Before Mass Manners

  • Thread starter Thread starter IrishBlue
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
We do not have screens, but announce “Out of respect for the Holy Eucharist and for our worshiping assembly, please place your phones in silent operating mode”.

We pray the rosary before mass.
 
Jeanne_S said:
Drop,down screens for music ,creed St Michaels prayer.
Pathetic,huh? I don’t like them
Click to expand...
They have them at the parish I attend when I’m visiting our daughter. They project all the hymns and responses (no hymnals) and in between they project sacred images, if we’re lucky, pretty pictures if we aren’t. They need to project responses because their sung responses never match the official text.

Recently we heard that new arrivals in our parish wanted to raise funds to purchase such a screen for the sanctuary. I’m really hoping someone sets them straight. All we really require are larger hymn boards, one for each side.
 
Our is a small parish so we don’t really have a problem with phones going off. I think it happens maybe twice a year? Being a small parish where everyone knows each other, an announcement isn’t needed. If a phone goes off there will be an elderly person who knew your parents or grandparents and they’ll tell you off. That’s enough to ensure it doesn’t happen again!
 
What’s wrong with providing hymnals in the pews? As long as we’re told which page to turn to, they suffice just fine for us. Are we becoming entirely TOO dependent upon ultra-modern (and ultra-complicated) technology? I can see it if it’s a huge church set up in the arena/stadium style and people in the rear need to be able to see and hear clearly. But a small church doesn’t need all of that stuff. Just simple, printed hymnals and someone to direct us to the correct page at the right time.

Next thing we know, some of these churches will have robots for ushers!
 
JanR said:
What’s wrong with providing hymnals in the pews? As long as we’re told which page to turn to, they suffice just fine for us. Are we becoming entirely TOO dependent upon ultra-modern (and ultra-complicated) technology? I can see it if it’s a huge church set up in the arena/stadium style and people in the rear need to be able to see and hear clearly. But a small church doesn’t need all of that stuff. Just simple, printed hymnals and someone to direct us to the correct page at the right time.

Next thing we know, some of these churches will have robots for ushers!
Click to expand...
Well, we don’t have ushers so there’s no danger of that. We can all find our own pews and we don’t need anyone directing traffic at Communion time.

There are still parishes that won’t spend the money on hymnals. The parish where I grew up doesn’t have any. Nobody sings but the choir and they like it that way. In fact, if I went home and sang because I happened to know one of the hymns or the setting they were using for responses I was told by my parents, “The choir doesn’t need your help.”

We have hymnals in my parish but even I find the hymn board hard to read and I sit near the front. We just need bigger numbers.
 
Cecilia_Dympna said:
hymnals are expensive
Click to expand...
I would argue that what is expensive are those throw away, annual or seasonal hymnals.

With one or two 2nd collections (plus the money thrown away each year on disposable hymnals & missals, a parish can buy a set of permanent hymnals & pew missals.

www.ccwatershed.org

Corpus Christi Watershed

Sacred Music Blog with resources for church music and liturgy especially in the Roman Catholic Tradition
www.ccwatershed.org www.ccwatershed.org
 
Last edited:
We attend one of the largest parishes in our diocese and there are screens in use. I don’t find them at all distracting or inappropriate. Our baptismal font is at the back of the church and there are loads of baptisms – the screens allow all to see what’s happening back there, which is nice. During Lent when “Lamb of God” is sung in Latin, the words and music are projected, which is helpful to those unfamiliar with it. Before Mass, the screens are used to invite parishioners to participate in various activities (everything from Bible studies to becoming an altar server to signing political petitions that relate to our faith). I’m not one for novelties in the Mass. But the screens haven’t proved to be an issue for me.
 
In my parish we have the rosary, chaplet of the Divine Mercy, and Adoration & Benediction before every Mass.
 
Some priests really like them, it keeps people looking up, rather than down at their missals.
 
gracepoole said:
We attend one of the largest parishes in our diocese and there are screens in use. I don’t find them at all distracting or inappropriate. Our baptismal font is at the back of the church and there are loads of baptisms – the screens allow all to see what’s happening back there, which is nice. During Lent when “Lamb of God” is sung in Latin, the words and music are projected, which is helpful to those unfamiliar with it. Before Mass, the screens are used to invite parishioners to participate in various activities (everything from Bible studies to becoming an altar server to signing political petitions that relate to our faith). I’m not one for novelties in the Mass. But the screens haven’t proved to be an issue for me.
Click to expand...
I’ve been to a mass in FL where they have two screens.

