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Dougbro1
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Outside the US, yes, as I’m Canadian. In a European country, or any other continent other than North America, no.
Anyone attend church outside the US?
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I live in Switzerland so that’s where I go to mass.
I’ve never been to the US, so it is difficult to know what kind of background you have and what is the relevant information to give you. For example, how is the clergy ? Well, normal
In the parish I frequent, most Sunday masses are well attended by all ages. I can’t really speak for weekday masses as the only one I can sporadically attend is the Friday evening one. It is also relatively well attended, the (big) church is between 1/3 and 1/2 full, but this is probably because it directly follows the Friday adoration and confessions.
The thing that stands out to me, as a French expat, is that where I live, all older churches are Protestant churches. Catholic Churches are more recent (the Catholic parish church here dates from the 19th century, that’s almost brand new compared with my pastor husband’s parish church whose oldest parts are from around 1100).
Also, in this culturally Protestant part of Switzerland, I find Catholicism more conscious and affirming of what it believes, and more ready to explain it, than in France, where, in spite of the worrying secularization, Catholicism is still culturally dominant.
I’ve never been to the US, so it is difficult to know what kind of background you have and what is the relevant information to give you. For example, how is the clergy ? Well, normal
In the parish I frequent, most Sunday masses are well attended by all ages. I can’t really speak for weekday masses as the only one I can sporadically attend is the Friday evening one. It is also relatively well attended, the (big) church is between 1/3 and 1/2 full, but this is probably because it directly follows the Friday adoration and confessions.
The thing that stands out to me, as a French expat, is that where I live, all older churches are Protestant churches. Catholic Churches are more recent (the Catholic parish church here dates from the 19th century, that’s almost brand new compared with my pastor husband’s parish church whose oldest parts are from around 1100).
Also, in this culturally Protestant part of Switzerland, I find Catholicism more conscious and affirming of what it believes, and more ready to explain it, than in France, where, in spite of the worrying secularization, Catholicism is still culturally dominant.
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ChuckB
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A few years ago I attended Sunday Mass at Saint John Lateran Church in Rome. It was the noon Mass, so not a huge crowd. Mass was in Italian, so I didn’t understand a word of it. Shook hands with the (very elderly) priest after Mass. Beautiful church.
Recently attended Mass at two churches in Prague, Czech Republic. Our Lady Victorious Church: weekday Mass, 5:00pm. Mass was in English. This church is on the tour bus route and there was a constant stream of tourists during the Mass, many of whom seemed to be oblivious to the fact that a sacred liturgy was taking place. (The priest actually stopped in the middle of his homily to scold a couple of tourists who were being especially disrespectful.) After Mass the priest held a short prayer service at the altar of the Holy Infant of Prague.
St. Vitus Cathedral: Sunday Mass, 10:00 am. Mass was in Czech. Pretty large crowd, many of whom were (Catholic) tourists who were obviously doing what my wife and I were doing…attending Mass there in order to visit the cathedral while at the same time avoiding the huge crush of tourists that will come pouring in at the conclusion of the Mass schedule.
I very much enjoy visiting the beautiful, old churches in Europe.
Recently attended Mass at two churches in Prague, Czech Republic. Our Lady Victorious Church: weekday Mass, 5:00pm. Mass was in English. This church is on the tour bus route and there was a constant stream of tourists during the Mass, many of whom seemed to be oblivious to the fact that a sacred liturgy was taking place. (The priest actually stopped in the middle of his homily to scold a couple of tourists who were being especially disrespectful.) After Mass the priest held a short prayer service at the altar of the Holy Infant of Prague.
St. Vitus Cathedral: Sunday Mass, 10:00 am. Mass was in Czech. Pretty large crowd, many of whom were (Catholic) tourists who were obviously doing what my wife and I were doing…attending Mass there in order to visit the cathedral while at the same time avoiding the huge crush of tourists that will come pouring in at the conclusion of the Mass schedule.
I very much enjoy visiting the beautiful, old churches in Europe.
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RCIAGraduate
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Do you have hope for the Church from looking around worldwide? Do you think even with reduced population trends, it will still be a global Church full of people of all shapes and sizes as well as ages though more modest and resetting in some areas?
