From the bulletin of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish
The feast of Pentecost is the perfect expression of our diversity, but also our unity, as we experience the risen Christ in our midst. It is also the experience of the Spirit at work in the world and our community sending us forth to proclaim the Gospel.
Music, and in particular jazz music, is a language that transcends cultures and borders. It is characterized by improvisation, by creative and spontaneous composition, which speaks from one heart and mind to another. It speaks directly to the heart, engaging us on a physical level as well, causing our toes to tap and our hands to clap. We invite you, your family and friends to come and celebrate our diversity and our unity on
Sunday, May 19, at
10:00 AM Mass at
Christ the King site.
I particularly like how paragraph one randomly defines Pentecost as an expression of “diversity,” and paragraph two randomly describes jazz.
At no point does it attempt to explain why these two things belong together.
Diversity and unity? How hypocritical! There is no diversity in Irondequoit. It’s conform to St. Kateri’s (Christ the King’s) 1970’s worship, liturgy and music style or go elsewhere. The parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle were promised that their worship traditions and rich traditional Church music would be honored in the new parish. Their traditions disappeared (as well as many of STA’s parishioners). A false unity in Irondequoit was created by the DoR with the creation of their mega-parish. There was much injustice perpetrated by the DoR in the process. Declaring that a “jazz” Mass will bring about diversity and unity in this on-going calamity is beyond words.
Gregorian chant?
Jazz Mass?
Toe tapping and hand clapping belong in a revival tent.
Mass should be a time for prayerful reflection and appreciation for the
miracle taking place before us.
By the way, regarding “diversity”, on Pentecost we’ll hear
“We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,..:”
Ditto Monk. It is also sad, because the musicians at Christ the King really do want to give of themselves for the Lord, and many of them are very talented. Their music would be wonderful if it were outside of the Mass. Like fundraising concerts for right-to-life groups, or as entertainment for parish picnics and the like, or for prayer gatherings for special occasions. It is a dirty rotten shame that these people (many of whom are youth) are being led to believe that the music they are performing is appropriate for Mass — and that one should expect to be entertained at Mass.
Jazz as an expression of diversity, that’s a new trick. You would think that these folks would actually read the norms that the Church has established for liturgical music.
I really don’t see the correlation between Pentecost Sunday and “jazz”…..
Unless the connection is symbolic for “all the jazz” that went on in the DOR for the last 33 years!