Virginia Parish Praises Hymnal

Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Clifton, Virginia, was among the first parishes to adopt The Adoremus Hymnal. The hymnal, published in November 1997, is now in use in approximately 150 parishes and religious communities in the US.

Father Jerome Fasano, pastor of Saint Andrew's, said that the hymnal has helped his parish of 3,000 families to become more active participants in the Mass, in both song and in awareness of the signs and gestures that accompany the sacred liturgy. The Adoremus Hymnal has helped Saint Andrew's parishioners "gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the fundamentals of Catholic faith and morals, along with a richer and more noble celebration of the liturgy", according to Father Fasano.

"The Hymnal's traditional hymns are rich in doctrine to reinforce our Catholic beliefs", he said. "The hymnal is comprised of hymns written specifically for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass".

In addition to the texts of the Mass, with English and Latin on facing pages, The Adoremus Hymnal contains musical settings for the Mass (five in English, five in Latin chant), as well as a selection of classic hymns for the liturgical year and special occasions.

Pointing to a copy of The Adoremus Hymnal, Father Fasano declared: "These hymns are in good taste, which can't be said of much of what has been adopted in recent years".

"The hymnal has very good hymn tunes.... We plan on using all the Mass settings", agreed Saint Andrew's choir director, Bill Miller.

Selection of the hymns and Mass settings was made by The Adoremus Hymnal editorial committee (Kurt Poterack, Calvert Shenk and Susan Treacy), in consultation with the Adoremus executive committee, Father Robert Skeris, of Christendom College, and Monsignor Richard Schuler, of Saint Agnes Church in Saint Paul Minnesota, both of the Church Music Association of America, and others.

There are five Gregorian chant settings: Missa "Jubilate Deo"; Missa "Primitiva" (composed by a Cistercian monk; appears in print for the first time in The Adoremus Hymnal); Missa de Angelis; Missa cum Jubilo; Missa Orbis Facto and Missa pro Defunctis, and five English settings: English Chant Mass by Theodore Marier, English "Missa Primitiva", a Psalm-Tone Mass by Kurt Poterack (composed especially for this hymnal), Mass of Saint Theresa (also composed for this hymnal) by Calvert Schenk, and the popular Community Mass by Richard Proulx. The Mass texts in the hymnal are published with the approval of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Liturgy.

How does a parish find funds to purchase new hymnals? Father Fasano explained, "Every hymnal was a gift from an individual or family which gave it to the parish as a memorial", he said. "Inside every front cover is a memorial plate which bears the benefactor's name".

The Adoremus Hymnal is designed for use in small parishes with few musical resources as well large parishes with full choirs. It is available in three editions:

Choir: beautifully bound in red with ribbon marker, contains full parts/accompaniment for all hymns. $17.95;

Organ: looseleaf binding, includes modern notation accompaniment for Gregorian chant, and comes with a set of 4 CD recordings of all the Mass music, plus the first verse of every hymn (the Mass texts are not in the Organ version): $24.95 including CDs.

The CD recordings contain all the liturgical music plus the first verse of each hymn, sung by a choir directed by Mr. Schenk. The CD set is included free with the Organ edition of The Adoremus Hymnal, but may be purchased separately for $14.95. CD set separately: $14.95. (Inquire about special prices for parishes and bookstores.)

The Adoremus Hymnal is published by Ignatius Press, San Francisco. Order by mail from Ignatius Press: PO Box 3339, Ft. Collins, CO 80522 Credit card orders: 1 800 651 1531. Or visit Ignatius Press online.

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