Rock reunion tours

Lately a major "classic" rock band reunion seems to be rolling through here every few months. Last year, fans could rediscover The Police, Led Zeppelin and Genesis around different parts of the globe (The Police did roll through Denver). This Friday, 70s/80s party rockers Van Halen come back with their original lead singer (but without their original bassist) for the first time in more than two decades. Why am I posting this on the blog? Only because the whole reunion thing is fascinating me. In reading interviews, there is a common thread about how, even though band members may still annoy each other, they've matured to the point where they can coexist... at least on stage for two hours and for enough rehearsals that they can cash in the millions of dollars that come with these tours.

I'm not against these reunions unless the music becomes so slowed down or altered that it just ruins the fun of the old days. Anyhow, I laughed hard when I read one critic's analysis of the Van Halen reunion. I think this can be applied to quite a few bands out there in this youth-obsessed culture we live in:

"They are guys in their 50s reviving the heyday of guys in their 20s who were thinking like teenagers."

Hmm... what other parts of our culture fit this description?

Bono the confessor

For all you Paul Hewson lovers our there, don't you think he has just a twinge of overblown self-importance? At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he "confessed" his environmental sins to "Father" Al Gore.

Archbishop rebukes Jesuit university basketball coach for pro-choice comment

Just as millions were marching in downtown Washington D.C. to protest Roe vs. Wade, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke found himself addressing a comment by a popular local college basketball coach about his supporting the right to choose an abortion. Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus, who made his name taking Utah to 10 NCAA tournaments, apparently made the comment at a Democratic rally there.

"I'm concerned that a leader at a Catholic university made these comments. It can lead Catholics astray," Burke said by telephone as he attended March for Life anti-abortion events in Washington. "I just believe that it's of the essence for people to understand as a Catholic you just cannot hold these beliefs."

Since Majerus coaches at a Jesuit university, I'm sure nothing will happen. But it will be interesting to see how Archbishop Burke follows up on this.

The new PP (Prayer and Penance) replacing the old PP (Planned Parenthood)

Got an e-mail reflection from Herald reader Jerry Klazura, who offered this interesting thought on the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade:

As I listened to Bishop Sheridan at Mass today talk about Penance and Prayer - I thought of Penance and Prayer - P and P .... hmmm how interesting the new PP (Prayer and Penance) will replace the old pp (planned parenthood).

Prayers needed

From Bishop Sheridan at 2 p.m.:

It is my sad duty to inform you of the sudden death today of Ernie Moya, sacristan at St. Mary's Cathedral. Ernie died of an apparent heart attack in the cathedral sacristy minutes before the start of the noon Mass.

Please pray for the repose of his soul and for his family and friends.

May he rest in peace.
+MJS

Blog reviews of the Rocky Mountain Sacred Music Workshop

Herald photo by Bill Howard

[UPDATED 1-22-08, 4:30 p.m.]

The blog Vox Feminae talks about the Rocky Mountain Sacred Music Workshop at St. Mary's Cathedral this weekend. Those who attended the 4 p.m. Saturday Mass were treated to the workshop participants performing the music at the Mass. It was beautiful.

I’m back home again… I had such a great weekend in Colorado… I wasn't on my
way to a long weekend ski getaway like so many other travelers I shared planes
with along the way there. But, I’d say I probably enjoyed my weekend just as
much as they did.

Together with my two youngest sisters and a friend of my sister’s from her parish, I was lucky enough to attend the Rocky Mountain Region Sacred Music Workshop in Colorado Springs. The workshop was very well attended, with over one hundred registrants – about eighty of whom were able to sing for the Mass with the bishop presiding on Saturday afternoon.

The first singing session was led by Scott Turkington of the Stamford Schola Gregoriana, who began by introducing the attendees to singing chant with the Kyrie XI (Orbis Factor). The method of introducing the group (many of whom were newcomers to the chant world) to chant by the ‘rote’ method was very effective. By doing this, all were able to hear the simplicity and beauty of the unison chant and also see that they, too, could sing it without being overwhelmed by the difference in the
notation.

