A model for revitalizing Catholic parish life

A Wanderer reader from Chicago has reminded FROM THE MAIL that it has been several years since we have reported on the revitalized St. John Cantius parish in Chicago, and the thriving new order of priests, the Society of St. John Cantius, and that we owe readers an update.

After looking at the materials she sent in, FTM agrees, and so we'll look at St. John's and the Order - in the context of the crucial question of what is happening in Catholic parish life in the United States today - but, first, an update on "the singing ex-Jesuit, Dan Schutte" and his domestic partner Mike Gale.

After FTM revealed, in the July 29 edition, that former Milwaukee Jesuit Dan Schutte, who is still making the rounds on the Catholic music circuit, was a partnered gay man teaching at the University of San Francisco, where he is "musician in residence," some Internet bloggers picked up the article and began a disinformation campaign insisting that: 1, the "Dan Schutte" FTM was writing about was not the popular "Catholic" musician whose songs have become a staple in modern parishes, and, 2, that FTM's "negative" publicity was actually increasing sales of his "music."

Well, the way things work today, FTM has no doubt that the negative publicity is increasing sales - because that's the nature of the Amchurch beast. There are still too many homosexuals directing parish music programs.

But the "Dan Schutte" whose music is sung in thousands of parishes is an ex-Jesuit and he is a partnered gay man.

And affirmation of this comes from occasional Wanderer contributor, Dr. Brian J. Kopp, a Catholic in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, who recently sent FTM some research he has completed on Schutte after he read that Schutte was to be a guest of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

When he learned that Schutte was to be a music workshop leader at Mt. Aloysius College, Dr. Kopp sent the following letter to the local Johnstown, Pa., Tribune Democrat, which was published September 9:

"It appears that the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is up to the same old tricks. On Saturday September 11 at Mount Aloysius College there will be a liturgical music workshop by the former St. Louis Jesuit priest Dan Schutte.

"Schutte is a leader of the dreadful movement in modern liturgical music that has changed the emphasis of our hymns from adoring, praising, and glorifying God to pridefully asserting how wonderful and faithful and loving and marvelous We ourselves are. A discerning eye will note how often these new hymns mention 'I' and 'My' and 'Us' and 'Our' far more often than the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Eucharist, God the Father, Jesus Christ, the angels and saints, or even the wages of sin or the grace that saved a wretch such as 'me.'

"More troubling is the fact that Schutte is no longer a priest but is now publicly identified as a partnered gay man. He is best known for his song, Here I am, Lord, a song that has become the anthem for the dissenting gay rights movement within the Catholic Church.

"There should be, and probably are, Church laws against Catholic dioceses and colleges sponsoring workshops by former priests living what most Catholics consider a scandalous lifestyle. But as one of our local pastors quipped, when asked why his parish was making a liturgical change that violated Canon Law, 'In this diocese, we don't obey Canon Law. We obey the bishop.'"

Immediately after that letter was published, Dr. Kopp informed FTM, a rumor began circulating that the Schutte mentioned in the letter is a mistaken identity and is not the ex-Jesuit priest and composer...."

One newspaper reader wrote Kopp: "We have done our own research on the matter of Dan Schutte and found some of the accusations false. There are two Dan Schuttes who live in the Milwaukee area and there are five who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Dan Schutte that is mentioned in the obituaries isn't the one we know. After contacting a friend in a high place at GIA, (not OCP) [Oregon Catholic Press, ed., the publisher of most of Schutte's music], I found out that there is not any truth to Dan Schutte being publicly partnered to a man. They actually said this Crux News.com article [a reprint of FTM's July 29 column] was having a reverse effect because in their words so many of the music directors in parishes (many who are gay) are now ordering more of Dan Schutte's music and they had heard of one parish using nothing but Dan Schutte music for two weeks. The 'martyr effect at play' they said...."

