MSGR. RICHARD J. SCHULER
by John Janaro
Incense rises from around the marble altar, drawing one's eyes from the
Lamb of God at the front of the altar to the painting of Christ crucified
above it, the Blessed Virgin and St. John standing at His feet. On the
altar a priest is making present that all- encompassing sacrifice, "<the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all>" (Heb. 10:10). He
invites the congregation to pray and they respond in a resounding tone
that fills the church with the sound of that tongue which is the sign of
the Universal Church; the Latin of the See of Peter, in which Christians
of every race and nation give glory to the Father through Jesus Christ
"<that they may be one, as We are One>" (Jn. 17:11).
A choir begins to chant, drawing all who hear into the mystery of God's
salvation. The congregation is intensely aware of this reality, and
involved in it as they offer themselves in union with the Eucharistic
sacrifice. Here indeed is the People of God, "<a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people set apart>" (1 Pt. 2:9). Every moment of the liturgy
speaks of the offering "holy and undefiled" of Jesus Christ to the Father,
the mystery of redemption filling every mind and heart, informing every
action, every word, every strand of music.
Liturgical renewal is centered on Jesus Christ, and because of this it
makes unique demands on those who share in His ministerial priesthood. Its
essence is to involve the faithful more deeply in the liturgy; to
strengthen the Mystical Body of Christ. Here at St. Agnes Church in St.
Paul, Minnesota something extraordinary is happening- authentic liturgical
renewal. There are many parishes where "renewal" has meant divorcing the
liturgy from its past, or from the norms that give it unity and meaning.
For St. Agnes, however, it has meant reflecting the Universal Church. This
effort of renewal is led by Msgr. Richard Schuler, a man who has molded
his priesthood according to the Church, always listening attentively to
her voice; a man who stands with the Universal Church as she authentically
presents herself today; a man who calls the Catholic Church-the Bride of
Christ-the "great love of my life."
"<The God who gives joy to my youth>" (Ps. 43:4). It is not surprising
that Richard Schuler's heart was drawn to the Church, for his young life
was surrounded by evidence of her truth and splendor. He was born on
December 30,1920 across the river in Minneapolis, one of three children
who survived for Otto and Wilhelmine Schuler. Theirs was a "very
Catholic" neighborhood, dominated by Ascension Church and its school and
convent. Young Richard was summoned to lunch and supper each day by the
Angelus bell. The priests of the parish were dedicated and well loved, as
were the sisters. Often, when one of the sisters needed transportation in
her tasks, Otto Schuler would drive her, and the boy Richard would go
along in the back, catching a glimpse of the motherhouse and wondering at
all that it represented.
Catholicism was the root of a joyous home life, filled with the security,
warmth, and love of an Austrian/Bavarian household. Discipline was
enforced primarily through the integrity and strength of character of his
parents. There were not many "rules" in the family, but the Schuler
children were well aware of what their parents expected of them, and
failure brought with it its own shame.
Richard's faith, then, was firm from childhood. The support of family and
neighborhood reflected the general vitality of the Church in the Twin
Cities as a whole. Richard was never made to feel that being a Catholic
was unusual or somehow incompatible with social life. When he was old
enough Richard began school at Ascension, and soon displayed an interest
in music. At the age of eight he began studying piano with the sisters;
and sometimes, like other children, he had to be prodded into his daily
practice. Nevertheless he was soon contributing to the music of the
liturgies in his parish.
As he grew older, Richard's appreciation for the Church grew deeper. He
entered De LaSalle High School and began to learn more about the Church's
history, her great saints, her impact on culture, art, and-as
always-music. The Pilgrim Church, in her journey through this life,
touches upon many aspects of earthly experience and transforms them into
signs of the hope that she has in the coming of the Kingdom. Richard saw
this hope built into the institutions and the routines of his youth, but
most profoundly in the splendor of the liturgy. One Easter Sunday Richard
traveled with his father to St. Paul Cathedral to see a pontifical High
Mass. He was captivated not simply by the form of expression, but also by
its meaning. "<Oh death where is thy victory, oh death where is thy
sting>" (1 Cor. 15:55)? Jesus Christ is God in the flesh whose death had
brought life to the world, and everything about the Church proclaimed this
reality.
