Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

Since I am in the Holy Land as this goes to press, I want to share with you an email. Last week we started singing the Salve Regina as was the custom at my previous parish. After some time of the parish learning the chant, a parish mother wrote me this email which expresses beautifully one of the reasons why I have directed that we sing the Marian Antiphons, especially the Salve Regina.

I wanted to tell you how much I love that we sing the Salve Regina after mass. I love that my kids and I know it by heart now. Today, I had a new reason to love it. We were sitting behind an elderly woman and her adult son. She appeared very infirm and somewhat “not here.” He was wonderful to her, finding the music/readings for her, putting his arm around her at times, etc. He helped her get to communion and back to her seat. Then the Salve started and all of a sudden this beautiful, clear voice rang out—she was singing! I looked up and her son was staring at her with this smiling, gaping, open mouth, just like me, I’m sure. Then her son and I had to stop signing because it’s very hard to sing the Salve Regina with a lump in your throat. We chatted with them after mass and she had a stroke 8 years ago, and doesn’t have much short-term memory, but her long-term memory is very solid. She was telling us about being taught by the Dominican nuns in France during her childhood and how they would always sing the Salve in school. I love how that piece of music ties us to Catholics all over the world, but also to Catholics out of time and place and to Mary. Amazing mass today.

– Mom

Pax,

Fr. Mosimann

Dear Folks,

This week we are going to change the parish prayer song, as happens from time  to time. Because I know my gift is not the composition of music, I have directed that the
prayer be to changed the Salve Regina. This is a prayer that most of you know by heart as the  “Hail Holy Queen….” We will sing in Latin the plainchant version that is very easy to learn. I am grateful for the tradition of a sung prayer in our parish family, and learning the Salve Regina will connect this prayer and our parish family to the entire Church. Our Hymnal says that the Salve Regina dates to 1080 AD.

It will still be sung at the same point in the Mass, as the sacred vessels are being purified and after the communion hymn(s). Given that our parish is under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, I am delighted to include this prayerful nod to Our Lady. There is a tradition of Marian Antiphons that are connected with the Liturgy of the Hours, and they change to correspond with the liturgical season. Eventually, we will rotate the chants according to the season, but will start with the Salve Regina because it is used during most of the year, is the prayer most familiar to you, and may be the easiest to learn.

If the Latin chant is not your ‘cup of tea’ then do not be afraid to participate by continuing your post communion thanksgiving and prayers with with chant being pleasant earwash. It will take us a little time to learn the chant, as is the case for anytime that we must learn something both new (and in this case old).

And next week I will share with you the experience of one mother’s encountering the universality of this chant.

Pax,

Fr. Mosimann