Giant screens at Mass?

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Catholic4aReasn:
I was recently a part of a focus group at my parish where we explored how to get more people to come to Mass. We began talking about how to get the people who do come to participate more and one person said the way to do it is to get a couple of those giant monitors. That way people aren’t having to look in a book, they can be looking up and therefore being more attentive. That sounds so…well…Protestant to me. I voiced that concern and she looked at me like I had two heads. What do y’all think?

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
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Great idea! Let’s also use those giant screens to run the football and hockey games during Mass for those who are having difficulty concentrating on the Holy Sacrifice. And why not pass around popcorn and drinks, too? Anything to make it easier for those who don’t really know why they are at Mass in the first place!
 
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paramedicgirl:
Great idea! Let’s also use those giant screens to run the football and hockey games during Mass for those who are having difficulty concentrating on the Holy Sacrifice. And why not pass around popcorn and drinks, too? Anything to make it easier for those who don’t really know why they are at Mass in the first place!
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If we said it once at the focus group we said it 1000 times…EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION!!!

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
 
In all fairness, I have found screens useful when attending Protestant services. However, they are nowhere near as useful as hymnals, which, as some have pointed out, contain the musical notation as well. When using only the lyrics on the screen you still need to listen to a verse and chorus before knowing how to sing an unfamiliar song, or else try to mumble your way through with no idea of upcoming pitch changes and note lengths. That’s very uncomfortable.

Another however - despite their limited utility, mainly for praise and worship services, I don’t think these things have any place in Mass. (For those who brought up papal Masses, the screens are used to project video of the actual proceedings for those too far away to see well - they are not used to project text). Music is central to the Mass, but that is the singing of the Mass parts. The singing of hymns and other such songs is very much peripheral. The processional and recessional are not even within the strict confines of the Mass, which begins with the sign of the cross and ends with “Thanks be to God.” Marring whatever sacred architecture remains in a particular Church for the sake of facilitating participation in congregational hymnody is a bad idea, if you ask me.

Other than for music, I see very little reason to broadcast the entire text of the Mass for all to see. I’m going out on a limb and assuming your Mass is in the vernacular. Deaf worshipers can use a missal and foreign worshipers will probably have trouble with an English text anyway. Some may find a screen useful, but many will also probably find it a hindrance in trying to focus on the action of the Mass and listening to the celebrant. Overall: bad idea.
 
Andreas Hofer:
In all fairness, I have found screens useful when attending Protestant services. However, they are nowhere near as useful as hymnals, which, as some have pointed out, contain the musical notation as well. When using only the lyrics on the screen you still need to listen to a verse and chorus before knowing how to sing an unfamiliar song, or else try to mumble your way through with no idea of upcoming pitch changes and note lengths. That’s very uncomfortable.

Another however - despite their limited utility, mainly for praise and worship services, I don’t think these things have any place in Mass. (For those who brought up papal Masses, the screens are used to project video of the actual proceedings for those too far away to see well - they are not used to project text). Music is central to the Mass, but that is the singing of the Mass parts. The singing of hymns and other such songs is very much peripheral. The processional and recessional are not even within the strict confines of the Mass, which begins with the sign of the cross and ends with “Thanks be to God.” Marring whatever sacred architecture remains in a particular Church for the sake of facilitating participation in congregational hymnody is a bad idea, if you ask me.

Other than for music, I see very little reason to broadcast the entire text of the Mass for all to see. I’m going out on a limb and assuming your Mass is in the vernacular. Deaf worshipers can use a missal and foreign worshipers will probably have trouble with an English text anyway. Some may find a screen useful, but many will also probably find it a hindrance in trying to focus on the action of the Mass and listening to the celebrant. Overall: bad idea.
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As far as I know there’s no plan to broadcast the entire text of the Mass. I think it was thought to be mainly for lyrics.

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
I was recently a part of a focus group at my parish where we explored how to get more people to come to Mass. We began talking about how to get the people who do come to participate more and one person said the way to do it is to get a couple of those giant monitors. That way people aren’t having to look in a book, they can be looking up and therefore being more attentive. That sounds so…well…Protestant to me. I voiced that concern and she looked at me like I had two heads. What do y’all think?

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
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I at one time I attended a large Catholic church that had large tv screens up high on both sides of the altar.

The church seated approximately 3000 , we would some time have conferences there and the tv screens were helpful, however I really think they were a negative during Mass, they really did not help and they detracted from the reverence of the Mass.

Trick
 
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Trick:
I at one time I attended a large Catholic church that had large tv screens up high on both sides of the altar.

The church seated approximately 3000 , we would some time have conferences there and the tv screens were helpful, however I really think they were a negative during Mass, they really did not help and they detracted from the reverence of the Mass.

Trick
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What were they used for duing Mass?
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
What were they used for duing Mass?
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The Mass was projected up on the two TV screens while the Mass was being conducted, as well as words to the songs being sung.

Trick
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
We began talking about how to get the people who do come to participate more and one person said the way to do it is to get a couple of those giant monitors. That way people aren’t having to look in a book, they can be looking up and therefore being more attentive.
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Forgive me for being so blunt, but does this congregation have the attention span of toddlers?? Are they so totally incapable of focusing at Mass that they need a monitor to grab their attention the same way a babysitter will sometimes use the television to pacify a small child??
 
