Liturgical Dancers

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Rev. Robert VerEecke, S.J., director of the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, Boston College artist-in-residence and lecturer in dance, and pastor of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola
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Nuns dance like pagan Vestal Virgins. Cardinal Roger Mahony Cathedral, Los Angeles California.
 
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ILdoc82:
Robert Ver Eecke, S.J. Boston, MA

Nuns dance like pagan Vestal Virgins. Cardinal Roger Mahony Cathedral, Los Angeles California.
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Lord, deliver us and save us from this insanity!
 
Merciful heavens!

I once attended something of a clown Mass. I accompanied my teens to a youth retreat where “clown ministry” was one of the workshops. Later, there was a Mass celebrated by the bishop.

The youths, some dressed as clowns, brought up the offertory gifts, including a Mylar heart shaped balloon.

Another group of youth danced around the altar. I recall one of the girls wearing purple satin pajamas. At the end of the dance, a boy who’d stood with his back to us the entire time reeled around to reveal a bowl containing a large, lit, black candle. All the dancing girls then lit their little fruit-painted votive cups with colored candles, and distributed them to the faithful in the pews…

That was the last diocesan-sponsored youth retreat of its kind that my kids ever attended!

Pax Christi. <><
 
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ILdoc82:
Rev. Robert VerEecke, S.J., director of the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, Boston College artist-in-residence and lecturer in dance, and pastor of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Nuns dance like pagan Vestal Virgins. Cardinal Roger Mahony Cathedral, Los Angeles California.
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HOLY CRP!,…uh…er…, I mean UNHOLY CRP!:eek:
 
Panis Angelicas:
Another group of youth danced around the altar. I recall one of the girls wearing purple satin pajamas. At the end of the dance, a boy who’d stood with his back to us the entire time reeled around to reveal a bowl containing a large, lit, black candle. All the dancing girls then lit their little fruit-painted votive cups with colored candles, and distributed them to the faithful in the pews…
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Did they sacrifice the virgin after this display? Also, on which side of the altar was the horned goat statue placed?

Seriously though, what you describe doesn’t even sound like a Catholic Mass. It sounds more like a ritual sacrifice or something out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
 
Yes, we’ve got them, and I like 'em. The leader (a male) carries a crucifix, flanked by two others carrying large candles. They move at a slow, dignified pace up the aisle, toward the Altar, followed by other men in increasingly ornate garb, one of whom solemnly swings a censer, the last of whom sometimes can be seen carring a large shepherd’s crook. They reverently move about the sanctuary, bowing, kneeling on one or both knees, accompanied often by organ music, their own chanting or the chanting of a choir, or even of the audience. Their action contriubute quite a bit to the solemnity of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Adding anything more would be ridiculous!
 
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ILdoc82:
Rev. Robert VerEecke, S.J., director of the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, Boston College artist-in-residence and lecturer in dance, and pastor of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola

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What is he doing? The Passion of the Christ dance underneath the Crucifix- How sad!
 
Khoria Anna:
Yes, we’ve got them, and I like 'em. The leader (a male) carries a crucifix, flanked by two others carrying large candles. They move at a slow, dignified pace up the aisle, toward the Altar, followed by other men in increasingly ornate garb, one of whom solemnly swings a censer, the last of whom sometimes can be seen carring a large shepherd’s crook. They reverently move about the sanctuary, bowing, kneeling on one or both knees, accompanied often by organ music, their own chanting or the chanting of a choir, or even of the audience. Their action contriubute quite a bit to the solemnity of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Adding anything more would be ridiculous!
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AMEN!
 
We don’t have them, but some of the parishes around here do. Liturgical dancers are not appropriate for the culture of the US. If Mass is going to be offered in the local vernacular, then the customs of the country of origins should be respected. What is appropriate on one continent may be observed as totally off the wall on another.
 
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ktm:
Did they sacrifice the virgin after this display? Also, on which side of the altar was the horned goat statue placed?

Seriously though, what you describe doesn’t even sound like a Catholic Mass. It sounds more like a ritual sacrifice or something out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
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lol, no…I actually think the bishop was quite taken aback by this display. He was quite new to our diocese at that time. He continued on with the rest of the Mass in a dignified manner, and his homily was on the many benefits of frequent confession!

