also; otherwise, we'll be even more a cappella than, well...usual. But we will adapt and overcome, as usual we always have before.

A few loose ends, two of which are rather somber:

• I write this on the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country. Please pray for the leadership of both the United States and our Church, and remember the souls of the 3,000 who perished that day, including the fire and police personnel who gave their lives to save so many others. Just before we moved to Nevada 10 years ago, I took the above photos while visiting Shanksville, PA where Flight 93 crashed because of the intervention of the passengers who prevented another attack. I got to sing Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei with my Maryland choir about six years earlier, not knowing how often it would be played in memory of this day.
  
  
• I mentioned this on Facebook, but we recently lost a priest for whom we sang. Fr. Tom Donnelly occasionally celebrated Mass in the Extraordinary Form at Holy Spirit Mission. I'll never forget him introducing himself to Sandy and me at Our Lady of Tahoe, then asking me how long I'd been unemployed. I never told him I was unemployed, but I was at the time. He then prayed with us.
  Fr. Tom went to receive his heavenly reward on August 31. May he rest in peace. His funeral will take place Friday, September 14 at 11 AM at the church where he was the founding pastor, St. Rose of Lima. 

• Speaking of Facebook, I tried running a boost of one of our posts to other users in northern Nevada. At least a few hundred people saw it, but I'm not sure that will translate into any new members. Just wanted to disclose what I've been doing.
  
  
• On a (fortunately) lighter note regarding What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Kudos to Kathy who, with my wife and alto Sandy, helped me out of a spot. Earlier this summer, I ended up in the emergency room of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, CA after I fell on rocks while trying to climb down to the South Yuba River (above photo courtesy of the South Yuba River Park Association). Turns out I also had heat exhaustion. Kathy rode along with Sandy so she could drive my car back to Reno. Thank you, Jesus and my Guardian Angel, for keeping me from anything more than a bruise on my upper right leg; I could easily have hit my head. Thanks also be to Kathy (and her husband Bob) for sacrificing over four hours out of their day to help me out. I welcome any stories you have from this summer!

They Grow Up So Quickly

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Beasley)

It was a few years after this photo (from her first day of school, so maybe more than a few) was taken that Sarah Beasley began singing with her parents Chris and Shirley and brother John in Regina Pacis Cantorum. We were able to watch her grow up before our eyes.

Here's what Sarah looks like these days, posing before a stained glass window of St. Cecelia, patron saint of music:

She graduated from Ohio Northern University this spring with a music degree, and she has now taken that degree to Alexander II Magnet School in Macon, GA where she has just started her career as a music teacher. Congratulations, Sarah!

Now to catch up quickly on the rest of the Beasleys:

• Chris and Shirley have become "empty nesters" in the Atlanta area. They are still choral singers.
• John joined the Army; lives in Chevy Chase, MD near Washington, DC; and has two daughters with wife Emily. He still produces anime-inspired artwork.
• Michael did not sing with RPC, but he was an altar server at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral. He graduated from the University of Nevada and joined the Navy. At last check he was attending Navy Nuclear Power School in Charleston, SC.

Another Future RPC Singing Location (We Hope and Pray): Cathedral of St. Paul

Sandy (at the lower left) and I got to tour the impressive Cathedral of St. Paul in the heart of the Minnesota capital following her graduation ceremony in Minneapolis. We took way too many photos to put here, so I'll just stick to a few. Kathy was here during last year's colloquium; have you ever visited it?

St. Paul guarding the cathedral and city that bear his name.

Looking in from the front center doors.

Statues of the four Evangelists are located at the corners of the front of the cathedral.

I lost count of all the side altars. There are several behind the main altar as well.

The choir loft. The organ keyboard, or *an* organ keyboard, is behind the main altar.

The altar and dome above it.

Paintings abound as well.

Before he became Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli visited the Cathedral of St. Paul in 1926.