After the introduction by rote, then Scott dug into explaining the way the notation is written and how to read it. Over the course of the weekend, the attendees learned the basics of understanding the neumes, and several other wonderful chant pieces that were used for the Mass on Saturday. The chants sung included a very nice psalm setting from the Chabanel psalm project online , the Alleluia Proper for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Sanctus XI (Orbis Factor), and the Gloria XV. A wonderful setting of a combination of the English translation of the proper Introit – Omnis Terra -- and the Latin Introit (Sung by our two conductors) was also prepared. The two conductors also sang the proper Communion chant, Laetabimur.

Dr. Horst Buchholz, of St. John Vianney Seminary, the Denver Cathedral, and the Denver Philharmonic directed the polyphony for the weekend. We were able to sing some beautiful polyphony (a cappella) and get a sense of some of the possibilities available to us in digging into the Church’s beautiful motets. The pieces we sang for the workshop included: Iubilate Deo (Lassus), All People that On Earth Do Dwell, Agnus Dei: M.L’hora Passa (Viadana), and If Ye Love Me (Tallis). As a postlude, Dr. Buchholz played a wonderful organ selection.

Dr. Horst Buchholz gave a very interesting lecture entitled “Benedict XVI on Music”in which the attendees were given a very clear and thoughtful presentation of Pope Benedict’s writings on Music in the liturgy.

Prior to the Saturday afternoon Mass, a question and answer session was also offered. Many practical questions about the application of what we learned and how to move forward toward liturgical reform were asked and answered.

The acoustics of the cathedral were very nice, perfectly suited to the chant and polyphony music. Those same live acoustics also made it difficult at times to stay precisely in time with each other with such a large group participating and spread out across the space. This was a great learning experience for us all. Most Rev. Michael Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs, was very gracious in his comments about the music during the Mass. The attendees sincerely appreciated the support the diocese of Colorado Springs offered to this project.

The hospitality, organization, schedule, meals and planning by the hosts of the workshop were wonderful. Many wonderful publications and recordings of chant were made available by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods of Colorado Springs. As part of the packet of materials, the attendees each received a copy of the Liber Cantualis, the Jubilate Deo booklet, and a copy of the book, A Gregorian Chant Handbook, by William Tortolano. With these tools, all attendees can continue their path to learning to sing chant after the workshop as well.

Here's another review, courtesy of the blog Black Forest Musings:

This past weekend provided a unique experience for some 120 people who came to Colorado Springs to learn about the musical heritage of the Catholic Church. Scott Turkington from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Stamford, Ct. and our own Horst Buchholz from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, took the mystery out of singing square-note Gregorian Chant and Sacred Polyphony as they prepared the assembled singers, music directors and Sacred Music enthusiasts for the Mass of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, which was celebrated by Bishop Michael Sheridan. Great things can happen in little places, and we hope the effects will reverberate all through the diocese and beyond, wherever the attendees came from. The musical heritage of the Church is truly a thing of beauty, and hats go off to those passionate people whose mission it is to facilitate its spread in today’s Church.

What do you see here?

Amy Welborn, on her excellent blog, posted the above picture and asked readers of her blog to discuss what word(s) came to mind when looking at it, and why that came to mind. The responses posted on the comment box varied greatly: "thrilling," "stuffy," "lack of women," "nothing," "vertically oriented," "transcendent," "beautiful, but cold," "more biblical and less sociological," "priest separated from the people" and "heaven."

I know some readers of this blog and of the Herald read her blog, but I'd still like to borrow her idea and post it here to see what our readers are thinking when they see this picture.

Here are some of Amy's thoughts when posting the picture:

One viewer looks at the photograph and sees a perfect replication of what Christ intended. The other looks at it and sees a violation of what Christ surely intended. And remember - both viewers are Catholic.

Here’s such a photograph. Commenters, if you please: In a charitable, clear manner, explain what you see here. What gratifies you about the action in the photograph. What bothers you. Those who see it as beautiful, explain why and its deeper relation to your Catholic faith. Those who are bothered by it or mystified by it, explain why.

Catholic college puts filters on its computers to block pornography, gambling

Nice to see at least one Catholic college campus trying to battle Internet pornography and gambling. If you know of any others, please post here so we can acknowledge them.

