Deo Gratias to 2024 (Pt. 1)

Frater Jon T's picture of us at Martinmas supper

For our American readers keeping up with our blog, we hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we pray for your acclimation to whatever penances you have planned for the rest of St. Martin's Lent and Advent. The Brothers and Chorus Breviarii give thanks to God for their ability to continue their activities, both liturgical and recreational, throughout the liturgical year. To commemorate the end of the 2024 liturgical year, we present some photos from events much earlier in the year that we were unable to post earlier. We have a large backlog of photos from earlier in the year and from years past, so stay tuned for more.

First Visit to the Chaldean Cross

Our poster designer Martin helped to organize the St. Anne Young Adult Group's first hike up to the Chaldean Holy Cross in Jamul, CA on Passion Saturday. Fr. Jesus Valenzuela, F.S.S.P. led the young adults in praying the Stations of the Cross while climbing to the summit of the hill, which was about 900 feet above sea level. We were joined by Mr. Peter O'Connor, F.S.S.P., a seminarian at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE. Mr. Grant Dunn, who was leading the young adult group at the time of the hike and has sung in choir with the Brothers for a few Vespers events in the past, is also currently enrolled in his first year at the Denton seminary. Our climb to the top was very penitential, as aside from the steep incline and loose dirt, we also had to deal with a cold drizzle that eventually intensified into windy rain. The rainy conditions died down when we were halfway down the mountain. 

Set on private land between rural and suburban East County, this cross commemorates the persecuted Christian communities of the Middle East, many of whom have been martyred for their embrace of the faith. Many persecuted Middle Eastern Christians have come to the United States, with a large percentage of them being Chaldean Catholics such as the family who installed this cross last December, the Attishas. Counting the Catholic communities alone, there are also Melkites, Maronites, and Syriacs. The Chaldeans have established a large presence in El Cajon and adjacent communities, with a monastery located just east of Montgomery Field. The prominent placement of the Chaldean Cross makes it visible from the southern edge of Rancho San Diego, a community located just south of El Cajon proper which is home to St. Peter's Chaldean Cathedral and an adjacent convent. The future site of an expanded St. Anne Catholic Church is located on the northern edge of Rancho San Diego, only a brief walk from the Chaldeans' seminary in El Cajon. 

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Interestingly, the unity between the Chaldean communities of El Cajon and Rancho San Diego was the subject of a lawsuit filed a couple years ago by LiMandri & Jonna LLP that disputed the legality of the new San Diego County Supervisorial District boundaries. As business-oriented Catholics who have suffered at the hands of Muslims, the Chaldeans have generally voted along conservative lines like the rest of East County. Both the Chaldean community and the County's Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) admitted that the redraws were made in the interest of "BIPOC" activism, with the Chaldean Coalition claiming that "BIPOC" / BLM / anti-conservative interests motivated the push to dilute the Chaldean vote. Meanwhile, the County claims that the IRC was acting in the interest of immigrant and refugee communities, which may highlight that Arab Muslim communities in East County are politically closer to fellow Muslim refugees in San Diego's Mid-City neighborhoods than Chaldeans in East County. Regardless of the validity of the IRC's justification, the lawsuit was rejected in 2023, leaving Rancho San Diego's Chaldean community in the county's most diverse Supervisorial District, with some of the areas represented including immigrant neighborhoods, Black communities, and homosexual enclaves. In general, the District votes solidly liberal.

Many of our younger Chorus Breviarii members are familiar with both Fr. Andrew "Andy" Younan, chorbishop and seminary rector, and Fr. Ankido (Enkidu) Sipo, abbot, due to their positions as professors at JPCatholic University in Escondido. Fr. Andy also offers the Sunday Divine Mysteries in the Chaldean Rite ad orientem at Mar Narsai Chaldean Catholic Mission, which shares facilities with Holy Martyrs of England and Wales Anglican Ordinariate Parish, the home parish of our Chorus Breviarii brethren in Murrieta.

