Do you regularly attend Saturday evening Mass - if so, why?

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Just curious if there is a large number of Catholics out there that regularly attend Mass on Saturday evening, and if they do, why they do.

If you do, is it done out of scheduling convenience or are you unable to attend on Sunday for a given reason?

Not trying to tell anyone they’re doing it wrong, just want to gather information.

Regards,
Calicatholic
 
Although you say you aren’t telling anyone it is wrong to do so, you stated this in another thread:

“it seems a poor choice (in my opinion) to regularly attend Saturday evening services even if it is legally allowed, as it may lead to activities that hinder the worship owed to God on Sunday”

So, you do harbor some sort of ill feelings towards those who choose to attend Saturday mass.

To answer your question, in my rural parish we share a priest with two other parishes and each year we rotate mass times. Beginning Ash Wednesday, we will have Saturday evening mass for the next year. It is our only mass of the weekend.

There is NOTHING in Church teaching that says we have to have a “reason” to attend Saturday evening mass over Sunday mass. It can simply be that it is convenient, fits the family’s schedule, has the fewest cars in the parking lot… whatever.
 
I am in a small parish where the priest has three churches. We have Satuday night mass every third month, that is when I go. The next month we have Sunday 8:30 and the third month Sunday 10:30 am mass.

You go when it is scheduled in the parish.
 
beth40n2 said:
I am in a small parish where the priest has three churches. We have Satuday night mass every third month, that is when I go. The next month we have Sunday 8:30 and the third month Sunday 10:30 am mass.

You go when it is scheduled in the parish.
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We have that same schedule, but it rotates yearly. So, hopefully you don’t have a problem with any of those three times b/c you are stuck with it for a year!

It seems to work out pretty well. In the summer, we move 4 pm to 8 pm so farmers can work in the fields longer. We’re in dairy country.
 
1ke said:
Although you say you aren’t telling anyone it is wrong to do so, you stated this in another thread:

“it seems a poor choice (in my opinion) to regularly attend Saturday evening services even if it is legally allowed, as it may lead to activities that hinder the worship owed to God on Sunday”

So, you do harbor some sort of ill feelings towards those who choose to attend Saturday mass.

To answer your question, in my rural parish we share a priest with two other parishes and each year we rotate mass times. Beginning Ash Wednesday, we will have Saturday evening mass for the next year. It is our only mass of the weekend.

There is NOTHING in Church teaching that says we have to have a “reason” to attend Saturday evening mass over Sunday mass. It can simply be that it is convenient, fits the family’s schedule, has the fewest cars in the parking lot… whatever.
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My opinion on this question is irrelevant to people’s answers, which is why I didn’t state it in this post. You’re right, I was unaware that some parishes have no option but only a Saturday evening Mass. Clearly your only choice is to attend when it is available. My question was more directed at people who choose to go Saturday night vs. Sunday if both Masses are available and they are also available for both Mass times.

No I do not harbor ill feelings towards people who attend on Saturday evening, I just wouldn’t choose to do it for myself unless I had some obligation on Sunday that kept me from attending Mass.
 
Thanks for the heads-up, 1ke

We attend Sat. evening Mass. I work every third weekend (hospital). We prefer to attend the same Mass each week, and that means Sat. evening.

For traditional Catholics and Protestants, this may be difficult to comprehend, but both my husband and I feel that the Sat. evening time feels more “reverent.” It has nothing to do with how the Masses are celebrated in our parish; all are liturgically correct. It’s just that the evening time seems more conducive to a quiet spirit and more open heart, at least to us. It’s nice to attend Mass, then go out for a quiet dinner, and then go home for a quiet evening with nothing to do, no chores, no lawn work, no activities. We don’t party on Saturday; as we are both teetotallers. It’s just a peacable “end of the week” time. We usually discuss the Mass during our quiet dinner and evening. It’s very peacable and satisfying.

