Making a parish more traditional

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Several posters are in parishes/diocese/areas where traditional practices in parish devotions are lacking.

Caveat: while we can pray for our priests and try to influence them, we can’t make Father use a specific EP or chant the propers, so let’s not go there. 😛

I thought we could discuss suggestions and examples of how to bring those things to a parish. I am thinking specifically of some things that get discussed a lot, but I know there are other examples and suggestions. Please add.

Adoration/Holy Hours
Rosary guilds leading the rosary before/after Mass
Votive candles
Bells at the consecration
 
Statues and/or icons of the saints
Performing novenas in front of them on days leading up to their feasts
 
Our parish now has an Adoration chapel with daily (but not overnight) adoration. Getting this done was a lay-led effort.

We did have Holy Hours - at first every so often and then once a week on Wednesdays. The first step was that lots of people stayed after noon Mass for this. One person encouraged another and we had a church full (100 or so, our church really seats over 1000. :D)

A few people convinced our pastor to let the Blessed Sacrament remain exposed until the evening. This meant that we needed people to stay with Our Lord all afternoon - during work hours, when kids are getting home from school, not the most convenient time!

So we had Adoration once a week from after noon Mass to about 8pm for a few years. In the meantime, discussions were going on and our pastor spoke to the Bishop about opening an adoration chapel.

Work was done on what was basically a storage room. It was cleaned up, new doors were installed, carpeting, walls painted, and beautiful stained glass redros added, etc. All that took time, effort, and money! All provided by ordinary members of the parish.

The biggest effort was getting two committed adorers per hour from 7am to 7pm 5 days and week and from 7am to noon on Saturday. 130 committed people - minimum! We have a large parish, but that is still a huge commitment. And some people could only take 1/2 hour, so the original group was more like 150-200 people.

We have had our Adoration chapel for 8 years now and it has been a huge blessing for our parish. The woman who coordinates the adorers has cancer so I beg your prayers on her behalf!

I am absolutely sure that the prayers of the 500 or so people (minimum) who sit with Our Lord each week are hugely influencial in making our parish more devout and fostering vocations, as well as assisting with the intentions of those hundreds of people.
 
Prayer groups for the restoration of tradition in some particular respects.
 
In general, I think priests are more open to ideas that don’t require their time or effort.

In my parish we started praying Vespers after daily Mass. It started with a couple of us who would stay after Mass and pray. Then I asked the pastor if he would mind if we invited people to stay and pray with us. He thought that was fine. We brought some extra breviaries with us and showed people how to use them.

After we had been doing this for a month or two, the pastor started to stay and pray with us. Eventually he bought multiple copies of Shorter Christian Prayer so that everyone could use the same book and it was easy to tell everyone to turn to a particular page for the hymn or the psalms or whatever.

Then he started making announcements at the end of Mass that “Evening Prayer will follow Mass” and more people started to stay. He had to buy more copies of Shorter Christian Prayer to accommodate the size of the group.

But I’m pretty certain that if things started by asking him to lead Evening Prayer it never would have happened. That would have been a burden. A small burden, but one more thing added to his “to do” list.

The OP mentions the rosary either before or after Mass. I think the idea would be received differently if it’s “Father, would you lead the rosary before Mass?” and “Father, there are several of us who would like to pray the rosary before Mass. One of us will be here each day to lead it. Would you mind?”
 
Maybe if you can also get core group of people who know the Divine Office or the Little Office well enough, they can do it without a priest and without the ceremonial but simply take turns reciting or chanting the Office. The Little Office said in front of a statue or icon of Mary is really great for that.

Maybe a Patristics study group. You all chose one of the Church Fathers and one of his writings and go through a chapter or two a week, reading it and discussing it.

Also, this one isn’t really “traditional” but you could also have a Bible marathon. Reading the entire Bible in one year together. You get together once a week and do several chapters. Here’s a reading plan (actually, its several different suggestions - you take your pick) which includes the Catholic Deuterocanon and if you can get in seven days in one session, you can really do the whole thing on a once-a-week basis for a whole year. bombaxo.com/nrsvplan.html

You could also get a group of people doing the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent.

Also, if your parish has room on its grounds, a group of people with a knack for gardening can set up a Mary Garden where people can go to to meditate or pray to a little shrine for Mary. You can all recite the rosary while you’re doing the gardening or have someone reading the Bible or the Office while you’re gardening. It may not sound very traditional but it really connects us with God’s creation and reminds us that our First Parents were gardeners and that Eden was our home. If you manage to grow some edible things, that stuff can also be used as the foodstuffs for a soup kitchen event to feed the homeless or the hungry or those in the parish with less than others. Or even to sponsor an Agape meal-type event during Christmas and Easter or those other feast-type holidays for those people who might not be able to make it home and rely on the parish for a sense of community. It also adds beauty to the Church grounds which is also a plus in case the architecture isn’t very beautiful.
 
