Mass and Personality Types

[JimR-OCDS]

Mass times tend to draw various personality types in my parish.

Saturday 4:30 Mass, tends to draw those who sit in their car waiting up to the last minute before going into the church. They don’t sing, leave before the final verse of the recessional hymn. Mass participation is weak overall.

We have an Sunday 8:AM Mass. these folks are meticulous on time and Mass etiquette. They are the one’s who remember to set their clocks back in the fall and forward in the spring. They show up 10-15 minutes before Mass. They attempt to sing the hymns even if they don’t know them. Many more people at this Mass, follow the missal than at other Masses.

We have an 11AM Mass with a folk group. This is the most popular Mass. This Mass draws many of the families with small children. Most show up on time, but a significant number show up late. Generally, its noisy, due to the little children. The music is good however, and the people know the hymns and the singing is always loud and strong. They also tend to stay afterward, for the coffee and donuts served in the parish hall. They’re also the one’s who volunteer their time more than the folks at the other Masses.

Over all, its a good parish.

Does your parish have Masses that fit the personality types of the people who attend them?

Jim

 

[Tonks40]

We have 8 Masses on the weekends, so it’s hard to observe all the parishioners who attend, but here are some of the things I’ve noted:

Sat 5pm - though the music is lead by a folk group, the music is done reverently and with taste. The people are also reverent, with about a quarter arriving 15 minutes or so early. Latecomers are the ones who leave early; the majority of the congregation sings.

Sun 8:30, 10:00 & 11:30 Masses - these are the popular Masses, and many arrive about 10 minutes early. Our 10am Masses is with a traditional choir, and I get the feeling a lot do not sing, but enjoy listening to it. We have a lot of socialization outside of church after the Masses, to the point where you don’t know who are the ones leaving and who are the ones arriving for the next Mass.

Sun 5:00 pm - this is suppose to be our Youth Mass. Contemporary music, lots of young people, but the adults seem to be the ones who arrive to make sure the fulfill their Sunday obligation at the last minute.

I’m not sure about the Spanish Masses at my parish, but my impression is that they are also very popular, and that there is a little more enthusiasm in participation. Both have very lively spanish music.

 

[lak611]

The Vigil Mass at 4 p.m. on Saturday tends to attract the biggest crowd. There are a lot of senior citizens who like it because the senior group gets together for the Mass frequently. There are also a lot of families. People tend to arrive on time and stay till the end, usually shaking hands with Father on their way out the door.

The 8 a.m. Sunday Mass tends to attract mostly senior citizens (usually those who do not go to the Vigil Mass). There are a lot of people but most tend to be older.

The 10 a.m. Sunday Mass tends to be popular with people who like the choir. The choir sings at this Mass. There is less congregational singing because people like to hear the choir sing. The RCIA class goes to this Mass.

The 12 p.m. Sunday Mass is the least crowded. People tend to be late for this one more than for the others.

In terms of attendance, Vigil is most attended, followed by 10 a.m., then 8 a.m., and 12 p.m. is least attended.

 

[Rawb]

I’ve only been to four of the seven masses offered on the weekends, but here’s what I’ve noticed.

4:00 Saturday - this Mass is usually attended by senior citizens and the music can range from folksy to songs with Latin choruses.

8:30 Sunday - This is the largest and most reverential Mass, in my opinion. The music is generally the most classical, with a full choir. This has many families, it’s about 50/50 elderly and families. The children’s liturgy where the kids are taken out after the readings during the Homily and the readings are explained, is during this Mass, and this is the Mass that the RCIA class goes to.

10:00 Sunday - A little more modern with a smaller choir but about the same feel as the 8:30. There are more families.

7:00PM Sunday - the ‘Contemporary’ teen Mass, and the one that I…dislike. A live band with electric guitars is where the choir usually sits, the Our Father is sung (repeating several lines in order to make it fit), etc. I’ve attended this Mass only when I felt ill in the morning or had no other time to attend.

From what I hear, the 7:00AM ‘Silent’ Mass has no singing, and is attended by those who are waiting for the return of the TLM.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

In our parish, it not only depends on the time, but the season.

