A Gold Mass for musicians was celebrated Friday, Nov. 18 by Bishop Earl Fernandes at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral, bringing together directors and individuals involved in music ministry at parishes throughout the diocese to perform together as a choir.

Concelebrants included Father Bob Kitsmiller, the cathedral’s rector, and Father Tyron Tomson, pastor at Lancaster St. Bernadette and Bremen St. Mary churches. St. Bernadette parishioners assisted as lectors, servers, ushers and greeters.

Dr. Richard Fitzgerald, director of music at St. Joseph Cathedral and for the Diocese of Columbus, leads the choir. CT photo by Ken Snow

The choir was led by Dr. Richard Fitzgerald, director of music and organist at the cathedral. Amanda Renee Mole, principal organist and assistant director of music at the cathedral; Dr. Nicole Simental, interim director of music at the Columbus St. Thomas More Newman Center; and Robert Wisniewski from Powell St. Joan of Arc Church were the organists.

Parishes musicians who made up the choir came from the cathedral; Columbus Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, St. Leo Oratory, Newman Center, St. Mary German Village, St. Margaret of Cortona, St. Christopher, St. Patrick, Holy Family and St. Catharine; Lancaster St. Mark and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption; Powell St. Joan of Arc; Westerville St. Paul; Sugar Grove St. Mary; and Groveport St. Mary.

Also joining the choir were a brass quintet, timpanist Julia Licata and flutist Karen Gallant.

Fitzgerald hopes the Mass will be offered annually as a prayer and as encouragement for those throughout the diocese who participate in the arts as church musicians both professionally and as volunteers.

Singers from 16 churches formed the choir that accompanied the Mass with sacred hymns and chants. CT photos by Ken Snow

The Gold Mass might not be as well known as other Masses honoring professionals in various careers. In the diocese each year, there is a Blue Mass for police, fire and emergency personnel; a White Mass for medical and health-care professionals; and a Red Mass for all who work in the legal field.

This tradition dates to 1245 when a Red Mass was celebrated in Paris for lawyers and jurists. Similar Masses for selected professions followed in later years. 

The names for the various Masses are derived from the color of vestments (red), officers’ uniforms (blue) and medical office and lab coats (white).

Gold for the musicians’ Mass symbolizes the color of brass instruments and also is associated with special liturgies in the Church when gold vestments are worn at Christmas and Easter to accompany white.

“This Gold Mass celebrates the gifts and talents in the praise and worship of Almighty God, of those who are musicians and vocalists,” Bishop Fernandes said in his homily.

“For the most part, the Roman rite and the other Eastern rites of the Catholic Church did not have hymns initially. They simply sang antiphons and psalms. But in the Mozarabic rite, and later in the Ambrosian rite as well, we have hymns which capture the beauty of our faith. … 

“Not the modern hymns that are somewhat peppy, somewhat theologically erroneous. No, true hymns which were written to help simple people understand the faith and praise God with their voices.

“One does not need to know how to read and write in order to praise God with the voice. Just ask little children who sing so many great and beautiful hymns in church. No, hymnody as well as chanting captures the drama of our story.’’

Mole’s Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major by Johann Sebastian Bach on organ preceded the Mass. The Gloria, Memorial Acclamation and Amen were taken from the Mass in Honor of St. Benedict and the Agnus Dei in Latin from Missa Quinti Toni by Orlando di Lasso. 

The Introit and Communio, composed by Gregorian chant expert Father Columba Kelly, OSB, were sung by the choir, as was the Thanksgiving prayer Exsultate Justi in Domino by Lodovico Grossi da Viadana. 

During the Communion procession, Wisniewski played Nun bitten wir den heilgen Geist (We pray now to the Holy Spirit) by Dietrich Buxtehude on organ and was joined on flute by Gallant for Siciliano from Sonata in E-flat Major by Bach.

Mole’s organ postlude Carillon de Westminster (Op. 54, No. 6) by Louis Vierne ended the evening. 

“There are many songs we can sing with our lips, but the most important one is the song we sing with our soul,” Bishop Fernandes reminded the faithful earlier in his homily. “Is it a beautiful song? Could it be one? One that offers praise to our God, for all of creation.

“A song which shows true adoration, to recognize that He is God and we are not, but He is worthy of our worship. A song that constantly cries out with the soul, ‘Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison,’ begging for mercy and forgiveness. Or a song which sings the praises of our God in thanksgiving for all the many blessings we have received. …

“We must think about the great good that God has called us to do. And so, our song, in the end, is not the Dies Irae, but the Alleluia. God is with us, and may His praises be sung now and in eternity. Amen, Alleluia.”

The Gold Mass at the cathedral was celebrated ahead of the feast of St. Cecilia, the patroness of musicians, which was observed on Tuesday, Nov. 22.