A sound system board in a Catholic Church?

[Elzee]

I think you have to separate the technology from the content. There’s nothing wrong with a Catholic church having modern sound system with good control functions. However, it shouldn’t be located in the public area of the church. Now, if you see strobe lights and mirrored ball…

This is my point exactly that perhaps I didn’t make very well. There is nothing wrong with a sound system and I understand they’re needed and their functionality can help people hear better at Mass. I have no problem with that. I don’t automatically equate ‘new’ with ‘bad’ as a poster above said. My concern is it was located in a very public place, right next to pews and the person working the board has his/her focus on the board, not on Mass. Even if that person attends another Mass where his/her focus is not on the sound system, I think it sets a bad example because kids and others are not going to know that. Also, it can be an easy distraction for kids - and adults too - as the lights on the board light up, flash, etc. It’s fun for kids to watch. So,I stand my statement that it can take the focus off Our Lord. These systems should be located in the sacristy or a room off the nave so they are not intereferring with the sacred atmostphere of the nave and sanctuary and the sacred nature of the Mass. A friend of mine goes to a Methodist church that nicely hides their sound system in a room in the back of the church that blends in with the back wall. It has a one-way window (very small) where the person inside could see and hear what was going on during their service. Most people don’t even know it’s there.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Structures with such unneeded and expensive sound systems are beyond the “start-up” phase. Catholics seem to have lost the sense of the sacred in a huge way, very Protestant-like indeed.

Frankly, I have no idea what you are talking about and how good sound systems are “Protestant-like”. If you were older, growing hard of hearing and declining sight or a member of the deaf community, you would find nothing sacred in not being able to fully hear the Mass or follow along in the Missal because of poor eyesight.

This all came home to me when as a member of the Finance Council we kept seeing better lighting and sound as a request. Because we were all younger people, we kept pushing it down the priority list such that nothing ever was done. It just wasn’t our priority. But one day, I was visiting with an older member of our parish who asked me point blank why the needs of the elderly were never considered. When I asked what she was talking about, she told me of the problems she and the other elderly people were enduring. Frankly, I was ashamed. While we have yet to address their need, it is much higher on the list and will probably be dealt with in either next year’s or the following years budget.

Regarding Elzee’s valid point. Great effort should be made to do what can be done to minimize the distraction. Unfortunately, in our older churches, this can be quite difficult and possibly expensive. Possibly as an alternative, a sound system that is voice activated could render the “board operator” obsolete.

 

[chotock]

We have been working over our sound system the past month or so. I agree that the board should be out of the way somewhere. Ours is on the floor where the former music director had the piano and choir, since we have moved them back to where they belong, in the choir loft, its kind of out there by itself. Its against the wall and is not really all that identifiable and the man who works it is fairly unobtrusive, but we all know it is there. Perhaps we will find a way to hide it up top with the piano and choir so our focus is on the Mass and not on the guy with the weird mustache.

 

[SMHW]

My concern is it was located in a very public place, right next to pews and the person working the board has his/her focus on the board, not on Mass.

That does seem odd. Is it possible it has not been installed in its final location yet?

My parish church has spent a LOT of money on our sound system. It was the only way we could repair the problems of the architectural design of our fairly modern church. Sound cancelling and delays were causing about every third word our pastor spoke to be unintelligible. But we keep our sound board in the choir area. It’s clearly visible to anyone near it but since there are music stands, microphones, and other such equipment around it, no one pays any special attention. The sound experts tend to be musicians or friends of musicians anyways.

Even if it were not a distraction during the Mass, I would think the parish would not want to draw attention to it lest it be accidentally damaged by curious parishioners.

 

[Tom317]

Frankly, I have no idea what you are talking about and how good sound systems are “Protestant-like”. If you were older, growing hard of hearing and declining sight or a member of the deaf community, you would find nothing sacred in not being able to fully hear the Mass or follow along in the Missal because of poor eyesight.