The cathedral dominates its portion of the St. Paul skyline. The surrounding Cathedral Hill neighborhood is worth visiting with its historic homes, museums, and quaint restaurants. The Minnesota State Capitol is only a short walk over I-94.

A Reminder/Disclaimer

(Image from reddit via worldwideinterweb.com. It's a little fuzzy at that size, so no, it's not your eyesight.)

Only Kathy speaks for Regina Pacis Cantorum. No one else in the choir does, not even me; anything I write here has to meet with Kathy's tacit permission. This also serves as a reminder to conduct ourselves well as members of RPC when dealing with other churches. It may be the difference between us gaining access to a parish or not.

Truckin' Up to Truckee

At the invitation of Fr. Vincent Juan, we will be singing for 9 AM Mass at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Truckee, CA on Sunday, July 22, a rare summer appearance for us. We'll rehearse at 7 PM on Tuesday, July 17 at our usual location.

I do not believe we have sung in this charming ski and transportation hub before. The town, of course, is named for the great Paiute Chief Truckee, whom you can read more about here. Despite what the title implies, we will not be singing "Keep on Truckin'" by Eddie Kendricks, ""Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead, or "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple [1]. We don't want to give any parish DRMs any ideas. 

[1] I wonder if Kathy can hit some of those high notes Ian Gillan used to scream out. The fan video done for this, a collection of space movie scenes, is quite good.

Signs Of The Timing

Kathy took photos of these two handwritten signs at the Chicago colloquium. I'm wondering if maybe she wants us to remember them or something.

And:

And that is a comma splice, so there. Nyahh. 😜

Okay, Then

Looks like the Solemn High Mass held at the Cathedral on June 1 (above) will indeed be the last one there for quite some time. According to incoming rector Fr. Chuck Durante in the June-July 2018 High Desert Catholic:

“The only actively assigned priest in our diocese trained in the Latin Rite, as far as I know, is Father Loy, who celebrates it at the Holy Spirit Mission. So, for those people who remember the Latin Rite and long for it, or those younger people who desire it, the Holy Spirit Mission in Washoe Valley would be the place to go for the Latin experience. The rubrics of the Latin Rite are completely different, and though I might be able to pronounce some of the words in Latin, I wouldn’t understand what I was saying very well, so I could not really pray it. I would just be saying words.”

Still, HDC's farewell interview with Fr. Jacob Carazo, which also delves more into the 32-year-history of the Friars in Reno, is worth the read.

I know I put one of these memes into our year-end post, but considering the almost certain closure of the doors of the Cathedral to us, here's another one:

KEEP CALM

and

TRUST KATHY 

And, more importantly, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

A Farewell To Friars

As Fr. Jacob Carazo prepares to hand the reins of St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral to Fr. Chuck Durante, we need to thank Fr. Jacob for allowing us to sing at the Cathedral as long as we did, continuing the run that started under Fr. Francisco Nahoe's rectorship. Fr. Jacob, Fr. Tom Hamilton, and Fr. Paul Fazio (all of the Conventional Order of Franciscans Minor, OFM Conv.) will be leaving for California by the end of the month; we have sung at Masses served by all three.  Here is a photo from their farewell Mass (how did we not sing for that?) featuring all the Friars who attended:

Thus ends 32 years of service at STA by the Friars, who have been the most prominent and consistent supporters of RPC's mission in recent years.Today was Fr. Paul's final Sunday Mass, and he commented that St. Thomas Aquinas was his favorite assignment in his more than 40 years as a priest. I'd like to think it was at least partly because of the Gregorian chant we provided for him both as a choir and as individual cantors (Kathy and I).

We will miss the Friars, their spirituality, and their affinity for sacred music. Their imprint on the Cathedral and northern Nevada will not soon be forgotten. For them I offer the following:

St. Maximilian Kolbe Prayer

Amidst hate and imprisonment, you brought love into the lives of fellow captives and sowed the seeds of hope amidst despair. You bore witness to the whole world by word and deed that “Love alone creates.”

