Anyone attend a polka mass?

[choliks]

Polka Masses are, objectively, distasteful. Any Mass that uses guitars, or folk tunes, drums, whatever, is sacrilegious. I pray for the day when the Church will stamp out these Masses which mock the Holy Sacrifice.

Didn’t St. Theresa of Avila use guitars in the Masses she attended. Or was that St. Claire? I don’t remember.

 

[pilots13]

Well, if it’s the opinion of the POPE it’s good enough for me. Poke around the Vatican website and read. It’s where I get most of my direction.

If you understood the spiritual influence of music, then maybe you would care. But, unfortunately, that’s the problem. People only see with their temporal eyes.

1. In selecting the kind of sacred music to be used, whether it be for the choir or for the people, the capacities of those who are to sing the music must be taken into account. No kind of sacred music is prohibited from liturgical actions by the Church as long as it corresponds to the spirit of the liturgical celebration itself and the nature of its individual parts,[7] and does not hinder the active participation of the people.

From the Vatican website. Rock on dude!

 

[Irishgal49]

Whatever you do, don’t go. Just don’t. You’ll thank me later.

Go to Mass, just not the polka Mass.

AMEN, AMEN, and AMEN…and then the church wonders why people won’t stay serious about the Catholic faith. The Mass requires no gimmick.

 

[dochawk]

It is good enough for me, too. And as the Holy Father has not specified certain instruments as unsuitable for Mass, then that is good enough for me too.

Kazoo Mass! Everyone plays!

 

[Enim]

I think the content of music is the* musical form* - not just the text. If the music alone does not communicate something then it is useless.
But music does help create a tone of voice for the text; surprise, reverence. humility, joy. voice-&- address. Sacred music will always have an awarenes of God’s presence.
Have you ever heard this “It’s not what you said, but how you said it.” ** Tone of voice **communicates more than the content of the words! And the attitudes created by polka music may direct our attitudes away from the reverence owed to the present sacrifice of our Lord on the cross. I think it was the devil who was singing and dancing ribold bar songs during the crucifixion.
What is the attitude expressed in a mariachi style communion hymn, or a tango? Would it be appropriate to sing “Tantum ergo” to"Mac the Knife" or “O My Darlin’ Clementine?” Is it enough to have an appropriate text and ignore the musical form?
The Church sets the correct “tone of voice” in the prescribed chants and “propers.” Pope John Paul II stated "The more closely a composition for church approaches . . .Gregorian melodic form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes…”
Beyond the musical attitude is the real disposition of our souls during the liturgy which can overpower any deficiencies in the music.Our personal attitude as listener is part of the content music too.

 

[nannertoots]

I have. The region of the country that I am from is heavily made up of Slovenians and Croatians, and we love our polkas. A priest from my hometown says the mass, and the music is done in mostly a waltz or polka style, sung in English and Slovenian, I think. This priest and his musicians have played for the Pope.

The last time I went to this mass, about 11 years ago, I wasn’t crazy about it. In my opinion the singing was pretty bad. I had invited a friend to attend with me, a Catholic church music minister who prefers Bach to anything else, and I apologized for what I assumed was agony that he was experiencing. As he explained to me, music is a very personal thing. What might be a moving musical experience for one may do the opposite for someone else. He said that, although it wasn’t his cup of tea, he could see on the faces of people around him great joy. This was worship for them.

So, if you hate polkas (my mom says it’s happy music), you may be more distracted than anything.

 

[roadsend]

…

Regarding OCP, we do use their materials, but their days are numbered in my parish.

Thanks be to God.
Will the church building be reconsecrated after you guys get rid of the OCP stuff?

 

[roadsend]

There is a difference between a polka Mass and a Polish American Folk Mass. The latter can be very reverent.

I was confirmed in 1950 at a church in a predominantly Polish American parish, where even the homilies were given in Polish.
I don’t know but a few words of Polish, but I was totally comfortable with the Latin Masses and the chants.
I heard no Polka music at their Masses.

 

[odile53]

I’ve never attended a Polish Mass, but the local Catholic radio station does broadcast the Polish Mass which starts about the same time that my own parish’s Mass ends. I frequently listen to it on the drive home, and I don’t understand a word of Polish!

I wouldn’t describe the music as what I would associate with “polka,” but it is 3/4 time. And since the congregation is singing, I wouldn’t expect the level of “performance” to be at that of a trained schola at the Extraordinary Form. I’m sure my parish doesn’t sound all that great when we sing en masse “Hail Holy Queen!” And I know for a fact that we don’t sound all that great if the great Odile adds her buzz-saw drone to the corporate effort!

