Do You Attend the Mass in Other Languages?

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I recently retired and moved to the Philippines with my Philippine wife. I go to the local parish whenever it is most convenient. Sometimes the mass is in English, sometimes in Tagalog and sometimes in Cebuano. I do not know the last two languages yet. I do not feel going to masses in Tagalog or Cebuano is a great loss since I still have a general understanding of what is going on and can go to communion. The Philippine people are very devout and I like being there just for that reason alone.
 
boatbearer said:
Fascinating.
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facinating that i prefer my second language than my first?

well, i’m comfortable with both languages anyway. even with TV and movies, i prefer english shows than filipino ones (for a wide variety of reasons)

i don’t know if they’ll modernize the Filipino text for mass and scripture. some people feel that modern Tagalog is very informal, and thus disrespectful for prayers. on the other hand, most of the young generation wouldn’t understand some of the less commonly used words.

also, it seems english for mass is not only my preference, as in most parishes in Metro Manila would say mass in english. its commong for a parish church to say anywhere from 4-7 masses on a Sunday, and usually only 1 or 2 of those will be in Filipino, one in the morning and one in the afternoon
 
mdgspencer said:
I recently retired and moved to the Philippines with my Philippine wife. I go to the local parish whenever it is most convenient. Sometimes the mass is in English, sometimes in Tagalog and sometimes in Cebuano. I do not know the last two languages yet. I do not feel going to masses in Tagalog or Cebuano is a great loss since I still have a general understanding of what is going on and can go to communion. The Philippine people are very devout and I like being there just for that reason alone.
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yes we are 😉

hope you’re enjoying it there
 
When I have an outside Sunday morning obligation (like spring decoration at a cemetary where some of my relatives are buried), sometimes go to the Saturday 7:30 Hispanic Mass, rather than the 5:30 English Vigil Mass. I have enough Spanish that I can make do, especially with the bilingual missalette.

DaveBj
 
I have attended the Mass in Spanish and felt very at home there. The only thing I was unable to do without a missalette was say the responses. I was able to comprehend just fine.

In fact, in Spain, I was able to attend the Mass in Latin. The homily was in Spanish. Very cool! 🙂

In Fatima, Portugal, I attended the Mass in Portuguese. Didn’t understand the language too well but thought the accent was so cute how the priest would say “Senhor Jesus” for “Lord Jesus.” :o

In fact, in Portugal, I attended the Byzantine rite in whatever language that was. Didn’t understand a word, but it was beautiful.

I would love to attend Mass in Japanese … I studied Japanese 101, would not be able to catch every word of the Mass by a long shot but it would be super cool!

~~ the phoenix
who loves languages! 😃
 
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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I tend to actually prefer going to the OF in a different language if I am unable to go to the EF. Before I started going to the EF every Sunday, I often went to Mass at a local convent in which most of the Mass was in Spanish usually. I didn’t go there because it was in Spanish, necessarily, but just because it was more reverent in general, but I did find that I liked it in Spanish because it was a bit like Latin. It was a little weird having the homily in Spanish, but that wasn’t the end of the world.

I have also gone to masses (sometimes without expecting it, and sometimes when I knew) in Portuguese, Italian, and I think Hmong, and I didn’t have a missalette with me, but I was still fine and didn’t find I was unable to pray because of that. I’ve also been to OF masses that were in Latin as well.
 
My parish is Croatian ethnic, and while I have never attended Mass there in Croatian, I regular sing Croatian language hymns at the English mass in my role as cantor.

My former pastor, who was from Croatia, would always try to find a Croatian ethnic parish for me to attend when I traveled. I should denote that I am Slovak heritage not Croatian. He found one back when my wife and I were dating. She was in RCIA at the time. So, I took her to Mass there, thinking that it would be in English. I was so wrong. It was wall to wall Croatian. She looked at me and smiled jokingly said, '“I’m gonna get you for this!” as she doesn’t speak a word of any Eastern European language. After Mass, I explained to here that this was a lesson in the catholicity of the Church, in that the Mass is the same, and can be followed no matter what language it was said in.

I myself have also attended Mass in French in the francophone areas of Ontario. I loved it as I attempted to do my best to follow along.

God bless

Tony
 
I’ve attended the new Mass in Spanish and Polish, and would go to Masses in other languages if they were readily available. A friend and I plan to attend a local Maronite Divine Liturgy, which I hope will be at least partly in Aramaic.
 
