How long...?

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Here in New Zealand the usual weekday Mass is about 30-35 minutes, and the Sunday (or the Saturday Vigil Mass) is at least an hour, in my experience, but seldom longer than, say, 65-70 minutes.
I can’t speak for the EF Mass because I don’t attend them.
 
When attending the March for Life, we celebrated about a 15 minute Mass because we had to make our flight. The funny thing was that the priest is one of the most orthodox individuals I’ve ever met, and so I could see the pain in his face of quickly going through the Mass.
 
Annabelle_Marie said:
In Oregon…the weekday Mass…usually 30-40 minutes…the weekend…usually about an hour. People complain at any more.

Me personally? I just read where I wrote in my diary that I would LOVE a 24 Mass…but I don’t think Fr. would like it…😃

During the weekday I do have to get back to work. I just don’t understand why people complain on Sunday…you would think it’s a mortal sin for Mass to run over…and people will leave early…which bothers me…what…you can’t give God 10 minutes more?
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I tell what I was told.
In Ireland, total or in part of it or in one Church. doors shut at the exact time of opening mass and only open after the priest finished it.
Useless to try to get out earlier !😃
 
CatholicSheila said:
Australia, Archdiocese of Brisbane

Typical Western Masses. Weekdays 1/2 hour, Sundays 1 hr is the norm.

I come from a pentecostal background however and only converted 3 years ago so I am used to much longer services. Both of these seem incredibly short, although I love the length of the weekday mass as it is more accessible.

For me to be annoyed, mass would have to go over 2 hrs. Midnight mass is 1 1/2 hrs and the Easter vigil 2 hours - both still seem short to me.

Sufficed to say I’ve never attended a ‘long’ mass.
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That is the kind of post I would like to hear too.
Comparisons!
I am a cradle Catholic and I know what I know. Hearing other experiences is fine.
 
bmadamsberry said:
When attending the March for Life, we celebrated about a 15 minute Mass because we had to make our flight. The funny thing was that the priest is one of the most orthodox individuals I’ve ever met, and so I could see the pain in his face of quickly going through the Mass.
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Let’s face it: it was a valid Mass and maybe very very devout, as you were deeply concentrated.
 
andremiguel said:
Let’s face it: it was a valid Mass and maybe very very devout, as you were deeply concentrated.
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Another question for the length of the Mass is that the Church must have difficulty to decide at what time to put the everyday Mass: morning, noon, afternoon, night.
I realize that on workdays it must be difficult to have it more than 30 minutes but I tell a story.
In the must-read book Este Japón Increíble, the late Fr. Pedro Arrupe tells the story of his arrival in Japan. By the way, he was also a doctor and was in Hiroshima on the atoic bom explosion and tells the tale. Moving. But he said that he set times for masses or meeting with the Catholic Japanese. None appeared for weeks. Till it dawned to him to ask at what time the members wanted the mass or meetings. And they said 4 am was the best time. It was “increible”, incredible. Next day he was there at 4 am and the Church was crowded with Catholics.
 
andremiguel said:
How long is a long Mass for you?
Look, in Russian Liturgy you have got masses that last 6 hours.
In Africa, many liturgy last 3 hours.
Now, in Europe, we have workdays masses of 30 minutes. And Sunday Masses of 60 minutes. Some people complain when the Sunday Mass lasts 61 minutes.

So, I would like to know how long is long for you.
If you please, quote the part of the Planet where you live so that we may have a global a regional view.
Thanks.

I will not tell my opinion first so to let people free but anytime I will state it.
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That’s not true. The Russian Orthodox typically (not always but typically) celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom which takes about 90 minutes, possibly 2 hours. However they have prayer before and after the DL which can elongate things.

The best Masses I have attended seem to take 75-90 minutes unless they are special Masses celebrated by bishops, etc. Typical Sunday Masses around here run from 50-65 minutes and often seem rushed. I live in California.
 
Why did the Japanese Catholics request Mass at 4 AM, andremiguel? And I thought I had it rough getting up at 6:30-7:00 AM to be to church in time for the 8:30 raising of the incense! :eek:
 
Remember: the Third Commandment say “Remember the Sabbath DAY and keep it holy.” For all that God has done for us, can’t we at least do Him the favor of not looking at our watches while at Mass?
 
Laetus said:
That’s not true. The Russian Orthodox typically (not always but typically) celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom which takes about 90 minutes, possibly 2 hours. However they have prayer before and after the DL which can elongate things.