Nice quote from St. Vincent College president Jim Towey:

“I think our Catholic identity and mission compel us to give this witness to our students that this community is not going to be complicit in this spreading of pornography.”

Good news?

Yahoo! had an article on its home page for about a nanosecond before it got buried. The Associated Press article says that abortions are on the decline.

The report, issued by the abortionist Guttmacher Institute (which is an arm of Planned Parenthood), tempers that by pointing out that RU-486, an abortifacient also known as "Plan B," is readily available, as is articifical contraception. You can thank Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter for allowing "Plan B" in Colorado last year.

Naturally, the Guttmacher Institute wants abortions readily available and couldn't care less about murdered children.

"Currently, more than six in 10 abortions occur within the first eight weeks of pregnancy," said Rachel Jones, lead researcher for the survey. "Medication abortion, which provides women with an additional option early in pregnancy, clearly reinforces this very positive trend."

Note the words "positive trend." According to National Right to Life, nearly 50 million Americans have been aborted since 1973's Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. I wouldn't call genocide a "positive trend," folks.

El Paso County declares Sanctity of Life Week

Herald photo by Bill Howard

On Monday, Bishop Sheridan was invited to the County Office Building to receive a resolution passed by the El Paso County Board of Commissioners to delare Jan. 20-27 "Sanctity of Human Life Week." Bishop Sheridan received a copy of the resolution and it was read by Commissioner Wayne Williams. Below is the full text of the resolution.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, our nation was built on a promise of life and liberty for all citizens, and our Founding Fathers worked to secure these rights for future generations guided by a deep respect for human dignity; and

WHEREAS, it is important to reaffirm the value of human life and renew our dedication to ensuring that every resident has access to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and

WHEREAS, every child is a priority and a blessing, and we believe that all should be welcomed in life and protected by law, and therefore we champion compassionate alternatives to abortion, such as encouraging adoption and promoting abstinence education; and

WHEREAS, faith-based and community organizations and individual citizens play a critical role in strengthening our neighborhoods and bringing care and comfort to those in need, and by helping fellow citizens, these groups recognize the dignity of every human being and the possibilities of every life; and their important efforts are helping to build a more just and generous County and Nation and to build a culture that respects life; and

WHEREAS, by working together to protect the weak, the imperfect, and the unwanted, we affirm a culture of hope and help ensure a brighter future for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the undersigned members of the Board of County Commissioners of El Paso County, Colorado hereby proclaim January 20-27, 2008, as Sanctity of Human Life Week in El Paso County. As we reflect upon the sanctity of human life, we call upon our residents to recognize this week with appropriate ceremonies in our homes and places of worship, to rededicate ourselves to compassionate service, and to reaffirm our commitment to respecting the life and dignity of every human being.

DONE THIS 14th day of January 2008 at Colorado Springs, Colorado

THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF EL PASO COUNTY,
COLORADO

Dennis Hisey, Chair

(county seal)

Jim Bensberg, Vice Chair

Sallie Clark, Member

Wayne W. Williams, Member

ATTEST: Robert C. Balink
County Clerk and Recorder

Catholicism in Canada

I was in Toronto last weekend, and I came across an article in the Globe and Mail about waning Catholicism in Quebec, the francophone province in Canada. It leaves a lot of holes regarding raw numbers.

The writer touches on how Rimouski, Quebec has been affected by the closing of parishes in the province:

Three of nine churches in the diocese of Rimouski shut down as of Jan. 1.

The remaining six churches, which used to serve three parishes, have been consolidated into a single parish.

Rimouski is actually an archdiocese, and the author fails to mention how many churches remain active in it (I think the number is somewhere around 100) . Also, I don't know what the time period was for those churches closing.

The writer mentions how the influx of immigrants to cities like Montreal has helped to keep the Catholic population thriving. It's an interesting read, but it left me wondering what the Catholic Church plans to do in the province, especially as more focus will be given to Quebec during the International Eucharistic Congress this June.

At the very least, I thought it was a decent read about Catholicism in another part of the world. We're building new churches in our diocese, and they seem to be closing theres.

