Do You Attend the Mass in Other Languages?

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One of the reasons I prefer the OF Mass over the EF Mass is that I understand it without a layer of translation – whether that translation takes place via memory or via missalette. I’ve read critics on here who claim my view is “lazy”, that the layer of translation does not (or at least should not) detract from the Mass, that there is no translation – they now think in Latin ( :rolleyes: ) or that I should not be so concerned about understanding the words in the first place.

I’m curious to those who typically attend the EF – when you are attend the OF Mass (forced or otherwise) are you absolutely unconcerned about the language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Portuguese, etc.) in which the Mass is being celebrated so long as there are dual-language (English/Mass language) missalettes for use in the church? Or do you seek out a Mass in your first (and in many cases only) language?
 
I’ve attended OF Masses in Latin, Polish, Italian (vacation), Vietnamese (wedding), Spanish, and the tail end of a Portuguese Mass. As the Mass is the Mass and I’ve attended Mass for over 50 years, I feel that I am able to understand in any language. Each language offers a different poetic beauty, especially the Latin. I don’t want to be a slave to the English language when it comes to the Mass. I might struggle with the readings, however.
 
i’ve always preferred Mass in English, even back home in the Philippines when Filipino masses are available. i actually make an effort to avoid the Filipino mass unless i really have to (i have to go somewhere during the time the English masses occur in my Parish)

i just feel more comfortable with English in mass. perhaps part of the reason is that the Tagalog used in the Filipino Masses uses many antiquated terms
 
boatbearer said:
One of the reasons I prefer the OF Mass over the EF Mass is that I understand it without a layer of translation – whether that translation takes place via memory or via missalette. I’ve read critics on here who claim my view is “lazy”, that the layer of translation does not (or at least should not) detract from the Mass, that there is no translation – they now think in Latin ( :rolleyes: ) or that I should not be so concerned about understanding the words in the first place.

I’m curious to those who typically attend the EF – when you are attend the OF Mass (forced or otherwise) are you absolutely unconcerned about the language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Portuguese, etc.) in which the Mass is being celebrated so long as there are dual-language (English/Mass language) missalettes for use in the church? Or do you seek out a Mass in your first (and in many cases only) language?
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While I end up at an English OF when I do, I would have no problem following the Mass in another language (even the readings if I remember to grab my English-only OF missal on the way out the door). If I were to be in a position where I regularly was attending in another language, however, I would love to have a ployglot missal to aid in my understanding of the language (consider it mini-immersion).
 
I have, on a couple occasions, attended a Vietnamese mass in our parish. Using an English missallette, it was quite easy to keep track of what was going on and pray with them.

The Vietnamese were quite welcoming by the way. Greeted me as “Honored Guest” and escorted me to a front seat.
 
There is a comfort in attending Mass in French since it’s my first language and the first language in which I learned the Ordinary Form. Unfortunately, I only manage to go to a French Mass when I’m on holidays so most of my worship is done in English. That’s no problem since I’ve spoken it fluently for 50 years. Since I coped quite well with Latin back in the day, I doubt that Mass in any of the Romance languages would present a problem.

Mandarin or Hindi might be a challenge but watching with attention would tell me where we are and either the English or the French words would be running through my mind.
 
I’ve never been to a Mass in another language (although I once almost got to go to a Mass for the hearing impaired), but I think it would be interesting!

I once went to a friend’s son’s bar mitzvah, and although I didn’t understand a word of what the rabbi was saying, the spiritual atmosphere was amazing and I was moved to tears with the beauty of it. I imagine I’d feel the same in a foreign-language Mass.

Miz
 
boatbearer said:
I’m curious to those who typically attend the EF – when you are attend the OF Mass (forced or otherwise) are you absolutely unconcerned about the language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Portuguese, etc.) in which the Mass is being celebrated so long as there are dual-language (English/Mass language) missalettes for use in the church? Or do you seek out a Mass in your first (and in many cases only) language?
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I have been to Masses in languages other than my first language, but usually I know them well enough to follow what is happening. Once I was travelling and was in Poland on a Holy Day of Obligation so I ended up at a Mass said in Polish, a language I do not know at all.

It was a beautiful experience of the universality of the Church. I could recognize what was happening from the rhythm of the liturgy without knowing any of the words. I just prayed along in my mind.
 
Miserys_Fence said:
I’ve never been to a Mass in another language (although I once almost got to go to a Mass for the hearing impaired), but I think it would be interesting!

Miz
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We usually have translation for the hearing mpaired at our Sunday Mass. It’s very interesting to watch, and one of the translators is particularly talented at translating the parts sucg by the choir, it* looks* like music, if that makes sense.
 