Richard wished to become immersed in this proclamation. Reflecting on the
enthusiasm of his high school years, he says, "The Church was everything
that we were. It was our whole life." As Lent of his sophomore year
approached, Richard made a resolution-to unite himself each day to Christ
in the Eucharistic sacrifice. When he saw the richness of Christian
life-its prayers and processions, its worship and witness; when he heard
the Word of God, or the chant that raises the heart to God-when he saw and
heard these things he saw and heard Jesus Christ. Now he wanted others, in
seeing and hearing himself, to see and hear Christ.
"If you want to be a priest, you'd better be a good one" was all that Otto
Schuler had to say when he heard of his son's wish. That statement
contained the promise of both support and constructive criticism that only
a family can give. Richard would maintain contact with his family
throughout his years of study for the priesthood, drawing from them
encouragement and an increased zeal to serve God's people.
Upon graduating from high school, Richard attended St. Thomas College in
St. Paul, all the while keeping in mind his vocation, and forming
friendships with those of his fellows who shared the same ambition.
Playing the organ to finance his education and studying year-round,
Richard earned the bulk of the requirements for his B.A. in English after
just two years.
Now, at last, he was able to enter St. Paul's Seminary. After settling
into his room on the first day, Richard put on his cassock and collar for
the first time and looked at himself in the mirror. Soon he would be a
priest he thought to himself. The year was 1940, and while the world
plunged into war Richard plunged into the depths of the mystery of the
Church. The seminary life was intense and somewhat removed from the world;
here Richard broadened his intellectual life and his musical life, singing
in the choir and-as always-playing the organ. After five years, ordination
approached, and the candidates made their eight day silent retreat. As
Richard prayed about his future, the future of the Church, and the future
of the world during those days in August 1945 he could only guess from the
sounds of celebration outside that the worst war in history had ended.
"<I leave you peace, my peace I give you>" (Jn. 14:27). The world hungered
for the peace of Christ, and young Fr. Schuler heard the sounds of Peace
in the music of the Church, music that was becoming increasingly important
to his life as a priest. As a history and Latin teacher at Nazareth Hall
Preparatory Seminary in Saint Paul for ten years, Fr. Schuler used his
musical talents in the service of the school and the diocese, training
choirs and directing a guild of Catholic organists. He decided early on
that a career in secular music could not be reconciled with the demanding
duties of a priest; also, sacred music had a unique character and purpose
that seemed to touch upon his personal vocation.
During the summers of 1947-1950, on his own time and at his own expense,
Fr. Schuler pursued a Master's degree at the prestigious Eastman School of
Music in Rochester, New York. He earned an M.A. in music theory. As he
reflected upon the history and structure of Church music, he grew to love
more deeply the mystery and unity of the Church herself. Fr. Schuler's
"romance" with the Church continued, and-like all lovers- he sought the
presence of his beloved in all her fullness and beauty. Therefore he
wanted to continue his studies in that great city where the Universal
Church is most poignantly made visible; where Peter, who guarantees the
Unity and Universality of the Church, shepherds a flock that stretches to
the ends of the earth.
"<That faith which is common to us both>" (Rom. 1:12). Rome and the unity
of faith-Fr. Schuler wished to be close to the center of the Church's
life. He applied for a Fullbright Scholarship from the State Department to
study music in Rome, and backed his application with intense prayer. He
offered Mass in union with each of the saints in the Roman canon, the
great Roman martyrs whose very lives were conformed to the Blood of Christ
that he was presenting on the altar. With this offering he promised a
pilgrimage to the church of each of these saints in Rome, praying there a
rosary and meditating on the redemption in which each had shared.