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Asella:
Forgive me for being so blunt, but does this congregation have the attention span of toddlers?? Are they so totally incapable of focusing at Mass that they need a monitor to grab their attention the same way a babysitter will sometimes use the television to pacify a small child??
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How’d you make the shift from trying to increase people’s participation during Mass to attention span? Maybe read the wrhole thread. You’ll see the suggestion was that maybe people will sing more if the words are projected rather than looking down into a book. Not really an issue of attention span if you ask me…but that’s just me 🙂

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
How’d you make the shift from trying to increase people’s participation during Mass to attention span? Maybe read the wrhole thread. You’ll see the suggestion was that maybe people will sing more if the words are projected rather than looking down into a book. Not really an issue of attention span if you ask me…but that’s just me 🙂

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
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It is an issue of attention span, because if you want people to participate, you first need their attention. By using the monitors, you grab their attention, and then they participate. I just think there are better ways to get people to participate than using monitors. For example, if the priest delivered a Father Corapi-style sermon, that might get the congregation all fired up and willing to participate.
 
For those churches (protestant and Catholic) that project song lyrics, I wonder about the copyrights concerns. I hope that this is addressed because copyright infringement costs are very high.

A church at which I used to sub as musician had two television monitors in the back of the church (in the area beyond the nave) because the typical overflow crowds had no line-of-sight to the altar. Aside from that specific purpose, I think that screens/monitors are distracting and inappropriate.

'thann
 
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thann:
For those churches (protestant and Catholic) that project song lyrics, I wonder about the copyrights concerns. I hope that this is addressed because copyright infringement costs are very high.

A church at which I used to sub as musician had two television monitors in the back of the church (in the area beyond the nave) because the typical overflow crowds had no line-of-sight to the altar. Aside from that specific purpose, I think that screens/monitors are distracting and inappropriate.

'thann
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I was just going to bring up this point. If any modern music is used, (and any parish that wants to put up screens is probably using modern liturgical music,) there ARE copyright issues if the words are made available to the congregation.

This can be done with the proper copyright license. But I wouldn’t even think about installing screens to project lyrics before checking with GIA, OCP, and any other publishers. Just because something is published in the Church hymnal doesn’t mean the parish has the right to make copies.

And besides, I agree with previous posters who think this whole idea is tacky.
 
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thann:
For those churches (protestant and Catholic) that project song lyrics, I wonder about the copyrights concerns. I hope that this is addressed because copyright infringement costs are very high.

A church at which I used to sub as musician had two television monitors in the back of the church (in the area beyond the nave) because the typical overflow crowds had no line-of-sight to the altar. Aside from that specific purpose, I think that screens/monitors are distracting and inappropriate.

'thann
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All the Churches in our diocese pay 2-3 thousand dollars a year for the use of the lyrics.
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
Aside from the ker-chunk did you find that lyrics being on screens helpful? Did it seem that more people participated? That seems to be what the person that proposed this was thinking

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
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Why don’t they have a bouncing ball to show what word to sing next, just like the sing-a-longs. Whoops! Now I’m dating myself. Ridiculous at any rate.
 
:rolleyes: SARCASM WARNING :rolleyes:

Heck with those two big monitors! Get a Jumbotron!!! Install the screen behind the altar. The mind boggles at the special effects that could be had for a few push-buttons of the computer, which would coincide with various parts of the Mass (I can’t bring myself to even write when the fireworks should flash- twice- on the screen without feeling as if I should do heavy penance). And if you’re in pew #40, or chair #35, you could receive the special prize of a genuine parish t-shirt, and have the honor of your LIVE PICTURE picked up by Jumbotron. And the halftime between the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist could be cheerleaders and a dance team, and be honest and be done with liturgical dancers once and for all. Best of all, the parish could bring in more revenues by allowing men to propose to their sweethearts during the 8:15 Mass on Sunday, after the homily, in front of the whole congregation on Jumbotron- which would also pick up her tearful acceptance or heated rejection.
 
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Asella:
if the priest delivered a Father Corapi-style sermon, that might get the congregation all fired up and willing to participate.
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Can’t argue with you there!

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
 
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davy39:
Why don’t they have a bouncing ball to show what word to sing next, just like the sing-a-longs. Whoops! Now I’m dating myself. Ridiculous at any rate.
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:rotfl:
 
Ugh, as much as they may not be attractive, one does not have to go through lengths in sarcastically downing the idea…

Anyways, my church does use projectors, however sparingly, and AFTER masses for presentations (such as the past one for our archdiocese fundraising for money to build churches and schools in the area) and for our Generations of Faith.

Besides, they are much better than television screens, which I say are horrible on the altar (we have had them in the past and they were cumbersome, yes). Projectors are fine to me though…
 
Just imagine the uproar when print media were first introduced to the pew rack.

“What, do we need to keep peoples attention with a book? That’s a complete distraction. Now instead of focusing on the altar, they’ll have their noses in a book!”
And of course, because some protestants use video
projection screens, this makes these screens protestant. O, the deceiving teachings of those heretical, schismatic projection screens! They only display pre-approved phrases like “Sola Scriptura” and “Sola Fide” and “TULIP” (if it’s the Calvinist brand - sold in stores near you).
The Church has taken artificial lighting and sound amplification into stride. In time, it will discover how to appropriately use this technology as well. Perhaps it will be in the form of retractable display screens located in the pews. Or something else we have yet to conceive.
 
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Catholic4aReasn:
I was recently a part of a focus group at my parish where we explored how to get more people to come to Mass. We began talking about how to get the people who do come to participate more and one person said the way to do it is to get a couple of those giant monitors. That way people aren’t having to look in a book, they can be looking up and therefore being more attentive. That sounds so…well…Protestant to me. I voiced that concern and she looked at me like I had two heads. What do y’all think?

In Christ,
Nancy 🙂
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This sounds SOOOO Protestant to me too. While growing up I would attend an Assembly of God church, they had those (the big screens). Seeing them in a Catholic Church would make me nauseated.
 
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