Posted on 09/17/2004 10:43:11 AM PDT by St. Johann Tetzel
Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, PA strikes again:
Dan Schutte workshop
This was published 9/9/04:
To the Editor, Johnstown (PA) Tribune Democrat:Blogmaster's note. The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has been in the news several times in the last few years due to an ongoing scandal involving homosexual abuse of pubescent boys (or "ephebophilia," to be distinguished from "pedophilia" or sexual abuse of prepubescent children--the mainstream media doesn't bother to make the distinction.) The Diocese's seminarian screening program earned a dishonorable mention in Michael S. Rose's book, Goodbye, Good Men. Two years ago, the Diocese allowed Sr. Jose Hobday, a professed religious sister with New Age leanings, to speak at a local Catholic Life seminar, without any effort by diocesan authorities to ascertain her adherence to Catholic teaching. Our friend and colleague the Curt Jester profiled Sr. Jose's event back in September 29, 2002.
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."
We have done our own reserch on the matter of Dan Schutte and found some of the accusations false. There are two Dan Schutte's 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), I found out that there is not any truth to Dan Schutte being publicly partnered to a man. They actually said this Crux News article 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 martre effect at play they said. I still can't find out anything from OCP but will report in when I do.
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Posted by Kelly Jefferson to Vivificat! at 9/9/2004 04:40:23 AM
Don't believe everything you read online...our final note on the Dan Schutte debate
Several folks have mentioned that we shouldn't believe everything we read online. Admittedly, the story about Dan Schutte and his "partner" first came to our attention via an entry at Michael Rose's Cruxnews.com, in an excerpt from The Wanderer's July 2, 2004 From the Mail column:
Earlier this year, just before FTM's trusty old computer crashed and died, FTM received a fascinating email (now irretrievable) on that old St. Louis Jesuit, and former priest, Dan Schutte, who is now publicly identified as a partnered gay man.
You know Dan Schutte: he's the composer whose music you hate to hear at Mass. And just think, every time you sing one of his copyrighted songs, published in the hymnals or monthly missalettes by Oregon Catholic Press (among others) in a half-dozen different languages, including Vietnamese, (e.g. "Glory & Praise," and Today's Missal), you are generating revenues for Dan's gay lifestyle.
I have an original copy of The Wanderer's subsequent July 29, 2004 From the Mail column which states that:
The obituaries the reader mentioned [from The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ], copies of which were enclosed, were for Dan Schutte's mother and brother, dated July 13, 2000 and March [?], 2002, respectively. The obituary for Schutte's mother mentioned that she is survived by her husband of 53 years, "Larry, her son Dick of Phoenix, and her son Dan, and his partner Michael Gail (sic) of San Francisco."
"And when Dan's brother Richard "was called home to God," the obituary continued that he is "survived by his father and his brother Dan (partner, Mike Gale) of San Francisco.
Of course, this is still a second hand source. So we still have no "proof" of the text of the supposed obituaries, just the word of The Wanderer, an admitted conservative Catholic paper.
So I called the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who referred me to a very kind and generous librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library's central location. She was kind enough to take the time to instruct me on performing a search of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's archival website.
In the paid obituaries archive (obituaries that are purchased and WRITTEN by family members of the deceased) we located the obituaries of Dan's mother and brother:
1. 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
2. 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
I find it odd that such a hymn is being associated with gay rights. It's actually one of the better new hymns and while not based on a Psalm, it's of that genre.
I just searched around to find out what other songs he's written. My brother and I, doing our best Beavis and Butt-head impersonations, used to get a chuckle out of the title of one Schutte song that's in the hymnal (that we've never heard sung), "Behold the Wood".
"uh huh huh, you said 'wood', uh huh huh."
I can't stand any of the kum-ba-yah, Barney songs sung at the Mass. I am not Catholic but the wife is... give me the old stuff that sounds majestic rather than some pencil necked geek in khakis holding a guitar.
Well, I don't know anything about this gentleman. What I do know is this: I'm an Episcopalian in an Anglo-Catholic parish, and I sing bass in the choir. I recently attended a funeral mass for one of my wife's uncles. This was (as far as I can tell, not being a Catholic) a complete mass, with the Liturgy of the Word and a Eucharist.
And I found just about all the hymns unsingable. I'm pretty good at sight reading, but the tunes are more like something you'd hear from a lounge singer at a bar than in a church. I did notice quite quickly that I was the only person present who was even trying to sing them; apparently Catholics have given up on hymns, content (or resigned) to listening to the musician do so.
I thought one of the concepts of the Novus Ordo mass was to enable the congregation to participate in it. Where the music is concerned, this has failed.
The important thing is that he's in union with Rome. </sarcasm>
Depends on the Parish. In my Parish, and the two neighboring Parishes I sometimes frequent, the hymns and musical settings for the Mass are almost always singable and orthodox, and often quite old. In my former Parish, in a different diocese, the hymns were typically unsingable semi-pelagian dreck.
I should add that after the service, at the family luncheon, I had occasion to talk to the pastor. He seems like a go-getter, wanting to upgrade the parish's support of its school and to get more of the parish's kids into it. I was standing there with my wife (a Catholic) and a couple of her relatives (both Catholic). His discussion turned to the fact that many of today's Catholics, having come up in the faith during the 70's, don't know the basics of their faith.
He then asked a couple of questions out of the Bible (e.g., "Why are there two creation stories in Genesis, and do they conflict with each other?"). He was, I think, disheartened that the only non-Catholic there was the only one who could answer the questions. But it did support his point. Then I told him of my experience at the Mass, and said, "Please excuse me for saying this, Father, but you've got to do something about that music."
I mean, the casket is leaving the church on the way to Uncle's final resting place, and they're playing "Wind Beneath My Wings"? Not that anyone was singing it except the guy playing it, mind you.
We got a new, young pastor within the last year.
During some meeting or social function I overheard him mention one of the lesser known modern hymns as the 'most insipid piece of dreck' he was ever forced to sing.
The pastors have to bring the musicians in line.
One of our 'music ministers' (very good musician) has said several times that he 'designs liturgies'. Man, oh man!
And please don't give me a 'modern' re-writing of the psalms. The poetry gets lost.
"I mean, the casket is leaving the church on the way to Uncle's final resting place, and they're playing "Wind Beneath My Wings"? "
I have actually had to suffer the hymn "Colours of Day" at a funeral service this year - in a crematorium.
If you don't know the lyrics, the chorus is a rousing ditty with the following words:
"Light up the fires and let the flame burn...."
at which point I lost my composure and had to bury my face in a handkerchief - I was not crying!
Someone who publicly and without repentance holds himself out as a proud practicer of sinful behavior is not in "full communion", but obviously needs to repent of his sins, reconcile with God and amend his life.
Does that apply to bishops or do they get some special exemption from being held to the same standard?
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.
As any Catholic would know, all are called to repent of their sins and reconcile with God, both clergy and laity.
The Judeo Christian God will have the most important say with the most lasting effect. I wouldn't be so concerned with what others are saying or doing to him. The man made a choice and his eternal life will NOT be spent in the good place unless he repents and changes his ways. The Bible is CLEAR on homosexuality and leaders (priests) are judged by a HIGHER standard than those less schooled - the Bible is CLEAR on that too.
NEW! Prince of Peace
Dan Schuttes new collection provides music that unites liturgies throughout Advent and Christmas, simplifying the planning required for these seasons
Our whole parish sings with the choir. So please don't put all Catholics in the "non-singers" category. It merely speaks to the poor job the music minister is doing in those parishes in getting people to sing!
**The pastors have to bring the musicians in line.**
Agree with you both here and with the psalms.
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