What is Mass like at your parish?

[hedgehog]

My brother's pastor follows liturgical guidelines and stretchws the Mass to the minimum 1 hour recommendation. For example, the priest sits down. Lector 1 approaches the lectern slowly (slow=reverent, right?) and does the first reading. Elector 1 slowly returns to his seat. Only then does lector 2 slowly repeat the process. At the Offertory, everything stops dead while 2 people slowly go into the sacristy to fetch the altar cloth. They carefully spread it out, then go back for the water, then go back for the wine, then go back for the Hosts. With all the reverent slowness, my mind drifts and I lose track of what's going on. Meanwhile parents with small children are going nuts trying to keep them settled down. People bolt after Communion depite the nasty comments from the pastor.

Our Masses begin with a church full of people chatting to their neighbors. People look forward to the Homily which often features props such as a large crock, sombrero, balloon, etc. The children are invited to join hands around the altar during the Our Father (A big no-no) and the Kiss of Peace takes several minutes. Mass often runs over an hour, but only 1 or 2 ever leave early. At the end of Mass, people linger to talk to each other and exchange news.

Personally, I think our noisy casual Mass is the more reverent since it reflects the joyous Love of God.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Which Mass? They're each one different,

the four in English and the one in Spanish.

More later on length, music, whatever. :hi:

[demosincebirth]

2. We applaud at the end of Mass.

Don't ask me why, but I join in too.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. interesting. we only applaud for a guest speaker

or something like that. it's a european custom to applaud to honor someone -- remember the applause at john paul ll's funeral? the uninformed and/or anti-catholic/ anti-european crowd criticized them for their 'rudeness,' naturally.

reminds me of an old steve martin routine -- 'those french, they have a different word for everything'

or the people who visit italy and complain that 'it's hard to get anything but italian food here.'

[Matilda]

4. Yes, we generally only applaud guest speakers too.

But I remember once we were addressed by an Englishwoman who worked
for Oxfam, and she spoke of her experiences in Yugoslavia at the
height of the fighting. At the end, there was absolute silence, no
applause, nothing. Except for people - and I was one - who wiped
away a furtive tear from their faces.

Somehow I remember her above everyone else who ever addressed us.

[Book Lover]

5. I thought it was not allowed to applaud in church at all?

That information comes from my Catholic parents, actually, one of whom was born and raised in northern Italy. I also recall a story about a musician who performed beautifully at a Mass, but since the congregants were not allowed to applaud in the church, they lined the streets to do so outside (but I don't recall any details; I remember reading it in a Reader's Digest many many years ago, FWIW).

[UrbScotty]

6. We do on occasion

The priest gives mothers a blessing on Mother's Day and gives fathers one on their day. Afterwards, we applaud them for what they do.

After people receive a sacrament, we also congratulate them through applause.

[hedgehog]

7. Who decides what's allowed?

[Matilda]

8. The priest asked our friends to applaud as we came out of the sacristy

after our marriage. That was a surprise.

Perhaps he thought it was appropriate because my husband is an
actor, and there were a number of actor friends present. Then
again, it's a Jesuit parish, and they tend to be liberal thinkers.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Maybe it wasn't allowed before Vatican II?

I don't know that you'd see Italians applaud in church today. I have not seen Eucharistic ministers in Italian churches. Parishioners may do the readings but only the priest gives Communion.

[Book Lover]

10. I'm getting the feeling that's the "way it was", yes

Gee, there ought to be an "Ask-A-Priest" website or something - seems like this'd be a perfect question :-)

[hedgehog]

11. I asked who decides what's allowed

because it should be the people's celebration, not someone in Vatican City or on the bishop's staff. It's a hard call. I've been to graduations that have become increasingly trivialized by friends and family who decide that it's their job to make the most noise for their graduate. I can see that there is a point where "anything goes" becomes a problem. At the same time, I've seen some pretty silly decisions come down from on high.

[Book Lover]

12. Let me put it this way

When I was Catholic, I was very devout, but I haven't made my Easter duty in over a dozen years, so I'm hardly the authority. I was shocked, shocked ( ;-) ), when earlier this year I found out how informally some parishes conduct Confession.

[hedgehog]

13. Ah, yes, confession

That's another hot button issue. Some still insist that unless you've just been to confession, you probably are too sinful for Communion. If you look closely, there's a form of Penance/Reconciliation/Confession for every need now. Some attend a general confession for a reminder to try to live as a Christian every day. Others really need the one-on-one spiritual guidance of personal confession to make real changes in the way they live. We ought to be thankful for the way the sacrament has adapted to different needs rather than insist on a return to a weekly count of sins for everyone.

[Matilda]

14. I agree with you - Confession can now be approached

more in a spirit of loving guidance rather than sin and punishment.

At our Church, we have a 2nd Rite general confession at Easter and
Christmas - Cardinal Pell doesn't like it at all, but our new parish
priest has kept it up. Saturday Confession is now limited to an
hour, 4-5 - I remember when there was at least 4 hours when you could
go, with more than one priest hearing confessions before a major
feast day. Now most people use the less formal "chat" with a priest,
face to face, and it's often more useful. Instead of reciting a
list of sins, you just tell him something you're having a problem
with, a weakness, a flaw in your character, and he gives guidance
in handling it.

