ISSUE No. 73

Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary

Stockton Hill

SPRING, 1999

Winona, Minnesota

55987 U.S.A.

The Stone Which the Builders Rejected50th Anniversary of the Laying of the Seminary’s Cornerstone

April 29 marked the goldenanniversary of the laying of thecornerstone of the former St. Peter

Martyr Priory of the Order of Preachersand the present home of St. ThomasAquinas Seminary. Adopted as the secondpatron of our Seminary, St. Peter Martyrwas honoured on his feast day with a sungMass to commemorate this historicalmilestone. May all of us Catholicspersevere in the Faith as did St. PeterMartyr, whatever the cost. VERBUMwould like to take a look back at a little ofthe history of our idyllic premises inheritedby the Society of Saint Pius X from the sonsof St. Dominic. “Glorious things are said ofthee, O city of God,” as is quoted fromPsalm 86 in the rite of consecration of achurch cornerstone. But sadly, events havenot always been glorious at Stockton Hillover the years. Such is man’s fate in thisvale of tears…

On the feast of St. Peter Martyr, April29, fifty years ago, the cornerstone was laidin Winona for a Novitiate of the Order ofPreachers named in his honor. TheDominican Province of St. Albert the Greatenjoyed the post-war prosperity whichbuoyed up the Church externally until thevery eve of Vatican II. Under Fr. EdwardHughes, O.P., Prior Provincial from 1948 to1956, the new Province saw amazinggrowth, both in vocations and in physicalfacilities, to such an extent that he wasknown derisively – even in his own time –as “the Pharaoh.” His record on the materialscale is impressive; Winona was the smallestof the houses he built. Others were St. Rosein Dubuque, Iowa, now in Protestant hands,and the provincial seat in Chicago.

St. Peter Novitiate was intended tohouse clerical novices for only one year,after which they were, if successful, sent toDubuque for philosophy. Neither house wasever full – far from it. Fr. Hughes’s grandoptimism corresponded only to the numberof vocations immediately following WorldWar II. Then came the decline leading toVatican II.

St. Peter Novitiate comprised only halfof the building in Winona. The other half(now known as the “priests’wing”) housedSt. Peter Priory, and the two were onlyloosely related. The Prior was alwaysreluctant to interfere inany way with theNovitiate, and thenovices were forbiddento enter the Priory partof the building unlessspecifically invited.Novices and friars weretogether only in choirfor Mass and the DivineOffice and in the refectory for meals.

The Novitiate began as a typicalestablishment of the 1950’s Church. Allappearances were in order, but somethingwas missing in the lead-up to Vatican II. Astriking example is the religious professionhere of Matthew Fox in 1961. Dr. Fox isthe famous ex-Dominican priest whoturned Anglican and then Buddhist. Hisspecialty is “Creation Spirituality,” whichhe pursued at great length with fullpermission from the Order well into the1980’s. His is a sensational fall, but one hasto wonder if his formation started out onthe right foot in Winona.

In any case, what may have been inMatthew Fox’s time only small flaws in theNovitiate’s program had widened into greatchasms by the end of the 1960’s. The lastcomplete Novitiate year here was 1969-70.By this time, as we know from a novice ofthat year who described it to us, there wasan extreme division – often hostility –between liberal and conservative novices.They grouped themselves into separateliving quarters, and there was little friendlytraffic between them. There wereconservatives among the priests; one forinstance refused to concelebrate Mass andwas often seen saying his private Mass atside altars throughout the building. Novicesand most priests wore habits, but long hairwas popular, and discipline was very lax.

The advent of the Novus Ordo Missaein 1969 found the Dominicans ready.“Experimental” liturgies abounded: theConventual Mass was often in theevening; the Novitiate chapel (now OurLady’s Chapel on the second floor) was“in the round,” with the table in thecenter; the laity were invited to sit in thechoir stalls and to receive Holy

Communion in thesanctuary, standing.

In the middle of this last full year ofthe Novitiate, the Novice Master left theOrder to marry. From that point on, chaosruled. Since he was not replaced, and sincethe assistant Novice Master was ill-equipped to handle things, the Prior was theonly recourse for the conservative novices.His adamant desire not to get involved wasbroken only once, when the conservativeswent together, uninvited, into the Priory toprotest the “sensitivity training” they werebeing offered instead of a retreat forReligious Profession. He supported them,and a real retreat was given.

In the area of studies, the novices weregiven little real learning. History of theOrder was the main subject, and optionalLatin study with a generous amount of“How do you feel about this?” rounded outthe curriculum. Strange as it may seem, the

Dominican course of studies failed toinclude any St. Thomas Aquinas or hismagnificent 20th-century champion, Fr.Garrigou-Lagrange.