This all came home to me when as a member of the Finance Council we kept seeing better lighting and sound as a request. Because we were all younger people, we kept pushing it down the priority list such that nothing ever was done. It just wasn’t our priority. But one day, I was visiting with an older member of our parish who asked me point blank why the needs of the elderly were never considered. When I asked what she was talking about, she told me of the problems she and the other elderly people were enduring. Frankly, I was ashamed. While we have yet to address their need, it is much higher on the list and will probably be dealt with in either next year’s or the following years budget.

Regarding Elzee’s valid point. Great effort should be made to do what can be done to minimize the distraction. Unfortunately, in our older churches, this can be quite difficult and possibly expensive. Possibly as an alternative, a sound system that is voice activated could render the “board operator” obsolete.

Many Catholic Churches are being built with an entertainment styled approach, just like Protestant mega-Churches. Obviously it is a very good thing that we can not help people who are hearing impaired, or even those in the back of Church be able to hear what is going on…that is a very good thing indeed. Yet, some of the sounds systems going into Catholic Churches rival professional stages and theaters…all done to create an entertainment environment…and that entertainment has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass…nothing.

Protestants do not have Jesus, they have the Holy Spirit, yet not thje actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. They make-up for that in the modern world by creating a fun, lively entertainment atmosphere that merely Christianity-lite at the best, and anti-Christian at the worst. It frustrates me to see some (note: some, not all) Catholic Churches falling into the same trap.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I walked into a church for Mass the other weekend and right in front of me behind the back pew was a huge sound system board like you see in many evangelical churches. The ‘Minister of Welcome’ (formerly known as an 'Usher" - why is everyone a ‘Minister’ these days…??) told me, when I asked about it that it was part of their brand new ‘Sound System Ministry’ - a “Sound Minister” (no kidding) sits at the board during Mass to control the volume of the priest, lector, choir, etc. They also have controls for special lighting effects that they use during Mass on ‘special occasions’.

Please tell me this isn’t turning into a common architectural element or liturgical enhancement? Yet one more thing to take the focus off Our Lord during Mass. I have never seen anything like this in a Catholic Church before.

It’s the trend to make the Mass more entertainment or show and less liturgical worship and prayer.

 

[Tom317]

Tom, I guess I fail to follow your reasoning here.

You are thinking the space should not be used for the gathering of our youth so they can hear speakers and presentations? Or the presentation of religious pagents (Christmas and Passion) by our children? Or the singing of Christmas carols by our parish’s gradeschool and religious education programs?

If not the church, then where? We have no other space that would allow for the gathering of all of these people.

We have a separate chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is kept.

So, the space itself is used for everything I mentioned above, plus some.

The sound system is a great addition, enabling us to HEAR everyone who is 1) speaking 2) singing 3) presenting, etc.

What’s the problem?

Right out of the gate I have a major problem with the Blessed Sacrament being “kept” in a separate side chapel. Again, we lost the sense of sacred, but placing Christ in an out of the way place we are actually saying His presence among us is not important, we becomes Protestants because we do not grasp the reality that God is present with us and we do not give Him the most honorable place in our Churches. Jesus should be front and center in every Catholic Church, and I reject the notion that a separate chapel somehow honors Christ even more because Jesus wants to be with His children, not separated from them.

Since Jesus is not present in your Church and is tossed into a side chapel, then it makes no difference if you hold rock concerts in the Church.

 

[Tom317]

Here are two contrasting ways to handle Church renovation and new construction, that have been personally involed with:

Catholic Church one: The Pastor realized the parish Church was aging and needed work or the parish could built a new Church. He had for a very long time longed to have a Church like the Protestant mega-Church about four miles from his parish (I know this for a fact). The Pastor’s choice: to build a new Church similar to the mega-Church, albeit on a smaller scale. He succeeded and I know of no-one walking into that new Church who would ever think it is Catholic–no sense of Christ being present (the Tabernacle is off the the side, can be seen, but not at all a place of true prominence), sound systems that sparkle in a new age of technology, Catholics soicializing all the time, during Mass, before Mass, after Mass…they have a grand ole time in their Protestant-like atmosphere.

