Ever Been to A Polka Mass?

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I’ve heard of them, but never been to one - has anyone here? If so, what are they like? Somehow I can’t quite figure out how the music lends itself to the Liturgy…:confused: .

"ST. CLOUD – Is polka music popular among Minnesota Catholics? Is the pope Polish?

Polkas dot the central Minnesota landscape. Catholic masses celebrate polka Masses under God’s cerulean roof and participate in more secular polka celebrations at open-air festivals and in ballrooms.

Those Polka “dots” seem to be growing larger – and not only in Minnesota – according to a person who should know, Eddie Blazonczyk Jr., band leader of Chicago-based Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones.

The Visitor interviewed Blazonczyk by telephone during breaks in a recording session Feb. 11. He left the next day for Los Angeles, site of the 2005 Grammy Awards. “Highways & Dancehalls,” the Versatones’ 56th recording, was nominated as Polka Album of the Year.

A recording by Brave Combo, one of the four other nominees, won the Grammy Feb. 13. Polka music and artists had competed in the Grammy Awards’ folk category before they were given their own category in 1985.

“I’ve been to my share of polka Masses – they are very popular during the time of year or in climates where they can be held outdoors,” said Blazonczyk, a Catholic who spent four years as a seminarian before choosing music as his vocation.
“Some outdoor polka Masses I’ve been at were really big – thousands of people out in a big field,” said Blazonczyk, adding that he enjoys hearing his Polish-American style of music praising God.

The prominence of polka Masses is greatest in the Midwest and lower-Great Lakes regions, he said, where populations tend to have Polish and German ethnic backgrounds…"

stcdio.org/Visitor/***Feb_05/2_17/new_page_1.htm
 
I am Polish and I don’t know what a polka mass is. Then again, I live here and not in the US. Polka is a merry Czech folk dance. Looks like they dance during the mass or something around that.
 
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chevalier:
I am Polish and I don’t know what a polka mass is. Then again, I live here and not in the US. Polka is a merry Czech folk dance. Looks like they dance during the mass or something around that.
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I had heard of them and read two articles on performing groups but for the life of me I can’t find anyone who has ever gone to one or who can describe how that rollicking, wonderful music fits with “liturgy” - I just can’t mentally imagine it.
 
Haven’t been to a Polka Mass, and don’t plan on ever going to one. But I hear they have them in parishes around here though.😛
 
I haven’t been to a polka mass, but I have been to a mass with polka music!! (That’s what our fabulous German priest calls them).

Everything is the same (all prayers, responses, etc) as a normal mass, except the music has a polka beat to it.
We have one associated with our church festival every year.
 
I’ve been to many polka Masses. The above poster is correct, it is just a normal Mass with polka music. In western South Dakota where I am originally from, I remember parishes having the general Mass with regular German hymns, then have a Polka band out in the parking lot playing music after the Mass. The parish had German food and the dance- and made a family event out of it.

Here in eastern South Dakota, I have found that they incorporate the music into the Mass hymns, and have less of a ‘party’ afterward.

Many of the folks in this area, may have come directly from the ‘old country’ or had parents who did. They take pride in heritage and celebrate it for one or two Masses sometime in October.

The musicians of the parish use accordians and other instruments to play traditional German Catholic hymns and songs. It is very upbeat music.

I have never seen any improper actions during the Liturgy of the Eucharist in a polka Mass. Everyone is very reverent. No one polka dances the Holy Eucharist around, and everyone is in normal conservative church attire.

(But be sure the dresses and costumes came out for the dance after Mass!)
 
Just as an interesting historical side note (here goes Tantum again), many of the medieval Masses that are celebrated today for their beauty and spirituality originated in the “popular music” of the times.

It was common for a composer in what is now Italy, France, Germany, Spain, etc. to take a melody line from a “troubadour” song and to use that line as the “base” for a Mass.

The equivalent of taking a melodic stanza of “Beyond the Sea” (Bobby Darin) or even Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” today. . .and turning it into a Mass setting.

Of course, given the musical styles (which changed drastically in the middle ages from the very early I and IV chord harmonies to later contrapuntal harmonies), it was quite difficult for those not “in the know” to realize that, say, the lovely 13th century Mass in honor of St. Joseph was really based on a song celebrating the love of a knight for his lady, or even a monk for his jolly good ale.