The class of 1970-71, composed ofnovices from two Provinces, ended in mid-year, when the more conservative West-coast superiors decided to remove theirnovices because of the extreme liberalismtaught here. At that point, most of thefurnishings and sacred vessels weredisposed of by being sent to other houses orsold, and the Dominicans departed exceptfor a “skeleton crew” for cleaning andmaintenance. Thus began the 16-year periodof secular use and abandonment culminat-ing in the Society’s purchasing the buildingsin 1987. [For detailed information on thisperiod, see VERBUM#29, 1988 – Ed.]

Main Chapel entrance with a close-up of the cornerstone

Early stages of the Revolution appear onStockton Hill in 1965. Mass is

concelebrated on a table while the mainaltar lies unused in the background.

Priests take time out from the series of conferences at the annual Priests’Meeting (Feb. 8 - 12) to pose with seminarians for a group photo.

continued on page 4

slouched forth to be born of this Council, not, as thefathers of the council claim, the Spiritus Sanctusinrenewed form, accidentally modified in order that theChurch might continue the battle for souls in a changingarena, as she has always done.

Opera is sometimes considered to be merelyentertainment, but great opera, like all great art,teaches reality in a practical and pleasantway. Fr. Iscara showed Die Meistersingertobe a powerful parable of modern times.

from an animal himself. (The seminarians have come toknow this 18th-century French philosopher, sometimescalled the “Father of the Modern World,” intimately duringthis year in Fr. Iscara’s history class.) The Mastersingersare portrayed not as cautious conservatives but as aged die-hards tenuously holding on to a set of precepts that has forsome time been out of touch with real life. Further, there isin this opera an aspect of rebirth, as is evidenced by itstaking place on the feast of the Baptist, and the way inwhich the old day ends in a night of violence, giving wayto a fresh new beginning on the morning of the festival canbe seen as symbolizing the passing of an old, desiccatedage, replaced with a young and vibrant one.

However, it is Hans Sachs who plays the central role,as the man able to bring together all the conflictingfactions, enabling all to end peacefully and in a state muchimproved. Thus neither the revolutionary nor the static arein control in the end; rather a new order is born in whichthe two are happily combined – at least, that is whatWagner attempted to portray in this work. In truth, Fr.Iscara revealed, the order finally established is not so mucha happy combination of two opposites, as it is theRevolution beneath traditional trappings. Here then is theessence of Revolution, at least of those revolutions whichare not merely bloody depositions: to replace an old orderwith one radically new, but which has kept the appearancesof the old. Wagner’s is a recipe for endless revolution.

This analysis of revolution can be applied to theSecond Vatican Council, which is doubtlessly the mostimportant and most devastating revolt of our time. It wastouted as a renewal, a renovation of the Church, by whichshe was to be adapted to our era. Archbishop Lefebvrehimself went to the Council with the hope of seeing thisoccur; instead, as we now know, those leading the Councildiverted it from its true path, bringing about a new, andmonstrous, incarnation of their own liberalism andmodernism, yet keeping some of the trappings of the Brideof Christ. But the ones ultimately responsible for therevolution and the destructionand loss of souls it bringsabout are those, like HansSachs, who think that bycombining the modernist /revolutionary and thetraditional/conservative, somenew and lustrous archetypewill emerge radiantly. It wasthe Spiritus mundiwhich

For three evenings ofthe short vacationfollowing the Feast of

the Purification (which in theSeminary is accompanied bythe taking of the cassock andTonsure) Seminary professorFr. Iscara gave to a group ofpriests and seminarians aseries of conferences on oneof the great artistic works ofthe 19th century: RichardWagner’s opera Die

Meistersinger von Nurnberg. But Fr. Iscara did more thanmerely acquaint seminarians with the opera itself – heused it as an example, as a blueprint, to revealRevolution in its essence.

But how is this possible, one could ask, since theopera appears to the casual observer to be merely acomedy and a romance? For Die Meistersinger, on thesurface, is just a love story, which, unlike Wagner’s othermajor works, is placed in a definite historical setting: thecharming streets of 16th-century Nuremberg.

