Viewing & Funeral Details for Gail Walton

For those of you in the area who would like to pay your respects here are the viewing and funeral details for Gail Walton:

Viewing:
Monday, March 1, 2010
4:00-8:00pm
Kaniewski Funeral Home
3545 North Bendix Drive
South Bend

Funeral:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
9:30am
Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame

The Notre Dame Liturgical Choir will sing the Mass.

Please continue to keep Gail's family in your prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.

RIP Gail Walton

RIP Gail Walton

Yesterday, around 5:00p.m. Gail Walton, beloved director of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, coordinator of the Basilica Choirs, wife and mother passed from this vale of tears after a battle with leukemia at the age of 55.

It's difficult to begin to write about Gail. She was an amazing and wonderful woman, so selfless and tireless.

As Director of Music at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, a position she held since 1988, Gail was extremely influential in liturgical music. She was an excellent musician, married to another wonderful musician, ND organ professor Craig Cramer. They were "the cutest couple" in everyone's eyes - especially when they played dual organ recitals.

Gail was everyone's second mom. She was always looking out for you, but she never looked out for her self. Last year she hurt her foot - falling off a stool if I remember correctly. The doctors told her the foot had to rest and be in its boot until it healed. But how do you play organ with a boot on your foot? So she took it off. I scolded her after one of our rehearsals (she was not only director of the Liturgical Choir, but assistant director of the Women's Liturgical Choir to which I belong) and told her she had to take care herself. She laughed and said she'd be ok. That was Gail. Our head director visited her just before Christmas. The doctors had allowed her to return home for a period, so long as she was strictly on bedrest. Was Gail following the doctors' orders? Of course not. She was baking, trimming the tree and doing all manner of things around the house. That was Gail. She was a such a wonderful woman...Absolutely unstoppable.

She was a perfectionist too and always drove us to be the best we could be. Everyone loved Gail. She will be missed so much - she already is. It's hard to believe she's gone.

Please take a moment to pray for Gail and her family, especially her husband. This has been so difficult for him.


Requiescat in pace.
In Paradisum deducant angeli...Chorus angelorum te suscipiat...Aeternam habeas requiem.


Gail conducts the Liturgical Choir in a 2008 concert:

(The Mawby Ave Verum (at the 5:20 mark) is one of my favorites)

Update: I've expanded this post over the Pious Sodality of Church Ladies. Funeral details are posted here. Thank you for your continued prayers for Gail and her family. Please remember the Notre Dame community, particularly the Choirs as well.

Liturgical Laundry

Gianna emailed the Pious Sodality of Church Ladies tonight to make sure we had seen Fr. Z's post on the awesome forthcoming publication from Angelus Press about liturgical laundry

"All the various common linens are presented with descriptions of what they are for and what they might mean, for example in the case of the symbolic meaning of the amice, a vestment the priest uses during Mass.

"There are clear directions and also step by step drawings for how to fold the linens, which is very important, especially in the case of a corporal, which has the function of capturing particles of the Host which might have been missed.

Here is what we find on the contents page:

i Quick Reference Chart
ii The Purificator
iii The Corporal
iv The Pall
v The Lavabo Towel
vi The Amice
vii A Few Guidelines and Tips
viii Altar Linens
ix Glossary
ix Notes page

This little book provides a bit of direction for those ladies who are so generous
helping Holy Mother Church (and her sacristans) with laundering,
ironing, and mending."

Oh it looks like the most fantastic Pious Women Guide ever! I can't wait!

For your enjoyment, the conversation re this news:

Gianna: did you see that email I sent about the laundry guide?
Me: Yessss
Gianna: ahh, Angelus Press...
Me: it's really a wonderful thing, even if slightly schismatic on a bad day
Gianna: hey, laundry is laundry ;-P
Me: Oh no! Not Schismatic Laundry!! haha
Gianna: the scandal!!
Me: Terrible: "Excuse me ma'am, but I believe that chasuble just questioned the authority of the pope"
Gianna: ROFL

If anyone wants to get that little book for me when it comes out in July, let me know. Maybe I'll set up some starving-recent-college-grad Paypal donation button or Amazon Wishlist or something. Haha


I mean after all, THIS should never happen!

Bishop O'Brien Restricts Legionaries & Regnum Christi

Interesting -

Baltimore archbishop restricts Legionaries' work - article at CNS

Archbishop O'Brien's very pastoral, but authoritative, letter is here. It's worth the quick read. It's very interesting.

Stay tuned for possible commentary.