How far would you travel to attend the Ordinary Form of the Mass?

[maryjk]

Interesting question. Since I strongly believe in territorial parishes, I wouldn’t travel because of the form of the Mass.

I am blessed to have a very reverent Mass in my home parish, so I assume that the same priests would continue to celebrate a reverent Mass no matter what the form.

I’m with you.

 

[Ohana]

Right now it is not an issue and frankly, I doubt it will become one in my lifetime I would travel 1 to two hours to attend an OF Mass upon occasion, or at least once a month. Otherwise I would attend the EF if closer. If I get so old I cannot drive, I would really, really miss the OF.

 

[Cristiano]

Considering that I usually drive 30 minutes to drive either to the EF or the Maronite Mass or the Divine Liturgy, I think that I would be willing to drive 30 minutes to go to the OF. Looking at the assumptions it looks like my parish would be offering the EF and so my parish activity would be there and I would attend Mass there most of the time like I do now with the OF in my present parish. Different liturgies help my spirituality in different manners and I am truly blessed to have access to so many of them.

 

[triumphguy]

I answered “2 hours plus” before reading the first post because I have travelled more than 2 hours to get to Sunday mass…

However, if there was a valid form or rite much nearer then I would attend mass there and go to the OF once a month.

However, if I got to feel at home with the form of mass offered near me I might start going exclusively.

 

[thewanderer]

Thank you for posting this. I have a friend who drives me nuts with his insistence that the use of the vernacular is in and of itself less reverent than Latin.

You should remind him that some of the Eastern Catholic Rites have always used the vernacular and see if he’s still willing to claim the Latin is more reverent. There are reasons to preserve Latin, and I love going to Mass in Latin, at least now and again, but this argument has especially bugged me since I found out about the existence of the Eastern Catholic Rites.

 

[TrueLight]

You should remind him that some of the Eastern Catholic Rites have always used the vernacular and see if he’s still willing to claim the Latin is more reverent. There are reasons to preserve Latin, and I love going to Mass in Latin, at least now and again, but this argument has especially bugged me since I found out about the existence of the Eastern Catholic Rites.

I doubt he was referring to the Eastern rites or if he would insist that Eastern rites have their liturgies in Latin so I don’t think that would make a difference to him.

 

[OraLabora]

I guess this poll/question doesn’t apply to me because I prefer the TLM. But, for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t travel.

You might find though, that if the EF became normative and the OF the exception (I guess then we’d have to switch their names…), you will probably find many sloppy and poorly done EFs, even, (gasp!) with abuses. The same priests would be celebrating it as now mangle the OF. What makes you think that if they ignore a rubric in the OF they wouldn’t do the same in the EF? You’d also hear some pretty bad Latin.

On the other hand you’d probably find the OF preserved in local monasteries, for example the local Benedictines near where I live. It is a beautiful and reverent liturgy with Gregorian chant, chanted French readings and EP, etc.

In that case you might find yourself drawn to traveling to the monastery to attend the OF. The present situation of the EF is unique in that it is celebrated by those intent on maintaining this form of the Mass. As such I think it benefits from a more careful presentation than if it were the norm in every village and neighbourhood parish.

Both Masses are equally valid. I can understand being drawn to a reverently done EF when the only local OF is sloppy and full of, umm, “innovations”. But in my case I have the good fortune of a Benedictine OF only 35 minutes away (or an SSPX EF about the same distance in the opposite direction). I am much more drawn to my monastery as I’m affiliated with it as an oblate, than going to an SSPX chapel at the moment.

 

[thewanderer]

I doubt he was referring to the Eastern rites or if he would insist that Eastern rites have their liturgies in Latin so I don’t think that would make a difference to him.

I’m not saying people can’t argue for more latin. What I was saying is that the argument that latin is more reverant than the vernacular is not correct and is offensive to some Eastern Catholics. Saying that Latin is more reverant is an objective statement that cannot be confined to the Latin Rite, and so necessarily applies to all the Eastern Rites. But this is kind of getting off topic, so we should probably not argue about it here.

 

[TrueLight]

You might find though, that if the EF became normative and the OF the exception (I guess then we’d have to switch their names…), you will probably find many sloppy and poorly done EFs, even, (gasp!) with abuses. The same priests would be celebrating it as now mangle the OF. What makes you think that if they ignore a rubric in the OF they wouldn’t do the same in the EF? You’d also hear some pretty bad Latin.

On the other hand you’d probably find the OF preserved in local monasteries, for example the local Benedictines near where I live. It is a beautiful and reverent liturgy with Gregorian chant, chanted French readings and EP, etc.

In that case you might find yourself drawn to traveling to the monastery to attend the OF. The present situation of the EF is unique in that it is celebrated by those intent on maintaining this form of the Mass. As such I think it benefits from a more careful presentation than if it were the norm in every village and neighbourhood parish.
.

What an interesting scenario!

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

My preference is to travel 1 hour to the EF as opposed to traveling 3 minutes to the NO, so you can imagine what my preference would be if the OF were a long drive away. However, work tends to dictate where I will go, so preferences kind of go out the window right now.

 

[TrueLight]

I’m not saying people can’t argue for more latin. What I was saying is that the argument that latin is more reverant than the vernacular is not correct and is offensive to some Eastern Catholics. Saying that Latin is more reverant is an objective statement that cannot be confined to the Latin Rite, and so necessarily applies to all the Eastern Rites. But this is kind of getting off topic, so we should probably not argue about it here.

Agreed, brother/sister.