To dispel these rumors, Kopp informed FTM that an Internet search using VoyagerSearch finds:

"69. Mike Gale [Dan Schutte's partner]: Pilgrim Music was founded in 2002 by composer Dan Schutte after hearing time and again from folks in the pew how often they were frustrated by not being able to find his music, or that of other well known artists and composers, in the stores.

"The link goes to http://www.pilgrimmusic.com. Here is their Company History, according to their site:

"'Pilgrim Music was founded in 2002 by composer Dan Schutte after hearing time and again from "folks in the pew" how often they were frustrated by not being able to find his music, or that of other well known artists and composers, in the stores. There are many songs that have been standards, not only of worship, but have also become personal to many Christians in their journey of faith. In response, Dan and his associates have developed this site as a vehicle for folks to find music they might enjoy for their personal prayer, or simply to enjoy around the house or in the car as they go about their day. Much of the music you'll find on this site has been personally selected by Dan. We are continually increasing the number of collections we offer as we search for wonderful new music for prayer.

Administrative Contact: Pilgrim Music, mike@mikegale.net; 231 Mullen Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; Phone: 415-505-6440

"On the Pilgrim Music website, their 'Contact Us' link provides an address of: 109 Franconia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

"A WHO IS search for Dan Schutte's personal website, DANSCHUTTE.COM reveals: 'Domain Name:DANSCHUTTE.COM; Dan Schutte, 109 Franconia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 Phone: 415-970-1500; fax..: 703-991-8203. Email: dan@danschutte.com

"Obviously," writes Dr. Kopp, both PILGRIMMUSIC.COM under the Administration of mike@mikegale.net and DANSCHUTTE.COM under the Administration of Dan Schutte list this same address, 109 Franconia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.

"Unfortunately, given that: 1)Dan Schutte grew up in Milwaukee and is mentioned in two obituaries from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stating the deceased is survived by a son, Dan (partner Mike Gale) of San Francisco. If Dan and Mike were only 'business' partners, the obit would probably not mention the 'partner' at all, or if they did, they would specify 'business' partner, for fear others would think their son was gay. Plus, the obits specifically mention Dan and his partner live in San Francisco. Two guys described as partners means only one thing in San Francisco, to my knowledge.

"2) Dan Schutte founded a website to sell his music, and that website is administered by a Mike Gale of San Francisco, and both share the same street address, and, 3) the public announcements that Schutte is a partnered gay man were published in print and on the internet in July, yet there has been no correction of this charge (to my knowledge) by Schutte, and so it appears that Dan Schutte, the former St. Louis Jesuit and composer is indeed presently 'partnered' with Mike Gale in San Francisco...."

And kudos to Dr. Kopp, for taking information from The Wanderer to inform Catholics in his diocese, who would, naturally, not be aware of the not-so-hidden agenda of modern liturgical musicians.

With that out of the way, may FTM propose St. John Cantius as a model for revitalizing parish life in the United States today?

St. John Cantius, founded in 1893, had 23,000 parishioners when the Great Depression hit, and in the following decades of social change its population steadily dwindled until the 1980s when the trends were reversed, largely through the direction of its pastor, Fr. Frank C. Phillips, who recognized that a parish is more than a fast-liturgy outlet for hour-a-week Catholics.

The heart of any parish, he understood, is the liturgy; but it also must provide education and formation for parishioners.

Because of the quality of liturgy at St. John Cantius - Masses include Latin Novus Ordo celebrations, as well as the Tridentine Rite - it began attracting a growing number of Catholics from across Chicago and surrounding areas, especially young men who aspired to the priesthood, and in 1998, Fr. Phillips founded the Society of St. John Cantius, a religious community of men dedicated to the restoration of the sacred in the context of parish ministry.

On December 23, 1999, Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, approved statutes for the Society.

The Society's mission, as explained in its published material, is to "cultivate authentic Catholic life that is rooted in the rich heritage of our faith, so as to promote a true Restoration of the Sacred within the Church....The Society considers the musical, ceremonial and artistic traditions, which have enhanced the liturgy throughout the centuries, as a particularly important part of the Church's patrimony that can help in the revitalization of the faith and the spread of the Gospel...."

