Catholic Folk Masses--Uncomfortable?

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Does anyone feel as uncomfortable about Folk Masses as I do? I absolutely despise the songs that are song. One night, I had to go to one since I was unable to go in the morning and one of the choir members sang “Healing River.” I felt like I was in a Protestant church! :eek: The choir members participate more in the Mass than the priest does, and I don’t like that. Am I being factitious?? The offering of the Mass is always enjoyable, but I wish the Folk music and group would just be done away with. :dts:
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Does anyone feel as uncomfortable about Folk Masses as I do? I absolutely despise the songs that are song. One night, I had to go to one since I was unable to go in the morning and one of the choir members sang “Healing River.” I felt like I was in a Protestant church! :eek: The choir members participate more in the Mass than the priest does, and I don’t like that. Am I being factitious?? The offering of the Mass is always enjoyable, but I wish the Folk music and group would just be done away with. :dts:
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What is a “Folk Mass?”
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Does anyone feel as uncomfortable about Folk Masses as I do? I absolutely despise the songs that are song. One night, I had to go to one since I was unable to go in the morning and one of the choir members sang “Healing River.” I felt like I was in a Protestant church! :eek: The choir members participate more in the Mass than the priest does, and I don’t like that. Am I being factitious?? The offering of the Mass is always enjoyable, but I wish the Folk music and group would just be done away with. :dts:
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Look at it this way. If you offer up your suffering you can cut some serious time off of your stay in Purgatory. 😃

More people involved in parish music should familiarize themselves with what the Church actually says about Liturgical music. Most would be absolutely shocked. One parish music director, when I asked about the possibility of hearing some Chant, stated that she did not know what that was but “we use the traditional Catholic hymns here like the St. Louis Jesuits just like Vatican II called for.” :rolleyes:

James
 
SenorHorace said:
What is a “Folk Mass?”
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Good question! It’s a Catholic Mass with folk music. A lot of guitar instrumentals and other instruments. No piano is used at the Mass I attended. At the end, the children get up and use a maraca and sing along with the group. The song selections are more contemporary (ones you’d hear on a Christian radio station).

This is the lyrics from the “Healing River” song:

“O Healing River”

"O healing river, send down your waters,
Send down your waters upon this land.
O healing river, send down your waters,
And wash the blood from off the sand.

This land is parching, this land is burning,
No seed is growing in the barren ground.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, send your waters down.

Let the seed of freedom, awake and flourish,
Let the deep roots nourish, let the tall stalks rise.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, from out of the skies."
 
James0235 said:
Look at it this way. If you offer up your suffering you can cut some serious time off of your stay in Purgatory. 😃

More people involved in parish music should familiarize themselves with what the Church actually says about Liturgical music. Most would be absolutely shocked. One parish music director, when I asked about the possibility of hearing some Chant, stated that she did not know what that was but “we use the traditional Catholic hymns here like the St. Louis Jesuits just like Vatican II called for.” :rolleyes:

James
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Well, I don’t want to avoid the Mass entirely since it is right down the road from where I live, but tonight, I decided to try a different Mass at a different Church. I think if I had the choice between the two, it would be the new Mass that I attended tonight. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the contemporary music, but I’m not used to it at all. I grew up in a more conservative atmosphere. 😊
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Good question! It’s a Catholic Mass with folk music. A lot of guitar instrumentals and other instruments. No piano is used at the Mass I attended. At the end, the children get up and use a maraca and sing along with the group. The song selections are more contemporary (ones you’d hear on a Christian radio station).

This is the lyrics from the “Healing River” song:

“O Healing River”

"O healing river, send down your waters,
Send down your waters upon this land.
O healing river, send down your waters,
And wash the blood from off the sand.

This land is parching, this land is burning,
No seed is growing in the barren ground.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, send your waters down.

Let the seed of freedom, awake and flourish,
Let the deep roots nourish, let the tall stalks rise.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, from out of the skies."
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In other words, the way over 75% of the OF Masses are done in America, UK, and Canada.
 
bkovacs said:
In other words, the way over 75% of the OF Masses are done in America, UK, and Canada.
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What absolute rot!. If you are going to make statements like this, prove them. There is
a difference between asserting something that you have experienced personally and making these nonsensical sweeping claims simply because you do not like the Mass of Paul VI. But perhaps you don’t care about truth or wish to be taken seriously?
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Does anyone feel as uncomfortable about Folk Masses as I do? I absolutely despise the songs that are song. One night, I had to go to one since I was unable to go in the morning and one of the choir members sang “Healing River.” I felt like I was in a Protestant church! :eek: The choir members participate more in the Mass than the priest does, and I don’t like that. Am I being factitious?? The offering of the Mass is always enjoyable, but I wish the Folk music and group would just be done away with. :dts:
Click to expand...
No, I’ve never been uncomfortable with liturgies that incorporate guitars or other instruments usually associated with North American folk music. In fact, I have often been moved to great prayer at such masses. You do make a point, however, when you note that “choir members often participate more in the Mass than the priest does.” This is a shame and I must admit I have also been irritated when the liturgy seems to be one big practice session for the choir or the music seems to replace or distract from what is happening on the altar. This doesn’t mean that “folk masses” as such are bad, but simply that there is a need for liturgical education and guidance. I certainly don’t think we should banish popular instruments from the liturgy or ignore those kinds of musical forms that may have a very strong and positive impact on Catholic youth, but the sacrifice on the altar must always remain central in the liturgy and the music should be appropriate for creating joyful reflection and participation in that liturgy.
 
