The Parish Choir

The Parish Choir

By Judith Courtney

We are still basking in the warm glow of David Haas’ visit. In his short time here, he content ranged over many topics. The one I wish to reflect on below, is the role of the parish choir.

It is good for parishes to have choirs. They do many things which assist the development of beautiful liturgy. To be beautiful, liturgy needs to flow. Choirs learn words and music beforehand, eliminating uneasy pauses and uncertain introductions, giving confidence and providing vocal body for the singing assembly. They come to know the Mass, its ebbs and flows and are ready to sing the parts. They brighten the sound of the singing assembly. They sing with the musicians at an appropriate and uniform tempo. They reflect on words and meanings in the songs we sing, they discuss these and they voice this meaning as they sing. They model participation in the Mass.

All of these reasons are important reasons for choirs to be a part of parish life today. But wait, - there is more.

Choirs, according to David Haas, are a mini church, a church within a church. They are visible and model for the rest of the community what a church can be. A choir prays together. Warm bonds develop between choir members – relationships form. Family members become sick and care is extended. People die and the choir grieves together. People have important moments or anniversaries in their lives and they celebrate together. Choirs extend their care to the wider community, singing perhaps at the local hospice, perhaps at a rest-home or retirement village, perhaps at a local prison. As a group they develop a certain strength and this spills over into the wider community and together they provide a variety of assistance whenever they find the need.

Does you parish have a choir? Maybe it is time to form one!

Gospel Reading | Wednesday 31st January

Gospel Reading | Wednesday 31st January

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.

When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

The gospel of the Lord.

Some Thoughts on Pope Francis' Motu Proprio of

3rd September 2017 - amending Canon 838

By Peter Garrick

Bishop Charles Drennan has done us all a great service by his observation that it is the principles of translation behind the new translation of the Mass that unfortunately result in its evocative language  often being marred by “clunky sentence construction and often awkward vocabulary”. (Welcom October 2017)

He sees help on the horizon with Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio Apostolic Letter Magnum Principium   which from 1 October 2017 amends Canon 838 and subsequent regulations so that authority to prepare, approve and publish liturgical texts in local languages moves to local Bishops’ Conferences.


The depth and significance of Pope Francis’ change in Canon Law so as to enable the changes envisaged in the Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy be better implemented may take some time to appreciate.  

The below comparative table highlights the changes.

These changes in Canon Law give effect to Pope Francis’ desire to overcome the difficulties that arose from the implementation of the principles of translation contained in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments 2001 document Liturgiam Authenicam which tied vernacular translations of the Roman Missal to a word by word translation of the Latin.

It is to be noted that Pope Francis introduces within the context of Canon 838 a new section to ‘recognise adaptations approved by the Episcopal Conference according to the norm of law’ which places within this Canon an affirmation of the importance of enculturation within the liturgy.

Rome still retains the responsibility to ’confirm’ (previously ‘review’) local translations.  But the initiative to prepare these has been localised to include ‘Episcopal Conferences sharing the same languages’ and ‘Liturgical Commissions’ of local Bishops’ Conferences (who among other things prepare texts for local feasts and events).

1983 Code of Canon Law

Pope Francis’ 1 October 2017 amendments: ‘in the future can. 838 will read as follows’

Can. 838 §1. The direction of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church which resides in the Apostolic See and, according to the norm of law, the diocesan bishop.   §2. It is for the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical books and review their translations in vernacular languages, and exercise vigilance that liturgical regulations are observed faithfully everywhere.  §3. It pertains to the conferences of bishops to prepare and publish, after the prior review of the Holy See, translations of liturgical books in vernacular languages, adapted appropriately within the limits defined in the liturgical books themselves.  §4. Within the limits of his competence, it pertains to the diocesan bishop in the Church entrusted to him to issue liturgical norms which bind everyone.

Can. 838 – §1. The ordering and guidance of the sacred liturgy depends solely upon the authority of the Church, namely, that of the Apostolic See and, as provided by law, that of the diocesan Bishop. §2. It is for the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical books, recognise adaptations approved by the Episcopal Conference according to the norm of law, and exercise vigilance that liturgical regulations are observed faithfully everywhere. §3. It pertains to the Episcopal Conferences to faithfully prepare versions of the liturgical books in vernacular languages, suitably accommodated within defined limits, and to approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See. §4. Within the limits of his competence, it belongs to the diocesan Bishop to lay down in the Church entrusted to his care, liturgical regulations which are binding on all.

Tuesday 30th January 2018

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark.

Gospel Mk 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.

She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

The Gospel of the Lord.