Delayed Tenebrae Scenes

We currently have multiple days of Tenebrae videos from both 2023 and 2024 that we plan on uploading to YouTube around Ash Wednesday of 2025. We also have a large collection of photos from both St. Anne and Holy Martyrs. As at last year's Tenebrae services at St. Anne, Fr. Valenzuela was our hebdomadary. Mr. Peter O'Connor, F.S.S.P. and Mr. Grant Dunn also joined us for Tenebrae, each one reading a Lesson. Since 2022, a few of us have made it a custom to visit the Ruthenians at Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church following Tenebrae of Holy Saturday for the celebration of Jerusalem Matins, where we always see Chorus Breviarii associate Gary Huber leading as cantor.

Courtesy: Bert Porciuncula

The Crown Point Country Club

Our annual Paschal Gaudeamus took place on April 22 at the highly-exclusive and extremely secretive Crown Point Country Club. Chorus Breviarii members from down near the Mexican border all the way up to Murrieta gathered to enjoy the end of Lenten fasting to engage in Paschaltide feasting. Our potluck dinner, which included bratwurst, "Tasting is Believing" chicken, and various other dishes was delicious. Highlights at the club that night included an outdoor grill and tiki bar, heated and unheated saltwater pools, and live coverage of the San Diego Padres. My own dip in the pool was followed by some cozying-up by the fire-ring. Considering the cold air that often passes over Crown Point, some modest drinking also aided in warming up the body. For information about the club's history, membership dues, and actual existence, please contact Mr. John B. Polhamus.

Ecce quam bonum et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unum!

Newman as a Local Doctor of the Church

Today is the Octave Day of St. John Henry Newman, father of the Oratory in England. Last Tuesday, on the eve of his feast day, one of our Chorus Breviarii members met with some recently-graduated students of JPCatholic University in Escondido to chant First Vespers in honor of the famous Cardinal who converted to the Church from Anglicanism.

Despite leaving the Church of England for the true Church, the Anglican calendar still commemorates St. John Henry Newman in their liturgical calendar on his dies natalis of August 11, one of the bizarre consequences of the Anglicans shifting their ecumenism into high gear. Since the 1970 General Roman Calendar commemorates St. Clare of Assisi upon August 11, the Catholic commemoration of Cardinal Newman occurs on October 9, the date of his formal reception into the Church. We ourselves have sung the Traditional Mass for this great Oratorian Saint in the past, even when he had just been declared a beatus.

Last year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to support the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales in their petition to declare Newman a Doctor of the Church. While the process toward universal recognition as a Doctor moves along, there could be a case for both the Oratorians and the English to honor Cardinal Newman as a Doctor sooner using local calendar permissions. 

While searching for liturgical texts related to the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, our poster designer Martin found a PDF of the Supplementum pro Hispaniae Dioecesibus (Supplement for the Dioceses of Spain) published by Solesmes Abbey in 1927. Pages 10 and 11 of the Supplement list St. Fulgentius and St. Leander (San Leandro) as Doctors of the Church, despite not being recognized as such in the universal list of Doctors. A certain edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia mentions that certain Saints, including those eventually made universal Doctors of the Church, were allowed to be celebrated as Doctors in specific localities (e.g., the Venerable Bede in England, St. Fulgentius and St. Leander in Spain) or within specific orders (e.g., St. Peter Damian for the Camaldolese, the Venerable Bede and St. Leander for the Benedictines). 

(See Note 1 for more details).

Considering these past permissions, it would be fitting for the English dioceses and the Oratorians to pursue an indult to celebrate the Feast of St. John Henry Newman as that of a Doctor of the Church, even if he still isn't recognized as such universally. Perhaps even the Personal Ordinariates for former Anglicans could follow suit. Of course, the situation of the traditional Roman Rite being frowned upon by the Vatican combined with a contemporary lack of understanding of how the Breviary and the old Lectionary work would probably complicate the process of pursuing an indult. Cardinal Newman may already be named a Doctor of the Church by the time liturgical freedoms allow for such indults to be pursued easily.

