DJS, I'm not all negative about everything.

All I know is that currently, Michael Thompson is teaching the Cantor Weekend Classes. Our Cantor at Holy Resurrection parish showed me a collection of new hymns composed by Micheal Thompson. He has a hymn for every Sunday of the liturgical year. The melodies our based on the Carpatho-Rusyn Marian hymns. Don't know much about the current state other than that.

Ung-Certez

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!
SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU!

It would be REALLY interesting to know what happened to all the chant material and audio cassettes that JERRY JUMBA put together so many years ago.

mark

Mark, nothing happened because each new Archbishop (Dolinay, Procyk and now Shott) do not care about Prostopinije Chant. So now Professor Jumba was hired by the Orthodox Diocese of Johnstown's Rankin parish. He is their Cantor and teaches Prostopinije to the parishioners once a week.

Ung-Certez

Dear Ung,

While I respect your experience, and the disappointment you may feel, my view is somewhat different. Though I am sympathetic to the discouragement you may feel, I have witnessed the reverse to be true.

The late Metropolitan Judson asked me (not only me, but myself among others), to help to begin the present Cantor School in Pittsburgh, precisely because he was anxious to help and support cantors in this important ministry. He loved our chant tradition, and music in general, and he was very keen to help cantors in their important work.

This commitment has been maintained, at considerable sacrifice, by our new Metropolitan. Even though I am no longer a part of the Cantor Institute, or a participant in the work that is being done for music and Liturgy in the Archeparchy, I witness that considerable work is going on at the seminary, with the support and commitment of the Metropolitan.

So, with great respect, I must disagree with your conclusion, and testify to considerable interest and commitment on the part of our Church and its archpastors.

Elias

I have been in the Russian Church over 40 years and have never before heard of the faithful venerating the Gospel at the Little Entrance during the Divine Liturgy. Is this a custom carried over from the veneration of the Gospel at Matins? Admittedly, I am pretty unfamiliar with parochial practice in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

David James

It is a common Carpathian village church practice, and also extends into Transylvania as well. It is veneration of the Word which is being processed at the Little Entrance, and has little to do with Matins.