"<If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me>" (Lk. 9:23). The enrichment of faith comes
through the Cross, and Fr. Schuler's great pilgrimage of faith began and
ended at the foot of the Cross. Even as Fr. Schuler received his
scholarship and prepared to go to Rome, his father died. This left him
with obligations to his widowed mother, and the Archbishop suggested she
accompany him to Rome. Otto Schuler had taught his family to be devoted to
the Church, and though they were saddened by his death, Rome offered an
opportunity to be closer to that Church. And so, in the fall of 1954,
mother and son set off on their journey.
Rome brought an increase of faith through music, liturgy, and the constant
view of Peter feeding his sheep. Fr. Schuler spent the year studying 15th
and 16th century manuscripts at the Vatican Library, and he was associated
with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and the State University of
Rome. He also attended every ceremony, beatification, or papal appearance
that he could. Through friends he was able to obtain an audience with
Cardinal Ottaviani, who arranged for Fr. Schuler and his mother to be
present at Mass in the Sistine Chapel. Life in Rome during the Pontificate
of Pope Pius XII had a profound influence in shaping and solidifying his
appreciation of and commitment to the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic.
But there is always the Cross. Every man has a natural desire to control
the circumstances of his own life, to direct himself by his own choices.
The priest, however, stands fully in the Person of Christ, offering
himself freely in obedience to the Father. Fr. Schuler returned from Rome
in 1955 filled with a faith that could move mountains. It seemed that no
task would be too difficult, no burden too great to bear as he awaited
assignment to his first parish. The Archbishop however, did not treat him
as he had expected-instead he assigned Fr. Schuler to teach at St. Thomas
College. This was not what he had hoped for; in fact he feared that,
because of some misunderstanding, he was being disciplined for leaving the
diocese and going to Rome.
Fr. Schuler nevertheless accepted his new tasks and embarked upon them
with all the determination that he had. He taught theology and music for
the next fourteen years, thus continuing his service in the intellectual
life. Moreover, he lived the life of a college professor, which gave him a
certain freedom-freedom to further his education and establish contacts
with members of the Church all over the world. Because of this flexibility
Fr. Schuler was able to become significantly involved in the liturgical
renewal, and more importantly his education and his "obedience of faith"
enabled him to discern the spirits that were behind various trends in
liturgy. The Holy Spirit was preparing him for his work at St. Agnes,
moving his heart so that it would be sensitive to the call of the Church.
This preparation included a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of
Minnesota, which Fr. Schuler completed in 1963. It was here that he became
more involved with the larger musical world and furthered his own
reputation as a musician and director of the first order. He also became
involved in the Church Music Association of America, and began writing
articles for its publication <Sacred Music>.
Meanwhile the same Spirit that was leading Fr. Schuler, inspiring in him
deep devotion to the music of the Church, was also desiring to renew the
whole life of that Church, and began by touching the humble heart of Pope
John XXIII, who sought to promote renewal by calling for an Ecumenical
Council. In doing so he initiated a drama of struggle between those who
lived in the Spirit, Who "<searches the very depths of God>" (Rom. 8:27),
and those who followed other spirits who "<changed the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image made like to corruptible man . . .>" (Rom.
1:23).
Fr. Schuler followed the Second Vatican Council with great interest,
particularly the development of the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy. In
that Constitution he heard a call for renewal in the liturgy, in order
that the Eucharistic sacrifice might penetrate more deeply the whole of
the Mystical Body. To further this end the Council called for "active
participation" by all the faithful in the liturgy, and made allowance for
new creativity and diversity in liturgical life, while at the same time
insisting on the preservation of the venerable traditions and indeed for a
greater appreciation of them. Development in continuity with the past;
vernacular in addition to Latin; the beauty and simplicity of Gregorian
chant along with any other music-old or new-that was both "sacred" and
"art": Vatican II was a challenge to the Church to make liturgy more
vital, more vivid in its reflection of the sacredness of the Eucharistic
Sacrifice-the offering that bears fruit in the nourishment of men unto
eternal life.
Fr. Schuler heard this challenge and responded with enthusiasm; for
musicians and singers this challenge meant a greater love for the
Gregorian chant, along with the charge to expand the corpus of Church
music. This task carried with it a great responsibility: that this music
preserve the character of "sacred art," as is proper to liturgical music,
and without which it would be unable to fulfill its purpose.
