GUEST POST: Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids, MI

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From a reader:

Thank you for your blog, your collect translations, and your devotion to the Tridentine Rite. I pray for you every night before bed, please pray for me.

I wanted to pass along some information about this wonderful bunch of young women who formed their own chant group and have been singing High Mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids, MI (unfortunately, the only extraordinary form parish in our diocese). They put out a CD last year and here is a clip promoting it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK7eD-pGID4&feature=player_embedded

This is not my home parish, but our family tries to get over to attend the Mass there whenever we can. I have heard this group on multiple occasions and they truly glorify God with their singing.

I attended the Easter Sunday Mass there last year and they added much beauty on a such sacred feast. I remember sitting in the pew hearing an angelic rendition of O Filii et Filiae. I had not looked back at loft to see who was singing. So, I was shocked during communion when a group of four high school age girls come down from the loft to receive Eucharist. I was even more surprised to learn from the new parish music director, Dr. David Saunders, that these young woman had formed the group of their own initiative.

Great pastoral work by Father Robert Sirico bringing TLM to our youth! Please give Sancta Schola Caecilia Father Z kudos.

Brick by brick!

Fr. Z kudos!

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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16 Comments

  1. LadyMarchmain says:

    How lovely! And they are well trained and conducted. And how modestly and sweetly they are dressed. Thank you for posting this, such encouraging news for this morning.

  2. Cranky Old Man says:

    This is surely one of the most hope-filled posts in all of blogland. Laudetur Iesus Christus!

  3. Paul_S says:

    Fr. Z, your correspondent is right – these girls rock!

    This weekend, I had the blessing of attending an (OF) Nuptial Mass elsewhere in Grand Rapids, assisted by the Schola Sancta Caecilia. :) It always adds to my prayer, to hear them sing.

    When Juventutem Michigan visited GR’s Basilica of St. Adalbert last May, this schola beautifully assisted that Mass.

    For those looking for a physical album, I believe a few CDs are still available over at cdbaby.com

    A year ago, an “older sister of the schola” was part of the Chorus Sine Nomine that assisted cantor Wassim Sarweh at the Pontifical Requiem at the 2013 March for Life (Previous Fr. Z. coverage).

  4. benedetta says:

    Very beautiful! Have found that young people really love chant and are often able to learn with even no previous experience. It’s such a joy to sing the ancient music of the faith.

  5. St Donatus says:

    Wow, it is so wonderful to see such beauty in young ladies, not just physical beauty but beautiful voices and beautiful hearts with love of God. God bless them.

  6. samwise says:

    Sacred Heart is not the only parish that offers EF in Grand Rapids.

    St. Isidore, where my wife and I were married, offers EF every week (see their website…http://www.saintisidorechurch.org/about-us/mass-schedule/)

  7. Filumene says:

    Do these girls travel???

    I attend the Tridentine mass in Jackson, Mi. Would love to hear them at St Mary, Star of the Sea!

  8. av8er says:

    That was freakin beautiful!!!!!,!,!,

  9. Neihan says:

    Thank you for posting about them, and for providing a link to their CD.

  10. adeacon says:

    Wow! These young women are awesome. I wish we could have this gift of music in our parish. I have mentioned the possibilities of chant in our parish – it was not well received. But I will persevere…this is the music of the Church. Every parish should enjoy this sacred music.

  11. nykash says:

    I was able to get to Sacred Heart last year for a Missa Cantata. It was wonderful.
    Fr. Sirico is certainly doing a great job.

  12. tmjost says:

    May God bless these girls!!! This was truly beautiful!

  13. wmeyer says:

    Samwise, I am jealous. To have not one, but two EF parishes so near! In my archdiocese we have only two, the nearer being 42 miles away, and the further 150 miles.

  14. acardnal says:

    wmeyer,
    For me to drive 42 miles one way is a short distance and a great opportunity to assist at a TLM/EF Mass. I do it often – especially when I know a High Mass/Missa Contata is scheduled.

  15. acardinal, the distance I’ve traveled one-way to EF Mass over the past 20 years has ranged from 15 miles to 105 miles with an average slightly over 40 miles, excluding several years when I didn’t attend the EF at all, because the one-way distance would have been about 200 miles (though this is precisely what, in response to a petition, my bishop at the time generously suggested as a solution for those “attached” to the old Mass).

  16. acardnal says:

    God bless you Henry. I think a missa contata/solemn high Mass/Pontifical is simply heaven on earth! Well worth the drive time.

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