Heid the Ba wrote:31st October 1517: German god-bothering shoutyman nails diatribe to church door, hilarity ensues . . .
500 years later, the hilarity continues, somewhat abated.
One of the organists at my Catholic church also is the organist at the Lutheran church (he is, in fact, a practicing Catholic, but the Lutherans pay him big bucks via contract to play there). Typically, it works for him to play for mass and then play for the Lutheran service afterwards. The Lutherans celebrate Reformation Sunday on the Sunday nearest to Halloween with an extended service and confirmation of their catechists, and, for reasons unbeknownst to me, instead of ending later, they start this service earlier. Which means that the organist can't do both, and since he's contractually obligated to play for them, that's where he plays. Anyway, since I'm the director of music liturgy at our church, I am inevitably asked where the organist was when he wasn't there. When I explain the situation, I'm typically met with glazed eyes and an 'oh.'
After we married, but before I converted, we planned to attend a vigil mass for All Saints Day. Vigil masses are held on the eve of the holy day, putting this one on Halloween, or, as some Protestants call it, 'Reformation Day.' I jokingly asked my wife if it would be alright to say 'Happy Reformation Day' to parishioners as we shook hands during the sign of peace. She shrugged and said, "I'm not sure any of them would even get the reference." As director of music, though, I have contemplated using
A Mighty Fortress, but have opted instead for the much more subtle
We Gather Together - a song celebrating the the Dutch (Protestant, Reformed variety) over the Spanish (Catholic, Roman variety) forces at the Battle of Turnhout (any guesses on who "the wicked oppressing" were?). Enough people know that Luther wrote
A Mighty Fortress that I'd probably get some mean or at least disappointed looks and possibly even a talking-to from the priest.
We Gather on the other hand, is merely considered a run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving song.
Anyway, on this day in 835 (we think), the first "authorized" All Saint's was celebrated. It is thought that Pope Gregory IV chose the day to supplant a pagan festival to celebrate their dead.