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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If I can’t find an EF Mass, I usually go to an english Mass because it is the most available. If I could find a latin OF Mass, which would be in line with Vatican II, I would go to it. I don’t use the english side of the Missal in the EF. I have taken it upon myself to learn the language of my Church. I intend to teach it to my children as they grow up so that they may understand it fluently. It is important. Even though I am not fluent in latin yet, I have a full understanding and am able to fully participate in the EF.
 
Yes, every Sunday I go to mass in Spanish. I was raised going to mass in Spanish, then when we moved we went to mass in English or Spanish, depending on which parish we went to, but it was mostly in English. While I am more comfortable with English for everything outside of mass, I prefer mass in Spanish. 🙂
 
At my former parish, Mass was offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Latin. I speak Spanish and understand enough Latin, but the Vietnamese Mass was almost entirely chanted and very reverent, even though the only Vietnamese word I know is Chúa (God).
Brendan said:
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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.
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From my experience, it has been easier to introduce Latin responses at Masses in Spanish (in the United States) because the Latino people tend to have both a greater respect for priests and are normally less likely to complain about liturgical matters than Anglos. At any English Mass, there will be at least one person who complains about “turning back the clock” whenever something is sung in Latin. I particularly enjoy it when they complain about the Kyrie being sung in Latin!
 
In the United States, mostly in Spanish, rarely in English, and when possible in Latin. I missed the Spanish Mass one Sunday in the parish where I was, and ended up at a very loud OF rock Mass.
Yesterday I attended a special Memorial Day Mass. It was bilingual, English-Spanish, but we sang Panis Angelicus in Latin. I noticed that one song had been translated from Spanish to English and completely lost its meaning to the point of saying “we are the Blessed Sacrament”; I hope someone is in a position to fix this:eek:.
I’ve also attended Mass in Germany in the local language, and was once surprised in México to have the Mass in English instead of Spanish in a little neighborhood chapel.
 
While traveling, I have attended masses in many different languages, some of which I had a passing knowledge of, and some of which I didn’t know a word. And, honestly, I never walked out thinking I didn’t know what was going on. For goodness sake, it’s the MASS – of course I knew what was going on! It is clear from every move the priest makes what was happening. My prayers were joined with the others, in my own language and my own way. And, actually, sitting through the homilies was no worse than some I have sat through in which I understood every word. 😉
 
French, English, Spanish, German - and Latin.

All Masses are beautiful.
 
We’ve been to a OF mass in Spanish and an EF in Latin. Both were neat experiences. I love the universality of the Mass. 🙂
 
My parish has an OF Vietnamese Mass at 7:00 pm on Sundays which I participate in if I’m traveling on Sundays and don’t get home in time for English masses. This happens several times a year as my family and in-laws are 6-7 hours away from where we live and we tend to visit them a lot on weekends when the weather is nice. I use the missal to follow along in English and pretty much only miss out on the homily and a few of the changing prayers. Despite not understanding the language I’m able to join my prayers in the sacrifice of the Mass, so while it’s more difficult to participate I don’t feel I’m missing out on any of the grace received from worshiping God through the Mass.

There are a couple of parishes with OF Latin Masses which I like to go to from time to time because they’re always reverent and are celebrated Ad Orientam (I feel personally obligated to attend my parish most of the time, so I do and avoid the Masses where the choir usually has me grinding my teeth throughout the whole liturgy). I’ve only been to an EF Mass once when I was in DC for the March for Life; it was a low Mass and I was in the back so I couldn’t hear most of it and had a hard time following along because I wasn’t familiar with it (I still support the EF and would like to see it available everywhere). I personally get more out of Mass celebrated Ad Orientam than in any particular language. It emphasizes the fact the the priest is doing what I can’t, all I can do is offer my prayers (and indeed my entire self) in the sacrifice he is offering.
 
I have attended Mass in English and Spanish. My native language is English, but I am currently in Chile studying abroad, so I am attending Mass in Spanish. The beauty of the Mass is that it transcends language. Even though I often don’t completely understand what the priest is saying, I know what is going on, because it is Mass! I also bought a Spanish Misal before I left for Chile, so that I can just follow along with the Mass in Spanish and respond in Spanish. However, I do miss going to Mass in English.
 
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