ROAMIN'
CATHOLIC
By Charles A. Coulombe
ARTICLES
LETTERS
NEWS
Contents © 1998
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
A Choir of Concert Quality
St. Monica's church at Lincoln and California in Santa Monica is an architectural gem. Its Romanesque style, while somewhat damaged interiorly by post-1994 quake "restoration," remains glorious. Although the communion rail has been, for the most part, removed, the Blessed Sacrament, tucked away in a separate side-chapel, and a pond-and-waterfall baptismal font installed to the right of the altar, enough has been preserved (including the high altar) to give an impression of what it looked like in earlier times.On the anticipated feast of the Epiphany, January 4, the church was lavishly festooned with greens, in what was called "Victorian" style. After the procession with lector and lectoresses, altar boys and girls, and the celebrant, Fr. Bernard O'Connor, C.M.F., the choir launched into its work. The music of the Mass was quite beautiful, if a little unorthodox. As I found out later, it was an original Mass for Christmas, composed by the Music Minister, Mr. Edward Archer. The choir itself was quite professional--of concert-quality, really, and accompanied by organ, guitar, and flute.
The lectoresses performed their roles competently. Fr. O'Connor declaimed the Gospel of St. Matthew in a full, rich voice. The story of the astrologers (for so the New American Bible calls the Magi) concluded, Father began his sermon. Though the coming of the Three Kings and the Star of Bethlehem, the Baptism in the Jordan, and the Marriage Feast at Cana are occurences commemorated on Epiphany, none of them were mentioned in the homily. What was unusual, too, was the absence of Christ: Our Lord did not come up once.
Instead, Father chose to focus on the need for signs of hope; for us to be signs of hope; for us to see signs of hope; for us to accept signs of hope; for signs of hope to be everywhere. The Epiphany itself (he did use the feast's title, once) is a sign of hope. Father neither defined hope nor told us what we ought to hope in or for.
The Credo and the Offertory were done in a very ritualistic manner. The Holy, Holy, Holy was sung to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High." The second eucharistic prayer was employed, at which almost all stood. Father O'Connor used an enormous number of hosts, only intending to give out what had actually been consecrated at that Mass.
At the Our Father, all present clasped hands; they continued clutching until after the "Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory." The Lamb of God was done as a medley with two Christmas carols, the choir singing in three parts. At Communion time, a regiment of Eucharistic Ministers emerged, as well as Msgr. Torgerson, the pastor. The communicants were ushered from the rear forward, in keeping with His Eminence's latest decrees. The vast majority received on the hand, though some hold-outs persisted in using their tongues.
The recessional was "Joy to the World." After the sanctuary party recessed and the choir stopped singing, they received thunderous applause.