folk music – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

To the editor:

While I do enjoy music created by creative dead white Europeans, I also find that God has gifted us with many new and varied types of music for our time.

Nico Fassino writes that the Mass is not for “us” and I must agree with him.

BUT! I also know that the Mass is our most intimate experience with the living and active Christ. In the Mass not only do we worship God, but we find Him with us . . . speaking to us in the Gospel and homily, praying with and for us, teaching us, comforting us, forgiving us, feeding us, and blessing us.

Why I hate bad church music

Recently, the Catholic Herald published two excellent articles by the incredibly well-educated and well-formed Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, entitled “Rebuilding Catholic Culture.”

In these essays, Sister Roccasalvo vigorously defends the teachings of the popes and the Second Vatican Council concerning what music is proper for use during the sacred liturgies of the Church, while simultaneously arguing against the use of modern folk-style music commonly found in many parishes.

Thoughts on church music

To the editor:

Some thoughts on the first Rebuilding Catholic Culture article:

1. To call the folk style music a “fad” is interesting — most fads don’t last 40+ years.