During the summer, 5 PM Saturday Vigil is less attended because we have no air conditioning in the church and it’s HOT. During the rest of the year, attendance is about 1/3 more than summer. In any event, it has a decent organist, responses are heard, hymns are sung, and everything is done decently and in order. A lot of older people attend it, and a lot fo people with little kids.

The 8:30 AM Sunday Mass during the summer has a cantor and organist. During the rest of the year, this is the schola’s Mass. There is at least one schola piece in every Mass that the congregation does not sing.

The 10:30 AM Mass is the one my husband calls the Nairobi Trio Mass:
youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY He also calls it the Kumbaya Chorus Mass. It is led by one extended family with a couple other people thrown in for good measure. To be fair, however, I don’t see anybody else getting up there and doing it. This is the one used as “school” or “team” or “Boy Scout” Mass (Girl Scouts were smart enough to switch to the 5 PM on Saturday evening). I find the hymns grating, and everybody more worried about where their friends are sitting than the Mass at this one. Also, after the 10:30, everybody just starts talking right there in church, just as soon as Father is out the back door.

During the summer, about 1/3 of the parishoners find one of the nearby parishes with air conditioning or cooler environs- at every Mass.

Everybody comes early and stays late. Before Mass, there are photos in the back of church to see. Somebody’s committee is looking for members, and somebody is selling something. Between Masses on Sunday, Manna gift certificates are sold to help defray tuition and parish expsenses.

 

[THutch04]

Hmm well here’s the way it tends to be at school:

Saturday Vigil: Pretty quiet, definitely the least attended of the four Masses during the weekend. Not too much congregational participation.

11am Sunday: Any special event taking place at Duquesne (such as RCIA rites, installation of members into honor societies, etc) take place during this Mass. It has lively music complete with bongos (I try my best not to go to this one). On the whole, this has the greatest amount of non-Duquesne people attending.

6pm Sunday: It’s held in the auditorium of one of our buildings. This is actually the one that I was recruited to cantor for. It’s very informal, and it’s come to be known as the lazy Mass, because hardly anybody who attends this Mass pays attention to reverence. Not much singing except for the cantor’s.

9pm Sunday: This is my favorite one. It’s probably the most attended (it’s really close between that and the 11am). The choir is wonderful, and despite a somewhat informal atmosphere, everyone who attends this Mass is very reverent. It’s quieter and more reflective than the others. A lot of the congregation joins in the singing.

 

[CarrieH]

Sat. 5 p.m. – during the summer, this is the best-attended. I don’t know why, unless everybody wants to get up early to play golf on Sunday morning. The rest of the year, it’s a mix of older folks and adults with maybe 3/4 of the church filled.

Sunday 8 a.m. – The same types who attend the vigil but only about half as many, with fewer families. The music is bare-bones, only the hymns are sung, Mass parts are spoken.

Sunday 9:30 a.m. – the big family Mass. Music is led by youth/teen music group. Always packed to the gills.

Sunday 11 a.m. – the more formal Mass with full choir. Well-attended, but more late-comers and early-departers.

Sunday 7 p.m. – the more casual “contemporary” Mass with folk group. Mostly the younger crowd, but some families who didn’t make it to the other Masses and are there for “last call.”

As a “golden girl” (lady over 50 for those of you too young to remember that TV show), I personally prefer the Sat. vigil, but if I can’t make it, I’ll attend Sunday p.m. as my second choice and Sunday 8 a.m. as third choice. I find the 9:30 family Mass to be too crowded, and the 11:00 takes a chunk out of the middle of my day. Birds of a feather flock together, and I like being there with others my own age.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I guess the reason I get a better feel for the various personality types, who attend the various Masses in my parish, is because we’re a small parish, less than 400 families. The church only holds about 150 people comfortably. I’ve been to all the Masses and its interesting to see the differences.

Jim

 

[Cat]

This is a fun thread!

I’ve noticed “Mass Personalities” similiar to what others have posted. I often play piano, so I can actually “see” the people as they worship the Lord.

Instead of writing about my large parish that has nine Masses on Sat/Sun, I’ll talk about my smaller parish (where I play piano) that only has four Masses. I’ve never been to the Sat Vigil or the Sunday early Mass, but I play at the other two Masses.

9:00 AM–More serious, quieter. They sing, but not exuberantly. Very friendly, very caring. I think a lot of the “officers” in the Church attend this Mass, and these people work hard to make this parish glorify God.