The best Masses I have attended seem to take 75-90 minutes unless they are special Masses celebrated by bishops, etc. Typical Sunday Masses around here run from 50-65 minutes and often seem rushed. I live in California.
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So, where did it come to my mind the idea that some Russian liturgies lasted 6 hours? I have attended one in Greece for 3 hours.
 
dzheremi said:
Why did the Japanese Catholics request Mass at 4 AM, andremiguel? And I thought I had it rough getting up at 6:30-7:00 AM to be to church in time for the 8:30 raising of the incense! :eek:
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Sorry, I lost the book but I must buy it again. It is only in Spanish it would be worth to translate it into English.
I think it had to do with them going to work in agriculture.
Even now, Japanese sleep little but during the day they sleep everywhere:
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http://static8.businessinsider.com/image/4f47cb66ecad041b0c000049/sleeping-japanese-lady.jpg
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http://allfunny-stuff.com/pics/Funny-Sleeping-positions/sleep-1.jpg

http://emuu.net/p/i/2008/01/20080103B001a.jpg
http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/blog/sleeping.jpg
 
 
andremiguel said:
How long is a long Mass for you?
Look, in Russian Liturgy you have got masses that last 6 hours.
In Africa, many liturgy last 3 hours.
Now, in Europe, we have workdays masses of 30 minutes. And Sunday Masses of 60 minutes. Some people complain when the Sunday Mass lasts 61 minutes.

So, I would like to know how long is long for you.
If you please, quote the part of the Planet where you live so that we may have a global a regional view.
Thanks.

I will not tell my opinion first so to let people free but anytime I will state it.
Click to expand...
During the week Mass can be from 20-30 minutes depending on the length of the homily or if there isn’t a homily. One parish nearby has a about a 15 minute daily mass, which I had to quit trying to make because if I was 5 or more minutes late I felt like I missed it, which I would at times be late depending on my son getting to school.

On Sundays our parish has an hour mass. On occassion I have attended the Spanish Mass in our area and that lasts about an hour and a half, maybe a little longer.

I guess not having attended any of the longer masses spoken of in this thread I am curious as to what makes it longer. I have been to special occassion masses that lasted longer because of like baptisms or such but I am curious as to what would make a typical mass longer because I would like that. I feel sometimes like we are so rushed or so in tune to our watches on Sundays and that shouldn’t be.
 
Archdiocese of Denver

At my parish the average is about an hour and 15 minutes. Daily mass is about 35 minutes. I sometimes go to the Cathedral and that is about the same.
 
At our parish the Sunday OF Mass lasts exactly one hour, unless there are baptisms. Even at an hour, there are still people who receive communion and head straight for the door. It’s not that I watch for stuff like that, it’s just that often I notice after I’ve finished my prayers after communion, I open my eyes and realize that I’m the only one in the pew!

But this thread reminds me of something that happened several years ago. We had a new priest assigned and he liked to give long homilies. Some committee or council or such got together and told him that his homilies were too long and that if he continued that way, he’d lose parishoners. (we have several parishes to choose from within a 15 mile radius) So he complied and shortened the length of the homily.

Well, last week he retired and for his last Sunday he gave one of the longest homilies I’d ever heard! I loved it. But I couldn’t help but chuckle and wonder if he was thinking “You can’t do anything about it now…” 😃
 
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston TX

One parish, if the pastor presides, 90 minutes on Sunday is the norm. He gives very long homilies. They are good, but rambling and very long. When he came, he would start late and end late, and the parking lot was a mess, so the Mass times got adjusted. Several times. :rolleyes: Now a lot of people have just left the parish. 😦

The other parish, 1 hour, that’s all the time they have, the next Mass starts 1/2 hour later and it takes time to clear the parking lot and let the new people in.

Weekday at that parish - Mass is 40 minutes and then we say the rosary for the next 20 minutes, so it works out to an hour anyway. But I love the shorter Mass, no music, no extra stuff. It’s not that I am in a hurry, but I like the more elemental Mass without distractions.

🤷
 
In my Byzantine (Ruthenian) parish, Divine Liturgy lasts 80-90 minutes, or, as Father puts it, “as long as it takes”. We pray the 3rd hour immediately preceeding Liturgy, so in reality the service lasts about 2 hours. During Lent, it will be longer because we pray the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which is a bit longer.
 
My Parish in London, England Sunday morning Mass starts at 10:30 and we consider the Mass short if the final blessing takes place before 12 noon.
 
Lesley68 said:
My Parish in London, England Sunday morning Mass starts at 10:30 and we consider the Mass short if the final blessing takes place before 12 noon.
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Hi, Londoner. I am sidestepping a little but I tell this story everywhere. I spent one month in Camden Town, London when my kids were small. We looked for a Sunday Mass and and we arrived to a amazingly beautiful Gothic Church. A limping lady was going in front of us. We entered and the Church was empty but for a nice couple inside who met us. Finding strange and empty church, we asked whether it was Catholic. They said no and indicated very politely, the Catholic Church down the STreet. The limping lady said: “I am Catholic but I am not leaving for I am exausted! God is the same everywhere!” We left the now recognized Anglican Pastor with the limping Catholic and found an ugly catholic church crowded with people singing at full lungs. We were surprised by the long mass.

Later on, we went to Westminster Abbey and were shocked seeing it spoiled by tumbs of I do not know who, the same Protestants who do not accept Catholic Images.

Later on, and my wife still remembers with fondness we went to Catholic Westminster Cathedral, a rather dubious Byzantine Style Church and participated in the most moving Mass of our lives. The organist was so full of enthusiasm that blew the pipes at full sound. The lady in front of us looked up watching what was happening but I did not mind for I was moved too. The mass was long, the chant was perfect, the sermon motivational, I mean, it was the experience of my life, moreover for I thought England was a Protestant Country !!!
 
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