Deeply conscious of this responsibility and now widely recognized for his
ability in the field, Fr. Schuler accepted the honor and duty of being
chairman of the Fifth International Church Music Congress that met at the
close of the Council in 1965. It was here that he first sensed the coming
crisis of faith that was to afflict so many in the Church, plunging them
into confusion in the years that followed. Some at the Congress had
clearly lost sight of the essence of the liturgy, and reflected this loss
in their desire for a secularization of Church music. A spirit of novelty
and experimentation, a spirit of individualism that reflected neither the
character of the Mass nor the unity of the Church, was breaking forth in
the liturgical movement, particularly in the United States. It spread from
the liturgy to the whole of Church life, threatening the very identity of
the Christian in the face of a world that was following "<teachers who
delighted their fancy>" (2 Tm. 4:3).
Elected vice president of the papal federation of church music societies
founded by Pope Paul VI, and as a member of the American bishops' advisory
board on church music, Fr. Schuler was able to follow the developments
around the world following the close of Vatican II. In the midst of the
storm, he stood fast, determined to implement the renewal that the Church
had called for. God had prepared him for this time, strengthened his
faith, and imparted to him a sense of vision and a mission to prepare
those entrusted to his care for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"<Put on the armor of God>" (Eph. 611). Msgr. Schuler was now outfitted
for a new and especially demanding work-his loyal insight, his reading of
the "signs of the times," gave him the discernment necessary to implement
the Council in every facet of church life. Therefore, in 1969 he was
called forth from the life of teaching and made pastor of the parish of
St. Agnes. He now brought his lifelong love for the Church-his romance
with a Bride whose beauty had grown only more vivid with the years-into a
constant and absorbing service to the People of God. And the needs of his
people-great and small-convinced him even more deeply of the Church's
call; he saw in his daily parish duties a more concrete expression of the
meaning of the priesthood.
St. Agnes is a large "national" parish with members all over the city of
Austrian- Bavarian background. In addition to the pastorate, Msgr. Schuler
became superintendent of St. Agnes elementary and high schools. The work
with the schools was particularly difficult in the early years of his
administration. During the early 1970's Msgr. Schuler found himself in a
struggle for the control of the curriculum. The Diocesan Education Office
had recommended certain textbooks of religion that contained fundamental
errors. When Msgr. Schuler refused to use the texts in his schools, the
Office attempted to pressure him through his own teachers and through
various diocesan channels. He refused to be intimidated, however,
insisting that the board did not have the authority to impose the texts.
Ultimately his right of refusal was recognized An important battle had
been won, and the Catholicity of the curriculum was thus insured.
Further, Msgr. Schuler established his own certification program for
teachers, steering them clear of programs constructed by bureaucratic
offices that are often confused as to the nature of Catholic education. In
these ways Msgr. Schuler fulfilled his duties as educator and priest,
insuring that St. Agnes' schools remain today a mirror of the teaching
Church, and that their administration, classrooms, and textbooks serve as
a light to reveal that Church to young minds.
The students themselves, however, have at times been a source of trouble.
At one point, some of the high school students threatened a "strike."
Msgr. Schuler's response was straight-forward and firm-he simply informed
the students that he would refund the tuition of any who wished to leave.
The students saw that he had no intention of wavering in his authority,
and the crisis was averted; moreover no one took him up on his offer.
"<And you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden
light>" (Mt. 11:30). Parish work, despite the trials brought about by the
confusion of the contemporary situation, has brought many consolations.
The parishioners of St. Agnes have eagerly shared in Msgr. Schuler's
vision of liturgical life. According to the New Order of the Mass with its
prescribed ritual and the use of Latin, Msgr. Schuler celebrates a Latin
High Mass each Sunday. He has gathered dedicated singers in the area into
the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, and he directs them in a variety of
church music, from Gregorian chant to the great masses of Mozart, Haydn,
Beethoven, and Schubert which they present along with members of the
Minnesota Orchestra on thirty Sundays each year. Also, Msgr. Schuler has
served as president of the Church Music Association of America since 1975,
and edits the quarterly magazine Sacred Music, using it as a medium for
the authentic renewal of the liturgical music he loves so greatly.