Catholic Church two: Similar situation, the Pastor was faced with an aging Church and had to choose between restoring or building a new Church. Pastors choice: put parish money into restoring the old Church in stages, starting with the altar area. He chose to completely restore the altar area to its former and proper beautfy, with a high altar holding an exquisite new tabernacle shaped with a dome like St. Peter’s, angels kneeling to our Lord on each side of the high altar, angels raising glory to our Lord to each side of the restored crucifix hung just about the Tabernacle, and the sound system was updated appropriately to allow everyone to hear the Mass. The result: I have personally seen more people kneeling to our Lord when they enter Church, the Church is very reverant and quiet before, during and after Mass, and anyone walking into that Church would know it is a Catholic Church and they could not help but see the well-lit gleaming Taberbacle high and center in the front of the Church. The next phase for the Pastor is to restore the stained glass, the pews and the some of the structural concerns.

Which way would you go if you were Pastor? Btw, in both cases the older structures were sound, they did not need replacing.

These examples are very much the norm, Pastor’s choices range from one extreme to another.

Which example gives the most glory to Christ?

 

[Catholic90]

Right out of the gate I have a major problem with the Blessed Sacrament being “kept” in a separate side chapel. Actually, our chapel is at the front of of our church. We have 24 hour adoration. Again, we lost the sense of sacred, but placing Christ in an out of the way place we are actually saying His presence among us is not important, we becomes Protestants because we do not grasp the reality that God is present with us and we do not give Him the most honorable place in our Churches. I don’t know – being placed in a chapel at the front (a chapel that holds about 50 people) is quite nice. Jesus should be front and center in every Catholic Church, and I reject the notion that a separate chapel somehow honors Christ even more because Jesus wants to be with His children, not separated from them. Uh, huh. You reject it, but our archictecture committee, who was made of multiple Benedictan monks, embraced the idea. I seriously doubt He is separated from us!

Since Jesus is not present in your Church and is tossed into a side chapel whoa, Tommy, that is quite a leap there! “tossed”? And I assure you, He is QUITE present. Pretty quick to JUDGE there, my boy., then it makes no difference if you hold rock concerts in the Church.

When you jump to such harsh judgments, you quickly lose validity. Sorry, Tommy.

 

[Tom317]

When you jump to such harsh judgments, you quickly lose validity. Sorry, Tommy.

I stand by my thoughts, thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Placing Jesus in a Chapel is like tossing Him aside, out of the way, not to be seen by the main Body of Christ. It is as if the people who do that do not know who is there.

 

[Catholic90]

I stand by my thoughts, thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Placing Jesus in a Chapel is like tossing Him aside, out of the way, not to be seen by the main Body of Christ. It is as if the people who do that do not know who is there.

Ok, that’s your opinion. (I don’t agree, but that’s the beauty of it!).

However, in a church where the tabernacle IS front and center, I am guessing you would be completely against any kind of “music program”, “plays”, or “speakers” then correct? Because (I’m guessing here) you probably would feel that would be disrespectful to Jesus?

In these situations, how do you then propose these types of programs be presented when there is no other space large enough to hold the participants and the observers (students, parents, etc).

 

[Tom317]

Ok, that’s your opinion. (I don’t agree, but that’s the beauty of it!).

However, in a church where the tabernacle IS front and center, I am guessing you would be completely against any kind of “music program”, “plays”, or “speakers” then correct? Because (I’m guessing here) you probably would feel that would be disrespectful to Jesus?

In these situations, how do you then propose these types of programs be presented when there is no other space large enough to hold the participants and the observers (students, parents, etc).

Presentations and such, no. Religious activities such as Christmas plays, etc., is not a problem because the intent of such activities is to glorify our Lord.

Seriously, I am not as “out there” as you might think. We have lost the sacred in our Churches, and I firmly believe one of the major reasons is that we have taken Christ out of the center of our Churches and out of our lives. Of course this does not apply to everyone, nor to every Church, yet it is a very prevelant problem that needs to be addressed. We are not Protestants, we enjoy the blessings of actually being with and receiving our Risen Lord…how cool is that?

