Church changes. I feel like leaving

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Goodmanc1988 said:
I’m hoping for a little guidance.
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Offer it up! As you suffer at Mass, see the crucifix and pray silently “Jesus, I am beginning to appreciate how you felt, abandoned, stripped, mocked. Let me accompany you there for a little while, for the salvation of souls.”

God bless you and your parish. You’ll be fine.
 
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Goodmanc1988 said:
The Kyrie was always responsorial, now it’s a different version with just the choir. The gloria has been changed, the memorial acclamation has been changed and is incredibly distracting because no one knows how it is supposed to be sung.
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The obvious solution is to learn how they are supposed to be sung.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal has about the Kyrie Eleison, in n. 52:
“Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is usually executed by everyone, that is to say, with the people and the choir or cantor taking part.”

[Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
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Eastwind said:
What bothers me is that thirty seconds after the exposition of the Sacred Host before distribution of Communion music is played. I feel that this is a distraction because we are coming into Communion with Jesus and the music is in conflict with that reverence and opportunity to meditate on what is occurring.
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The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has in n. 86:
“While the Priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion Chant is begun, its purpose being to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unity of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the ‘communitarian’ character of the procession to receive the Eucharist. The singing is prolonged for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful.”

GIRM 159 is a single sentence: “While the Priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion Chant begins (cf. no. 86).”

[Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal ©2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
What about going to another Catholic parish? I´ve started to do so myself because the parish I normally would have attend isn´t really that nice.
 
From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...uction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2.cfm

“87. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for singing at Communion: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another musical setting; (2) the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex of the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) some other suitable liturgical chant (cf. no. 86) approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people.”

The original text, without the modification of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is:
“87. For singing at Communion, it is possible to use the antiphon from the Graduale Romanum, with or without the Psalm, or the antiphon with Psalm from the Graduale Simplex, or some other suitable liturgical chant approved by the Conference of Bishops.
This is sung either by the choir alone or by the choir or a cantor with the people.”

[Excerpts from the English translation of the The Roman Missal, ©2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
You get to go to mass and are so fortunate to do so without persecution. Change is inevitable. Mass have been relatively unchanged for many many many years. Stick around and remember why you’re there 🙂 this could be a lesson for you. Keep going
 
So, just any songs like, “On Eagle’s Wings” is not approved during distribution of Communion?
 
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Eastwind said:
So, just any songs like, “On Eagle’s Wings” is not approved during distribution of Communion?
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It’s option #4, in the above instructions. “Some other suitable liturgical chant”. Suitable is in the eye of the priest, I guess.
 
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Cirdan_XII said:
He accepted my invitation but basically told me that I need to open my mind and accept change because he’s not going to change anything to please the complainers and naysayers.
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I reminded a new priest who wanted to make a lot of changes that priests come and go but the parish remains and perhaps he should learn something from us before he tries to make too many changes. He actually thought that over and slowed down or discontinued some of his changes. The merger went better for both him and us.
 
It sounds like temptation to me! In the end what does most of that matter? You are there to receive the Eucharist!
I don’t Like change either but you need to talk to yourself and focus on the important.
I lived through Vatican II!
 
Eastwind said:
JohnLiburne,
What constitutes “Communion Chant?”
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The singing that you dislike. Though in more traditional parishes, it’s often an actual chant. Regardless of the style of music, chanting (or singing) should be occurring during Holy Communion as the GIRM specifies. At my parish, the problem with some of the choirs is that they start too late with the singing. As the GRIM specifies, the chanting/singing should start when the presiding priest is receiving the Sacrament.
 
Eastwind said:
The church I attend (Pauline Brothers) plays music none stop (obviously, not during the Gospel, sermon, etc.) I find that the music is becoming more secular in tone. As a pre-Vatican II Catholic, I miss the more reverent music, but I do not want the Church to do away with the positive changes that have occurred (the sense of inclusion in the Mass). What bothers me is that thirty seconds after the exposition of the Sacred Host before distribution of Communion music is played. I feel that this is a distraction because we are coming into Communion with Jesus and the music is in conflict with that reverence and opportunity to meditate on what is occurring. In our parish, anyway, I get the feeling that it’s all about entertainment. I know this is the case, because people had to be reminded not to clap after Mass. Are there protocols regarding liturgical music during Mass?
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The time for meditation on this great mystery (the Holy Eucharist) is supposed to occur after EVERYONE has received Holy Communion. Ideally, after everyone has received Holy Communion, there should be a period (at least a minute — if not two or three minutes) of sacred silence where everyone can mediate and contemplate this sacred mystery.