The Eucharistic sacrifice is the center and source of an active parish
life. Msgr. Schuler sees his mission to parishioners as a fostering of the
personal vocation to holiness that each possesses. The priest stands in
the Person of Christ, and as such he is the vehicle through which the
faithful are drawn into the mystery of Christ. The sense of this
responsibility permeates every facet of his ministry. Whether he is
preaching in the pulpit, exercising his "prophetic mission"; or imparting
in the confessional the mercy of God to a prodigal son; or graduating a
class of high school students; or leading a Corpus Christi procession on
the church grounds, with 1000 people proclaiming the Word made Flesh and
adoring His presence in the Eucharist; or involved with his music or other
apostolic activities-Msgr. Schuler seeks to be another Christ, washing the
feet of his disciples, searching for the lost sheep, teaching in the
temple, dying on the Cross. Msgr. Schuler is very aware of the fact that
the pastor's time belongs wholly to the parish he serves. This service,
however, does not seclude him; on the contrary it strengthens his bond
with the whole Church, so absorbed is he in the rhythm of her daily life.
Springing forth from this daily life have been significant contributions
to the Universal Church. Following the 1976 Conference of the Episcopal
Church in Minneapolis that authorized the ordination of women, Msgr.
Schuler became acquainted with several Episcopal priests who were
convinced that this decision was not good. He arranged an audience for two
of them with Cardinal Seper, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, in Rome. Both of them desired conversion to the
Catholic Church, along with their congregations, and ordination to the
priesthood. Because of dissatisfaction with the Anglican communion, they
were determined to seek full union with the Catholic Church. As a result
of meetings with Cardinal Seper, Rome approved an "Anglican Use" by which
entire Episcopal congregations could enter the Church as parishes, and
their priests could be ordained priests and serve as pastors. The reunion
of separated communities envisioned by Vatican II was thus served by the
efforts of Msgr. Schuler. The "Anglican Use", however, still faces various
difficulties in its application and organization, and therefore remains
one of his areas of constant prayer and concern.
Msgr. Schuler also has worked for the whole Church by fostering vocations
to the priesthood. Eight priests have been ordained from his parish since
he became pastor, and he serves as a spiritual director for many young
seminarians. Pursuing a priestly vocation in these difficult times can be
full of frustration when so many, especially in seminaries, misrepresent
the Gospel. Msgr. Schuler seeks to insure that these young men are granted
a vision of the Church as she truly stands; he listens to their problems,
helps them in their study, and invites them to share in the liturgical
life of his parish, so that they might praise God in their joys and draw
strength from Him in their sufferings in union with the parishioners of
St. Agnes, who are so steeped in the renewal of the Church. Msgr. Schuler
hopes that in this way these young men will hear the true voice of the
Church, and become seeds of her renewal some day in their own parishes.
Msgr. Richard Schuler is in all things a man in love with the Catholic
Church. It is a true love, one that cannot be clouded over by deceit or
discouragement because it is constantly focused on the beloved in all her
goodness-a goodness that has its source and its strength in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He thus stands as a prophetic witness-a witness first and foremost
because he hears the voice of God and seeks in his priesthood to present
Jesus Christ in all His truth and power, Jesus who is Head of the Mystical
Body present in the world today. Msgr. Schuler testifies to what he hears:
in his music, in his preaching, in his work in the parish, in his concern
for vocations, in the obedience of faith that underlies his response to
the call of the Church and shapes his entire priesthood. And his witness
continues today as he invites all to join in with the voice-the song-of
the Church: "<Praise the Lord; Praise and exalt Him above all forever!>"
(Dn. 3:61 ff).
This is Chapter Three of the book, "Fishers of Men," published in 1986 by
Trinity Communications.
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