LA Religious Congress 2014

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scylla

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It is that time or year again. The annual religious congress, which I have the pleasure and sometimes burden of attending each year as part of my involvement in my parish.

As usual you will see the usual abuses in the Mass which have become pervasive, and the poor theology which it reflects but there is some good news also.
Good news is… the workshops are getting better.
I have looked at the list and the list of speakers has shifted from good-bad to extremely bad to a better mix of speakers. There are still dissenters but the most wacky out there ones are not as evident as the first years in which I have attended.
I don’t think the Mass has improved much as the Arena and just the overall setup does not lend itself to reverence or respect for God as much as a well designed Church. It would take an effort to really promote a Mass that is God focused in a setting designed for secular entertainment. I am not saying it is impossible but it would take a radical reorientation of thought in this diocese which I do not see happening soon.

But I did see plenty of priests not afraid to wear their collars, nuns in habits, people excited about the faith and there was plenty of people attending an event, dedicating their time to try and spread knowledge and love of the faith.

I have more hope for the Church as time goes by the hippy element starts to die off and not lead so much into error, they do leave a mess of confusion behind but God is faithful and can even make good come out of the congress. There will be people inspired to spread the faith and be more faithful. There is reconciliation available today and tomorrow staffed by many priests.

I will be here at Congress till Sunday then I will leave early to go to Mass in my parish, I cannot stomach the liturgical abuses.

In Christ,
Scylla
 
scylla said:
It is that time or year again. The annual religious congress, which I have the pleasure and sometimes burden of attending each year as part of my involvement in my parish.
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I’m curious how long you have been attending LA Religious Education Congresses.
 
I have been attending for at least 5 years… I have made threads in the past when I was here reviewing the congress and have attended the Mass offered here several times but I do not do that anymore, I just leave early Sunday morning and high-tail it to my hometown in time for Mass.

I remember when there were many extremely unorthodox speakers, I felt like all alone as a Catholic in some sessions, and I am not saying it is good now but I can see things improving.

God Bless
Scylla
 
Just got home from volunteering at RECongress 2014, and I am so tired, but so thankful to be a part of the liturgical team. 🙂
 
I’m quite intrigued by the so-called “Urban Fusion Mass.” That’s a new one.

Dan
 
dans0622 said:
I’m quite intrigued by the so-called “Urban Fusion Mass.” That’s a new one.

Dan
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From what I’ve been told, the inspiration for the Urban Fusion Mass is that since the liturgy, from the Greek, leitourgia, means, “the work of the people,” this Mass is specific to the urban areas of Los Angeles. This Mass speaks to those peoples of the urban communities of Los Angeles such as the Chicanos of East LA, the Koreans who live in Koreatown, and the hipsters of Silver Lake. The biggest fear of course is that people would want to recreate these Masses without their proper context.
 
janeway529 said:
." this Mass is specific to the urban areas of Los Angeles. This Mass speaks to those peoples of the urban communities of Los Angeles such as the Chicanos of East LA, the Koreans who live in Koreatown, and the hipsters of Silver Lake…
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I guess I had better go back to Catechism class. All this time i believed that the Mass was the universal Church offering prayer and worship to God.
 
roadsend said:
I guess I had better go back to Catechism class. All this time i believed that the Mass was the universal Church offering prayer and worship to God.
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Right, but in that universality there are often local variations either as a result of inculturation or due to peculiar characters of the religious community celebrating the Mass that speaks to them. Variations due to local or other peculiar conditions are hardly new. There are even appropriate variations for certain professions, say, circus performers (not to be confused with the so called clown masses, which are of dubious provenance). The key as to whether it is an abused in the strict sense as opposed to a mere legitimate variation is whether they were approved by the competent authority. If it was indeed so approved, taste aside, it is not prohibited.

The Mass has never been strictly uniform except in its essential parts, [edited]. Universal does not equal uniform.
 