I'm glad for having had the old rite though - I do think having
learned examination of conscience is a good thing, and I sometimes
find myself cross-questioning my actions at times as a result of
the old formula, and this isn't a bad thing. I think I would use
the old form of confession if I ever feel I've done something really
awful and feel a need to make formal atonement. But for petty sins
and failings, I think it's better looking for assistance in over-
coming them in a more practical way.

[DemBones DemBones]

15. What you describe is exactly the same as my

US parish -- penance services during Advent and Lent, weekly confession scheduled for an hour on Saturday afternoon, though you can make appointments to meet with the pastor. When we remodeled the sanctuary, a "reconciliation room" was added, with both face-to-face and anonymous confession available, but I was sorry to see the old confessional go. It wasn't quite the quality you see at St. Peter's in Rome but it was 65-70 years old and thus a quality you couldn't buy today.

As a convert, I think it would have been very helpful to be trained in making a good examination of conscience. This sacrament is under-emphasized and I don't think it will lead to less "Catholic guilt." (I always am amused by that phrase because Protestant kids have plenty of guilt heaped on them, and no rite of reconciliation to release any of it.)

[DemBones DemBones]

16. What you describe is exactly the same as my

US parish -- penance services during Advent and Lent, weekly confession scheduled for an hour on Saturday afternoon, though you can make appointments to meet with the pastor. When we remodeled the sanctuary, a "reconciliation room" was added, with both face-to-face and anonymous confession available, but I was sorry to see the old confessional go. It wasn't quite the quality you see at St. Peter's in Rome but it was 65-70 years old and thus a quality you couldn't buy today.

As a convert, I think it would have been very helpful to be trained in making a good examination of conscience. This sacrament is under-emphasized and I don't think it will lead to less "Catholic guilt." (I always am amused by that phrase because Protestant kids have plenty of guilt heaped on them, and no rite of reconciliation to release any of it.)

[DemBones DemBones]

17. What you describe is exactly the same as my

US parish -- penance services during Advent and Lent, weekly confession scheduled for an hour on Saturday afternoon, though you can make appointments to meet with the pastor. When we remodeled the sanctuary, a "reconciliation room" was added, with both face-to-face and anonymous confession available, but I was sorry to see the old confessional go. It wasn't quite the quality you see at St. Peter's in Rome but it was 65-70 years old and thus a quality you couldn't buy today.

As a convert, I think it would have been very helpful to be trained in making a good examination of conscience. This sacrament is under-emphasized and I don't think it will lead to less "Catholic guilt." (I always am amused by that phrase because Protestant kids have plenty of guilt heaped on them, and no rite of reconciliation to release any of it.)

[tenshi816]

21. Hmm - interesting.

This has been a busy year for us because my 8-year old son made his First Holy Communion and my 14-year old son was confirmed, both in June a week apart. Both occasions were solemn, as you would expect, but at the end applause was invited and enthusiastically given.

I've lived in the UK for nearly two decades so I don't know if things are different here than they are back home these days. I do know that when I still lived in the States, things were more formal than they are in my parish church.

Whatever the reason, it works for us here.

[demosincebirth]

19. I don't know why, but when the last hymn is ended...

people start to applaud.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. It's rare if any Mass runs an hour in our parish,

apart from the Easter Vigil, which runs about an hour and a half -- brief, as Easter Vigils go. The Vigil Mass and the 8 a.m. Mass are the shortest; less music is played and we recite rather than sing the Gloria. The 11 a.m. has the best music, vocal soloes, etc., and typically runs the longest, but still under an hour. I haven't been to the 9:30 in a long time but it's traditionally been the one for people with young kids (which is not us now) and has more music than the Vigil and 8 a.m., plus coffee and doughnuts sold afterwards by the Knights of Columbus.

Our pastor believes that if you can't get your point across in a short homily, forget about it. Some of his homilies are very good, some not so good, but they are never too long! His use of liturgy and music is excellent. He uses props once in a while during a homily but he'd never have kids up on the altar during the Our Father -- not only a big no-no but not his style. You'd never feel he was rushing through Mass, or being irreverent, he just doesn't drag it out. He's doing things right for this community because the parish rolls have doubled during his pastorate and collections have increased more than the numbers would indicate. There's some socializing after all Masses but I've always liked it that being Catholic means you don't have to chat if you aren't in the mood.

The Spanish Mass, said by a different priest who's assigned to a tiny, heavily Hispanic parish about 20 miles away, is after lunchtime, and runs very long, or has when I've attended it.

[tenshi816]

20. Your mass sounds like the ones we have

in our small parish in West Yorkshire, England. We live in a small town and also have a Catholic school here, so the Catholic community is tightly knit, which I love. Many of the same people I see at mass on Sunday, I also see Monday through Friday before and after school. All the kids at church know each other through school or local social activities.

Our priest is the most relaxed priest I've ever known. He's 73 (but a robust 73), friendly and extremely laid back - he's just so at peace with himself that the feeling radiates outwards and envelopes everyone he comes in contact with.

I particularly agree with the last sentence of your post.