* Six choirs - the Resurrection Choir, which specializes in classic Viennese Masses and other sacred music; the St. Cecilia Choir, which specializes in Renaissance polyphony; the Sine Nomine Choir, which specializes in small classical works in a liturgical setting; the Holy Innocents Choir, a young people's choir of varied sacred music; and the Cantate Domino Choir, a young people's choir that specializes in polyphonic Masses.

* Eight parish societies: St. Monica Sodality, which prays for the return of family members to the Church; the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, to promote devotion and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; the Padre Pio Prayer Group, dedicated to the canonized Capuchin Franciscan; the Ladies Rosary Sodality, which fosters devotion to the Rosary; the Knights of Columbus, for charitable works in the parish; and the St. Anne Apostolate, which offers spiritual programs for grandparents; and the Holy Name Society

* Educational and catechetical programs: in addition to a strong parish catechetical program (using the Ignatius Faith & Life series), the parish offers Latin 101, Latin 102, Latin Syntax and Rhetoric, Latin Readings, Greek 100, and Children's Latin, which offers the young people of the parish instruction in Latin prayers and hymns.

In addition, the parish has a library and book store, youth groups, a basement café for after-Mass gatherings, etc.

On May 18, 2004, Cardinal George ordained two men of the Society into the priesthood, and another into the diaconate - and more men of the parish are seminarians, preparing for the priesthood.

For those readers in the Chicago area, or planning a trip through, there is now a special attraction at St. John Cantius, a faithful replica of the famous Wit Stwosz altarpiece of Krakow, Poland.

The original altarpiece, built over a 12-year period from 1477 to 1489 by the master carver of Nuremberg, Wit Stwosz, features a five-part polychromed and gilded limewood sculpture depicting the life of the Virgin Mary.

The reproduction, commissioned by Fr. Phillips in 1995, was carved by Polish master carver Michal Batkiewicz over eight years, and is one-third the size of the original, but every bit as stunning - as anyone can see by visiting the Society's web site, at www.cantius.org or by writing the parish and asking for copies of their literature (there is a special brochure, in full color, on the pentatych, including the newsletter, Via Sacra, at The Society of St. John Cantius, 825 North Carpenter, Chicago, Ill., 60622-3654.

Sunday Masses, by the way, are at 7:30 a.m. (Tridentine Low Mass, Latin); 9 a.m. Missa Normativa (English); 11 a.m. Missa Normativa (Latin) and 12:30 p.m. Tridentine High Mass. Confessions are available upon request, at 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and before all Sunday Masses.

This is a model parish, one that should be setting the trend for the Church in the United States; it works, it is thriving, it is attracting more and more people to, not only the parish, but the Catholic Church all the time; it is producing priests for the archdiocese (and priests who will, inevitably, be working in more parishes in the archdiocese as the priest shortage intensifies), and it is promoting the Church's greatest possessions: truth and beauty.

Why, after more than 30 years of liturgical and doctrinal chaos, the U.S. bishops do not take the Society of St. John Cantius and the parish as a model for the revitalization of the entire U.S. Church, FTM cannot understand.

Produce it please.

It appears Dr. Kopp did his homework...this is from his blog:

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=59829

Schutte, Richard H.

Publication Date: April 7, 2002

Of Phoenix, AZ, was called home to God on Sat., March 23, 2002. Dick was born the son of Larry and the late Marie Schutte of Elm Grove, WI on May 8, 1951. He is survived by his father and his brother, Dan (partner, Mike Gale) of San Francisco. Visitation at ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1260 Church St., Elm Grove, Wed., April 10, 9-10:30 AM. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM. Burial St. Mary's Cemetery, Elm Grove. condolences to www.krausefuneralhome.com KRAUSE FUNERAL HOME and Cremation Services 9000 W. CAPITOL DR. 414-464-4640