V.  Pray for us, St. Maximilian Kolbe.

R. Help us become worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, You inflamed St. Maximilian the friar and priest with love for the Immaculate Virgin and filled him with zeal for souls and love of neighbor. Through his prayers grant us to work strenuously for Your glory in the service of our sisters and brothers, and so be made conformable to Your Son until death.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A side note: The Shrine of St. Anthony, bucolic home of the OFM Conventional province in Ellicott City, MD, was spared damage from the terrible floods that hit the historic part of that town in late May. Fr. Masseo Gonzales, a.k.a. "El Padrecito," studied as a brother in Ellicott City; having served at STA, he is now in Guadalupe, CA. Fr. Masseo maintains a small but important spot in RPC lore as the one who made me aware of Fr. Francisco's arrival and his love of sacred music in the Liturgy. I connected Fr. Francisco with Kathy, and the rest was history. [ETA: Okay, Kathy says there was a little more to it than that, including a recommendation from Dr. William Mahrt.]

Where The Road Will Lead Us

(Of course, it's been said Highway 50 between Fallon and Ely isn't even the Loneliest Road in Nevada.)

This is a different sort of year-end post for us because between now and September when we resume, we do not know exactly what will happen. The Friars are leaving the Cathedral, so our relationship with that parish remains to be seen. At least we do know our rehearsals will continue in our current location. As I was often told in the Defense Department, "Stand by to stand by."

This was a good season in which we had help from several new and returning members, while others suffered through various maladies, some temporary, some rather chronic. We did have the honor of singing at Fr. Joseph Walsh's First Mass as well as the Friars' last Mass for First Friday, a Solemn High Mass. We also sang on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.

Thanks be to:

• Kathy, which goes without saying.
• All those who sang with us throughout the year, with special mention to those who often sang two and even three times a Sunday.
• The pastors who allowed us to sing for them.
• Our family members who had to do without us on Tuesday nights until now.
• Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Cecelia for their intercession and inspiration.
• Our benefactors, known and anonymous.

So I leave you with this encouragement in these uncertain times:

Your webmaster, who occasionally remembers how many beats a half note gets,
Paul

Climb Every Mountain

Retired Air Force Colonel and avid skier and hiker Gwen Linde says she's climbed pretty much every mountain in northern Nevada, so she's moving to the largely unconquered ranges of Utah; she's pictured above in the Italian Alps in a photo by Alberto De Giuli. We in RPC will miss her dearly, as will the St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral community. She is more than worthy of her own special farewell from us.

I have used many of her photos of Masses, weddings, and other occasions. She has been active in pro-life and religious freedom campaigns in northern Nevada, and created the Reno Catholic Network website as a repository of homilies, retreats, and other talks from the Cathedral and elsewhere, as well as Kathy's talk on why we have chant at Mass and our 2013 Gregorian chant workshops. She has helped promote many of our Masses, coordinated our singing schedule with the Cathedral, and frequently brought us the Eucharist in the choir loft. Other service she has provided has included being a personal assistant to the Friars; for example, she had to take Fr. Paul Fazio to the DMV four times to get his car registered (hey, don't blame me!). She has a heart for rescuing cats, and has been active in politics including the campaign to protect religious liberty.

Gwen's 26-year Air Force career deserves far more mention than I can put here. She's flown and trained pilots in everything from fighters...

...to C-130s, including landing those on the ice in Antarctica. And you think landing at Reno-Tahoe is difficult?

In fact, Gwen was one of the first women in the Air Force allowed to fly aircraft of any sort. She still flies small private planes as well. 

Finally, here she is in Chile with President George W. Bush in 2004.

And as if all this weren't enough, Gwen has a doctorate in geology and has authored several papers on the strata of northern Nevada (hey, that rhymes). 

So Gwen, we thank you for your immeasurable service to our country, to our region, and to Regina Pacis Cantorum. Utah doesn't know what it's in for!

Who Knew?

