InFormation (2021) Moments in Time 

Moments: A Clatter Board? What the devil...? Oh...Matins

The Lousiville Courier-Journal, 27 Sep 1954

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Click to enlarge.Ora Spaid (†1921-2020), a reporter, wrote this story in 1954. His reporting held true for almost 13 years. As high school students at Mother of Good Counsel in Warrenton, Missouri, we never experienced this. Things changed when we began our novitiate in 1964, ending 366 days later as professed members of the Order.

Our class of novices in St. Paul Kansas spanned the Pre-Vatican II—Post-Vatican II transition, that transition from Latin to the vernacular in the Chruch's liturgy. We followed, strictly, the Monastic Horarium of the Order during that time of spiritual training.

Here is the typical daily schedule:

2:00 a.m. ......Matins and Lauds
6:00 a.m. ......Prime and Tierce
11:00 a.m. ......Spiritual Reading
11:15 a.m. ......Solitary Walk
11:45 Noon ......Sext and None
12:00 p.m. ......Dinner
12:30 p.m. ......Recreation
1:15 p.m. ......Rest
— WINTER — — SUMMER —
2:15 p.m. ......Vespers/Spirutal Reading 2:15 p.m. ......Vespers/Spirutal Reading
2:45 p.m. ......Study 2:45 p.m. ......Prayer
5:00 p.m. ......Solitary Walk 3:45 p.m. ......Study
5:30 p.m. ......Prayer 6:00 p.m. ......Solitary Walk
6:30 p.m. ......Supper 6:30 p.m. ......Supper
7:00 p.m. ......Recreation 7:00 p.m. ......Recreation
7:45 p.m. ......Compline/Night Prayers 8:00 p.m. ......Compline/Night Prayers
8:20 p.m. ......Study 8:35 p.m. ......Study
9:00 p.m. ......Retire 9:00 p.m. ......Retire

Throughout the day we assembled in the choir (Old English, quire) for the chanting of the seven hours of the Divine Office. Ora has described this scenario quite well in his article. As you can see in the horarium, the first portion of the day was de rigeur. And the first activity, the Hours of Matins and Lauds at 2 in the morning, might have been enough to send some men packing.

Bells were only rung during the day. In Kansas, such bell-ringing would not have disturbed our neighbors who lived miles away. Amongst us novices was but one alarm clock held in the possession of the novice assigned to get up a bit earlier to perform an onerous duty. The Clatter Board used to wake us up, causing us to dress quickly, splash some water on our faces, and proceed to the choir. I had never heard Ora's name for that infernal piece of wood-on-wood but it is descriptive.

I can hear it still, in my mind—never at 2 a.m! I have no desire today to groggily recite 30 minutes of Latin at such an ungodly hour.