Congregation Answering or Altar Server Answering?

[mozier]

In getting our TLM ready here in Tallahassee, an interesting question has come up. I would like to have some guidance from those who go to TLM’s regularly.

Is your parish one where the congregation responds with the Latin, or is your parish one with just the priest and the altar server doing the dialogue, with the congregation completely silent? Which is more common in TLM’s today?

Thank you for your responses.

 

[mozier]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

 

[agr4028]

Wouldn’t altar boy response reduce the rest of the congregation to mere observers?

 

[ProVobis]

Except for the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, the EF’s that I attend usually have responses coming from the congregation, especially during High Mass. Seems that is now a generally-accepted practice and I don’t see a problem with it. After all, Vatican II did call for more participation, didn’t it?

 

[nannygirl]

Our altar servers provide all the responses during Low Mass and the choir responds at High Mass. When the people give the responses, it is called a “Spoken Mass”. We discourage it, but I suppose it depends on what the priest prefers, really. We have many new young altar servers who get very confused when the people respond. It can throw them off.
The people can easily participate by following along in their missals silently. (I really don’t understand why people think they have to “do something”. I am a fairly new Catholic, converted out of Protestantism, and so many Catholic churches seem so "protestant’ to me in this regard.)

 

[Brendan]

Wouldn’t altar boy response reduce the rest of the congregation to mere observers?

No, because the participation called for in both liturgies is for the the faithful to

1. Listen attentively to the Readings, Gospel and Homily

and

1. Unite the Sacrifice of themselves along with the Sacrifice being offered by the priest.

I suggest Pope Benedict’s book “The Spirit of the Liturgy”. It describes the participation called for in the Liturgy, especially by Vatican II.

And it does NOT involve saying anything, but rather an internal participation.

 

[nannygirl]

And it does NOT involve saying anything, but rather an internal participation.

Yes! Our solemn Holy Masses draw all of my thoughts to our Lord and all of my focus is on Him.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

My Father Stedman missal from the 40’s lists dialog mass , where the Congregation makes the Latin responses, as an option. I think it started in the 30’s . I didn’t encounter it until the early 60’s. It was catching on quite rapidly when the Paul VI mass made it obsolete.

 

[kleary]

At my parish the people are permitted to respond to the responses designated “S.” after the Prayers at the foot of the altar with the exception of the Sucipe which the server alone responds to.

This is at either Low Mass or High Mass.

Ken

 

[jmcrae]

In getting our TLM ready here in Tallahassee, an interesting question has come up. I would like to have some guidance from those who go to TLM’s regularly.

Is your parish one where the congregation responds with the Latin, or is your parish one with just the priest and the altar server doing the dialogue, with the congregation completely silent? Which is more common in TLM’s today?

Thank you for your responses.

I have only ever attended Low Masses, in which only the altar servers respond; the congregation remains silent. Also, there are no microphones, and the priest faces the Tabernacle; not the congregation, so nothing is actually able to be heard, anyway. People either pray along with their Missals silently, or they pray the Rosary. It is enough simply to be present.