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RCIAGraduate
Guest
How is the Church in Switzerland, do you have hope for the Church despite demographic trends in Europe? It’s a question, I like to ask incessantly. This is political but how is the CVP in Switzerland?
Tis_Bearself
Patron
I must ask, why do you repeatedly ask this question?
Catholics believe God protects his Church, and that the numbers don’t matter; even if it got down to 1 Catholic left on the planet, the Church would go on somehow as God would see to it.
We don’t go around looking at churches in various parts of the country/ world and see how many people are there and whether they look like they’re “into it” and say, “Oh, I have hope for the Church when I see such a large crowd singing and praying,” or alternatively, “I don’t have much hope for the Church when I go to Mass and no one is there but me and the priest” etc. That’s the way some secular news media reporter might look at it, or perhaps a Catholic who has fallen into despair and needs to pray and be prayed out of their despair. It is not appropriate thinking in view of Catholic teaching.
I realize that for some reason you do like to ask this question “incessantly” as you have asked it before, but it sometimes is a bit frustrating to read the same question over and over when the answer is basically always the same as what I said.
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catholic03
Well-known member
I live in New Zealand but was in Switzerland for around 2 1/2 weeks earlier this year. Have you visited the Jesuit Church in Lucerne? Absolutely Beautiful.
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jimXroberts
Guest
It’s effectively a Parish retreat where there are periods of prayer and themed teaching culminating in Mass. Around 200 people take part, which is about as many as we could manage. That compares with our usual Sunday Mass attendance of around 1,200 (1,500 if it’s a nice day!)
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OraLabora
Guest
The vocational future of the Church is Africa and Asia. Last time I was at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, the Benedictine monastery that is the seat of the Abbot Primate, and is also the site of a Pontifical Athenaeum (university), nearly half the monks in choir were of African or Asian descent. A couple of decades ago there’d be a small handful at best.
So yes, that does give me hope. Missionary work in reverse, they will be the ones evangelizing us.
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twf
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I’ve never been to Mass in Quebec…on my bucket list (well specifically St. Joseph Oratory). Flights to Quebec, in terms of price and time commitment, are such that you might as well go to Europe…that’s the issue. Sure doesn’t feel like we are in the same country sometimes!
OK, Canadians. There is a beautiful church or cathedral in Montreal, with the ceiling in deep blue and lights or stars all over it. It was too long ago for me to remember, but I do remember the feeling of sitting in this vast, empty sanctuary, enveloped in what felt like tranquility. I don’t know the name of this place, but maybe someone can help.
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OraLabora
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Well I leave for Rome on Friday Nov. 1st, and my ticket, on Air Canada, was $800 return. Cheapest I’ve ever had going to Rome (been there every year since 2013) was $767, ironically, for a flight on a Boeing 767! This year it will be a 787. Not a MAX thankfully, in any case the MAX doesn’t have the legs to make Montreal-Rome nonstop.
It may seem odd that I’ve never been to Mass in the US, as I live only 20 minutes from the US border, and have even ridden my bike across, but we haven’t been the US for more than a few days at a time since my un-churched days.
If you’re going come to Quebec, might as well throw in our abbey as well so you can overdose on Gregorian chant…
That would be Notre-Dame basilica; not a cathedral but a basilica. It is modelled on Notre-Dame in Paris. The cathedral, Mary Queen of the World, right downtown, is a scale replica of St. Peter’s in Rome.
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It would be great if you would share your impression of Rome (churches and such) when you return.
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OraLabora
Guest
Well it won’t be my first time to Rome; but this is a working trip for Benedictine oblates and I will likely be a captive of Sant’ Anselmo abbey for 8 of the 10 days I’m there. One of the days will be an excursion to Subiaco with the committee I serve on, and the other is my arrival day where I plan to have pizza and chianti with a couple of oblate friends, and also shop for a gift for my long-suffering wife!
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twf
Guest
That sounds like St. Paul’s Cathedral in Minnesota. Its also a scale replica of St. Peter’s. One of my favorite churches. I spend a lot of time in Minnesota for work…ironically much more time than I’ve spent in Washington State which is just across the border.
And I would love to visit your Abbey! Only been to our local Abbey, Westminster in Mission, as far as Benedictine Abbeys go…
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twf
Guest
Last spring in Rome, my wife shopped while I visited church number 500…(at least that’s how it felt to her!).
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