Rod Dreher writes on the situation in Dallas of the living and thriving Parish of the Blessed Sacrament and Father Paul Weinberger. I wish my parish was like Blessed Sacrament and we had a Mass in Latin (and that we could pay down our debt). When Mass is in Latin you don’t get teeth-grinding prayers, like we did today.
The choir sang the Gloria to the tune of “O Come, Let us Adore Him.” The very first line of the prayer was changed to “Glory to God in the highest and peace to God’s people on earth.” That’s right, neuter God. I’m sure He loves it when you do that to Him. It’s not a big deal, but it’s jarring enough. I’m sure such things don’t happen in Latin Masses, because even if someone had such a facility in Latin they wouldn’t bother.
Dom,
Maybe you can ask your parish priest if you can do some common Mass prayers in Latin—like the Gloria, Agnus Dei, and Sanctus. They’re pretty easy.
(I’m trying right now to sing the Gloria to the tune of Adeste Fidelis and can’t quite get it…how’d you guys do that?)
I have, but I don’t think he likes to confront the choir director. Sometimes the worst kind of obstacle is the thought, “Don’t upset the apple cart.” He’s a good pastor, so I’ll keep trying.
Re: the Gloria and Adeste Fidelis. Don’t try it doesn’t make sense when you hear it.
Tom,
Soundsl ike what you want is the Novus Ordo in Latin like at Blessed Sacrament. It would be exactly as you describe.
The only Indult Mass in the archdiocese is at Holy Trinity in the South End. But if you don’t like the concert feeling, I’m not sure if you’ll like the Indult, as opposed to the Novus Ordo Latin. As Tom says above, the priest says most of the Mass to himself, not out loud.