To give the briefest possible idea of the story, whichtakes place on the eve of the celebration, and on the feastitself, of St. John the Baptist: a handsome knight(Walther) falls in love with a beautiful girl (Eva). Hewishes to marry her, but she has already been promised tothe winner of the singing contest taking place the day ofthe feast. He tries to enter the guild of the Mastersingersin order that he might compete, but is unable to follow therules of singing, though he sings beautifully in his ownstyle. Rejected thus, he attempts an elopement, but isstopped by one of the Mastersingers, Hans Sachs. Instead,Sachs manages to trick the townspeople into hearingWalther sing again at the festival, and this time, thoughagain he does not follow the accepted rules concerningrhyme, rhythm, length and proportion, he wins theirhearts anyway, and so also the girl, and Sachs is praisedfor having brought all together in peace. This story isaccompanied by some of Wagner’s loveliest music; andfurther, is often genuinely funny. The opera givesevidence of a good sense of humor combined with anindisputable artistic genius.

So again one might ask, “What is wrong with that?”The handsome boy wins the beautiful girl, and all endspeacefully enough. But closer inspection reveals a certainideology lying beneath this apparently harmless work.Walther, for instance, embodies certain traits that arediscordant with the usual idea of knighthood. Heis hardly a model of Arthurian self-control:Eva has to stop him more than once fromdrawing his blade in vengeance againstunarmed men, and the plotted elopement itselfis a violation of hospitality, for he is a guest ofEva’s father, Pogner, who is the head of theMastersingers’guild. Rather, we find thatWalther is more like to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’sconcept of the ideal man: a man in his “original”state, raised by nature in nature, and little different

Richard Wagner

Seminarians at the Opera

Hans Sachs closes the opera with a plea for unity.

Seminary Print Shop All printing, mailing andphotograpy work is done here.

Main SacChapel, tmajor litu

Recreation Room features an abundantsupply of games, music and reading material.

St. Joseph’s Chapel originally served theDominican Brothers. It is the third mainchapel in the building.

Statue of St. Dominicstands watch over themain entrance of theSeminary.

“St. Peter,” theSeminary’s lone bell,

was cast in 1902.

Music Room hosts occasional recitals andmusic lessons.

Seminarian’s Room

St. Basil’s Classroom is used forclasses and conferences

Our Lady’s Chapel Gothic statues ofOld and New Testament Saints

adorn the entrance.

Behold!” “Whom?” “The Bridegroom! Behold hispatience!” These words, first sung in Leipzig,Germany in 1729, were a striking reminder for the

seminarians of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary of themeaning and purpose behind the Lenten season. Theoccasion which introduced them to these words was aseries of two evening conferences on March 12-13 givenby Dr. Andrew Childs on the music of the St. MatthewPassionwritten by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Bach, as Dr. Childs explained, was born into a largemusically-inclined family in 1685 in the German city ofEisenach. Having proved himself to be a prodigy at thekeyboard, Bach decided to make music his life’s work sohe became Kapellmeisterof one of the Lutheran churchesin Eisenach. After travelling for some years, he settled inthe town of Leipzig where he remained from 1723 to 1750.It was here that the St. Matthew Passionwas written andfirst performed.

The conferences which Dr. Childs gave covered thehistory of Passion music, the nature of music in generaland an application of that analysis to the St. MatthewPassionin particular. As far as the history is concerned, thesinging of The Passion during Holy Week has been thetradition of the Church since the earliest days of Gregorianchant (eighth century). Over the years, much developmentof the music to which it is sung has taken place. Consisting

of Scripture and music, the Holy Week Passion was atradition that the Protestants could continue in their owndirection. Bach for instance, writing for popularpresentation of the liturgical text, had poetry added tothe text of St. Matthew, and he made use of popularstyles of music such as the aria and the German chorale.

As for the nature of music, Dr. Childs taught that astruth is objective, so too music is objective. There isgood music and bad music, and the difference betweenthe two is not simply a matter of personal taste. Toillustrate this point, Dr. Childs had the seminarianslisten to a song by a well-known rock group, PinkFloyd. The song, entitled “Comfortably Numb,” wasrecorded for the album The Wall – an album well knownto many of the seminarians. After listening to Dr.Childs’s analysis of the song’s lyrics and music, someseminarians observed that the song reminds one of theineffectual ravings of a child who is confronted with aseemingly insurmountable obstacle. For, just as a childwill often perceive the existence of a problem but willbe unable, or unwilling, to search for a solution, andwill content itself with empty cries; so Pink Floyd seesthat there are problems in society, but the group iscontent to “lash out” at society without searching forsolutions, all the while joining in the depravity of thesociety it condemns.