Bluegoat said:
We usually have translation for the hearing mpaired at our Sunday Mass. It’s very interesting to watch, and one of the translators is particularly talented at translating the parts sucg by the choir, it* looks* like music, if that makes sense.
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Well, songs are very tricky since the translators want to use words that rhyme and keep the iambic pentameter intact. Yes they have to be good but does that mean that the translation itself is close to the truth?
 
choy said:
i’ve always preferred Mass in English, even back home in the Philippines when Filipino masses are available. i actually make an effort to avoid the Filipino mass unless i really have to (i have to go somewhere during the time the English masses occur in my Parish)

i just feel more comfortable with English in mass. perhaps part of the reason is that the Tagalog used in the Filipino Masses uses many antiquated terms
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Fascinating.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I have, on a couple occasions, attended a Vietnamese mass in our parish. Using an English missallette, it was quite easy to keep track of what was going on and pray with them.

The Vietnamese were quite welcoming by the way. Greeted me as “Honored Guest” and escorted me to a front seat.
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Would you as soon attend the Mass in Vietnamese as you would in English?
 
floresco said:
I have been to Masses in languages other than my first language, but usually I know them well enough to follow what is happening. Once I was travelling and was in Poland on a Holy Day of Obligation so I ended up at a Mass said in Polish, a language I do not know at all.

It was a beautiful experience of the universality of the Church. I could recognize what was happening from the rhythm of the liturgy without knowing any of the words. I just prayed along in my mind.
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👍
 
ProVobis said:
Well, songs are very tricky since the translators want to use words that rhyme and keep the iambic pentameter intact. Yes they have to be good but does that mean that the translation itself is close to the truth?
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I don’t think rhyming is an issue in sign language - I could be wrong about this but I can’t imagine how that could work. The translator I was referring to does, I would say, convey the meter well - it looks quite different than when you see people chatting in ASL.
 
I have attended a high Tridentine mass and a low Tridentine mass. I have also been to a mass that was spoken in French (at Notre Dame in Paris.) Since I don’t speak French and I was not Catholic at the time I actually fell asleep during the homily.

Though that might have been a foregone conclusion because of the jet lag. Sadly enough though the local parish that offers the Latin mass back in Indianapolis is too far to drive and too hard to find. The 2 times I have been there I got hopelessly lost both times. (I have a tendency to leave really early so I was still on time both times.)

I am planning on attending an Eastern Catholic Divine Service this Saturday though when I get back to Indianapolis. 👍
 
. For a period of 5 years, I travelled globally for work. That left me finding Masses where I happened to be; Germany, France, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Poland…well you get the idea.

Needless to say, the only way I could follow along was my trying to watch the posture and jestures of the priest, but there really is a lot of variance allowed, so it was difficult.

Then one Sunday, I found a parish in Amsterdam. It was the OF Mass in Latin. They had booklets with the Mass ( that actually even included the English parts, since they often get tours buses from Ireland.)

Now there was one single Mass I could learn that would allow me to participate no matter what country I was in. It became a simple matter of emailing the Chancellory office where I was going and finding out where the Latin Masses were.

That became my standard way of attending Mass, I could worship with all my newly found Catholic brothers and sisters, no matter what Continent I happened to be on.

What saddens me is some of the arrogance I find in a lot of parishes, they won’t offer this particular kindness that I experieced, because, well of selfishness. Nobody wants to take the time to learn the Latin responses ( like Vatican II asked us to do) because that is not how they personally want to worship. Forget about a foreign visitor who wants to worship with us, dangitt he can just use English like the rest of us!! Or go find someplace else to worship:mad:

Other countries do a far better job at this than Americans do. I could find parishes with Latin OF Masses in remote dioceses all over the world. Not so in the US, there are whole geographies that are English only, or maybe a Spanish Mass.
 
Brendan said:
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Other countries do a far better job at this than Americans do. I could find parishes with Latin OF Masses in remote dioceses all over the world. Not so in the US, there are whole geographies that are English only, or maybe a Spanish Mass.
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I guess it depends on where you are. Chicago, for example, uses over 130 vernaculars in the liturgy. In the suburbs, there are fewer but growing Polish and Spanish Masses for the most part. I agree with you on the Latin Masses.
 
I regularly attend in French mixed with Latin. Next most frequent is all in French. Occasionally in English. That’s what’s available locally. No EF Mass available locally.

I’ve been to Rome twice for the World Oblate’s Congress, in 2005 and last autumn. There I attended Mass, besides French and English, in Latin, Italian, German and Spanish. The Latin was in the OF. The same pattern applied for the Liturgy of the Hours, each day was in a different language.

Interestingly the directors of the congress decided that the next congress for simplicity would have Mass (and the Liturgy of the Hours) in Latin only except for the readings and homily. It was concluded that everyone with hardly an exception was able to follow along in Latin at the one Latin Mass that was held. Not so for the other languages. But it will be OF.

For me, German was the biggest obstacle. I was able to do the responses easily in Spanish and Italian in additional to my familiar languages (French, English and Latin). My first language is French and the Latin-based languages are easy for me.
 
I use to make it a point to go to the OF in Spanish when visiting my then-girlfriend since it was available in her area. The Mass was beautiful! I have a basic working knowledge of Spanish, so I did fine. My girlfriend was lost (not Catholic (although goes with me) and doesn’t know any Spanish).

I hope to learn other languages over the next decade (Spanish and Italian for example) and hope to get to use those skills at Mass sometime in the future.
 
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