A sound system board in a Catholic Church?

[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’.

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.

 

[puzzleannie]

please tell me you resisted the temptation to reach over and turn down the volume on the contemporary music ministry (yup, they don’t do choirs any more)

 

[Elzee]

please tell me you resisted the temptation to reach over and turn down the volume on the contemporary music ministry (yup, they don’t do choirs any more)

 

[puzzleannie]

I really do have to refer this to the building committee designing our new church. everyone who walks in could be plugged into the master soundboard, and the technician could turn down the old ladies jabbering about their operations, screaming toddlers, the businessman answering his cell phone, the teenagers giggling in the back, the altar servers horsing around in the sacristy, oooooh this is beginning to sound very good indeed.

 

[Catholic90]

I think it is great!

Now, we can actually HEAR everyone speaking without microphones squealing, squawking, or being fuzzy.

We have one, and the sound board people can turn the priest, deacon, and choir microphones on and off. Plus, our worship space doubles as a gathering space for large youth group meetings (over 500 kids) and as a presentation space, so we are able to mic those necessary so those who can be heard are able.

I think it a great addition.

 

[davy39]

please tell me you resisted the temptation to reach over and turn down the volume on the contemporary music ministry (yup, they don’t do choirs any more)

We do have a sound board in the Sacristry, which is used to regulate the lapel mikes the priest and deacon uses. Also the choir mikes and the pulpit. Yes, we still have a choir, and a pretty good one, at that. I guess we’re behing time here in nw Ohio.

 

[1ke]

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’.

Sound systems have become more complex, some computerized, and certainly better than the old ones that squealed, hummed, and produced loud static and barely discernable voices. With that complexity and improvement comes the need for a person to have special training to run the sound system and the lighting. I see nothing wrong with this at all.

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

I am so sick of people who equate “new” with “bad” that I could scream. Flying buttresses were a “new” architectural style when they were invented. The Gothic, Baroque, etc, churches were all new styles when they were built. All innovative and perhaps some talked about as you are doing about today’s architetural innovations.

The pipe organ was an innovation when it was invented and introduced into the liturgy in the Middle Ages. Organs were originally secular instruments. Imagine the horror of such a new-fangled "enhancement’!

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

Someone sitting in the back of the church working a sound board is hardly something to take your focus off of Christ.

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

Then you haven’t been to very many. I have seen new, improved sound systems going in to a number of churches, especially the very large ones.

 

[BlestOne]

I don’t mind the sound system but when they start projecting cutsy pictures during songs up on 2 huge screens at the front of the church… I’m outta there.

No, Seriously… Sound improvements are good, as long as it isn’t abused.

 

[CRW]

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.

We have the same latest and newest model 50K added to our church. With sounds systems, the lights going up and down, I feel like I am watching a 3D movie production in surround sound. In addition, we have the 60 bu 60 inches screen with all the prayers and music; however, the operator never manages to keep up, normally one screen behind. It is funny at times and people just look around and smile at each other; Hee Haw Mass.

 

[1ke]

In addition, we have the 60 bu 60 inches screen with all the prayers and music

Well, it’s about time Catholic churches started doing something for the visually and hearing impaired. It only took 20 centuries.

Seriously, architectural and technological innovations have been happening for 2000 years. What we see as old, our ancestors say as “new”, “innovative”, and probably ghastly.

 

[Brenda_V]

Sound systems have become more complex, some computerized, and certainly better than the old ones that squealed, hummed, and produced loud static and barely discernable voices. With that complexity and improvement comes the need for a person to have special training to run the sound system and the lighting. I see nothing wrong with this at all.

The only thing I see wrong with this is if it is set up somewhere in the center of the Church. To be honest, any Parish that uses mikes probably had at the very least a primative sound system, getting more sophisticated is great - in the larger, especially older poorly constructed for acoustics parish churches a good sound system is important. Just so you all know, many of the older churches (Gothic, Baroque etc. had wonderful acoustics!)

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Haven’t been out of my own Parish or Mission for several years now so can’t tell if such things exist or not although there was a Parish in Amarillo that was using some kind of screen thing with the words to the songs projected above the altar and a pointer thingy pointing to the words as we went along - aaaaaa!