Incidentally, Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is famous for producing future National Hockey League stars such as Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Sidney Crosby, the best in the game right now.

Covering the Iraq War

Catholic News Service photo from Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud, Reuters

In light of our recent "Top stories" issue, I have received a couple of letters criticizing the Herald's coverage (or lack of, they say) of the Iraq war. Do you think the Herald is credibly covering the war or do we need to do more?

One item that concerned me in the letters is that they implied that I should be condemning our military as killers of women and children. We will not demonize the entire military like that, even though there are always some bad apples in a bunch. We echo Pope Benedict's criticism of the war, but we also have many men and women who are serving our country out of a desire to bring peace. Blanketly condemning them is wrong.

The war is a mess, and it would be great if there was a solution that could get everyone home safe while also ensuring lasting peace in Iraq. But that doesn't seem to be a likely option right now. And so the Herald will keep covering the war... probably more than in the past with the presidential election coming upon us. I will also say that, while we may not have a ton of articles directly about the war, we do regularly run articles related to the military. So it's not like we're ignoring it.

So... what do you think the Herald's role is in covering the Iraq War?

Aquinas and More looking for help

Aquinas and More Catholic Goods is looking for a new full-time team member with a positive attitude, a desire to make customers happy and the ability to stay calm under pressure. This person will be responsible for processing orders from the Internet and getting them ready for shipping. Applicant needs to be comfortable using the Internet and be very attentive to detail.

Pay: $9 an hour, 40 hours a week

Benefits: 40% off item purchases, 8 paid company days off, Health Insurance Assistance

Please apply at 4727 N Academy Blvd.

Home brews

This also reminds me of another question I wanted to throw out there to any beer home brewers reading this... would you be interested in a Herald home brew challenge? Both Jim Myers and I have home brewed in the past. I still have all of my equipment and have been meaning to give it a go after not doing it for the last 6 or so years. We thought it might be fun to have a little homebrew challenge and then pick a weekend afternoon or weekday evening where folks can taste test them while we have a speaker talk about a topic yet to be determined (maybe something Chestertonian). Not quite Theology on Tap since it will likely be mostly bottles. Maybe Catholicism un-Capped.

Not sure if there would be a prize or not for the best brew but we could run a photo display in the Herald of some of the cooler and funnier labels. Bet you won't find that in other Catholic publications. Hey, what better way to impress your pastor (or the bishop) than to name a beer after him?!

Taste tests

I recently discovered a love for the ocassional glass of Chartreuse, the potent, flowery liquer produced by the Carthusian monastery in France. The story behind it is great... only three monks are privy to the nearly 300-year-old recipe and even there, each monk only knows a third of the whole recipe. You can get it either in the stronger green ( hence the name Chartreuse) or the milder, sweeter yellow. It is expensive and I don't think I've ever paid as much for a bottle of liquer as I did for this bottle of green Chartreuse. The regular green and yellow run around $50-$60 a bottle, and the aged "VEP" versions run $125-$150 (you know it's VEP also because it comes in a special wooden box and the bottle has the monastery's wax seal on it).

Anyhow, I recently discovered that internetwines.com will have a 25% off sale on all of its liquers from Jan. 11-27. While you can probably find most of the selection at your local liquor store, this is a good site for rarer, foreign liquers -- like the aged Chartreuse -- that can be difficult to find here.

There is one drink made at the monastery, called "Herbal Elixir," that I can't find anywhere in the States. I've found it on one Web site in London but they don't deliver to the U.S. If anyone knows where I can find this, let me know.

I was also wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a good cognac, scotch and/or Irish whiskey. That sentence sounds scary as I re-read it (trust me, I am hardly a drinker). But I'd like to see if I can take advantage of this sale to build up my home selection for company or the ocassional post-deadline relaxing drink.

Cheers.

High school girls want maternity leave option

This story from The Denver Post is blowing up across the country. Some pregnant girls at a high school in Denver want the school to establish maternity leave "so they can heal, bond with their newborns and not be penalized with unexcused absences."

Also thought this bit at the end was interesting...

Students at one high school in southern Colorado wanted to set up a child-care center, but the principal forbade it, saying it would encourage teen pregnancy, she said.

