Tuesday, March 14, 2006

"FATHER Z" SINGS THE PRAISES OF MSGR. SCHULER

Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, in an article in the February 2006 edition of AD2000, writes:
"The spiritual impact of zealous priestly leadership and example have been underlined in the long career of Monsignor Richard J. Schuler of the Minneapolis-St Paul Archdiocese, who celebrated his 60th Jubilee of priestly ordination on 30 October 2005 at the Church of St Agnes where he had been parish priest until his retirement in 2001."

While Minnesota is often associated with such things as Haugen/Haas/Joncas and the infamous St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis, one can find beauty in the liturgies on the other side of the Twin Cities, at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul. Much is due to Msgr. Schuler, who not only continued on the tradition of Msgr. Bandas of doing it right, he built on it.

Finish reading the article here.

Peace,
BMP

7 comments:

Daniel Muller said...

The complete article is available here.

A couple of the articles by Monsignor Schuler while he was president of the CMAA and editor of Sacred Music are "The Training of a Church Musician" and "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi: The Outrage of Inclusive Language."

Brian Michael Page said...

Daniel,
How many issues of the old CAECILIA do you have kicking around? I ran into a few over the past couple of weeks or so (ranging from 1952-1959), thanks to an upstairs neighbor of mine. I understand CAECILIA was what is now "Sacred Music". Is that true?

Peace,
BMP

Daniel Muller said...

Brian,
____________________

118, as follows:

5:
54, 4 April, 1927 to 58, 12 December, 1931

113:
60, 1 January 1933 to 82, 6 September-October, 1955
____________________

Yes, I know. Any time there is a disturbance in the Caecilian force, I know. ; )
____________________

Here is the summary statement from Sacred Music:

Sacred Music is a continuation of Caecilia, published by the Society of St. Caecilia since 1874, and The Catholic Choirmaster, published by the Society of St. Gregory of America since 1915.

It should be added that the CMAA, an affiliate of the then-new CIMS, was formed from the two societies when they were merged as a result of discussions after the summer music workshop in 1964. Archabbot Weakland, who was on the SSC board of directors along with, among others, C. Alexander Peloquin, was named the first president of the new association. Father Schuler was the first secretary. At this time, provisions were made for combining the two journals. Since [The] Caecilia was much older than the CCM, Sacred Music is numbered according to the Caecilia's system, and so is beginning its 133rd year.

Brian Michael Page said...

What doesn't surprise me is that Peloquin was on the board. In fact, I was impressed with the article about him in the March/April '55 issue.

What does surprise me is, of all people, Archabbot (now Archbishop) Weakland, the same Rembert Weakland who singlehandedly wreck-o-vated the Milwaukee Cathedral something terrible. Was he of any decent use musically?

My issue listings, btw, are spread out in two of my recent posts here.

Peace,
BMP (the now-curious)

Daniel Muller said...

Archbishop Weakland is a highly competent musician; he studied at Juilliard and Columbia. I understand that he was quite the professional pianist. I imagine he was an excellent organist as well.

As a very young Benedictine archabbot, he would have known a lot about chant, and should have been the most logical person to continue musical reforms; the Caecilia for some years was in fact a Benedictine stronghold.

In short, I have no doubt that he has more knowledge and ability in secular and liturgical music in one pinky than I will ever have ... if that is saying anything.

However, he was, if not single-handedly responsible, certainly a decisive factor in opening the barn door to hootenanny Masses (originally for youth). This was done by forming a new organization to advise the bishops, parallel to the official CIMS organization of which he had so recently been president. Thus Musicam Sacram was undermined in this country within months after its publication.

This is all well-known and documented. You can buy the book; it is volume 5.

Daniel Muller said...

Sorry. Volume 4 of Musicae Sacrae Meletemata.

Brian Michael Page said...

That's too bad that he would turn like that --- and then become an archbishop to add injury to insult, or insult to injury, or both, who knows.

BMP