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=28199

Schutte, Marie

Publication Date: July 12, 2000

Of Elm Grove. Was called home to God on July 10, 2000. She is survived by her husband of fifty three years, Larry, her son, Dick of Phoenix and her son, Dan and his partner Mike Gale of San Francisco. She was born the daughter of Gert and Harry Van Himbergen and sister of Ann, Harry, George, Jack, Fran, Louise, Jeanne, Kathleen and Dick. Visitation Friday, July 14 at St. Mary's Church Elm Grove, 1260 Church Street, from 9:00 AM until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM with Fr. Dan Pakenham officiating. Burial St. Mary's Cemetery, Elm Grove.

BECKER RITTER Michael Feerick Associate Brookfield 262-782-5330

Produce it please.

It appears Dr. Kopp did his homework...this is from his blog:

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=59829

Schutte, Richard H.

Publication Date: April 7, 2002

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=28199

Schutte, Marie

Publication Date: July 12, 2000

Produce it please.

It appears Dr. Kopp did his homework...this is from his blog:

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=59829

Schutte, Richard H.

Publication Date: April 7, 2002

www.jsonline.com Return to regular view

Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=28199

Schutte, Marie

Publication Date: July 12, 2000

>>However, we are forced to witness what we like to call " raincatching": a whole sanctuary filled with people who appear to believe either a) they are concelebrating priests, or b)that it's raining and the roof is leaking<<

Could someone please tell me where this crazy idea came from? I never saw it until I moved to MI.

No, it is not Dan Schutte, and has nothing to do with him. The situation described is not even in the same state. But the two men described refer to each other as their "partner". That sews it up nicely.

The purpose of bringing it up was to point out a blatent example of "partnering" and the coincidence of address, which you raised. I raised it as an anonymous example - and it shall remain that way: anonymous.

You can look up Dignity and see it is homosexual. This would be a linkage. A Gay group and a High School shall not be co-located.

REALLY???? You're kidding! No!!!! (feinging shock!)

There is no need for any further conclusive proof regarding DIGNITY and what I referred to. That situation continued overtly for 12 years, until suppressed by Cardinal O 'Connor. While DIGNITY has "officially" moved to other quarters, it still exists at the location named, in spirit. The parish was transformed by the Jesuits into a very large and very openly gay/gay friendly parish.

I think you mean either/or maracas or the guerro (Spelling???).

Perhaps we could add to the list - to quote William Billings, the first native born American composer: "....the braying of a mule, the squeeling of a pig, the sound of a wet finger on a pane of glass......."

Then of course we have forgotten tambourine, castenets, finger cymbals.......all of which I was told by a music director in one church that: "they are good for liturgy".

As a matter of fact, and quick peek in the door of a gay bar, or at the tv program "Queer eye for the Straight Guy", or the Christopher Lowell show tells it all

My wife refuses to believe that Christopher Lowell is gay. She says he's just effeminate and that he has a wife. I know that's not the topic of this thread, but do you have other information about this? This has become a running joke in our family for a couple of years now - the kids and I tease her about it all the time.

Yes, much of it is pedestrian, but at least it gets people used to singing, and they can be convinced to sing other BETTER music later on.

Actually, they can sing BETTER music right away--e.g., most of what's in the Collegeville hymnal, or in the St Michael Hymnal, or in Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles.

NEVER underestimate a congregation. That's called condescension.

and it enhances their worship of God. Isn't that what music is supposed to do?

Nope.

Properly understood, liturgical music should "glorify God and raise the minds and hearts of the Faithful to God." (Pius X, Tra le Soll.)

Your understanding is elliptical, not aligned with the definition.

It could be worse. Imagine Cat Stevens singing that blasted pile of insipidity, which would fit...

And as a matter of fact, "PilgrimMusic" was started precisely because NOBODY wants to buy Schutte's crap--most hymnals have only a few of his doodoodrippings remaining.

That's why the Arizona publishing outfit was started, too. OCP and GIA wouldn't take any more of it...

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