How do you transform a happy-clappy parish into a conservative one?

[jmcrae]

I believe that the traditional prayer for the dead is:

Eternal rest grant unto (him, her, them) and let perpetual light shine upon (him, her, them). May the soul (of “X”) (or souls of the faithful departed) rest in peace. Amen.

This is the one that we use, at our parish.

At the Cathedral, they say “May the souls of the faithful departed, by the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

 

[Pat_the_Cat]

Peoples respect for the liturgy is directly proportional to their respect for the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.

If you don’t understand the Eucharist then you CANNOT understand the liturgy, the Sacraments and the Church properly.

To change a Parish, we need good catechesis about the Eucharist and a strong devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist (And that NEEDS to start with the Priest). Otherwise you can say
bye-bye to the Liturgy and bye-bye to everything that makes us truly Catholic.

 

[bkovacs]

Bring in an exorcist.

Good One !

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

I did not know that to be “happy, happy”, you could not be conservative. Oh, and to be at mass, I do not have to be as sorrowful as I would have been at the crucifixion. Yes it is a sacrifice, but an unbloody sacrifice wherein Jesus comes to me in the fullness of his body, blood, soul and divinity. I am sorry for my sins and the sins that caused this to happen. But for this I rejoice, that my God humbles himself to come to me to give me the very bread of life. This is a banquet of which not even the angels can partake. I rejoice at mass to have been so blessed. I just hope I would be described as a “happy - happy” conservative.
Deacon Ed B

 

[brotherhrolf]

Good Deacon, I would have to opine that “happy, happy” is far more the norm today. I would submit to you that way back when, when dinosaurs ruled the earth and Mass was in Latin, that “happy, happy” was limited to feast days and not always found in Masses in Ordinary Time. Neither was “Parce Domine” limited to sacrificial periods either.

How many people are alive today who remember the hymns of the Church from say 1962 - 1967? It’s really funny that the best congregational response we get in my Cathedral parish is when we sing those hymns . Something to think about.

 

[jc-servant]

I understand the need for, at times, silence in Mass, but I still see no reason to be unhappy about it. Shouldn’t we rejoice to sing the Gloria? Shouldn’t we rejoice to hear the Scriptures? Most of all, shouldn’t we rejoice to receive This Most Precious Gift from Our Savior? Maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t help but feel joy and happiness at Mass. After being protestant for most of my life, and finally finding Christ in His Fullness, what I feel most, is happy.

I understand what you are saying. I too am a convert who has unlimited joy at all of the wondrous gifts available to us as Catholics. When I was confirmed, I wanted to sing, shout, dance and burst open with everything that was in me.

Don’t let anyone steal your joy. One of my favorite points during the week is singing with the angels and saints during the liturgy. They get to sing around the throne in Heaven at all times, but we are privileged to do it at least once per week.

I’m not a clapper during mass or after, but occasionally we hear some people just spontaneously burst into applause after the recessional (when mass is already over). Perhaps not the most appropriate action, but I believe that sometimes people are just overcome with joy and cannot think of another more appropriate way to express it. It is not like they are turned toward the choir applauding. It is something different.

I’m certain that someone out there is probably tsking and shaking their head, but I just lift these people up in prayer and hope that whatever touched them in mass carries over into the rest of their life. I try not to get too freaked out when little things out of the ordinary happen at our church because we have such a diverse population that we see many different customs quite often.

 

[juliamajor]

As Far as I’m concerned you shouldn’t be worried about making the church less"happy clappy" or more “conservative. You should worry about making it more 'Catholic”.

 

[Pat_the_Cat]

As Far as I’m concerned you shouldn’t be worried about making the church less"happy clappy" or more “conservative. You should worry about making it more 'Catholic”.

AMEN to that!