If Cardinal Newman were bestowed the honor of Doctor of the Church, then his Magnificat antiphon variant would probably be as written above, since the Collect for the Memorial of St. John Henry Newman refers to the Saint as "John Henry" in the Latin. If "Henrice" were not to be used, then it would make Cardinal Newman's Magnificat antiphon identical to those of at least three other Doctors of the Church: St. John Damascene, St. John of the Cross, and St. John of Avila (Note 2).

Aside from the use of O Doctor optime at Vespers and the Mass In medio Ecclesiae, Cardinal Newman's feast is observed as that of a Confessor-not-a-Bishop, as despite his elevation to the College of Cardinals, he was never consecrated a bishop (Note 3) For this reason, the booklets we created for Cardinal Newman's Vespers began with the antiphon Domine, quinque talenta rather than Ecce sacerdos magnus. Despite the fact we were chanting Vespers in a living room rather than inside a chapel or in an outdoor setup (as we did in Escondido, El Centro, and the Presidio), we still included processional and recession hymns in our booklets. "Praise to the Holiest in the Height" was used for our entrance, and the Nashotah House version of "Firmly I Believe and Truly", a favorite of our friends in the Ordinariate, was used as the recessional following Compline. "Lead, Kindly Light" was also included in the booklets.

We will continue to pray for the cause to recognize St. John Henry Newman's contributions to the Church. Hopefully we will be able to sing Vespers for a Doctor in his honor someday!

Note 1. These honors are recognized in the Catholic Encyclopedia article "Doctors of the Church" as found on Wikisource (Wikimedia Foundation) and Catholic Answers, but the paragraph mentioning them is absent from the New Advent version. The article as found on Wikisource is labeled as a 1997 edit, and this version is also found on Catholic.org, the Mary Foundation, and e-Catholic 2000, with the Catholic.org version labeling the 1997 edits as "web editor's notes"; even a PDF version of the Encyclopedia found on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library appears to be the 1997 edition. The Catholic Answers version of the article omits the obvious 1997 edits, such as the mentions of John Paul II's selection, but the paragraph mentioning the indults given to Spain and various religious orders is still present. My conjecture is that either Mr. Kevin Knight, editor of the New Advent version of the Encyclopedia; or Mr. Gerard Haffner, who transcribed the article for New Advent, intentionally omitted this final paragraph due to its mention of the number of Doctors of the Church, which would explain a strange gap between the text of the article and the footer not seen on other New Advent articles. For context, the 1997 edit begins the paragraph in question with: "There are therefore now [1997] thirty-three Doctors of the Church," while the Catholic Answers version begins with: "There are therefore now twenty-three Doctors of the Church." Thus, I conclude that the useful information about St. Leander and other Doctors granted by indult was set aside to avoid mentioning a dynamic number that has become controversial in Traditional Catholic circles, whether due to Paul VI's decision to give the honor of Doctor of the Church to women, or due to Francis' elevation of Gregory of Narek. St. Teresa's doctoral qualities have at least been recognized by the Church before Paul VI, with some art of her depicting her wearing an academic biretta.

