M
mystified
Guest
…why I wasn’t sorry about leaving my old parish.
A longtime friend invited me to attend the Holy Day Mass in my former parish church this evening because a new priest had been assigned.
I knew of this priest. He had been booted from his pastorate where he was extremely popular because, although an Anglo, he spoke beautiful Spanish and understood the Latino culture. He was reported to be pretty orthodox, at least for our diocese.
He was reassigned as a “parochial vicar” in a parish that is 25% Hispanic and the bishop had promised a Spanish-speaking priest for several years.
This evening, shortly after he and the deacon had addressed the altar, two altargirls dashed up the aisle with a candle and the processional crucifix, then placed both out of sight at the outer wall of the sanctuary.
The priest also signalled the choir, guitarists, pianist and bongo drummer to stop. It was really okay because the loud screaming of a small child was drowning them out anyway.
At the conclusion of a good homily, the priest invited the entire congregation to the sancturary, where they formed a ring around him, the deacon, and four EMHCs at the altar. So much for orthodoxy.
During the consecration utilizing some very attractive wine glasses, a small child was allowed to crawl around and under the altar. At various times, the congregation, with exception of a few who elected to stay in the pews, joined in the orans position. Of course the crowd in the sanctuary joined hands for the Padre Nuestro (Our Father).
The recessional was an appropriate Marian hymn in Spanish, accompanied by the amplified bongo drums, with the priest sprinting out the side door… there was no kneeling.
Is there any hope that Pope Benedict XVI’s desire for a more reverent Mass will ever become reality? Hey, Father, what does
GIRM mean?
A longtime friend invited me to attend the Holy Day Mass in my former parish church this evening because a new priest had been assigned.
I knew of this priest. He had been booted from his pastorate where he was extremely popular because, although an Anglo, he spoke beautiful Spanish and understood the Latino culture. He was reported to be pretty orthodox, at least for our diocese.
He was reassigned as a “parochial vicar” in a parish that is 25% Hispanic and the bishop had promised a Spanish-speaking priest for several years.
This evening, shortly after he and the deacon had addressed the altar, two altargirls dashed up the aisle with a candle and the processional crucifix, then placed both out of sight at the outer wall of the sanctuary.
The priest also signalled the choir, guitarists, pianist and bongo drummer to stop. It was really okay because the loud screaming of a small child was drowning them out anyway.
At the conclusion of a good homily, the priest invited the entire congregation to the sancturary, where they formed a ring around him, the deacon, and four EMHCs at the altar. So much for orthodoxy.
During the consecration utilizing some very attractive wine glasses, a small child was allowed to crawl around and under the altar. At various times, the congregation, with exception of a few who elected to stay in the pews, joined in the orans position. Of course the crowd in the sanctuary joined hands for the Padre Nuestro (Our Father).
The recessional was an appropriate Marian hymn in Spanish, accompanied by the amplified bongo drums, with the priest sprinting out the side door… there was no kneeling.
Is there any hope that Pope Benedict XVI’s desire for a more reverent Mass will ever become reality? Hey, Father, what does
GIRM mean?
