A parish of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
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Thank you for your feedback!
Missa Tribus Vocibus (by Dalitz)
Tollite Jugum (by Gabrieli)
Translation: Take up my yoke upon you, saith the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart: For my yoke is sweet and my burden is light.
O Cor Jesu (by Rossini )
Translation: O heart of Jesus, burning with love for us: inflame our hearts with your love! O heart of Jesus!
Improperium Expectavit (by Palestrina)
Translation: My heart expected reproach and misery
and I desired one who would grieve with me and there was none:
I sought one to console me, and I found none:
and they gave me gall as my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
O Sacrum Convivium (by Tallis)
Translation: O sacred banquet, wherein Christ is received;
the memorial of his passion is renewed; the soul is filled with grace;
and a pledge of future glory is given to us. (Alleluia)
I would like to make a special plea for any adults within out parish with any singing experience, to consider joining one of the adult choirs.
We are especially in need of 3 or more women in the choir, and at least a couple more men.
We so far have successfully maintained an all-volunteer choir program, and have built children/youth choirs to train future singers for the Church, but this coming choir year, we are in definite need of some new singers for any and all of the adult choirs, due to changing circumstances for some current choir members who cannot continue singing with us.
What if I have children to look after at mass?
I want to address this possible question some adults/parents might have. We have a policy to allow some children in the choir loft with singing parents, to be as accommodating as possible. So please come to the table to talk to us about it!
Also, please help us in encouraging other adults you hear with talent, to come talk to us and consider joining the choir(s)!
Exciting new developments here! My assistant director, Mr. Chase Fowler, will have direction of all men/boys choirs, and there will be a separate choir for older boys.
St. Gregory Choir – boys about ages 7-12 (til voice starts changing)
Schola Augustini – young men about ages 13-18
These two choirs will sing together when singing for high mass, with a few of the adult choir men, to form the Mater Dei “men and boys choir”, and will wear red cassocks/surplices when they sing.
Come to the table to talk to Mr. Fowler, and grab information flyers or sign up!
St. Cecilia Choir – girls ages 6-10/11
St. Maria Goretti Choir – young ladies 11/12 – 18
The older girls choir will have the opportunities now to learn music theory and sightsinging in more depth, and be challenged with more works of choral music, to give glory to God on special feast days.
The younger girls will continue to sing for Marian processions, have a basic dress code of blue/white w/ blue sashes whenever they sing, and join the older girls to sing for high mass occasionally, but have less pressure to learn all parts of the music for high mass, at such a young age.
Come to the table to get information flyers or sign up! Girls choirs will have a maximum cap of 20-25 singers per choir. Spots are already filling up quickly.
If you are not yourself a singer, we still appreciate your prayers for the parish music program! Please pray for the new singers we need in the adult choirs, and for the continuing education of the children and youth, to grow in their love of sacred music, that we might teach them well, and share our passion with them in a fun and engaging way.
God Bless you all,
Kimberly Walters – Mater Dei Music Director
M. Chase Fowler – Asst. Choir Director/Men & Boys Director
Motets will include:
“Loquebantur” by Palestrina – text is drawn from various verses in the epistle for today’s feast.
“Veni Creator” by Ravanello – a choral setting that alternates with the traditional chant verses of this Pentecost breviary hymn.
Missa Brevis – by Palestrina
Tibi Laus (di Lasso)
Translation: To you be praise, to you be glory, to you be thanksgiving, for ever and ever, O blessed Trinity.
O Beata et Benedicta et Gloriosa Trinitas (Palestrina) – prima pars
Translation: O happy and blessed and glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Alleluia. O happy and blessed and glorious unity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Alleluia!
Exultate Justi (Viadana)
Translation: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise befits the upright.
Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.
Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise befits the upright.
Ego Sum Panis Vivus (Palestrina)
Translation: I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
The North American District of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter has announced the priest assignments for 2017. The following priest changes will affect our parish later this summer.
Fr. Joseph Portzer will be leaving Mater Dei, and is transferring to the Colorado Springs apostolate.
Fr. Timothy O’Brien will be transferring to Mater Dei for his next assignment. Fr. O’Brien may be familiar to those who assisted at Holy Week masses in 2014 and 2015, as he was one of the seminarians assigned to assist the parish during those weeks. He is currently serving in the FSSP mission parish in Nigeria.
Father Timothy O’Brien was born to Steven and Lori O’Brien in Phoenix, Arizona, but moved to a small town in Northern Nevada when he was three. After one year of college, he enlisted in the Army. Father served his country for four years, three of which were spent in Fort Campbell, Kentucky and for one year he was deployed to the Middle East. After returning from overseas, Rev. Fr. O’Brien took a weekend trip to Columbus, Ohio, and attended a Solemn High Mass in Latin for the first time. After witnessing the beauty, order and majesty in that Mass, he began to discern a vocation to the Priesthood. After witnessing “the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven,” Father reoriented his life so that he might serve God as best he could. He began also to attend daily Mass when he was able and, when his enlistment was over, he returned to Nevada. Father was attending Mass three times per week and began looking into possible seminaries in which to test his vocation. This is when he first became acquainted with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. He visited their apostolate in Sacramento, and met the three Fraternity priests there. With their assistance, Father O’Brien joined the Fraternity’s Seminary in the Fall of 2008, and was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Excellency, Bishop James D. Conley at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel in Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 30, 2015.
(Source: FSSP.com)
Fr. James Buckley will be transferring to Mater Dei for his next assignment as well. Fr. Buckley is also a friend of the parish, both as one of the first priests of our Latin Mass Community as well as being the guest speaker for our 2017 Lenten Mission.
Fr. James Buckley is a longtime Spiritual Director for Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, and has taught apologetics, Catholic and English literature, homiletics, and pedagogy as well; Father has also has extensive experience as a retreat master, and has been an expert teacher of the Catholic Faith over the past 50 years. As a young man, Father felt drawn to the priesthood at an early age, and joined a minor seminary of the Salvatorians at the age of 13. After high school he continued on with his studies with the Salvatorians, being Ordained in 1965. Most of his priesthood was spent teaching and in parish assignments both in the United States and in Africa. Father always had a preference for the Traditional Latin Mass, and at the invitation of Fr. Michael Irwin, FSSP, he joined the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in 1992. Fr. Buckley celebrated his Golden Jubilee on the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in 2015.
(Source & image credit: FSSP.com)