Cojuanco said:
Right, but in that universality there are often local variations either as a result of inculturation or due to peculiar characters of the religious community celebrating the Mass that speaks to them. Variations due to local or other peculiar conditions are hardly new. There are even appropriate variations for certain professions, say, circus performers (not to be confused with the so called clown masses, which are of dubious provenance). The key as to whether it is an abused in the strict sense as opposed to a mere legitimate variation is whether they were approved by the competent authority. If it was indeed so approved, taste aside, it is not prohibited.

The Mass has never been strictly uniform except in its essential parts, except perhaps in the minds of some nostalgic Anglo-American laymen. Universal does not equal uniform.
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Thank you Cojuanco.
I am not one of the “Anglo-American laymen”. I am not even “Anglo-American”.
I will try to forget all I have been taught about the Mass being the prayer of the universal Church, and if I happen to bumble into a Mass which “speaks to” folks other than myself, or my rather narrow ethnic, cultural, or occupational group, I will try to do the right thing and get out of there as quickly as possible.
 
Wow - - I’m watching the Urban Fusion Mass on youtube.
I wondered when the groovy Catholics would figure out that 70s “folk music” isn’t exactly appealing to “the kids”. But this, yikes, a strange imitation of urban gospel style. Not sure if fitting / appropriate for Mass? Also, - - what’s with the instruments at Mass in Lent?
 
roadsend said:
I guess I had better go back to Catechism class. All this time i believed that the Mass was the universal Church offering prayer and worship to God.
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To add onto what Cojuanco said, I suggest reading Sacrosanctum Concilium, particularly paragraphs 37-40, which deal with ‘Norms for adapting the Liturgy to the culture and traditions of peoples’.
 
For those interested, the videos from the Opening Ceremony, Liturgies, and Workshops taking place in the Arena can be found here: new.livestream.com/randomhouzeproductions/recongress2014/videos

This year’s souvenir Program Book (with Arena worship aid) can be found here:
recongress.org/2014/pdf/Program2014.pdf

I specifically mention that the videos takes place in the Arena because, as you will notice in the program book, on both Friday and Saturday, there are 6 concurrent liturgies taking place during the Congress.
 
(deleted comment because some might perceive it as being utterly uncharitable. This, despite the fact that the Spiritual Works of Mercy includes to admonish sinners)
 
janeway529 said:
From what I’ve been told, the inspiration for the Urban Fusion Mass is that since the liturgy, from the Greek, leitourgia, means, “the work of the people,” this Mass is specific to the urban areas of Los Angeles. This Mass speaks to those peoples of the urban communities of Los Angeles such as the Chicanos of East LA, the Koreans who live in Koreatown, and the hipsters of Silver Lake. The biggest fear of course is that people would want to recreate these Masses without their proper context.
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Yeah, they can make up whatever twisted logic they want to back up their disturbed liturgical views. They’re entitled to their wrong opinion.
 
janeway529 said:
To add onto what Cojuanco said, I suggest reading Sacrosanctum Concilium, particularly paragraphs 37-40, which deal with ‘Norms for adapting the Liturgy to the culture and traditions of peoples’.
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I would suggest continuing past the 30s and check out what it says about Latin and gregorian chant’s pride of place.
 
janeway529 said:
To add onto what Cojuanco said, I suggest reading Sacrosanctum Concilium, particularly paragraphs 37-40, which deal with ‘Norms for adapting the Liturgy to the culture and traditions of peoples’.
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Hmm, yes, I am reading those paragraphs, and it speaks much of “devising rubrics” and “drawing up liturgical books”. I would ask on whose authority were rubrics devised and liturgical books drawn up for the occasion of LAREC 2014 and which Holy Father promulgated these documents for use in the sacred liturgy at such a time and place? Also, which competent territorial ecclesiastical authority carefully and prudently studied these rubrics and obtained permission from the Apostolic See to experiment with them at LAREC 2014?
 
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