Yes, I agree. That is a great example of a lay-led effort. And something that many people may be interested in exploring but don’t know how to do by themselves.

Our rosaries are led by various members of the Legion of Mary. For certain occasions, other groups in the church will lead. It doesn’t really matter because the rosaries are open to anyone to join in. The Legion is also careful to not add tons of extra prayers before or after to rosary which helps people follow along comfortably.
 
I would prioritize things this way:

#1 the disposition of the congregation in the present of the Blessed Sacrament. It should be as respectful and reverent as possible, whether Mass is being said or not.

#2 the way devotion is shown to Our Lady and the saints, in both public prayers and private devotions.

#3 the way father is treated. A healthy respect and deference is a good sign of an obedient spirit.

#4 the proportion of the parish that regularly confesses.

#5 the quality of sermons and parish catechesis. I thought about putting catechesis first, but I think people, especially the young, are more likely to apply themselves seriously to learning the Faith if they are first impressed by how the parish lives the faith (as in #1-4).

#6 the generosity of the parishioners. Hopefully, enough people contribute enough time and money to build strong relationships, maintain and beautify the church, and lead/support the spiritual and corporatal works of mercy.

I think those are all hallmarks of a vibrant, traditional parish.
 
Starting a Legion of Mary?

In a parish, there are many things you can do. One way to influence your parish, could be to form a guild or society, give it a good name, and see if any parishioners would join. See if the parish priest will join, but if not, don’t worry.

With this association, you could organise traditional events or devotions, say, a Eucharistic procession, and ask your parish priest if he would lead them. There are many things you could do.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
Several posters are in parishes/diocese/areas where traditional practices in parish devotions are lacking.

Caveat: while we can pray for our priests and try to influence them, we can’t make Father use a specific EP or chant the propers, so let’s not go there. 😛

I thought we could discuss suggestions and examples of how to bring those things to a parish. I am thinking specifically of some things that get discussed a lot, but I know there are other examples and suggestions. Please add.

Adoration/Holy Hours
Rosary guilds leading the rosary before/after Mass
Votive candles
Bells at the consecration
Click to expand...
I think the best approach is to gather a reasonable size group (20-30) of like-minded parishoners, and request that one Sunday Mass be changed to the EF.

Once people experience how things were done in the old Mass, tradition will flow.

God Bless
 
-Placing free empty bottles near a holy water “dispenser” to encourage people to take some home, as the Church recommends to the faithful
-placing free (donated by people like us) holy cards, pamphlets, and other material in the vestibule for people to take that is of a solid nature
-public devotions like others suggested
-starting a Knights of Columbus chapter if one does not exist
-scheduling events to promote vocations, like speakers
 
The idea of starting up a chapter of a traditional Catholic group like Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society is excellent. These are lay-led groups that don’t necessarily require lots of Father’s time.

They are time-tested and have a good structure behind them to support a new group just starting out. They also support a broad enough range of activities that the chapter can be suited to the parish “personality”.
 
Rich_C said:
I would prioritize things this way:

#1 the disposition of the congregation in the present of the Blessed Sacrament. It should be as respectful and reverent as possible, whether Mass is being said or not.

#2 the way devotion is shown to Our Lady and the saints, in both public prayers and private devotions.

#3 the way father is treated. A healthy respect and deference is a good sign of an obedient spirit.

#4 the proportion of the parish that regularly confesses.

#5 the quality of sermons and parish catechesis. I thought about putting catechesis first, but I think people, especially the young, are more likely to apply themselves seriously to learning the Faith if they are first impressed by how the parish lives the faith (as in #1-4).

#6 the generosity of the parishioners. Hopefully, enough people contribute enough time and money to build strong relationships, maintain and beautify the church, and lead/support the spiritual and corporatal works of mercy.

I think those are all hallmarks of a vibrant, traditional parish.
Click to expand...
This is a good post.

I would say that the goal should not be outward signs of piety and devotion, but actual holiness. That should be the end. If all anyone is after is holy hours and novenas, then they have mistaken the journey for the destination.

To my point, I would say that unless a parish is united as a community around the Eucharist, and unless it makes the Eucharist the center of it’s existence, then it will be without life. United around the Eucharist, anything can be done. Without it, very little if anything will ever get done. A healthy devotion to Our Lady is second on my list.

Focus on the Eucharis and Our Lady, and everything else will fall in to place.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
Focus on the Eucharis and Our Lady, and everything else will fall in to place.
Click to expand...
This is an excellent summary.
TimothyH said:
This is a good post.
I would say that the goal should not be outward signs of piety and devotion, but actual holiness. That should be the end. If all anyone is after is holy hours and novenas, then they have mistaken the journey for the destination.
Click to expand...
You’re right of course, but we need to be careful not to stifle something that’s already under utilized. I think in today’s world of privatized spirituality, doing the extras (like daily Mass, holy hours, novenas, etc) is a sure sign of sincerely seeking holiness.
 
