Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Elvine Virtues

Some of you who know me well...I mean really well...know that I am somewhat of a closet Elvis fan. I have often wondered why it is I like him, but on my one and only visit to Graceland a few years ago I think I figured it out. I like him because the whole Elvis phenomenon is so incredibly weird. There is alot of strange Elvis groups, memorabilia, and even a Church called the . Since it was 30 years ago yesterday that Elvis went to his eternal reward I thought I would offer this clip of Elvis at Mass:


6 comments:

Dymphna said...

This was one of my favorite Elvis movies.

Anonymous said...

How darling.
Also on youtube, Elvis sings The Miracle of the Rosary half way into the video explaining the rosary- Beautiful
www.youtube.com/watch?V=_xi3i5r9yhE

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful clip of Elvis at Mass! I don't think I've ever seen this movie. He looks a bit older than his usual movies. I do know that he sings a beautiful rendition of "How Great Thou Art".

Anonymous said...

Strictly speaking, the Catholic Church and Elvis church are the same: they both are based upon fanciful thinking

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, Heaven will fulfill all our fancies.
Just think of the "mansions" God has prepared for us.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Dana:

I remember seeing that movie (Change of Habit) at the Napoleon Theatre in New Orleans (I must have been 5 at the time). The movie has a happy ending: Mary Tyler Moore remains a Religious, and keeps the holy habit!

In the clip from Change of Habit, it seems that what we now call "the ordinary usage of the Roman Rite" had not been published yet. It is good to see the reverence the gift bearers showed to the Eucharist, and that the Celebrant still faced the altar. Catholics in the late sixties considered it a high honor to enter the sanctuary precinct (inside the rail), and this is visible in the clip. AND, oh well, the music is REALLY GROOVY!! (I like Elvis, too). The song Elvis is singing is a good example of the early "folk" music written for the Mass in the late sixties (songs from the Hymnal for Young Christians, for example), when the contemporary guitar idiom was innocent, "pretty" and even catchy.

After contemporary liturgical composers lost their innocence, liturgical songs became mostly horizontal (We Are Called, We Are Frozen), and now LIFE TEEN and SPIRIT AND SONG are seen as the best music for worship money can buy.

St. Pius X, pray for us!