 

[pnewton]

Catholic Churches are literally houses of God, not Protestant-like worship spaces…man the Protestanization of the faith is overwhelming.

Boy, I thought I heard it all. Sound boards are now protestant. Heck, why not just go all the way back and take out all the protestant electricity and protestant air conditioning.

Didn’t they also use seat cushions first in protestant churches?

 

[Kevin42]

We have a sound board. We also have a very big Church. Unless you want to get a feedback loop going with the loud screeching noise, or unless you just don’t want to actually hear the priest or those who are reading the first two readings, you had better hope there is someone keeping an eye on it. Its not like it takes up the entire back of the Church, but there is one, and it is necessary. I honestly don’t see how there could be anything wrong with it. Just because protestants have them in there churches doesn’t make it bad…protestants have crucifixis and stained glass too.

 

[jc-servant]

I stand by my thoughts, thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Placing Jesus in a Chapel is like tossing Him aside, out of the way, not to be seen by the main Body of Christ. It is as if the people who do that do not know who is there.

I don’t believe Jesus is tossed aside by placing Him in a chapel where people can actually visit when the very large main church needs to be locked for security. You really do lower your credibility when you make sweeping generalizations that indicate your prejudices on certain issues.

Please see the link below to the beautiful “side chapel” that seats 300 where we apparently “tossed” Jesus so that the tabernacle can be clearly seen through the rear wall which is floor to ceiling glass. We also have a separate Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel where the Eucharist is always exposed and never needs reposing for weddings or funerals or daily mass, but under your generalization that sounds unacceptable also.

stannparish.org/ctour/categories/category.html?id=1&imageid=38&mode=thumb&rank=12

 

[mystified]

Seems like everyone’s a minister now. Sound System Minister…Hospitality Minister…
I guess my friend who takes care of the church is the Floor Maintenance Minister .

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Elzee
I

walked into a church for Mass the other weekend and right in front of me behind the back pew was a huge sound system board like you see in many evangelical churches. The ‘Minister of Welcome’ (formerly known as an 'Usher" - why is everyone a ‘Minister’ these days…??) told me, when I asked about it that it was part of their brand new ‘Sound System Ministry’ - a “Sound Minister” (no kidding) sits at the board during Mass to control the volume of the priest, lector, choir, etc. They also have controls for special lighting effects that they use during Mass on ‘special occasions’.

WOW, nice technology!

Please tell me this isn’t turning into a common architectural element or liturgical enhancement?

I don’t know what your parish needs are. My parish church is so small, the priest can give a homily without a microphone.

Yet one more thing to take the focus off Our Lord during Mass.

Why is that?

I have never seen anything like this in a Catholic Church before.

I seen it in churches that have been built within the last 30 years. Older churches mostly use a regular PA system, and light switches on the wall.

Jim

 

[cherirose]

WHY WHY WHY is it so offensive to make use of modern technology so that we can hear??? Give me a break! This is in no way Protestantizing the faith or taking one’s focus off of Christ or adding something sinister or bad. It’s a sound system! I go to a church with a very large sanctuary and a sound system at the rear. Now that we have the technology, why wouldn’t we use it? It’s not a moral issue here or even a liturgical abuse–it is JUST a sound system.

 

[Tom317]

I don’t believe Jesus is tossed aside by placing Him in a chapel where people can actually visit when the very large main church needs to be locked for security. You really do lower your credibility when you make sweeping generalizations that indicate your prejudices on certain issues.

Please see the link below to the beautiful “side chapel” that seats 300 where we apparently “tossed” Jesus so that the tabernacle can be clearly seen through the rear wall which is floor to ceiling glass. We also have a separate Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel where the Eucharist is always exposed and never needs reposing for weddings or funerals or daily mass, but under your generalization that sounds unacceptable also.

stannparish.org/ctour/categories/category.html?id=1&imageid=38&mode=thumb&rank=12

I am very glad to see your Parish treats the Lord with great love and respect, sadly that cannot be said for many other parishes.