Kind of puts a “polka mass” in perspective. . .

Peace to all.
 
I have been to several Polka Masses years ago that was led by a Priest named Perkovich who also had the polka band that performed at the Polka Mass.

Albert
 
Tantum ergo:
Just as an interesting historical side note (here goes Tantum again), many of the medieval Masses that are celebrated today for their beauty and spirituality originated in the “popular music” of the times.

It was common for a composer in what is now Italy, France, Germany, Spain, etc. to take a melody line from a “troubadour” song and to use that line as the “base” for a Mass.

The equivalent of taking a melodic stanza of “Beyond the Sea” (Bobby Darin) or even Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” today. . .and turning it into a Mass setting.

Of course, given the musical styles (which changed drastically in the middle ages from the very early I and IV chord harmonies to later contrapuntal harmonies), it was quite difficult for those not “in the know” to realize that, say, the lovely 13th century Mass in honor of St. Joseph was really based on a song celebrating the love of a knight for his lady, or even a monk for his jolly good ale.

Kind of puts a “polka mass” in perspective. . .

Peace to all.
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As the announcers on NPR say (something to this effect): “Reminding you that all music was once new. . .”
 
Yes, I have been to a Polka Mass and it was one of the most moving Latin-Rite Masses I’ve ever been too!

The hymns were done in Slovenian and based on old folk melodies. I cried when they sang ANHEL GOSPODI (The Angel of the Lord), an old folk hymn about the Angel Gabriel coming to the Virgin Mary and how the people beg the Blessed Virgin to pray for them to Her Most Beloved Son!

And while we’re on the subject, that popular Lenten hymn, O SACRED HEAD SURROUNDED, is the same melody as a Medeval German drinking song…

Oh, BTW, it was Fr. Frank Perkovich who had the first Polka Mass in Cleveland and it was a Slovenian band that played for it…

Cescenje si Marija, je Anhelski glas, Osana o Marije, Marije, Prid pro Nas!
 
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Catholic90:
I haven’t been to a polka mass, but I have been to a mass with polka music!! (That’s what our fabulous German priest calls them).

Everything is the same (all prayers, responses, etc) as a normal mass, except the music has a polka beat to it.
We have one associated with our church festival every year.
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Perhaps this is similar to attending/participating in a Spanish Mass!?
SOunds very cultural but IS the same holy sacrifice.

D in AZ
 
A little Polka anyone…Before the Pater Noster???

Scary…

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Is the Pope Polish? Is the Mass to be Celebrated? Never been to a polka Mass but it sounds like a joy filled event. I have the impression Catholics aren’t supposed to feel good. Just ain’t pius to show too much joy over what the Good Lord has done for us. 👍
 
No.joy is permitted.but not in the house of God where we are there to worship and perform the unbloddy sacrifice of our Lord in minutes. Do you Polka, Rap, Disco, guitar, Rock heavy metal and whatever you do to feel good after mass-If you cant stay serious for an entire 45 minutes (I think that is how long the NO mass is-but I lose track as so much is cut out of it and the sermons usually last about 5 minutes…Love …Love…and Oh Yes…Love) so if you can only restrain yourself to hitting the Polka dancefloor with the Pope till after the mass that would be appreciated by many here who actually still believe in the sanctity of a Mass…
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rwoehmke:
Is the Pope Polish? Is the Mass to be Celebrated? Never been to a polka Mass but it sounds like a joy filled event. I have the impression Catholics aren’t supposed to feel good. Just ain’t pius to show too much joy over what the Good Lord has done for us. 👍
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Sure Joy is permitted…But not in the house of God where we are there to worship our God, Jesus and prepare ourselves for the unbloddy sacrifice he will be soon be making for us up on that altar (you know, that table looking thing where the candles and all used to reside?).

