Dr. Mahrt's Requiem at the Mission Dolores

On Thursday, January 10, one of the Brothers and a postulant drove up north to sing for the Solemn High Requiem of Dr. William Peter Mahrt, president of the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) and a publisher for New Liturgical Movement. The Requiem took place in the basilica church of the Mission Dolores (Misión San Francisco de Asís), adjacent to the much older 1776 adobe chapel originally used by Franciscan missionaries. Mary Ann Carr-Wilson, who in the past has collaborated frequently with the Brothers, was one of the singers our envoys recognized at the Requiem. Many of the others who sang for the funeral were students of Dr. Mahrt while he taught at Stanford University. Two obituaries; a sermon from His Excellency the Most Reverend Msgr. Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, who preached before the absolution; and other related articles are available in the links below.

• "In Memoriam" - Fr. David Friel at Corpus Christi Watershed
  
  
• Obituary from the Church Music Association of America
  
  
• Archbishop Cordileone's sermon
  
  
• Archbishop Cordileone's establishment of the William P. Mahrt Chair in Sacred Music (2022)
  
  
• Special Issue of Sacred Music Journal (deadline 2/10)
  

All who served the Mass that day (MC, crucifer, etc.) appeared to be priests. Two deacons sat in choro alongside Abp. Cordileone in choir dress, Fr. Joseph Illo of Star of the Sea Church, a Norbertine from St. Michael's Abbey, a Dominican friar, and other clerics. Another elderly Dominican friar sat in the nave of the basilica with a walker. The vestment set worn included a Neri-style chasuble.

My homily for the funeral Mass of Prof. William P. Mahrt: "Only the best for God: in our worship..with all of the blessings He has entrusted to us, in our personal, professional & social lives. Professor Mahrt has taught us the joy and simple goodness of such a life of… pic.twitter.com/6DvKkHhEge

— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone (@ArchCordileone) January 18, 2025

Some Photos from Karolina Zapolska

The full photo album from Dr. Mahrt's funeral can be viewed at the bottom of the CMAA obituary, as well as on CMAA's Facebook.

Photos from the Mission Complex

The following photos were taken in various parts of the Mission complex before the Mass. Aside from the basilica church and the chapel, the complex also includes a museum and a cemetery. The cemetery's burials include Costanoan Indians converted by the Franciscans, Spanish colonial officials, as well as American-era Irish and Italian settlers.

A replica Costanoan hut

Grave of two baptized Costonoans

A bugia

Preparations for Mass

A kneeler used by JP2

Side altar of the adobe chapel

Our Lady of Refuge,
Patroness of California

A reliquary of St. Junipero Serra

Singing Materials and Dr. Mahrt's Favorite Motets List

At the funeral reception, some of the singers joined in singing Dr. Mahrt's favorite motets, which are listed below: 

• Caeleste beneficium (Jean Mouton)
• Sicut cervus (Palestrina)
• O magnum mysterium (Victoria)
• O Salutaris Hostia (La Rue)
• Christum ducem (Josquin des Prez)

The program for the Mass and other printed materials can also be found in the photos above. Helen Waddell's (d. 1965) English translation of a hymn from Prudentius, the Roman Christian poet who wrote Corde natus, was included at the end of the Mass booklet. In fact, it is listed as Hymn X in the Liber Cathemerinon, immediately after Hymn IX, Corde natus. The original Latin text and the English text from the booklet can be found in the links below.

• Hymnus circa exequias defuncti (Tufts University)
  
  
• Hymnus ad Exequias Defuncti (Wikisource / Vicifons)
  
  
• Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing (2004 blogpost)
  

A Quote from St. Philip

"If God be with us, there is no one else left to fear."

From the January 10 entry of
the Maxims and Sayings of St. Philip Neri

Translated by the Rev. Fr. F.W. Faber, Cong. Orat.

Requiescat in pace.