Perhaps it’s because for years and years, as Protestants, we always attended Sunday morning worship services, and so for us, the Sat. evening Mass feels different than Protestantism. (Now many Protestant churches in our city offer Saturday evening services, but they weren’t doing this back in 2004 when we came into the Catholic Church.)
 
For a little over 2 years we attended Saturday evening Mass (5:10pm) because my husband worked 8am to 4pm on weekends.

We could have attended Sunday evening Mass, and did sometimes, but it seemed like a bad idea to leave Mass to the last possible moment. It just seemed better to plan to go Saturday, and then if something came up, like the baby was having a bad day or hubby was late coming home from work, we could always go to Sunday evening. Rather than planning to go Sunday and then if something came up, not making it at all.
 
1ke said:
We have that same schedule, but it rotates yearly. So, hopefully you don’t have a problem with any of those three times b/c you are stuck with it for a year!

It seems to work out pretty well. In the summer, we move 4 pm to 8 pm so farmers can work in the fields longer. We’re in dairy country.
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Sometimes our family does Saturday evening mass because we can get dressed up and go to mass and then out for a nice dinner or even a date night if my Mom wants to watch the baby 🙂 Then on Sunday we can just sort of stay in our p.j.s and relax. It makes it fun i think.
 
I regularly attend Saturday evening Mass because I like it. No other reason. I like it.

All of the old people are there, and I like their company. The homily seems to reach a little deeper and hit a little closer to home.

Not too many of my altar servers are willing to serve on Saturday evenings (Sunday at 10:30 is much more popular), so often my boys are schedule for the 4pm Saturday Mass.

For what it’s worth, I also go on Sunday mornings with my dear husband at 8:30 if I can. He goes then because he likes it. There is less singing and it is less crowded. That’s his reasoning. I go with him, because I go to Mass most other days, and it just seemed kind of backwards for Sunday to be the day of the week that I didn’t go to Mass. I also go with him because it’s just nice to go as a couple or as a family (if the boys didn’t serve the evening before).

How fortunate we are to have such a choice in times to worship the Lord!
 
calicatholic said:
Just curious if there is a large number of Catholics out there that regularly attend Mass on Saturday evening, and if they do, why they do.

If you do, is it done out of scheduling convenience or are you unable to attend on Sunday for a given reason?

Not trying to tell anyone they’re doing it wrong, just want to gather information.

Regards,
Calicatholic
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Just about always, even before I swam the Tiber. I liked it, and it stuck, and I often don’t feel that well in the mornings, so Vigil Mass is perfect for me.
 
We do Saturday evenings some weekends and Sunday mornings on others…whichever is more convenient for us. That said, I prefer the saturday evening masses. THey seem more quiet and reverent. I enjoy the eveing with my family after.
 
Because I love God and want to be with Him! I am being vigilante about my Sunday obligation. You never know when you could be in a car accident or get gravely ill and not be able to attend on Sunday.

:)😉
 
I like to go to Mass every day when possible. Our parish has no Saturday daily Mass, so that means I go Saturday evening.

However, to go along with what Cat said, I’ve noticed in comparing Saturday evening to the Sunday Mass times (I’ve attended at various times, we have three on Sundays) that the people who attend Saturday evening are more attentive and responsive. It’s not my imagination. I have heard the priest make the same observation.

Though overall the parishioners where I go worship well, those attending Saturday night seem to worship especially well.
 
I go to Mass on Sat evening if we are home, but always attend on Sunday morning regardless. I love Sunday AM Mass as it starts out the day of reverence and I continue it all day. No shopping, no work that is not neccessary (we still cook and eat, of course), lots of time to read the bible, or some other Catholic information, and pray. Its His day for me.
 
I go to Saturday Mass because that’s where I’m most needed as a reader. If I know I don’t have to read, I’ll sometimes wait and go with hubby to the morning Mass where he’s in the choir – even though he’s not Catholic.
 
calicatholic said:
Just curious if there is a large number of Catholics out there that regularly attend Mass on Saturday evening, and if they do, why they do.