There is plenty of time afterwards for you and the Pope to do your Polka, disco, heavy metal, guitar, flute , rap music or whatever. Understand My Post Vatican II friends, that there are still some people that actually- Now hold your breath - when they go to mass like to actually not hear all of that noise and we dont need to be entertained-(Can you believe that!!! and we dont feel that need to actually PARTICIPATE FALSLY-BECAUSE WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN A REVERENT WAY) and are there to worship and reflect on our past week and how we can become better Catholics and that good old foot stompin Polka music just kinda ruins the spirit…so maybe after mass you can go hit your nearest Lawrence Welk -Pope JPII Polka Bar and do your Polka dancin there
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rwoehmke:
Is the Pope Polish? Is the Mass to be Celebrated? Never been to a polka Mass but it sounds like a joy filled event. I have the impression Catholics aren’t supposed to feel good. Just ain’t pius to show too much joy over what the Good Lord has done for us. 👍
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I understand the concept of JOY and that the Mass doesn’t need to feel somber…but I’m more for an inner type of joy. The Mass is so sacred. I think it deserves more respectfulness and meditation than any style of music or dance intermixed within the liturgy. Why not just have a Polka after Mass? That would seem more appropriate.

After all, as Catholics, we truly believe that we are in the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist…now, if Christ came before us in a visually full, indentifying form (in human form), and stood before us…I think our first reaction wouldn’t be to break out into a polka…it would be more that of complete awe and ‘falling on the ground before him’. Even the angels, in the Bible, provoked such responses (complete awe).
Therefore, I think, out of respect for the beauty, the divine nature of God, we should show some dignity and respect…some awe. I think it’s much more ‘fitting’ to worship. Again, I’m not totally against showing any emotion…it’s just that I’m not one of those who like interpretive dance, folk masses, or polkas. I’m sort of old-fashioned that way. I was raised a Latin Rite Catholic, but have found my home as a Byzantine Rite Catholic. I love the Liturgy…and it’s beauty, it’s serenity, it’s dignity. It’s gorgeous and provokes, atleast from me, much joy and much satisfaction.

Again, I enjoy dancing (not Polka, but ethnic style)…I LOVE it, as a matter of fact. But I think it has it’s place and time. Like I said, having a big polka party would be just great, after Mass. But not during…in my opinion.
 
One last comment…

I was just thinking of my brother-in-law’s church. He’s an evangelical minister…and they show a lot of outer joy (some seems a bit ‘contrived’ or ‘showy’, but I’m sure there is plenty of ligitimate and heart-felt expressions as well). However, as a Catholic, I feel very out-of-place in his church (not because I don’t know how to show emotion or feel joy about Christ, as I do, very much)…it’s just that my observation is this…

Where the altar should be centered and a focus…it’s a tiny little table (almost a footstool) set off to the side of the ‘sanctuary’. And the sanctuary, let’s fact it, is not much of a sacred place at all. No real sacrifice takes place there…and it’s simply more of a stage than anything else.
Thus, Protestants tend to do more fun ‘things’ at church, due to a lack of real theology and sacraments. They have to fill in a lot of gaps with music, singing, altar calls, and shows of emotion.

I attended more than a few Evangelical weddings there, at his church…and at the one, they showed a video slideshow, which had music. I remember thinking how nice the video was, but how empty the entire service seemed. How it seemed like a ‘empty shell’ in comparison to our Mass. It was nice, but the sanctuary was indeed set up as a stage…and that’s what it was. A focal place for ‘entertainment’. Where the focus is on how good a speaker the minister is, how good the music, etc. It’s a place where any style of worship is acceptable, according to the pastor and the congregation. There is no history or tradition to tell them ‘how to worship’, since they are outside of the Church. So, it’s a ‘whatever feels good’ approach to worship. I’m not for that type of worship. I like to keep in mind how the early church worshipped, and where the focus was. It was on the Eucharist.

Church isn’t meant to be entertainment. Our society is so used to being ‘entertained’. We equate joy with being ‘entertained’. That’s not real joy. Some of the simplest, quiet Saints, had profound, unspeakable joy!!!

I love that our sanctuary and altar are sacred places. I’d love to see Catholics ‘concetrate’ more on the BEAUTIFUL prayers we have as Catholics…on meditating on the Creed…gorgeous!
It’s not about something ‘out there’, but inside ourselves.

We could do good from learning zeal and enthusiasm from our separated brethren…for sure. But Catholics need to dwell on what is occurring during Mass, and they will find all the joy they need, and perhaps it will stir them up a bit.

Much more than any ‘polka could’!!!
 
the problem with a polka mass is st. pius x said in tre la solleecitudini:
…Sacred music should consequently possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality…every nation is permitted to admit into its ecclesiastical compositions those special forms which may be said to constitute its native music, still these forms must be subordinated in such a manner to the general characteristics of sacred music that** nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them**.