The Polish songs sung at the Mass I listen to on the way home from Mass sound very heartfelt. I now live near Buffalo, NY, which has a large Polish American population, most of whom are Catholic. The Polish American Catholics I know are very reverent. I had an aunt by marriage to an uncle who was very devout, God rest her sweet and kind soul. To see Aunt Clara receive the Lord in Holy Communion was a spiritual communion of sorts in itself! They are some of the warmest, hardest working, and kindest people I have ever had the good fortune to know, and I’ve promised myself that I am going to put going to that Polish Mass on my list of local ecclesiastic tourism this summer (even though, as I said, I don’t understand a word of Polish!)

I am of Iroquois descent, and my people have been Catholic since the time of Blessed Kateri. Among my more recent ancestors are a Jesuit priest (great uncle,) a Carmelite nun (great aunt) and a Sister of Charity (aunt.) All of them were in alignment with the magisterium, and all of them were proud American Indians. I have been to the Mass in Mohawk (which I do speak,) in Auriesville, replete with traditional Mohawk songs praising God. I do not see where this would, for those for whom it has meaning, separate them from the Catholic faith.

There are too many wonderful ways that people continue to celebrate their own cultures at Mass to want to poke holes in it. We can be more generous than that, we can honor our own traditions or not, as we choose, but why not respect the freedom of people of any cultural background to recall their roots? After all, our respective heritages are one of the things that make each of us unique, and are gifts from God Himself. I believe that He looks on the rich tapestry of worship in all its forms, and smiles.

The Body of Christ has many, many parts and all of them function together for His greater honor and glory.

AMDG.

 

[ljsedivy]

Thanks be to God.
Will the church building be reconsecrated after you guys get rid of the OCP stuff?

That is hilarious!!! LOL! Thanks for the morning laugh.

We got rid of the “old” OCP books but only to get new ones. Here I thought with the new translation (which is really the old translation) and getting new music books, I thought this was the answer to my prayers for a more beautiful and sacred worship for our Lord, but, unfortunately, it has gone from bad to worse. Still OCP garbage but different melodies.

It is a very rare occasion that we have solemn music to go with the solemnity of what is happening on the other side of the veil.

 

[roadsend]

That is hilarious!!! LOL! Thanks for the morning laugh.

We got rid of the “old” OCP books but only to get new ones. Here I thought with the new translation (which is really the old translation) and getting new music books, I thought this was the answer to my prayers for a more beautiful and sacred worship for our Lord, but, unfortunately, it has gone from bad to worse. Still OCP garbage but different melodies.

It is a very rare occasion that we have solemn music to go with the solemnity of what is happening on the other side of the veil.

At least it is rare where you are at. Here it is never. About the best we can hope for is a few recycled old Protestant hymns from time to time. Even those are better than the OCP drivel we are afflicted with.

Thank God for the mute button on my hearing aid controller. I can at least cut the volume down to about 25%.

 

[ljsedivy]

At least it is rare where you are at. Here it is never. About the best we can hope for is a few recycled old Protestant hymns from time to time. Even those are better than the OCP drivel we are afflicted with.

Thank God for the mute button on my hearing aid controller. I can at least cut the volume down to about 25%.

Lucky you!

The #1 thing we are disappointed with in our mass is the music. We come home complaining that it would be nice to just once be able to go to church and have a conversation with God.

I have been going to the TLM during lent and am learning to pray with my heart. I am really falling in love with this beautiful, holy sacrifice of the mass. Hoping to make it my new home.

 

[roadsend]

You are fortunate to have a TLM within reasonable driving distance. We all should be so lucky.

 

[ljsedivy]

You are fortunate to have a TLM within reasonable driving distance. We all should be so lucky.

Agreed. I only have a 20-25 minute drive. Praying the rest of my family will be called. I know I cannot continue going to church separately, but this is my Lenten devotional. My boys do like confession over there and they do like receiving communion at the rail. That much we’ve got going thus far.

 

[Luna_Lovecraft]

There are too many wonderful ways that people continue to celebrate their own cultures at Mass to want to poke holes in it. We can be more generous than that, we can honor our own traditions or not, as we choose, but why not respect the freedom of people of any cultural background to recall their roots? After all, our respective heritages are one of the things that make each of us unique, and are gifts from God Himself. I believe that He looks on the rich tapestry of worship in all its forms, and smiles.

Hear, hear.

The polka Masses said at my very German childhood parish are both reverent and beautiful.

Luna

 

[superamazingman]

Thanks be to God.
Will the church building be reconsecrated after you guys get rid of the OCP stuff?

 

[superamazingman]

Hear, hear.

The polka Masses said at my very German childhood parish are both reverent and beautiful.

Luna

Polka Mass? Reverent? Not possible. It’s polka music, for pete sake! It can’t get more secular than that.