My issues with THAT Church’s use was that
  1. the Church wasn’t that big for such a need.
  2. that parish has a flare for “novelties”
When screens are needed to everyone can see, I prefer them to be more inconspicuous & and I’m not a fan of the screens for the sole purpose of music lyrics.
 
phil19034 said:
40.png
gracepoole:
We attend one of the largest parishes in our diocese and there are screens in use. I don’t find them at all distracting or inappropriate. Our baptismal font is at the back of the church and there are loads of baptisms – the screens allow all to see what’s happening back there, which is nice. During Lent when “Lamb of God” is sung in Latin, the words and music are projected, which is helpful to those unfamiliar with it. Before Mass, the screens are used to invite parishioners to participate in various activities (everything from Bible studies to becoming an altar server to signing political petitions that relate to our faith). I’m not one for novelties in the Mass. But the screens haven’t proved to be an issue for me.
Click to expand...
I’ve been to a mass in FL where they have two screens.

My issues with THAT Church’s use was that
  1. the Church wasn’t that big for such a need.
  2. that parish has a flare for “novelties”
When screens are needed to everyone can see, I prefer them to be more inconspicuous & and I’m not a fan of the screens for the sole purpose of music lyrics.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure exactly what conspicuous might look like but ours don’t feel that at all. I can very easily ignore them if I choose to. I guess that’s probably ideal.
 
gracepoole said:
40.png
phil19034:
40.png
gracepoole:
We attend one of the largest parishes in our diocese and there are screens in use. I don’t find them at all distracting or inappropriate. Our baptismal font is at the back of the church and there are loads of baptisms – the screens allow all to see what’s happening back there, which is nice. During Lent when “Lamb of God” is sung in Latin, the words and music are projected, which is helpful to those unfamiliar with it. Before Mass, the screens are used to invite parishioners to participate in various activities (everything from Bible studies to becoming an altar server to signing political petitions that relate to our faith). I’m not one for novelties in the Mass. But the screens haven’t proved to be an issue for me.
Click to expand...
I’ve been to a mass in FL where they have two screens.

My issues with THAT Church’s use was that
  1. the Church wasn’t that big for such a need.
  2. that parish has a flare for “novelties”
When screens are needed to everyone can see, I prefer them to be more inconspicuous & and I’m not a fan of the screens for the sole purpose of music lyrics.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure exactly what conspicuous might look like but ours don’t feel that at all. I can very easily ignore them if I choose to. I guess that’s probably ideal.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the parish in FL that I was visiting had stadium seating. The further back you were, the hard it was to ignore the two large movie screens over the sanctuary.

When you first walk in, you notice the screens before noticing the altar.

The church felt & looked very much like a college lecture hall. Only the main narthex felt Catholic, as that’s where all their statues and shrines were. None were in the main nave of the Church, just in the narthex.

😬
 
Last edited:
DeniseNY said:
Our is a small parish so we don’t really have a problem with phones going off. I think it happens maybe twice a year?
Click to expand...
My parish is a larger parish and we don’t make any announcements about cell phones nor can I recall the last time one went off during Mass. I sort of figured the ubiquity of cell phones meant that we were beyond the need of having to remind people of this. I feel like most people already know. I think the exception is 1st Communion Masses and other such liturgies where you have a lot of people who maybe don’t get to Mass on a regular basis.

Now, 20 years ago it was a different story as many people were just getting cell phones for the first time and weren’t used to having to remember to turn them off or turn the ringer off.

But perhaps it is different in different places. If it was a recurring problem, I can understand wanting to make an announcement about it.
 
Last edited:
BenjaminJ said:
Uh yes. Respect. Honouring youre creator. God is youre creator. The One youre meant to love and respect. Showing up to your creator in flip flops is hardly respect.

What us wrong with people these days?
Click to expand...
Your creator is literally everywhere … news flash, He even sees you in your PJs … or.for that matter when you’re wearing nothing at all.

Jesus didn’t insist on a dress code.for tthe woman caught in adultery or the good thief when He forgave them. I doubt very much He cares a lot about what we wear, as long as it is modest and clean.
 
I cannot remember last time I was at Mass when at least one phone did not ring.
 
My parish is on the beach…it’s not uncommon to have vacationers stop by for Mass before going to the beach
 
I live in a small rural town. Our church is small and intimate. It looks like a church, inside and out. The spirit and energy is very palpable in there.

I was in a church in Washington state that could have easily passed for a high school gymnasium. Not the same ambience, at all. The only thing missing was basketball hoops.

I was in one of those stadium-like churches in southern California. It was huge and very crowded and difficult to hear much of anything.

Give me the small, intimate church, anytime. The one where you know you’re entering a church before you go inside, and you feel surrounded by its sacredness once you pass through its doors.
 
Interesting. In that case, I can definitely understand making an announcement about it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top