The empti-ness and anguishof Pink Floyd’smessage isclearly seen in themusic itself, asDr. Childsbrilliantly demon-strated. Bybreaking downthe song into itsverses, refrainand chorus, heshowed that the “melody” is accompanied by only three orfour chords which are played over and over again mixed inwith an intermittent guitar solo. The pattern is finallyrepeated a monotonous nine times before the song ends!This is in sharp contrast to the beautiful and complexmelody of Part I of the St. Matthew Passionwhich Dr.Childs analyzed in like manner. There really is nocomparison – the St. Matthew Passionis objectively goodmusic; “Comfortably Numb” is objectively very thin fare!

Andrew Childs received his education from theUniversity of California at Irvine and earned hisdoctorate in music from the University of Washington atSeattle. He had always had an interest in music, but itwas not until he was already in college that he decided tomake the performance and teaching of music hisprofession. He now teaches at Connecticut College and isa parishioner of the Society of St Pius X’s chapel inRidgefield, CT. He told VERBUMwriters during aninterview that Bach is one of his favorite composers andthat the St. Matthew Passionwas one of the pieces thathe used to listen to while growing up in New Hampshire.

Seminarians were thankful to Dr. Childs for hisanalysis of the St. Matthew Passionand his insights intothe art of music. A few days after his conferences theywould hear in the Seminary chapel on Palm SundayMother Church’s own setting of the St. Matthew Passion,sung by three Deacons. It made for an interestingcomparison. There is much that is Catholic in Bach – butnot in Pink Floyd!

Bach to “the Wall”St. Matthew Passionv. Pink Floyd

Dr. Andrew Childs presenting the St.Matthew Passion

Seminary Library, home of over 26,000 books

Stained glass windows, featuringthe Seminary’s two patrons, SaintsPeter Martyr and Thomas Aquinas

Main Chapel The image of St. Dominic above thealtar reflects the building’s origin.

Detail of St. Peter Martyrgraces the Main Chapel entrance.

cristy On the Gospel side of the Mainthe Sacristy is a beehive of activity duringurgical functions.

Bowling AlleyPrivate prayer in the Chapelduring recreations can beunderlined by the rumbling crashof bowls and pins.

Classroom

“

Who ever heard of a priestwashing people’s feet inChurch? And in a solemn

ceremony of Holy Week? What sense canthat make, as a stranger might ask. YetEnglish-speaking Catholics who knowtheir Faith know that it is that washing offeet which has given to Maundy Thursdayits name.

“Maundy” comes from the Latinmandatum,meaning “commandment.”“What does that have to do with aceremonial washing of feet?” the strangerasks again. The answer: Our Lord taughtfirst by example what He would soon teachby word. Shortly after washing the feet ofthe Apostles, He says to them: “A newcommandment (Mandatum novum)I giveunto you: that you love one another as Ihave loved you” (Jn XIII, 34). Christ’s lovefor His disciples prompted Him to performfor them this humble service reserved forslaves. Because the washing of the feet socompletely typifies Christ’s command offraternal love, the Church has made theabove quote from St. John the first antiphonof the ceremony, and hence it has becomeknown simply as the Mandatum.

However, the significance of theVesperal Mass of Holy Thursday does notbegin and end with the Mandatum.Thewhole ceremony is rich with meaning andso it is with the hope of drawing ourreaders to a deeper love and understandingof the Liturgy that VERBUMpresents tothem the following article.

Immediately upon entering the church,one can sense that something is unusual.The crucifix over the main altar is no longercovered in the Lenten violet but in white.When the sacred ministers enter for Mass,they are in white vestments. The Introit toois festive: “We ought to glory in the cross ofOur Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is oursalvation, life and resurrection; by whom wehave been saved and delivered.” We are

only one day before the greatest sufferingof Our Lord’s life and Mother Church laysaside her Lenten sorrow for colors of joy?Surely this is folly! To the eyes of theworld it is, but “the foolishness of God iswiser than men” (I Cor. I, 25). To onewhose eyes are enlightened by Faith, it isclear that the Church cannot help butrejoice on this night in which Christ left toher her greatest treasures: the Mass,Blessed Sacrament and priesthood. Christwill indeed be betrayed, but He has givento His disciples a foretaste of victory and apledge of His continual assistance. Theliturgy itself indicates this twofold aspectof joy and trepidation. The bells are rungthroughout the Gloria in excelsis, but whenit ends the bells are silenced for the rest ofMass, indicating that the joy is notcomplete and will be shortly taken away.The bells will remain hushed until Eastermorning when Christ rises in His glory.