Unfortunately instead of sacred silence, the choir will often sing a “meditation song” instead. Personally, I don’t think most mediation songs are conducive to meditation of the Holy Eucharist as sacred silence is. But that’s just my personal opinion on the matter.
 
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PeterT said:
Unfortunately instead of sacred silence, the choir will often sing a “meditation song” instead. Personally, I don’t think most mediation songs are conducive to meditation of the Holy Eucharist as sacred silence is. But that’s just my personal opinion on the matter.
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Interesting how people are different. I love the Communion meditation when it is done. But that’s just my personal opinion on the matter.

Poor priests! So many different preferences from their flock! It’s good that Holy Mother Church gives so many options in the GIRM!

I can sympathize with the OP–it is difficult to adjust to a music style that you don’t personally like. I really really REALLY dislike most pop music, while my husband likes it and prefers to do road trips with pop music (I prefer talk radio, although my true preference is NO radio, but having conversation or making comments about the scenery, the destination, etc.) .

My husband also makes “mix tapes” of music appropriate for the road trip–hoo boy! I don’t get it, and since I don’t like pop music, and can’t understand most of the words, it just irritates me.

So…OP, I suggest that just as I try to curb my irritation for the sake of my beloved husband who works so hard on my behalf and has been a great, loving husband and father for 40 years now–I suggest that you try to curb your dislike of Father’s choices and remember all the blessings he brings to your parish, especially the gift of being able to pray the Mass during which we receive the Lord in Holy Communion.

You’ll be happier in the long run.

My other suggestion is that if there is another option for Mass that is more edifying to you personally in your town or city, you could attend that Mass until your priest is moved to a different parish. Just do it quietly, without making a big deal out of it, and without saying anything bad about the parish or that priest. I can certainly understand why you want to hear music that lifts up your soul and encourages you, rather than music that grates. Sometimes, even though people tell us to offer it up-, it’s better to take the course of looking elsewhere.
 
Generally silence after Communion is optional. From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):

“164. After this, the Priest may return to the chair. A sacred silence may now be observed for some time, or a Psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung (cf. no. 88) .

165 . Then, standing at the chair or at the altar, and facing the people with hands joined, the Priest says, Let us pray ; then, with hands extended, he recites the Prayer after Communion. A brief period of silence may precede the prayer, unless this has been already observed immediately after Communion.”

An exception to this is Mass without a congregation, “Mass at Which Only One Minister Participates”. The GIRM has for this Mass:

“271. After the purification of the chalice, the Priest should observe a brief pause for silence, and after this he says the Prayer after Communion.”

For Mass with a congregation the vessels do not need to be purified during Mass or removed from the altar. From GIRM 163:

“Nevertheless, it is also permitted to leave vessels needing to be purified, especially if there are several, on a corporal, suitably covered, either on the altar or on the credence table, and to purify them immediately after Mass, after the Dismissal of the people.”

GIRM 183 has a similar instruction.

The last prayers in the Roman Missal having the heading “Thanksgiving After Mass”. Canon 909 has “A priest is not to omit dutifully to prepare himself by prayer before the celebration of the Eucharist, nor afterwards to omit to make thanksgiving to God.” (From Code of Canon: New revised English Translation , 1997, ISBN 000599375X ).

[Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
God help us. Praying for you. If God calls you to be his priest you have just experienced what not to do. Experience is a great teacher, book knowledge and experience is a jewel of great worth.
Some people travel two or three hours to belong to a church that keeps the mass sacred . Maybe they travel even longer.
 
Goodmanc1988 said:
Since then he has implemented changes without consulting the congregation.
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So what’s new? Welcome to the post-Vatican II church. If there’s another church within a 25-mile radius, just go there. A short drive is well worth peace of mind!
 
I think you may be focusing to much on aesthetics.
But I also admit I struggle with that myself.
 
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