Franciscan University of Steubenville is pleased to announce the creation of a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Music to begin in the fall of 2007. The degree may be pursued in either the program in voice or the program in organ. Pianists may audition for the program in organ on the piano. Courses will include private instruction on the major instrument, music theory, music history, conducting and a year-long course in Gregorian Chant. In addition, students will participate in the Schola Cantorum Franciscana, which concentrates on polyphony and chant and sings for occasional services on and off campus.

Interested students may apply for admission to the university at:

Franciscan University of Steubenville
Admissions
1235 University Blvd.
Steubenville, OH 43953

Students interested in auditioning may contact Prof. Paul Weber at the above address or by telephone at 740.284.5884.

Awesome. I have heard good things about Mr. Weber. He is an accomplished organist as well.

Um.

I wanna go. Is that a bad thing?
--Ann

Greetings,

BUT WAIT, some of the worst liturgies I have been to are the Christian Rock Concerts they call Mass at their stuebenville youth events. I don't even like my parishioners to go to those youth events because they come back wanting Christian Rock at Mass. When I tell them NO, they say that they did it at their youth event with steubenville. Currently, until they change their youth events, I would be very leary about sending anyone there.

peace

That is true Father. The liturgies at Franciscan aren't very good. But Mr. Weber is not in charge of the liturgies there. Like his predecessor Dr. Treacy, he tries to be a witness to the beautiful Liturgical and musical tradition of the Church. Most of the professors do not attend Mass on campus. There are a few people trying to get the rock Mass thing to stop, but they are few in comparison with the charismatic presence there and don't have much influence.

I really don't know much about this course, but I did know Dr. Treacy (the previous sacred music instructor there; she is now at Ave Maria) and have heard good things about Mr. Weber who seems to be in the same mold.

I would also hope that the degree, being in sacred music, would have to do with ----- Sacred Music. 'CHristian Rock' is nothing of the sort.

If I had kids, I'd encourage them to go to Franciscan. They are rooted in the Catholic Faith: Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, etc. They have a Dynamic Orthodoxy, and they produce dozens of priestly vocations every year.

Here's the plan: Joe gets a job in the Pittsburgh area. You go to school in Steubenville, get a BA in Sacred Music, while Raymond goes to half day nursery/kindergarten. Then in two years you can write your ticket as Parish Music Director anywhere you end up.

Hey, Mother Angelica said, if you're going to dream, dream big! Step out in faith.

TP, forgive me. I'm a newbie here. My post got messed up. I wanted to say I agree with you very much. I like CR but not at Mass. Mass is the Church's public worship and it's sacred. Mass is NOT a religious entertainment venue. Period. Just because somebody else does something does not make it ok for Mass. People forget that. You stand firm. Do not back down. If they don't like, and they won't, they'll have to get over it. They can have CR at any non liturgical event they want. It ain't ok for Mass.

Addendum: I also think it's a great thing for FUS to add this new degree to their curriculum. It's about time! The Church in America needs that. Trust me. We need that but it w/b great if they'd get rid of the CR at Mass. It detracts from the great dignity of the Mass. Anybody doesn't like that has my permission to not like it.

TP: I just had an idea: why don't you write to the head folks at FUS a nice business like letter and share your thoughts with them? Sometimes it's not enough to put forth an opinion, or even to pray about someting. Sometimes we need to do more, take action - like write a letter. Go for it, TP. Maybe I'll do the same. My daughter is a proud graduate of FUS. I love their school and it's a great school. Let's write them a little letter and share with them about this. Shake the tree a little bit and see what falls out. You never know . . . it might hit a nerve (or a chord?) and have a positive impact. Let's do it. I'm a gonna do it.

Can we be honest here for a second? Christian rock just plain SUCKS. The reason why it sucks is the same reason why 'vegetarian hot dogs' SUCK, because 'Christian rock' artists aren't trying to do anything original, not trying to do anything which is truly their own, but are merely copying what other people are doing. Christian art, whether it be music, painting, sculpture, literature, or whatever, should have an identity all of its own, the first and most important thing is that Christian art should be GOOD, simply on its own merits. It ought to be so good that even non-Christians appreciate it. There are lots of people out there who are not Christians, who maybe even despise Christianity, but they own copies of Mozart's Requiem Mass, or Beethoven's Mass in D Minor, or Handel's Messiah, or who own coffee table books featuring big glossy photographs of the works of Michaelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci, or who own expensive leather bound copies of the King James Bible, and they own these things not because they are Christians, but because they realize that this stuff is of very high artistic quality. Christian art ought to be so good that even non-Christians can appreciate it. But who listens to Christian rock other than Christians? NOBODY! As Hank Hill said 'Christian rock doesn't make Christianity better, it makes rock and roll worse!'

[nitpick]Beethoven wrote a mass in C, and a mass in D Major (usually called the Missa Solemnis), but not a mass in D minor. I believe Mozart's Requiem is in D minor, and I think Beethoven's 9th Symphony is in D minor, too. Maybe you're thinking of the key of one of those pieces?[/nitpick]

Leaving aside the nitpicks, I completely agree with the substance of your post.

And I agree that the music at FUS is abominable.

What? You never heard of Beethoven's Mass in D minor?

Who the heck can keep track of all those keys anyway?

This is true. I graduated from there and 7 of the 30 people that lived in my dorm became priest

This is also true. I had a class with Dr. Treacy and she led music for some of the beautiful liturgies I have been to.