Frosty said:
What absolute rot!. If you are going to make statements like this, prove them. There is
a difference between asserting something that you have experienced personally and making these nonsensical sweeping claims simply because you do not like the Mass of Paul VI. But perhaps you don’t care about truth or wish to be taken seriously?
Click to expand...
One example. Archdiocese of Philadelphia

roamincatholicphiladelphia.blogspot.com/

If you look at the right of the webpage, you will see that only three churches offer the EF of the Roman Rite. In the entire "Arch"diocese. Forgive me for saying this, but I was stripped of of my Roman Catholic tradition, like many of us were who were born after Vatican 2. And I never new it, until I learned about traditional Catholicism. And I will never forget that!.
 
bkovacs said:
In other words, the way over 75% of the OF Masses are done in America, UK, and Canada.
Click to expand...
I didn’t post this topic to create a debate on the Ordinary Form Masses. The only kind of Mass I attend are Ordinary Form because that’s what I was raised on.

Let’s stay on topic, shall we?
 
Tsuwano said:
No, I’ve never been uncomfortable with liturgies that incorporate guitars or other instruments usually associated with North American folk music. In fact, I have often been moved to great prayer at such masses. You do make a point, however, when you note that “choir members often participate more in the Mass than the priest does.” This is a shame and I must admit I have also been irritated when the liturgy seems to be one big practice session for the choir or the music seems to replace or distract from what is happening on the altar. This doesn’t mean that “folk masses” as such are bad, but simply that there is a need for liturgical education and guidance. I certainly don’t think we should banish popular instruments from the liturgy or ignore those kinds of musical forms that may have a very strong and positive impact on Catholic youth, but the sacrifice on the altar must always remain central in the liturgy and the music should be appropriate for creating joyful reflection and participation in that liturgy.
Click to expand...
My point exactly. 👍 One time, the songs were so long, I felt like we were focusing on them, more than the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist. I really didn’t like it. 😦
 
I really enjoy Masses that have these sorts of songs. Lots of the songs are really inspirational and uplifting. Some of these songs are great! I also like a little bit more laid back atmosphere that is friendlier.
 
Just be glad you’ve never had to endure a gregorian folk mass. :ouch:
For clarification that is when the folk songs are sung in a gregorian chant style. :bighanky:
 
I’ve been to one folk Mass. I’ll never attend another. It was the most irreverent Mass I’ve ever participated in. Perhaps Masses like these are one of the reasons I attend the EF almost exclusively.
 
To each his own, I guess.

I prefer the traditional music, but am not bothered by more contemporary tunes.
 
I detest the quasi-Protestant masses where the Eucharist is not the emphasis. Neo-Christian music may be cute and rock and roll masses may entertain teenagers, but as a high school math teacher, I know that education goes out the window when we begin to turn the class room into an entertainment venue. Likewise, we have to toss the Eucharist out in order to make the Mass fun. I refuse to attend such displays of frivolity. There is no form of music more compatible to the Mass than are chants.
 
I would be fine with the music if I didn’t feel that the focus was on singing or communal ego [edited] rather than hymning, or the Eucharist. Seriously, does anyone pay attention to lyrics anymore? There is nothing wrong with saying, “We are the light of the world,” except it’s the blasted refrain and sounds like a song about how we are so great, G.R.E.T. Likewise, there’s nothing wrong with, “blessed be the rock of our salvation,” except I think they’re interprting the rock in a Protestant manner and people tend to get caught up in the clap your hands, stomp your feet, part of it. It gets worse when Easter arrives because then the drums, and other instruments come in to make the music sound “good” rather than to express our great joy.

But I’m a minority voice at my parish, and don’t volunteer for the music ministry anyway, so I can’t really complain.
 
Maybe if you live somewhere that doesn’t offer a lot of Masses, this could be a problem. I hope you can find a Mass that expresses the reverence you’re seeking.

In my home parish, there are 3 regular old NO Masses on Sunday and one on Saturday evening, the kind that use the music of the last 40 years. At noon, there’s a man playing a guitar, the same guy that was playing in 1965 when we moved to this parish. Once a month, some teen-agers play guitars at that Mass instead. They play different music, more contemporary. I don’t care for that music because it doesn’t sound like it’s quite gelled to me. It’s more like a bunch of notes strung together. I avoid those Masses and if I end up at one of them, that’s what I get for being too lazy to get up earlier. At 3pm every Sunday, we have an old fashioned all in Latin facing the altar kneel down for Communion type Mass.

The parish where I sing has the Saturday evening Mass and 2 Sunday morning Masses with the music of the last 40 years. Once a month, the teens play either on Saturday or the 11am Mass on Sunday, but they play the same music. I sing with the choir at the 9am, and occassionally cantor the 11am without the choir. Except for the hugging that so many people do at the Our Father, I love the 9am Mass, and it’s otherwise quite reverent.

There are so many Masses of every possbile style and language in St. Louis, you should be able to find something that has the right reverence for you.

I’m not sure what people mean about the Mass getting a Protestant tone. I’ve been to two Baptist services which are nothing like a Mass in any way, and to several services at the UCC church where my sister’s family worships. They were very nice pleasant services, and the music was very well done and I like the songs. Last summer I was visiting some friends, went to Mass at 7am and then met them at their Christian church for the 8am service there. They sang songs I’ve been singing since 1954 when my mother started teaching me the songs she sang at Mass, very pleasant too. What I see at Mass is nothing like anything I’ve ever seen at another church, so I kind of don’t get it.
 
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