II. The different kinds of sacred music
  1. These qualities are to be found, in the highest degree, in Gregorian Chant, which is, consequently the Chant proper to the Roman Church, the only chant she has inherited from the ancient fathers,…On these grounds Gregorian Chant has always been regarded as the suprememodel for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down thefollowing rule: the more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savor the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple
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while i would agree that polka music is well suited in arenas for eating sausages and drinking beer, it isn’t well suited for the mass. it is equivelent to folk music which isn’t well suited either.

the result of this profane music is that the mass becomes more centered on us and not God. ratzinger has pointed this out as a problem of the post VII liturgcal reforms and how it fell short of the aspirations of the authentic liturgical movement of pius x and xii.
 
Code: 
 a) By sacred music is understood that which, being created for     the celebration of divine worship, is endowed with a certain     holy sincerity of form.
  

 At this point the document footnotes   a most important reference to the *Motu Proprio* of Saint   Pius X, *Tra le sollecitudini*. Paragraph two of *Tra   le sollecitudini *prescribes what it *means* for sacred   music to be "...endowed with a certain holy sincerity of   form". It is that music, 


      eminently possessing the qualities     which belong to liturgical rites, especially holiness and beauty,     from which its other characteristic, universality, will follow     spontaneously. It must be holy, and therefore avoid *everything     that is secular, both in itself and in the way it is performed*.     It must really be an art, since in no other way can it have on     the mind of those who hear it the effect which the Church desires     in using in her liturgy the art of sound.

 But it must also be universal in this sense, namely, that although     each country may use in its ecclesiastical music whatever special     forms may belong to its own national style, these forms must     be subject to the proper nature of sacred music, so that it may     never produce a bad impression on the mind of any stranger who     may hear it" (emphasis added).

 While some might want to argue   as to what constitutes holiness and beauty, it is clear that   *for use at Mass*, what is secular is *not* holy nor   beautiful. *Musicam Sacram* (and the Second Vatican Council)   thus exclude from the Mass anything secular. *Musicam Sacram*   re-iterates the genres defined as *sacred* in *Tra le   sollecitudini*:
“… b) The following come under the title of sacred music here: Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony in its various forms both ancient and modern, sacred music for the organ and other approved instruments, and sacred popular music, be it liturgical or simply religious”.
Code: 
 It is clear there is a hierarchy   of musical genres that are appropriate in the Liturgy, and this   hierarchy has been constant in the Church ever since forms beyond   Gregorian Chant developed. But recognizing progress in the arts,   *Tra le sollecitudini* included modern sacred music as a   category of sacred music. At the same time it recognized the   ever-widening gulf between secular and sacred music and stipulated:


      "Nevertheless, since modern     music has become chiefly a secular art, greater care must be     taken, when admitting it, that nothing profane be allowed, nothing     that is reminiscent of theatrical pieces, nothing based as to     its form on the style of secular compositions" (n. 5).

 The Second Vatican Council and   the Sacred Congregation of Rites could not be clearer in defining   what constitutes *sacred music*, and could not be clearer   in prohibiting even that which is "reminiscent of theatrical   pieces" and that which is secular "as to its form".
Theology underlies the requirement that sacred music, in the words of Saint Pius X and taken up by Musicam Sacram, “…avoid everything that is secular”. If the Mass is a sacred action that surpasses all others (cf. SC 7), in which Our Lord Jesus Christ becomes really present under the appearances of bread and wine, and thus God Himself becomes really present, then that has implications for what music expresses those supernatural realities. If we truly believe that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is indeed a sacrifice, a re-presentation of Calvary, and the Second Vatican Council did nothing to alter that theology, then it is essential that music used at Mass be sacred, otherwise it is incapable of expressing these most sublime sacred realities. If however, Holy Mass were merely a human event, a prayer service, a familial gathering, a communal meal or a tent revival meeting, then a very different kind of music might be appropriate.

Musical form supports and lends its own expressive quality to the text and is not simply a matter of preference of one musical style over another, or of “inculturation”. Secular music cannot be wedded to sacred realities any more than sacred music can be wedded to secular realities.

http://www.adoremus.org/0603SacredMusic.html
 
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