“How I wept when I heard your hymns and canticles, being deeply moved by the sweet singing of your Church. Those voices flowed into my ears, truth filtered into my heart, and from my heart surged waves of devotion.”
-From “The Confessions of St. Augustine”
I am not a musician, nor am I much of a singer. Growing up, my exposure to Church music was primarily from the “Glory and Praise” hymnal, which was geared to guitar and piano. However, in a required seminary course, I was introduced to a wider range of Church music, especially chant.
The purpose of the course was to give us an overview of the music available for Mass and other liturgical celebrations. Familiarizing us with the language of liturgical music helped prepare us for how to direct, support and work with the music ministry when we would serve in parishes.
Part of that course was choral in which we learned how to read music and sing together. We were tested on our ability to chant parts of the Mass and the Exsultet – the Easter proclamation chanted during the Easter Vigil.
I never thought I had much of a voice. In fact, chanting the final exam was stressful. Our kind instructor passed everyone if we could perform the basic chants. He was not concerned about the sound quality. While I chant the Great Amen, the Mystery of Faith and other parts of the Mass, I defer to the cantor for intoning other parts of the liturgy.
In general, I don’t have a deep knowledge of, or a high comfort level, when it comes to music, but I enjoy the work of those who are blessed with great voices, especially when it comes to the beauty and inspiration they provide in our celebration of the Mass.
This is particularly true of our Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, where we have a well-trained schola and cantors whose work helps set the tone for prayer. They are an important element in the worship experiences in the diocese’s mother church.
What they do – and what good music ministry does in all parishes – is a vital contribution to our liturgical celebrations. They exemplify what St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “… be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts…” (5:19).
This past Sunday, I blessed and dedicated the gallery pipe organ at the cathedral. Its installation, as well as that of the chancel and continuo organs, is the culmination of a $3.2 million project that had been planned years ago. The loft organ replaces the one that was installed around the time of the cathedral’s dedication in 1906.
Shortly after I came to the diocese in 2018, I was presented with plans for replacing the cathedral organ. It was on the list of projects the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Foundation had been considering since 2013. The first thing I saw was price tags and wondered whether we could just restore the existing organ. When I saw the old organ, learned how much work it needed, and what a restoration would cost, it made sense to invest in a new one.
As someone who appreciates the beauty of architecture and music, I recognize the great value of investing in high quality instruments. When we combine the best visual, aural and architectural elements in our worship spaces, the beauty they reflect provides an environment that inspires our prayer and strengthens our connection to God. As the bishops of the Second Vatican Council noted specifically about the pipe organ, it “powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 120).
This past June, addressing the International Meeting of Choirs, Pope Francis said, “Music creates harmony, thereby reaching everyone, consoling those who suffer, rekindling enthusiasm in the downhearted, and bringing forth wonderful values such as beauty and poetry, which reflect God’s harmonious light.”
Whether they are accompanied by a pipe organ, guitar, piano or other instruments, may our voices – on-key and off-key alike – be that “harmonious light,” as well as “the sweet singing” about which St. Augustine wrote. Let our music always celebrate and strengthen our relationship with God.