If you do, is it done out of scheduling convenience or are you unable to attend on Sunday for a given reason?

Not trying to tell anyone they’re doing it wrong, just want to gather information.

Regards,
Calicatholic
Click to expand...
When my wife was pregnant, we started attending Saturday evening Masses frequently because there were several Sunday mornings she didn’t feel so well during Mass. Since our parish do not have afternoon Masses on Sundays, we went Saturday evening so she can sleep in on Sundays.

But after the baby was born we returned to Sunday morning because she was a member of the choir. Then soon afterwards we moved to an Eastern parish.
 
I have evolved into a “summer schedule” and a “winter schedule.”

In the past few years, I had been going every day, so it was mornings, including the Saturday morning liturgy then, and then the Sunday liturgy on Sunday unless something on Sunday made it necessary to bump that back to the Saturday evening time.

Then some changes happened. I fell out of the daily Mass habit. 😦 This is something I hope to change very soon; I need to look into some car repairs - long story.

Then, as regards the Sunday obligation, I usually take an elderly friend with me. She grew up in Mexico and hot weather doesn’t bother her. I, on the other hand, am an absolute heat wimp. Being hot sometimes almost makes me sick, :coolinoff: and it always makes me cranky and fatigued. :mad:

My car has no working AC and no tinted windows. Our parish parking lot has a few trees if one is lucky to get one to park under. Finally, my friend often wants to go out to eat after Mass, which means another couple of hours of being out in the hottest part of the day, which in KS can be easily 100+ with or without a heat index. :eek: And most of the restaurant parking is unshaded.

By the time I get home I’m miserable. Also I feel guilty not really enjoying myself with my friend as I’d like to be able to. Then one day it hit me - why not just go to the 5:30 in the summertime? There’s often a better chance of shade in the church parking lot, and by the time we get out, the evening’s at least a little cooler. This has worked well for us the past couple of summers since I thought of it.

To me, there’s nothing like the Sunday morning Mass, and that’s my preference, so as soon as the weather allows in the fall, and for as long as it does in the winter and spring, that’s when we go. It just “feels more like a Sunday” to me. :harp:

I’m fortunate to live in an area where there are many time options, including some late Sunday times in case of emergencies.
 
My husband and I regularly attend the Saturday evening mass. Personally, I am not a “morning person” and find myself going with a bit of a grudging heart when I “have” to get up in the morning, especially when it is bitter cold outside.

I go with a much more joyful heart in the evening, and in fact spend a lot of the day anticipating mass and the eucharist. I can almost hear Jesus’ words in Luke 22:15: " … I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you …" ❤️

I agree with others that it seems more peace-filled in the evening; maybe it’s because “the last supper” was also an evening event?
 
I don’t think it matters when you go. In the civil calendar it may be Saturday evening or Sunday. In the Church’s calendar it is Sunday. So if you go to Mass when the civil calendar says it’s Saturday evening you’re still participating in Sunday Mass.

The priest(s) (and deacon(s)) will wear the colour of vestments prescribed for the Sunday. The Ordinary of the Mass will be as prescribed for Sunday: blessing and sprinkling of holy water may replace the penitential rite, Gloria is recited (except in Advent & Lent), 2 readings before the Gospel, homily, Credo, Preface for the Sunday. The chants, lections, and orations are those of the Sunday.

Even if the Mass is not the Mass of the Sunday, e.g. a Ritual Mass, it is still celebrated on what in the Church’s calendar is Sunday.
 
I prefer Sunday morning, however my non Catholic husband will not go because he loves to have all day on Sunday to do nothing but what he wants to do.

now that our sons are a little older and do what daddy does, they started not wanting to go to Mass with me on Sunday morning. So, for the past few months we’ve been going Saturday evenings…my husband is with us! Yeah!, and the boys have all day long to play with daddy … It just is starting to work out better for us.
 
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