 

[ProVobis]

You should remind him that some of the Eastern Catholic Rites have always used the vernacular and see if he’s still willing to claim the Latin is more reverent. There are reasons to preserve Latin, and I love going to Mass in Latin, at least now and again, but this argument has especially bugged me since I found out about the existence of the Eastern Catholic Rites.

Well, what do you think would happen if they were to change the Syriac consecration in all Maronite liturgies to English? How will that make it better? It seems that large amount of beauty of the Maronite liturgy is in its Syriac (and Arabic). Been there and loved it.

 

[arkwright]

What a stupid poll based on a stupid hypothesis .

 

[thewanderer]

Well, what do you think would happen if they were to change the Syriac consecration in all Maronite liturgies to English? How will that make it better? It seems that large amount of beauty of the Maronite liturgy is in its Syriac (and Arabic). Been there and loved it.

Like I said this is rather off topic, but I was moreso thinking of those that have always had their liturgy in the vernacular, as you will see if you read my post.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

There are many people who travel many miles and hours to attend an EF (Traditional Latin Mass). I travel 1 hour each way and I know of a family that attends my chapel that travels 2+ hours each way. The question came up in another thread that if the situation were reversed, if the EF were celebrated everywhere (obviously the name would change) and the OF (Novus Ordo) rare, how many people would travel long distances to attend the OF?

Please do not read this as an OF vs. EF thread (and please do not turn it into one). Actually, I see this as a pro-OF thread as it will allow people to state the reasons why they would attend an OF if time and travel were difficulties.

Let’s assume that there is a Traditional Latin Mass 10 minutes from your house. How far would you travel to attend the Ordinary Form of Mass and why?

• PAX

I said I would attend the EF because if there was one near me I would like to attend it. The nearest one is 4 hours away.

Having said that, if for some reason I shouldn’t or didn’t want to attend the EF because of possible abuses or what might be and to get to a reverent OF (which is what I attend now) and I needed to travel I think I would go as far as needed, though hopefully it wouldn’t be over an hour. I say that because I know many years back people used to have to travel far to get to mass, especially if you lived out in the country and the nearest parish was in town and hopefully I would do the same.

 

[Cat]

Interesting question. Since I strongly believe in territorial parishes, I wouldn’t travel because of the form of the Mass.

I am blessed to have a very reverant Mass in my home parish, so I assume that the same priests would continue to celebrate a reverant Mass no matter what the form.

I agree with this.

I think it’s important to choose a parish, preferably one that is close to home because that’s your neighborhood and your homies, and then STICK WITH that parish through thick and thin, bad and good, boring and thrilling, friendly and unfriendly, donuts or no donuts, unless the parish is taken over by aliens or something really bad.

Maybe I’m still lost in the 1970s and the Carter Administration, but it seems wasteful of resources like time, money, and fossil fuels, to drive a long distance regularly to attend a chuch of personal choice rather than the church that is a few blocks or miles away from my house.

That gas/car money could be used to help someone in need, or used to help your family pay bills.

Obviously if the nearby church is truly sedevacantist, or in rebellion against the Bishop, or as I said earlier, taken over by aliens, that’s different. Of course you have to flee such things for the sake of your soul and the souls of your family members.

But if it’s merely because the form of the Mass isn’t your choice, I just don’t get that. It seems like what we used to call “church hopping” back when I was Protestant.

So in answer to the poll, I would not travel a long distance to attend a parish. I would attend my neighborhood parish (about six blocks from my house) regardless of the Mass form.

 

[the_phoenix]

When I’ve traveled to one of my favorite bed and breakfast inns in Southeast Ohio, it’s a good 15 miles
to the nearest Ordinary Form Mass. Of course, if there were a closer EF Mass,
I’d be just as happy to drive there, too.

 

[Aeden]

I would probably not travel an extra amount of time. I have a preference for the english, but I know latin so I do actually know what I am saying.

 

[ProVobis]

Like I said this is rather off topic, but I was moreso thinking of those that have always had their liturgy in the vernacular, as you will see if you read my post.

From reading some of the comments, I gathered many of the Eastern liturgies had a mix of their own vernacular with some ancient language. The OF was intended to preserve some Latin as well. Sermons and readings are more suitable for the vernacular, I will grant that.

 

[Stylites]

There are many people who travel many miles and hours to attend an EF (Traditional Latin Mass). I travel 1 hour each way and I know of a family that attends my chapel that travels 2+ hours each way. The question came up in another thread that if the situation were reversed, if the EF were celebrated everywhere (obviously the name would change) and the OF (Novus Ordo) rare, how many people would travel long distances to attend the OF?

Please do not read this as an OF vs. EF thread (and please do not turn it into one). Actually, I see this as a pro-OF thread as it will allow people to state the reasons why they would attend an OF if time and travel were difficulties.

Let’s assume that there is a Traditional Latin Mass 10 minutes from your house. How far would you travel to attend the Ordinary Form of Mass and why?

Indeed, a poll on who drives the furthest to satisfy their personal attachment to a particular Form may not be a “OF vs. EF thread.”

If the Ordinary Form were in Latin and the Extraordinary Form were in the local vernacular, then I would do the same as I do now: Make a bee-line to the nearest fount of grace, which is my closest Catholic Church, regardless of the Form.

I’ve attended probably hundreds more Latin Masses than most here, but the Form is not the big draw, it’s the Formless which is.

“There is no Jew nor Greek; there is no bondman nor freeman; there is no male and female; there is no pro-EF nor pro-OF, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus:”