This weekend was historical at the Cathedral of St. Mary.  I am a history buff, and like to look back on previous generations.  After looking through old pictures and researching some of the church’s earliest history, I am led to believe that in the infancy of the Cathedral there were two Sunday Masses, a high Mass at 9:00 a.m. and a low Mass at 11:00 a.m.  As the city grew in size, a 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass was added.  In around 1968, when the Mass shifted to English, a 5:15 p.m. anticipatory Mass was added.  By the early 1970’s two more Masses were added:  12:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Sunday night. (I remember attending the 11:00 a.m. Mass and the rush to get Mass over by 11:45 a.m. so that the 12:15 p.m.  Mass could start on time.)  In 1982, the 11:00 a.m. Mass was moved back a half hour to 10:30 a.m. and the 12:15 p.m. Mass moved back 15 minutes to 12:00 Noon.    This schedule remained that way until last Sunday.
So, history was made on Sunday. 
 
Ellen Lewis-Olsen and myself provided the music for the last 5:15 p.m. Saturday night Mass.  (My great-grandparents used to attend this Mass.)
 
The Szott and Hurdle families, like many other generations of families have attended the 7:30 a.m. Mass for years.  For the final 7:30 a.m. Mass, the Szott and Hurdle family, with the help of organist Bea Wallace provided some beautiful music, blending some Latin chant with some more contemporary and traditional hymns and the Heritage Mass parts. (This Mass setting has been a part of our parish legacy for over 25 years).    Here is a picture of Frank and his siblings singing “Tota Pulcra Es” as the communion procession concluded. 
 
The Adult choir has sung at 9:00 a.m. Mass without interruption for at least 70 years under various directors.  Some of the current members have been a part of the choir for 40 or more years.  They have many fond memories of traveling in various parts of Europe and have even recorded their own CD.  Several of the choir members gathered to sing for one last 9:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday.  Shown below are members of the choir singing with Amy Gunn, flautist and Frank Szott organist.
 
I remember the early days of the 10:30 a.m. Mass.  Folk groups were established during the fall and winter months.  I was a member of some of those early groups.  In the summertime, Fr. Carl Beavers had a group of us high school students from Seton Catholic High School.  We did this totally and completed independent of adults.    For the final 10:30 a.m. Mass in the Cathedral, we have two terrific young people, John Paul Eleshuk and Elizabeth Erickson pictured here.  Two other members of our youth music ministry group, Isabelle and A.J. Bivona, were altar servers at this Mass.  Elizabeth graduated this spring from Central High School and will be attending UW, so she will not be able to join us regularly.  We hope to build a group of high school and college-aged students to join our current young musicians in the future. 
 
Now we begin a “new era” with a new Mass schedule.  Our music ministers have made a commitment to provide the best quality music in order that our assembly, the prime choir, to raise their voices in song at each Mass.  May God continue to bless our parish under the intercession of Our Lady of the Assumption, patroness of our parish and diocese.