Thanksgiving in Vermont

I know it's been a while since i've posted, but i know very few people read this blog anyway. I went home to Vermont for Thanksgiving break, which was nice. my allergies kicked in of course, but that's alright. Thanksgiving is quite different for my family now that it used to be. I miss our whole Depatie family getting together at my Aunt Therese's and i especially miss her famous bread rolls! But our family is growing too big, so meals together just doesn't work, no one's house is big enough for a sit down meal with all of us. So we are starting to just have our family and sometimes my mom's sister and her family, or we go to their house. and this year we have a new member of the family! I am now an aunt, and my new niece Pheobe Marie is only 2-3 weeks old. She's so cute!

Besides seeing her, I also got to see the new shrine for the tabernacle that Fr. Ben has had completed, and it is beautiful. I'm very hopeful about the prospect of going back to Vermont. I see a lot of good reforms in my home parishes, and there has definitely been receptivity to changes in music, but they need help in that department for it to be more consistent. My grandmother actually wants to try to teach the choir a latin gloria and other mass parts. both parish now sing the Agnus Dei strongly, so it is time to start doing another part of the mass in latin as well. One piece at a time... My home parishes also seems like the ideal place to start in Vermont since the parishes already have organists, so i wouldn't be desparately needed to play, although i am learning organ, and getting better at it.
I got to introduce myself to the bishop as well, and express my interest in music for the diocese, so we'll see what happens. I think it is safe for me to say now that there ARE opportunities in Vermont for me, now i just need to discern if that is where God wants me to go. So prayers for that please.

All Soul's Requiem Mass

I wish i could record all the masses i sing for at my church. In some way this would help me to preserve memories of the two beautiful years i am spending here, and do not know what will happen after that. For All Souls last night, we had a solemn high mass in the extraordinary form complete with a fake casket (catafaulk?) and we sang Victoria's 6 voice "Officium defunctorum": the introit, kyrie, santus, agnus dei, and communion antiphon. The rest of the antiphons and chants were sung to the regular chant by the 7 men present. We had a 11 people to sing it! Words can't even come close to describing the experience of a requiem high mass in the EF. My mind cannot comprehend how such a beautiful, exquisite expression of mourning for the deceased, praying for them, and the constant hope underlying all of it could just be forgotten by the majority of the Catholic Church. I would not want to be buried to anything else. I would want to know that people are going to the mass to pray for my soul, not "celebrate my life". I'll need all the prayers i can get! And a requiem mass with out the chants just seems so incomplete. I have heard a requiem low and high mass in the EF, and the high mass is just so much more uplifting and... i don't even know how to describe it.
May many priests take the initiative to bring back the solemnity of a requiem mass and the understanding of praying for the deceased and supporting those who are grieving in the most appropriate manner, by mourning with them, but also providing them with hope through Christ. I have read many accounts of priests who have started to return to purple or black vestments for all souls and funeral masses, and have not received any negative comments from anyone. May the chant of the texts also return, for without it, the requiem mass has lost SO much.