Easter Vigil Mass time

  • Thread starter Thread starter ratio1
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
We generally eat a bit of something before and have something ready for afterward.

I have been to Easter Vigils that took 3 hours… lots of people joining the Church, mind you, like 40. That is one long time! Still, it isn’t all day on no food, like Yom Kippur runs. It is pretty easy next to that!
 
You think a service that ran 4 pm-8 pm would be more packed? I could be wrong but I very much doubt that. Starting at 4 pm would be popular, but not the length.
 
Ours is advertized as starting at 7:30pm. It is not as dark as it maybe should be since the sun will have only set 14 minutes earlier. People are usually milling about in our courtyard looking for the candles they will hold, trying to find friends, and looking at the bonfire. It’s usually a few minutes before Father actually gets started and by then we are hitting civil twilight.
 
Can you Document this? I thought it was forbidden to celebrate Mass after noon prior to the mid-20th century. The Orthodox / Eastern Catholic Vigil, for example, is held late enough that the Eucharist is offered in the morning (that is after midnight). And in the Roman Rite that was the rationale of the Christmas midnight Mass as well… its technically in the morning.
 
twf said:
Can you Document this? I thought it was forbidden to celebrate Mass after noon prior to the mid-20th century. The Orthodox / Eastern Catholic Vigil, for example, is held late enough that the Eucharist is offered in the morning (that is after midnight). And in the Roman Rite that was the rationale of the Christmas midnight Mass as well… its technically in the morning.
Click to expand...
It is documented, above.
 
Yes, I know that the Vigil must begin after dark. My post was in response to the poster who claims that, historically, the Vigil was held around 4 pm, after None. I am questioning this as I understood that it was traditionally forbidden to celebrate Mass after noon.
 
For eating, I would advise to have a snack before and then go out and have a big late supper after! Waffle House is always open and makes the best hash browns in the world!

It is not uncommon for a parish to have a reception in the hall following the Vigil. One parish I visited has a pancake supper after Midnight Mass at Christmas and after the Easter Vigil.
 
TheLittleLady said:
For eating, I would advise to have a snack before and then go out and have a big late supper after! Waffle House is always open and makes the best hash browns in the world!

It is not uncommon for a parish to have a reception in the hall following the Vigil. One parish I visited has a pancake supper after Midnight Mass at Christmas and after the Easter Vigil.
Click to expand...
For a couple of years we had a reception, with lots of food, after the Vigil. It stopped because someone thought it was ridiculous to do this so late. Too bad, it used to be fun and good way to end the fast.
 
Ours is at 7:30 this year…in the past, a 9:00 start was the norm, but the attendance was much lower with the late start. I’ve been on the RCIA team since 1995, and the later start time is too late for people who travel a distance [ours is a large rural parish], and for some seniors…our Mass usually lasts 2 1/2 - 3 hours, and there is always a reception afterwards, so the late start meant getting home after 1:00 AM…
Regardless of the start time, I can’t imagine ever missing a Vigil Mass!
 
Well since it’s usually 3 hours long, I think many would hesitate to go much later than 7pm as they would be keeping people up pretty late. Most around here are at 7:00.
 
To begin the Vigil before sunset is to disobey, even if people don’t want to stay out late.
 
Yep. If it’s too hard to be out late, then go to an Easter Sunday Mass.
 
The Easter Vigil fulfills the obligation. Sure, some people like to go to Midnight Mass at Christmas then get up for the 8 AM the next day or to the Vigil and again in the morning, but, that is not required.
 
I know. I meant if people are saying a Vigil after dark is too late and too inconvenient, they should just go Easter Sunday instead.
 
Parish: 8:00
Where I’m going: 10:00

Sunset should occur between 8:10 and 8:15.
 
Last edited:
It is ironic that in the dead of winter the Church is packed for Midnight Mass, yet, come spring 8 PM is just toooooo late to get out.
 
My Cathedral is beginning the Vigil at 8.

The small Polish Parish I also attend is starting at 7:15 because in past years attendance was very low, the parish is struggling financially, and the majority of parishoners (over 80%) are elderly 70+ years old.

Unless something drastic changes, I think by 2030 this parish will be closed down.

I’m going to speak to the Pastor about starting to offer Extraordinary Form services there and tell him I’ll help run a social media ad campaign, we’ll see how that goes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top