TimothyH said:
This is a good post.

I would say that the goal should not be outward signs of piety and devotion, but actual holiness. That should be the end. If all anyone is after is holy hours and novenas, then they have mistaken the journey for the destination.

To my point, I would say that unless a parish is united as a community around the Eucharist, and unless it makes the Eucharist the center of it’s existence, then it will be without life. United around the Eucharist, anything can be done. Without it, very little if anything will ever get done. A healthy devotion to Our Lady is second on my list.

Focus on the Eucharis and Our Lady, and everything else will fall in to place.

-Tim-
Click to expand...
I agree that the outward signs are just that. But I’m looking for ways that lay people - those who are truly devout - can help their fellow parishioners become more holy.

I think traditional practices like Holy Hours and novenas is one way to do it. There is some small truth to the “fake it til you make it” philosophy and certainly many Saints have told us to perservere in practice despite doubts and dryness.

The example given by SuscipeMeDomine was exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of. A few devout parishioners started a public meeting for a traditional devotion (liturgy) and it spread and helped other not so devout parishioners to strengthen their faith.

In the same way the effort taken to make a Mary Garden or start a rosary guild can inspire other people to reexamine their faith and deepen their devotion.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
Caveat: while we can pray for our priests and try to influence them, we can’t make Father use a specific EP or chant the propers, so let’s not go there. 😛
Click to expand...
Maybe so, but when it comes to the Extraordinary Form Mass, we can do more than try:
bilop said:
I think the best approach is to gather a reasonable size group (20-30) of like-minded parishoners, and request that one Sunday Mass be changed to the EF.
Click to expand...
If there is such a group in a parish then by all means, consider exercising the rights granted by Pope Benedict under Summorum Pontificum:

In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church. —Sum. Pont. 5 §1

If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 §1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.—Sum. Pont. 7
 
I feel there is no reason that a church has done away with devotions like the novenas and the holy hours. Those have been and should be part and parcel of the church.

As for saying the Rosary before the mass, I am always wary of this. No, I have nothing against the Rosary at all, in fact on the contrary it is a favorite prayer. But to say them before the mass, in my view, has never been very considerate especially to those who want quietness before the mass. Sometimes the precious time before the mass is often distracted by people making announcement or asking the congregations to practice the hymns. There should be enforced quietness before the mass for people to prepare themselves sufficiently for the mass proper.
 
Sometimes people wonder why I hang around this Traditional Section of CAF, even though I prefer the OF in the vernacular with “modern” music, and I don’t really care for the use of Latin.

Well, so far, almost everything that has been suggested on this very interesting and useful thread is already being done with enthusiasm and good participation at my parish! If it’s on this thread, we’re doing it!

The one exception so far is the Holy Name Society, but there are other vibrant chapters of this at other nearby parishes for anyone who wishes to be involved.

So surprise! I’m a Traditional Catholic! 👍

Seriously, I think I’m very spoiled. I take for granted all these wonderful activities and practices, and I’ll try not to be so cavalier anymore. I find it sad that there are parishes where none or very few of these things are regularly done. I can see why many parishes wouldn’t have the money or the people to maintain a 24/7 Adoration Chapel. But praying the Rosary before Masses…that costs nothing, and it’s such a great way to foster reverence and devotion. Our parish doesn’t do this before all the Sunday Masses (only a half hour between Masses, and lots of traffic and parking issues), but we do pray the Rosary before the weekday Masses.

This suggestion may have already been made in this thread, but I will add that the OP should see if her parish priest will do a regular Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. We do this weekly at our parish (along with a family Rosary).

Also, start a Rosary makers group. My husband tries to attend this whenever it is free. They make mission Rosaries, but they also supply the 24/7 Adoration chapel. And they learn different techniques for making Rosaries; e.g., one evening they learned how to make knotted Rosaries.
 
Cranch said:
Maybe so, but when it comes to the Extraordinary Form Mass, we can do more than try:

If there is such a group in a parish then by all means, consider exercising the rights granted by Pope Benedict under Summorum Pontificum:

In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church. —Sum. Pont. 5 §1

If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 §1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes. If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.—Sum. Pont. 7
Click to expand...
This is not a lay-lead activity. There must be a priest trained and willing to say the EF and the Mass schedule of the parish must allow for an additional Mass or there must be as many willing to attend the EF as would be displaced if an OF were removed from the schedule.

However, I posit that if lay people begin some of the other things suggested here - Vespers being an star example - that the move to requesting an EF will be much easier since the group of parishioners interested and willing to attend may be greater.
 
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