The peculiar gap

Note 2. Despite St. John Chrysostom being another "John" recognized as a Doctor of the Church, his variant of O Doctor optime uses "Joannes Chrysostome" rather than the generic “Joannes” variant shared by St. John Damascene and St. John of the Cross. The reasoning for this is likely the same that can be found in Foley's "The Name Game of the Orations" published on New Liturgical Movement earlier this year, which elaborates on a footnote found in a work by Fr. Nicholas Gihr. While not explicitly mentioning O Doctor optime, the article also sheds light on why St. Alphonsus' variant of the antiphon uses "Alphonse Maria" rather than just his first name. The use of double names in the orations of St. Alphonsus and St. Margaret Mary therefore justifies the decision to refer to Cardinal Newman as "John Henry" in his version of the antiphon. St. John of the Avila's antiphon is likely identical to those of St. John Damascene and St. John of the Cross since he lacks a double name, but I cannot find an actual transcription of his antiphon due to the difficulty of navigating the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Note 3. The situation of cardinals not made bishops was much more common before Vatican II. John XXIII ruled in 1962 that cardinals without a dispensation must be members of the episcopate, and John Paul II's 1983 Code of Canon Law codified this ruling, slowing the creation of cardinals who are only priests and making the position of "lay cardinal" extinct.

Valē, Marlōnī

Marlon serving Mass at St. Augustine of Canterbury (right)

One of our young Chorus Breviarii members from the Imperial Valley, Marlon Munguia, will be starting a period of discernment at the Pharr Oratory in March. We pray that his postulancy will be fruitful and that the Fathers in Texas will find him well-suited for the Oratorian life. 

Marlon graduated from JPCatholic University in Escondido in 2023. During his time as a student, he led the school's Divine Office Ministry (now called Pelicanes Traditiones) and even attended some classes taught by Fratellino. Through his involvement in promoting the Traditional Divine Office at JPCatholic, the Brothers have been able to celebrate Vespers for and with the students. JPCatholic students have also been able to attend our Tenebrae services through carpools organized through the ministry. We hope that we will continue to see them attending or serving at our events.

Frater Ron's picture of Marlon serving as thurifer

Up until Fr. Samuel Keyes' departure from San Diego to a new assignment in Connecticut, Marlon also served at Holy Mass with Frater Ron Clemente at the Ordinariate Parish of St. Augustine of Canterbury.

Before becoming a Chorus Breviarii member in 2021, Marlon and his group of friends were active in trying to promote the Traditional Mass and Divine Office in the Imperial Valley. This was the cause of our visit to celebrate Sunday Vespers in El Centro in September 2021. We hope that his friends will continue to promote these sacred and ancient rites, and we may pay a visit again if time permits. 

We will certainly miss Marlon for Tenebrae this year. However, if God wills it, we may see him again with the Oratorian collar! May St. Philip pray for him!

Easter & Whitsun at JPCatholic

Students from John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, CA celebrated the Feast of Pentecost with sung lay Vespers and Compline, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Two students who sing with Chorus Breviarii run the school's Divine Office Ministry, a group who's activities include nightly Compline and the occasional Vespers service. Last year, the Divine Office Ministry invited the Brothers and Chorus Breviarii to celebrate Vespers of the 5th Sunday after Easter. 

Easter Vespers at JPCatholic (May 22, 2022)

The JPCatholic Divine Office Ministry has provided a solid group for young Catholic students to celebrate the Church's Canonical Hours in a well-structured manner, opting for the older Divine Office arrangement and its chants over the modern Liturgy of the Hours. At the end of their most recent Fall quarter, the group celebrated the end of exams with dinner, dessert, and Sunday Compline in Advent. One Chorus Breviarii member in attendance also instructed the group in how to chant the Angelus. 

Fr. Sarfraz Alam, O.S.A., the current chaplain to JPCatholic, attended Compline with us and completed the Sunday Exposition period with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Hopefully we may be able to celebrate full liturgical Vespers with these students again soon! We pray that the Holy Ghost will enlighten these students' minds as they prepare for their final exams and papers this week.

Courtesy: visionaryarts100

Paralipomena from the 2022 Liturgical Year

Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, leaving us less than a week until Advent. Some photo and video submissions never made it to our inboxes in time for appropriately-timed postings and blogpost updates. The Books of Chronicles are called Paralipomenon (Greek, Παραλειπομένων; lit. of things omitted) in the Septuagint and Vulgate, in reference to the supplemental nature of these books to the Books of Kings. This post is dedicated to the paralipomena of the past liturgical year.