Brenda V.
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[Cristiano]

please tell me you resisted the temptation to reach over and turn down the volume on the contemporary music ministry (yup, they don’t do choirs any more)

Which knob is that? Is it the same system as the one in my parish?

 

[CRW]

Well, it’s about time Catholic churches started doing something for the visually and hearing impaired. It only took 20 centuries.

Seriously, architectural and technological innovations have been happening for 2000 years. What we see as old, our ancestors say as “new”, “innovative”, and probably ghastly.

I am all for improvements and generally the first in line. However, moderation in use and skills required to operate, need to match the improvements. Please excuse my spelling errors in my first post.

 

[jc-servant]

A decent sound board and a well-trained operator is needed in a building of any size that requires microphones for the parishioners to properly hear. Praise God that some people have stepped up to dedicate their time and talent to serve at the OP’s parish.

The location of the actual sound board may be limited by wiring and space considerations in a pre-existing building, so unless it blocks the view of the altar or something weird, I would not get too excited. Our parish has the board in the front of the church in a recessed (lower) area behind the sanctuary because if there is no volunteer the music director or a choir member may have to sneak around the corner and work the board. Our main light controls were placed in the balcony at the back of the church and that has proven to be a major headache at times.

 

[Tom317]

I think it is great!

Now, we can actually HEAR everyone speaking without microphones squealing, squawking, or being fuzzy.

We have one, and the sound board people can turn the priest, deacon, and choir microphones on and off. Plus, our worship space doubles as a gathering space for large youth group meetings (over 500 kids) and as a presentation space, so we are able to mic those necessary so those who can be heard are able.

I think it a great addition.

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

 

[jc-servant]

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

It is not necessarily “Protestanization” to have a multipurpose space used for mass. Younger parishes have to start this way until they can afford to build a permanent space dedicated to the liturgy. My parish started in the late 1980’s renting space in an elementary for the first 20 families or so as a mission, then a small clapboard rental church, then our own “multipurpose” building on our land that was used for the liturgy and everything else because it was all we had. Finally, we were able to build our beautiful “traditional” church and dedicate it in 2001.

Our diocese does not allow a parish to begin construction until it has a large percentage of the total funds needed in hand either as cash or pledges, so I would caution against making a snap judgement about someone’s parish based on their building!

 

[Tom317]

It is not necessarily “Protestanization” to have a multipurpose space used for mass. Younger parishes have to start this way until they can afford to build a permanent space dedicated to the liturgy. My parish started in the late 1980’s renting space in an elementary for the first 20 families or so as a mission, then a small clapboard rental church, then our own “multipurpose” building on our land that was used for the liturgy and everything else because it was all we had. Finally, we were able to build our beautiful “traditional” church and dedicate it in 2001.

Our diocese does not allow a parish to begin construction until it has a large percentage of the total funds needed in hand either as cash or pledges, so I would caution against making a snap judgement about someone’s parish based on their building!

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.

 

[DWPC]

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…

 

[Catholic90]

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

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?

 

[Maria3m]

Well, it’s about time Catholic churches started doing something for the visually and hearing impaired.

:clapping:

My parish consists of at least 75% elderly people.
We have an outdated (meaning: not working) sound system.
As someone who has always been called “radar ears” because of my excellent hearing I can tell you it’s hard to hear our priest.

Our parish has about seven hearing devices for those with hearing problems …a large amount of people!..
My mom is totally deaf in one ear & 50% deaf in the other.
If she doesn’t arrive early enough to get one, she has NO idea what’s been said during Mass. I will tell you that device helped bring my mom back to the church. She could finally hear what was going on!! (She’s had hearing problems since she was about 20 after a motorcycle accident.)

Our parsih is currently installing a better, updated sound system. I think it’s wonderful! I always see people turning to someone next to them asking, “What did he say?”
I noticed last Sunday on an entrance to the church was a notice for electrical work to be done.

All for it…how your parish handles it could be the downfall, but for the parisheners who can’t hear what’s going on