"There is no evidence that has ever happened," Casillas said. "I don't think schools have been proactive at creating policies that encourage young mothers to remain in school. Schools need to say, 'What if you do come back, then what?'

"Schools need to say, 'This is what we do to support your learning.' That's not happening."

Sacred Music Workshop to draw big crowd

The inaugural Rocky Mountain Regional Sacred Music Workshop Jan. 18-19 at St. Mary's Cathedral looks to be a momentous ocassion for the diocese. From the Aquinas and More blog:

We had hoped for around 60 signups for the Rocky Mountain Regional Sacred Music Workshop with a maximum group of around 75. We are currently at 106 registrations with two on hold. The biggest problem is that the cathedral in Colorado Springs doesn’t have a place to put a choir that big for the Mass.

A few stats:
* Half the registrants are from Colorado Springs
* Six are from out of state
* Six local choir directors are coming
* At least eight local parishes will be represented

Raising large families

Earlier today, I had an e-mail discussion with a reader about our NFP series. While this person believes in the church's teachings on NFP, she posed a followup question that is often asked: What is available for help to parents who want to be always open to life, either using or not using NFP, but struggle with raising a large family -- particularly when the children start to enter their teen years? She wonders why the church encourages large families but then does not have enough direction or help for those large families if struggles arise down the road.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about how large families make it work... or if you're planning a large family, how would you try to make it work and do you know others who have made it work? How do parents avoid emotional and spiritual breakdowns by trying to manage a large family? Here is an honest and heartfelt comment from the e-mail exchange. She has a large family and some of the children are now in their teens:

I was open to life and now I find I am in the dire situation of not knowing what to do with my older children. The Church doesn’t seem to have an answer to that one! What if I am not emotionally stable or financially able to handle all these teenagers? . . . I am quickly reminded though, that they are God’s children anyway. Every breath we take, for better or for worse, is in His ever loving hands.

Happy Epiphany!

Happy Epiphany!

Click here for a special rendition of a classic epiphany song, courtesy of ... um... Spinal Tap.

Herald coupons

I just wanted to point out that the Herald is blessed to have many good businesses supporting us through advertising. Some of our advertisers include coupons in the paper, which I'd like to point out so that you can take advantage of their generous offers. In the Jan. 4 issue, you can get these deals (bring the coupon with you):

* Aquinas and More: Get 10% off your order when purchasing in store, 4727 N. Academy Blvd., Suite A, Colorado Springs.

* MAACO: Half price on a Presidential Paint Package ($250, from $499), 392 East Garden of the Gods.

* Ranch Foods Direct (Callicrate Beef): Bring in ad to get one free pound of organic ground beef. 2901 North El Paso (off Fillmore).

* Play It Again Sports: Get $10 off an order of $50 or more. 5338 Montebello Lane, Colorado Springs.

Reasons to hope in 2008?

I'd like to write my next editorial on "Reasons to Hope in 2008." Right now, global morale is at a major low... there seems to be no end in sight to the Iraq war, global terrorism is getting worse, pornography is taking hold of lives at earlier and earlier ages and causing the breakups of many marriages...

But then Pope Benedict XVI ends 2007 be releasing his second encyclical, focused on Christian hope. The lack of hope in the world, he writes, is because the world has increasingly turned away from Christ. We need to get back to what it really means to be a Christian... a person of hope.

But I'd like to be more particular than that... citing specific examples of hope, tangible examples of it. I'd like your help by seeing if you'd be kind enough to share just where in your heart you find hope these days.

Christopher West CD update

We have about a dozen free 2CD sets left of Christopher West's awesome Dec. 4 talk, "Theology of the Body: Antidote to a Pornographic Culture." After this allotment of 50 CD sets is gone, that's it, although you'll still be able to stream it from our Web site.

One CD set per reader, and you can either pick it up for free at the Chancery or send $2 to have it mailed to your home. If you choose the mailing route, make the check out to The Colorado Catholic Herald and send it to:

The Colorado Catholic Herald
Attn: Christopher West CD
228 N. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Thanks again to Ascension Press for letting us make a limited amount of CDs of this talk.