The Mandatumcomes after theGospel. Twelve laymen (or seminarians),representing the 12 Apostles, enter thesanctuary while the celebrant puts on aservant’s apron. This brings to mind theGospel just finished: Our Lord “girdedHimself ... and began to wash the feet ofthe disciples, and to wipe them with thetowel wherewith He was girded.” Thepriest, imitating his Master, then washesthe right foot of each of the 12 and dries itwith a towel. Weak men that we are, thingswe can sense often affect us more thanspiritual realities. Thus the Church, likeGod, uses things sensible to draw souls tothings spiritual. Having one’s foot washedis something one can very much sense.When a seminarian sees the priest whomhe is striving to imitate, who momentsbefore was offering the Sacrifice of theMass, now on his knees before him, heunderstands as never before that amazedand confused cry of Peter: “Lord, dostthou wash my feet?” (Jn XIII, 6).

It is noteworthy that thisprofound example of humilityprecedes the institution of the Massand priesthood. As Chesterton says,“the firm feet of humility, they gripthe ground like trees.” The Apostlesare to be raised to giddying heights inthe spiritual life, so Our Lord firststeadies them with this example “thatas I have done to you, so you do also”(Jn XIII, 15).

The celebrant having re-vested,Mass continues. After the faithfulhave received Communion, thecelebrant takes the remainingconsecrated hosts to another altarcalled the Altar of Repose. This isadorned with flowers and candlesuntil midnight, at which point allcandles but one are extinguished andall flowers are removed as the

remembrance of the Passion

begins. After depositing theBlessed Sacrament at the Altarof Repose, the priest returnsto the main altar, where heproceeds to strip the altars inthe church of their ornamentsand linens while the choirsings the antiphon, “Theyhave parted my garmentsamong them and upon myvesture they cast lots” – astriking symbol of the cruelstripping of Our Lord that willoccur a few hours hence onGood Friday. The office ofCompline follows. Its brevityand simple tone emphasize thedesolation of the now barrenaltar, and so ends theceremony of MaundyThursday.

This feast holds a specialplace of honor in the Societyof St. Pius X, because it wasprecisely for the preservationof the Mass and priesthoodthat Archbishop Lefebvrefounded the Society. In theArchbishop’s own words, “He (the priest)has therefore to orient and direct priestlylife towards that which is the essentialreason for the priest’s existence: the HolySacrifice of the Mass, with all that itmeans, all that flows from it, all thatcomplements it” (Statutes of the Society of

St. Pius X). As the Mass and thepriesthood are under continual attacktoday, it is comforting to note that the dayof their institution by Our Lord also endedin desolation. But as our Lord showed theApostles by the Mandatum,glory isgrounded in humility.

A moment of adoration at the Altar of Repose

Vesperal Mass of Maundy Thursday

The Deacon and Subdeacon strip the altar following theMass of Maundy Thursday.

Twelve seminarians (below) wait as Fr.Gaudray kneels before each to perform the

Mandatum (above).

What caused the decision to close St.Peter Novitiate? First, there was simplynot enough Provincial income to supportWinona and the larger houses. Second, theliberal philosophy and theology dominatingthe Order led to heavy in-fighting andpolitical stress. Finally, and mostespecially, unhappy liberal priests in theOrder blamed their “traditional” Novitiatehere for their inability to deal with peopleand to “go with the new flow” sufficientlyto suit themselves. To them, Winona wasthe incarnation of everything they hated inthe “old Church.” One embittered friarsuggested, half-seriously, that the buildingsbe ground up into powder and sold tocement makers!

On the 50th anniversary of ourSeminary buildings, this suggestion invitescomment. The Catholic Ritual for theblessing of a cornerstone makes referenceto Our Lord as the Cornerstone joiningheaven and earth. “The stone which thebuilders rejected, the same is become thehead of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing,

and it is wonderful in our eyes” (Ps. 117).Just as Our Lord was hated and despisedby the worldlings and the religious powers,and put to death for showing them the wayto eternal life, so these buildings weregiven up to the slow death of abandonmentfor 16 years by enemies of the Truth whowanted destroyed that which could not beturned to their purposes. In both cases, theywere foiled. Our Lord rose glorious fromthe dead, and His will that these buildingsbe used for the formation of Traditionalpriests is being fulfilled after all!

However, we, the “cuckoos in thenest,” must always remember another prayerfrom the blessing of the cornerstone:“Unless the Lord build the house, they laborin vain who build it” (Ps.126). Vaincomplacency in the exterior greatness ofwhat we possess here in Winona would beour ruin as surely as it was the Dominicans’.Only if our foundation is truly “in the HolyMountains” (Ps. 86) will we persevere inGod’s will and come to the true Sion, ofwhich this church is merely a vestibule.

Cornerstone (continued from page 1)