On Sunday, February 13th, Fr. Pierre Paul, maestro di cappella (chapel master) at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, celebrated the Sunday 11:00am Mass in the Ordinary Form. Fr. Paul heads the music program at St. Peter’s under the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI.
The Mass, which was celebrated ad orientem in Latin, featured two of the parish choirs, the Schola Cantorum of St. Gregory the Great which sang the Gregorian Chant propers and the St. Cecelia Choir which sang the Madrid Mass by Alessandro Scarlatti along with motets.
In his closing remarks at the end of Mass, Father Pierre Paul commented on how pleased he was with the music program at St. John Cantius. He thanked Father Frank Phillips, the priests and brothers, and the parishioners of St. John Cantius Church for the warm welcome he received and the opportunity to celebrate the Mass. Father remarked at how well the parishioners of St. John Cantius participate in the Mass—not just with their voices but also in their heart.
Father Paul shared with the parish how he has been able to introduce much more Gregorian Chant in the music program at St. Peter’s Basilica and in the future he hopes to incorporate more Polyphony as well. “What you are doing here, I am trying to do in Rome,” said Fr. Paul.
Father Paul also spoke about the upcoming events at the Vatican in which he is involved, referring particularly to the upcoming Mass of the Beatification of John Paul II in May.
In closing, Father asked the people of St. John Cantius parish for their prayers, that the Church’s ideal vision of Sacred Music will be realized in other places. Finally, Father thanked the people of St. John Cantius Parish for their “ministry of beauty.”
Here are just a few photos from the Mass.
For more on this, see: St John Cantius Parish