Before I cantored this past Trinity Sunday, I noticed something about the altar at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral and took the above photo. It was the first time I can remember ever seeing the writing behind the crucifix, which appears to be from the Extraordinary Form Eucharistic Prayer:

ACCÍPITE ET MANDUCÁTE EX HOC OMNES: 

HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM, 

QUOD PRO VOBIS TRADÉTUR.

ACCÍPITE ET BÍBITE EX EO OMNES: 

HIC EST ENIM CALIX SÁNGUINIS MEI 

NOVI ET AETÉRNI TESTAMÉNTI, 

QUI PRO VOBIS ET PRO MULTIS EFFUNDÉTUR 

IN REMISSIÓN E M PECCATÓRUM. 

HOC FÁCITE IN MEAM COMMEMORATIÓNEM.

Compare this photo with one I took a few years back:

Curtains of various colors usually covered the words. I'm not sure whether the removal of the coverings has anything to do with the imminent departure of the Friars from the Cathedral, but it's at least nice to know those words are there. Any further explanation and/or background is welcome.

Turn-In Time

MAJOR ADDITION: PLEASE TURN IN YOUR ST. MICHAEL'S HYMNAL AT THE JUNE 5 REHEARSAL. The Cathedral will no longer be using it, and with Fr. Francisco's help, we will donate the hymnals to a parish in Castro Valley, CA. At least our muscles will get a rest. Again, that's at the June 5 rehearsal.

Everything else will be turned in at the June 12 rehearsal, except of course for what will be needed for the Saturday, June 16 wedding which ends our season. Sorry for the over-explanation, but if we just follow directions, it will make Kathy's life much easier.


It's music turn-in time! Recall that Kathy gave you a manila envelope earlier this year; she distinctly asked you to keep it to facilitate turning your music in. If you don't have it, please get another one, and in either event, put your name on it. Do not submit ANY loose sheets.

Please erase any pencil marks you make on each of these pieces of music unless you want Kathy to give you back the same copy next year or in a future year; in that case, put your name on the front of each piece in pencil.

Things To Turn In (Most Of Which Probably Should Have Been Turned In Sometime Over The Past Nine Months)

• ON JUNE 5: 
• St. Michael's Hymnal
• ON JUNE 12:
• Other Gospel Acclamation sheets besides Sundays of the Year I
• Psalm responses in numerical order
• Propers (with the corresponding Communio inside)
• Booklets from Holy Thursday, Easter Sunday, or others
• Hymns or motets in alphabetical order

Things NOT To Turn In (That Is, You Keep Them Until Further Notice)

• Adoremus
• Parish Book of Chant
• Liber Cantualis
• St. Gregory Hymnal*
• Chormisik der Caecilianer* (the "green book")
• Chants of the Roman Missal* (English)
• Sheet music of:
• Asperges Me/Vidi Aquam
• The eight Gloria Patri tones*
• Gospel Acclamations, Sundays of the Year I
• Memorial Acclamation*
• Repleatur
• Tutorial sheets on:
• Latin pronunciation (vowels, consonants)
• Solfege
• Mechanics of the Chant/Gregorian Chant Notation
• Any personal copies of any music (throw away/recycle; Kathy gets these every. single. year.)
• Any schedule printouts (likewise)

*If you have it; not everyone does.

We Like What You've Done With The Place

Yes, I was snapping a gratuitous shot of Kathy as we were warming up this morning for our only visit to St. Peter Canisius this season, but I also wanted to take note of the nice new tile floor there. We could actually hear ourselves, and in the congregation, Sandy remarked we sounded much more alive than when sound-deadening, wall-to-wall carpet was the rule. Great job, Fr. Edgar Villanueva and Deacon Russ Bergin, among others!

However, Sandy adds the job may ultimately go for naught. The sanctuary is far too small for St. Peter's growing congregation; for example, the parish has 600 children enrolled in CCD (this is ultimately what is called a Happy Problem). Word is the Diocese of Reno may authorize a new church to be built on the property because it would be less expensive than bringing the current structure up to code. This sounds like a long-range project, but it's still exciting to hear, and maybe RPC will be a small part of that effort at this traditionally Hispanic parish.