TENEBRÆ:

Good Friday 2022

Courtesy: Judith

Fr. Burt Boudoin's 40th Anniversary:

From Fratellino: On Saturday, 9 July 2022, several of the Brothers participated in a polyphonic ensemble in honour of the 40th anniversary of Fr. Burt Boudoin's priestly ordination. The Brothers give thanks for Fr. Boudoin's friendship and liturgical support, and wish him many more years of the same. Deo Gratias!!

VIDEO LINK HERE

6th Sun. after Pentecost:

Another shot of the Art Deco monstrance at Guardian Angels

ASSUMPTION:

A special thanks to Fr. Dominic Smith, O.S.A., a 2018 graduate of JP Catholic, for being hebdomadary for 1st Vespers of the Assumption, and to the Divine Office Ministry of JP Catholic University for helping to organize this event and continue exposing young Catholic students to the value of the choral office. 

Psalmody and Organ

Fr. Dominic Smith, O.S.A. illuminated by acolytes

Students from JPCatholic join in song

Fr. Dominic Smith, O.S.A. incenses the altar

Enjoyment of conversation

Courtesy: visionaryarts100

Selections from the Divine Office Ministry page:

St. Bartholomew:

A couple Brothers and a couple Chorus Breviarii members assisted at an ad orientem Novus Ordo Mass celebrated by Fr. William Kernan, pastor of the acoustically-sound parish of St. Margaret of Scotland in Oceanside. Traditional Catholic hymnody, polyphony, and chant were provided by students in the Sacred Music class at JPCatholic University in Escondido as part of their final exam. Some students in this class are also involved in JPCatholic's Divine Office Ministry, and one is even a Chorus Breviarii member. 

A seraphic angel

Fr. Kernan at the Canon

Courtesy: Fratellino

Fr. Kernan made a memorable quip referencing the following sentence from the Feast's Gospel: 

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46)

and given Escondido's modest reputation (the location of JPCatholic) regarding music and liturgical representation in San Diego:

"Can anything good come from Escondido?"

Considering how mightily impressed Father was with the music provided by the students, of course his answer was a confident:

"Yes!"

MICHAELMAS:

Here are additional photos and videos from Benediction.

Click this photo to access the Flickr album

Courtesy: Angelo

MEETING THE MONSIGNOR:

Two of our postulants met the Rev. Mgr. Isidro Puente Ochoa, founder of the Religiosas Ecumenicas de Guadalupe (Ecumenical Sisters of Our Lady of Guadalupe), a Catholic convent devoted to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass since 1984 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The Monsignor is a well-liked figure in the Mexican traditional Catholic community, and as a well-learned cleric, he has provided a robust traditional Catholic education to those looking to become priests or religious, with the assistance of the Sisters. One of the Monsignor's students, Mr. Ricardo Ascencio Rodriguez, F.S.S.P., is now a tonsured seminarian at the Fraternity Seminary in Nebraska, while another one, Mr. Ascensio's sister, is one of the Sisters. The Monsignor came to sit in choro during Mr. Ascensio's father's Solemn High Requiem on Nov. 9 at St. Anne Catholic Church. 

Please for the repose of the soul of Mr. Ascensio's father, Ricardo Ascensio Chavez.

Requiem aeternam dona ei Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.

The Monsignor in choir dress

ST. DIDACUS:

The Brothers would like to thank Fr. Liebert F.S.S.P. for being hebdomadary for our Vespers services and to the students of John Paul the Great Catholic University for continuing to support us through their Divine Office Ministry. Father procured refreshments for us after Vespers, and the younger members spent the rest of the evening in merriment. 

Courtesy: Marlon

Altar & Group Photos from Assumption Vespers 2022

Many thanks to the Divine Office Ministry at John Paul the Great Catholic University for providing us the candles and altar furnishings necessary to make this year's Assumption Vespers possible.

Final Group Photo from Fratellino