Assistant catechist thinking about changing parish

[smndtupidisaftr]

To the poster above: what is popular is not necessarily right.

Here is Cardinal Arinze (the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW)) discussing liturgical music. Start listening at 7:50 (though the entire video is quite good, but it is not specific to this thread).

youtube.com/watch?v=vHWsmHG80vo

He calls for an emphasis on Catholic hymns that are theologically deep. I don’t think that applies to most contemporary music.

 

[maryjk]

To the poster above: what is popular is not necessarily right.

Here is Cardinal Arinze (the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW)) discussing liturgical music. Start listening at 7:50 (though the entire video is quite good, but it is not specific to this thread).

youtube.com/watch?v=vHWsmHG80vo

He calls for an emphasis on Catholic hymns that are theologically deep. I don’t think that applies to most contemporary music.

No it doesn’t. But it does tell you that although the music is provided, most people choose to not listen to it.

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

No it doesn’t. But it does tell you that although the music is provided, most people choose to not listen to it.

So as a result, we should succumb to banalities and dumb down our service in order to suit the tastes of man instead of offering proper worship to God?

Again, not to say that praise and worship music necessarily is this, but rather, this is what your kind of argument would defend. It would lead to obviously incorrect conclusions, which is why this argument of popularity isn’t valid.

 

[maryjk]

So as a result, we should succumb to banalities and dumb down our service in order to suit the tastes of man instead of offering proper worship to God?

Again, not to say that praise and worship music necessarily is this, but rather, this is what your kind of argument would defend. It would lead to obviously incorrect conclusions, which is why this argument of popularity isn’t valid.

We have 5 Masses to choose from for Sunday Mass. One has just and only chant. All of the others have a mix of chant and more contemporary music. Since ALL of the Masses have some chant, your argument doesn’t make sense.

 

[DiZent]

We have 5 Masses to choose from for Sunday Mass. One has just and only chant. All of the others have a mix of chant and more contemporary music. Since ALL of the Masses have some chant, your argument doesn’t make sense.

It seems like many people have the attitude to “get with the program or go away”.

Right now we have 5 Masses, but soon it will be 4 (1 on Sat, evening & 3 on Sunday). One is a quiet Mass with no music at all. The 9:00 am used to be contemporary & the others were traditional or a mix. Now all but the quiet Mass are chant & traditional. The quiet Mass is moving from 7:30 am to 8:00 am or 8:15 - hasn’t been decided yet.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

As you have discovered, associates and pastors can be and are moved at the will of the bishop. If you move to the next parish over, what will you do when that pastor is reassigned and the incoming guy makes another change you don’t like?

I am a strong proponent of attending your territorial/neighborhood parish. You form a community with your fellow parishioners who are also your neighbors and so have strong support for those times when life is difficult, and friends to rejoice with when things go well.

It sounds to me like there are equal reasons for attending either parish. Since many move when they feel the music is too upbeat, there is no reason why you can’t move because chant makes you batty. Just remember that priests and music directors can and do move also.

 

[DiZent]

As you have discovered, associates and pastors can be and are moved at the will of the bishop. If you move to the next parish over, what will you do when that pastor is reassigned and the incoming guy makes another change you don’t like?

I am a strong proponent of attending your territorial/neighborhood parish. You form a community with your fellow parishioners who are also your neighbors and so have strong support for those times when life is difficult, and friends to rejoice with when things go well.

It sounds to me like there are equal reasons for attending either parish. Since many move when they feel the music is too upbeat, there is no reason why you can’t move because chant makes you batty. Just remember that priests and music directors can and do move also.

Exactly the resaons why I have stayed, though many from my current parish that have already moved to the neighboring parish. Also, my daughter’s connection to her faith is a bit thin right now; she is in an irregular marriage to an agnostic/non-believer (who did agree to let the children be raised Catholic), so I am the connection for my grandchildren. My grandson knows the other kids and many of the teachers in the religious ed program, and wants to “get to the 8th grade class with Ms. Marie” (who was his after school care provider & taught his sacrament preparation class). My grandaughter is 2, but she wants to go to “church school” with her brother. I don’t want to break this kind of continuity. I can continue to attend the quiet Mass, and visit the other parish now & then, and listen to the contemporary hymns on CD.

 

[DiZent]

I decided to keep my membership at my long-time parish. Though I still like the music better at the “liberal” parish, I just cannot trade musical preference for the bad teaching of the pastor. The music director at my parish is leaving at the end of June, so we may see some changes in the musical selections.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I decided to keep my membership at my long-time parish. Though I still like the music better at the “liberal” parish, I just cannot trade musical preference for the bad teaching of the pastor. The music director at my parish is leaving at the end of June, so we may see some changes in the musical selections.

I am glad to hear this.

 

[DiZent]

Well, if you stick with chant, you will eventually like it better, especially if you do so in an attitude of obedience to Church teaching and a feeling of continuity with the saints since the 5th century. This I know from experience. For me it took about a year from “Well, I really miss the harmony and descants and all of the music I’m used to, but the Church says this music is the best kind (at least in the west) for liturgical music, so I’ll just trudge through it,” to “Wow. Chant is beautiful–what a fitting way to pray in song!” The music is extremely important to me as well, but it has to be less important than doing God’s will. It helped that I was embarrassed that I didn’t really like the music that the Church has said should have pride of place, so I didn’t talk about how much I disliked it. It was easier to come to like it because of that.

And if you stick with a disobedient pastor, you will like that better eventually. This decision matters. I would spend a lot of time in prayer, and possibly read Sacrosanctum Concilium (vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html), before deciding anything permanent.

–Jen

Yesterday, I went to the 5pm Mass at my parish and I enjoyed singing the chant Mass setting. The hymns were traditional Pentecost hymns, and while I did not always recognize the title, I recognized the tune. God does work in mysterious ways, and I believe that the Holy Spirit has worked in me through all of my discontent, opened my eyes, and granted me an appreciation for this Mass setting. I’m not there yet with Gregorian chant, and I still like contemporary hymns.

 

[Tigg]

I decided to keep my membership at my long-time parish. Though I still like the music better at the “liberal” parish, I just cannot trade musical preference for the bad teaching of the pastor. The music director at my parish is leaving at the end of June, so we may see some changes in the musical selections.

Ultimately, it is our very faith we need to consider.

 

[englishredrose]

I love music in the service and when I am not serving I am in the choir and get on fab with the organist. Okay so a lot of weeks I personally don’t like some of the hymns but I sing fully with them because just because I don’t like them, somoene does and that helps them. I use music in church to help me focus and to help me loose myself sometimes when times are bad as it helps me forget about outside and concentrate on God. It don’t matter the tune, just having that ‘noise’ there helps me get into it. We are all different and our music director is very good in that when people make it known they have a favourite hymn she does try to include ‘old favourites’ into it - even I been known to actually pick the tune to hymns when had choice of tunes… But just because aren’t always singing doesnt mean they aren’t listening and using the words and the tune in some way to help focus. though yeh we get complaints too and they are more common than praises to be honest like the ones the complainer here suggests but we as like any other choir are not going to please everyone and for every complainer there is, there will be someone whom the tune and the words and the whole hymn helped someone that day, though they mayn’t say so. We got to think of everyone not just one person. Most of the times the hymns fit the theme of the day and she knows what the congregation likes. New ones get slotted in on a softly softly basis. There are always those people ready to complain at anything. It is far easier to complain than it is to praise. Think about it and we don’t listen to a regular complainer because that is what they do so one day they may well have a point as have done at times but gets ignored because they regularly complain or its a case of the Pot calling the kettle black sometimes… Choirs are used to moaners