Quick Hits

• Organize. Your. Music. Few things bug Kathy as much as not knowing where you put your music, with the possible exception of telling her, "You never gave it to me." Warmup before Mass is not the time to put your music together; I actually organize mine during rehearsal. We simply will not have time for a lot of fumbling for music at St. Peter Canisius this Sunday.
• Mark your music. Note horizontal episemas, dotted puncti, liquescents [1], when to watch Kathy (besides always), and troublesome notes. If you really want to impress Kathy, strike out a couple notes in each phrase of our chants where you will take a breath. In pencil, please!
• Reminder from Kathy: No perfume or cologne. Many in our choir are overly sensitive to fragrances, and by "many," I mean Kathy.
• I do not have the time to post the videos or mp3s of our upcoming Mass pieces, so I will not be doing so any longer. If you would like to take this on, I welcome the help; there can be more than one webmaster for this site.
• Hosanna for the return of tenor Barbara Fanaris from the disabled list! We'll take any time she can give us, and continue to pray for her.

[1] If you have no idea what those are, please review this and this.

One More Gig

Bass Zac Lunt's sister Shelbe will be graduating on Saturday, June 9 at 1 PM at the Cathedral. Anyone who can sing for the graduation, please let Kathy know. She needs all the singing bodies she can get.

I like to refer to myself as a "switch hitter" who can sing tenor or bass, but Zac is even more of one. He can sing with us or, at a moment's notice, get pulled from the Cathedral choir loft to be an altar server! It's already happened at least once this season.

Requiescant in Pace

On April 26, bass Tim Rhodes lost his mother, Dolly Rhodes (above), suddenly. We pray she joins his father among the heavenly choir. I apologize for not posting about it until now; I was on the other side of the country. There is a GoFundMe account for her started by Tim's niece, Jackie Mullen:

Our grandma, Dolly Rhodes, had a wonderful life full of love and laughter. She was on vacation to visit family and for her grandaughters wedding in Vermont when she passed away last night April 26,  2018. We want to send her home so she can be buried next to our grandpa- her last wish... Please help us make this come true. She was one of the sweetest, most loving people and we want so badly to make this happen for her.

Also, we sang an unplanned a cappella Mass today because our organist, Jennifer Cotter, lost her grandmother, Olga Wascher, on Tuesday, May 1. She is in Wisconsin for the funeral.

Please keep Tim, Jennifer, her husband Bill, and their families in your prayers. Here is a different prayer for the souls of Dolly and Olga:

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that the souls of Thy servants and handmaidens, the memory of whom we keep with special reverence, and for whom we are bidden and are bound to pray, and the souls of all our benefactors, relatives and connections, and all the faithful, may rest in the bosom of Thy saints; and hereafter, in the resurrection from the dead, may please Thee in the land of the living. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

May 6: 6th Sunday of Easter

("I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete." -John 15:11)

4 PM at the Cathedral. This kicks off a busy stretch for us.

Introit: Vocem jucunditatis

Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III

Offertory: Benedicite gentes; Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Communio: Ego vos elegi de mundo, Ubi Caritas (Durufle)

Recessional: Hail, Redeemer, King Divine

Watch Kathy, Mark Your Music, And Wash Your Hands. (Not Necessarily In That Order)

Yet another wave of sickness is tearing through the choir, and it's reportedly a virus, meaning antibiotics won't be any use against it. Nurse Kathy, who does not have a medical degree but did stay at a Holiday Inn Express, says the best thing you can do to prevent illness from spreading is to wash your hands frequently. Nurses who do have medical degrees always wash their hands when entering and leaving a hospital room.

The Centers for Disease Control explain why handwashing is so important; one reason is to make antibiotics more effective. I hope it is utterly redundant for me to say you need to do so after going to the bathroom, even the nice clean ones where we rehearse. The Mayo Clinic adds that you may be washing your hands incorrectly; one big no-no is antibacterial soap, which can give rise to antibiotic-resistant "superbugs."