Pax Christi. <><
 
The one time I saw them was right after the Kwanza candles were lit between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the childrens’ Mass.

It sickened me. We have never gone back a childrens’ Mass in that parish.
 
Bishop Sylvester Ryan, the Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey, California (and former Mahony underling) and his minions (many which seem to be sexist nuns) seem to have a great fetish for liturgical dance.

My parish’s bulleting even has an announcement asking for dancers for an upcoming special Mass.

I recall that Bp. Ryan’s minions began to refer to liturgical dance as “liturgical movement” as a means to skirt around what the Church directs. Some of what they have done has been deeply offensive.

Thanks be to God that Bp. Ryan will be retiring in about a year. Please pray that we receive an orthodox bishop, and not another mini-Mahony.
 
Khoria Anna:
Yes, we’ve got them, and I like 'em. The leader (a male) carries a crucifix, flanked by two others carrying large candles. They move at a slow, dignified pace up the aisle, toward the Altar, followed by other men in increasingly ornate garb, one of whom solemnly swings a censer, the last of whom sometimes can be seen carring a large shepherd’s crook. They reverently move about the sanctuary, bowing, kneeling on one or both knees, accompanied often by organ music, their own chanting or the chanting of a choir, or even of the audience. Their action contriubute quite a bit to the solemnity of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Adding anything more would be ridiculous!
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1.) The thurifer (incense) should be first in the procession, ahead of the crucifer (crucifix bearer.)

2.) Neither the thurifer, crucifer or candle bearers should bow or kneel.

3.) I hope your (arch)bishop is carrying a crozier and not a “crook”

4.) No ornate book of Gospels held at the chest level (NOT overhead like a surfboard) by your deacon?

Otherwise, sounds real nice…
 
Dawn,

You said,
I do believe however, that they are either no longer permitted in church or during Mass.
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What you experienced was an illicit Mass.

So, this raises a question. If private chapels have Traditional Latin Masses without the Bishops permission then they are illicit. But, if the local Novus Ordo masses are illicit because of Liturgical Dancers etc… then what is the difference going to an illicit Novus Ordo mass and an illicit TLM?
 
Detroit Sue:
We don’t have them, but some of the parishes around here do.** Liturgical dancers are not appropriate for the culture of the US.** If Mass is going to be offered in the local vernacular, then the customs of the country of origins should be respected. What is appropriate on one continent may be observed as totally off the wall on another.
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Actually that’s not true.

Liturgical dance is appropriate where it has been part of worhip with a given group of people before and after the Church has arrived.

Hawaii comes to mind as one area in the USA where liturgical dance (in this case, hula) is most appropriate – although I still don’t like it.

There may well be other such areas within the USA…
 
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James0235:
The first time I saw this I began thinking of them as Mahony’s Nun-Witches. :mad: They definately don’t act like nuns. But at least they are wearing habits 😉

James
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I’d say this was a bad habit to get into!
 
A quick visit to Jimmy Akin’s web site produced the following:

"In 1975, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship issued a document titled, Dance in the Liturgy, which it declared is to be treated as ‘an authoritative point of reference for every discussion on the matter.’

The document noted that although there are cultures in which dance retains a religious character and could be permitted in liturgy, 'the same criterion and judgment cannot be applied in the western culture. Here dancing is tied with love, with diversion, with profaneness, with unbridling of the senses . . .

‘For that reason it cannot be introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever: that would be to inject into the liturgy one of the most desacralized and desacralizing elements; and so it would be equivalent to creating an atmosphere of profaneness which would easily recall to those present and to the participants in the celebration worldly places and situations.’

In all likelihood, the complete document is available through EWTN’s web-based library.

Hope that’s helpful.
 
Now you know why I have decides to leave my Parsih of St.Ignatius from which I was Baptized. It broke my heart but he has turned a once beautiful Church into a complete s##thole.
It takes every once of self control not to trip him has he orgasmicly wryths(sp), whirls and twirls down the isle at the close of Mass.
That picture isn’t the worst of it either.
Kathy
 
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