Remembering John Paul II

[musicus]

I was wondering how people have been remembering John Paul II in their liturgies.

I arrived at church this morning with this week's service sheet, but prepared to be flexible in case our PP wanted to adapt things. But no, it was to be business as usual. Fair enough - all the Easter music was perfectly appropriate. We are, apparently, going to celebrate a requiem Mass next Sunday morning.

What are other folk doing in their parishes?

Musicus

[Merseysider]

We swapped the planned joyful opening Easter hymn for Unless A Grain of Wheat and the PP then made a few opening comments about JPII – he also spoke of JPII's faith in his Thomas homily.

[pirate]

I'm in a parish where major world events go completely un-noticed (eg September 11 barely got a mention in the intercessions, because it happened after they'd been set in stone) and so felt fairly strongly that we shouldn't carry on as though nothing had happened. But, Sunday within the octave of Easter and all that...incidentally, my understanding of the guidance given by the Liturgy Office is 'no requiem masses on Sundays of the Easter Season' so when Radio 4 advertised a requiem mass from Westminster Cathedral yesterday I leapt out of bed to check the documentation again.... I suppose cardinals can give the requisite permission - or have I read it wrong?

Anyway. The choir I'm part of had rehearsed the plainsong Requiem, and we sang it in the space before Mass began, when the church was already full (and it got to standing room only during the liturgy). So: gather, sing Requiem (the people had the words and music, though not a translation, mea culpa) short pause, bell rings, off we go, Second Sunday of Easter. Being Easter, the music was particularly appropriate anyway. At the very end of Communion we sang a setting of Justorum Animae written by one of the choir in preparation for the Pope's death; liturgically maybe a little difficult to justify but pastorally, in the event, it fed the large number of people who had come not for Easter but for the Pope.

Our Archbishop had written a letter to be read out at all Masses; and someone had handed the parish priest a handwritten letter before Mass which turned out to be from our other local Archbishop, Rowan, sending us love and prayers at this time. And - very moving, as I walked past Canterbury Cathedral on my way to St Thomas' - their huge diocesan flag, at half mast and moving slowly in the sun and the wind.

We also had the television cameras! but I don't have a TV so I don't know if any of the parish were broadcast to the nation (or even to Meridian's catchment area)

[dunstan]

Our PP decided to drop the last hymn in favour of singing Salve Regina. I'd thought we were going to sing it before the last hymn, but while it was going he processed out.

[VML]

No changes suggested by PP yesterday, as Easter hymns were ideal, but marking the Pope's devotion to Our Lady, we sang Hail Queen of Heaven at the Offertory. As it happens, we have the Coventry Sanctus for this season, having not used it for a few years, so that was a useful connection.
Also changed to plainsong alleluia as I thought it was a worldwide link.

Requiem Mass is tomorrow night. Not enough choir to plan much. PP would like 'How great thou art,' and 'The day thou gavest.' I chose 'O bread of Heaven' and 'O light forever dawning.' We may finish with Salve Regina.

Funeral date and time just announced on R4. Hasn't the media cover been amazing.

No Dies irae...

[sidvicius]

I don't think any particular changes were made to the music, but I did notice the priest made special references to the pope in relation to the readings of the day (which always suggests to me that they have taken additional care over preparation), and the eucharistic prayer was taken particularly slowly, and behold - what is normally a flood of fast-forgotten words became the prayer it is supposed to be.

The mayor turned up too.

[presbyter]

Nothing to do with liturgy or music - just someone's memory....

Italian television broadcast an interview with a lady who absolutely insisted on being able to see the Pope lying in state .... she is (was) the baby he was holding when he was shot.

[asb]

Yesterday, the anniversary of JP II's death, one of our Masses was for the repose of his soul. Missa De Angelis & Credo III. Rude comments from our resident Anti-Latin Brigade.

After Mass, there was a showing of the video of the Requiem. Same people's comment - "Wasn't the music wonderfully chosen"........

My reaction in "teen-speak" would be- "Durr, hello?!"