Until now, I had always washed my hands with hot water, but then I was wondering why my hands were so chapped and dry, especially in our arid climate. It turns out, as the Mayo article says, cold or warm water is best for handwashing. My resident (registered and soon to have her master's) nurse informs me hot water opens the pores too much and causes the skin to crack, allowing more bacteria to enter.

Apr. 22: 4th Sunday of Easter

4:15 PM at the Cathedral.

Introit: Misericordia Domini

Kyrie, Gloria (mp3), Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III

Offertory: Deus, Deus meus; The King Of Love (SMH)

Communio: Ego sum pastor bonus, Angelus Autem Domini (in key of F; we're singing in key of G)

Recessional: At The Lamb's High Feast We Sing (SMH)

A Few Good Men...But Getting Fewer

(The Holy/Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass with Bishop Calvo and the priests of the Diocese of Reno, who renewed their priestly vows. Photo credit: High Desert Catholic.)

The April/May 2018 issue of High Desert Catholic, the Diocese of Reno's bi-monthly publication, has a couple articles of interest to us.

On page 6, Bishop Randolph Calvo talks about the current and deepening priest shortage in the diocese, including the imminent departure of the Franciscan Friars from St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral (pssst...Your Excellency...FSSP!), and the logistical problems that ensue from all this movement. He also mentions Fr. Anton Sommer is leaving St. Mary's in the Mountains in Virginia City, among other reassignments. Finally there is another ordination coming up on June 1, namely that of Lucio Rocha at Little Flower. We'll be busy that night singing for the Friars' final First Friday (say THAT ten times fast) Missa Cantata High Mass at the Cathedral.

Speaking of ordinations, recently ordained Fr. Joseph Walsh gets his own profile starting on page 12. As mentioned there, he is currently the parochial vicar pro tempore at Immaculate Conception in Sparks. The Spanish version begins on page 14.

If you haven't gotten the April/May 2018 issue of High Desert Catholic in the mail, you can find it here. (Note: You'll need Flash Player to read it; double-click the page to make the print larger.) Parishes may have hard copies available until the next issue is published.

Let's not forget to pray for vocations to the priesthood, brotherhood, and religious life:

Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world! We humbly beg of Thee to manifest in Thy Church the Spirit Whom Thou didst so abundantly bestow upon Thy Apostles. Call, we pray Thee, very many to Thy priesthood and to the religious life. And may zeal for Thy glory and the salvation of souls inflame those whom Thou hast chosen; may they be saints in Thy likeness, and may Thy Spirit strengthen them. O Jesus, give us priests and religious according to Thine own Heart!
O Mary, Mother of Jesus! Obtain for fervent souls the grace to hear and the courage to follow thy Divine Son in the path of religious perfection.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.

How To Not Need As Many Sopranos

Thanks to the King's College Choir, we can now turn people from other sections into sopranos! For us guys, it's a better process than *ahem* the Biological Solution.



I know it's Easter Sunday, but the King's College Choir released this on April Fool's Day four years ago, so...April Fool!

We're Splitting Up

(Caption: "I would say 'It's Not You, It's Me' except it's you."

Yes, we are splitting up, but only for a couple weeks. Rather than take a full rehearsal off this Tuesday, April 3, that will be a rehearsal night for the sopranos and altos only. Then on April 10, they get to relax while the tenors and basses have their own rehearsal. This is not unlike in baseball where, during spring training, teams will often send a "split squad" to play two separate games on the same day or night. [ETA: Actually, for that analogy to work, there would have to be members of all four parts at each rehearsal. Oh, well.]

So, to repeat:

Tuesday, April 3 rehearsal: Sopranos/altos only

Tuesday, April 10 rehearsal: Tenors/basses only

Tuesday, April 17 rehearsal: Our whole dysfunctional choir family