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Detroit Detroit's historic German parish, St. Joseph's in downtown
Detroit, will offer a special Mass on May 15 in honor of the new German-born
pope, Benedict XVI.
Since 1855, St. Joseph's has maintained the German and Austrian tradition of
the orchestral mass, familiar to the new pope in his Bavarian homeland and
in his role as Archbishop of Munich. On May 15, the Feast of Pentecost, the
Mass setting will be the Messe in G by Franz Danzi, (1763-1826), a younger
contemporary of Mozart who once served as Kapellmeister to the Royal
Bavarian Court. The music is set for choir, organ, and an orchestra of
strings and horns; the early 19th century parts for the Mass were obtained
from the Bavarian State Library and it is likely that this is its first
performance in America.
The Catholic Church believes that the Holy Father is guided by the Holy
Spirit in conducting the affairs of the church. There can be no better day
to pray for the new pope than on the Feast of Pentecost, the most important
feast of the Holy Spirit.
St. Joseph's is located at the corner of Jay and Orleans Streets, one block
from Gratiot Avenue, at the north end of Lafayette Park and across Gratiot
from Eastern Market. For further information, call 313-831-6659, e-mail
shmchurch@aol.com or see the parish web site at http://saint-joseph-detroit.org/
For further information, the media may call William M. Worden, Director of
Music, at 313-224-3487 days or 313-824-9503 evenings. |