11:30 AM–the SINGING Mass! The people who attend this Mass LOVE to sing, and they really work hard to sing whatever hymns are done. I love playing for this Mass! A great mix of young and elderly.

At both Masses, the people are always friendly and sweet to me, and often compliment me or tell me that they enjoyed the music. These people are the salt of the earth, IMO!

 

[brotherhrolf]

10:00 am - cathedral parish. Very traditional with choir. The congregation does sing. Because the choir sings an introit, few if any late comers. Early leavers are thwarted by the choir lining either side of the aisles for the recessional. (Hard to sneak out when everyone can see the main aisle and the choir is standing in the outer aisles) Works for us!

 

[lak611]

10:00 am - cathedral parish. Very traditional with choir. The congregation does sing. Because the choir sings an introit, few if any late comers. Early leavers are thwarted by the choir lining either side of the aisles for the recessional. (Hard to sneak out when everyone can see the main aisle and the choir is standing in the outer aisles) Works for us!

That Mass sounds like one I would want to definitely come early for. I love a great choir! :extrahappy:

 

[VAC]

9:00 AM–More serious, quieter. They sing, but not exuberantly. Very friendly, very caring. I think a lot of the “officers” in the Church attend this Mass, and these people work hard to make this parish glorify God.

11:30 AM–the SINGING Mass! The people who attend this Mass LOVE to sing, and they really work hard to sing whatever hymns are done. I love playing for this Mass! A great mix of young and elderly.

I think people might be more awake at those later masses
I also think it’s nice when there are different types of masses to chose from.

 

[Gardening_Mommy]

Early leavers are thwarted by the choir lining either side of the aisles for the recessional. (Hard to sneak out when everyone can see the main aisle and the choir is standing in the outer aisles) Works for us!

When I was in the chapel choir at college, our director had finally had it one Sunday. As frequently happened, some people had slipped out of their pews and were leaving the chapel up the main aisle BEFORE the priest had made it very far up the main aisle (the Naval Academy “chapel” is a very large church, with the choir loft in the far back, directly over the main doors).

Doc pursed his lips, scowled, deliberately snapped his hymnal shut, then stuck his arm straight out… and DROPPED THE HYMNAL out of the choir loft. The entire choir just about choked from shock or laughter (no, he didn’t hit anyone) and I’ll bet the people thought twice before leaving early again!

Back on topic…
Some of the “personality” of the mass can be affected by the time, too. We go to the 9am at our parish because it’s best with small kids, even though we don’t like the Haugen-Haas flavor of music. Most of the families with small kids go to that mass, especially during the school year, when the kids can go to Children’s Church during the first half of mass. (They come back just after the end of the sermon.)

The 11am runs into the kids’ nap time (never wise) and the music tends towards plodding pseudo-classical anyways. The 12:45 is just sadly perfunctory, usually gets the worst cantors, etc.; add to that the really inconvenient time and it gets pretty much ignored by most of the parish.

 

[Philothea_2.0]

When I was in the chapel choir at college, our director had finally had it one Sunday. As frequently happened, some people had slipped out of their pews and were leaving the chapel up the main aisle BEFORE the priest had made it very far up the main aisle (the Naval Academy “chapel” is a very large church, with the choir loft in the far back, directly over the main doors).

Doc pursed his lips, scowled, deliberately snapped his hymnal shut, then stuck his arm straight out… and DROPPED THE HYMNAL out of the choir loft. The entire choir just about choked from shock or laughter (no, he didn’t hit anyone) and I’ll bet the people thought twice before leaving early again!

Back on topic…
Some of the “personality” of the mass can be affected by the time, too. We go to the 9am at our parish because it’s best with small kids, even though we don’t like the Haugen-Haas flavor of music. Most of the families with small kids go to that mass, especially during the school year, when the kids can go to Children’s Church during the first half of mass. (They come back just after the end of the sermon.)

The 11am runs into the kids’ nap time (never wise) and the music tends towards plodding pseudo-classical anyways. The 12:45 is just sadly perfunctory, usually gets the worst cantors, etc.; add to that the really inconvenient time and it gets pretty much ignored by most of the parish.

That’s awfully rude, considering that when the Priest says “The Mass is ended, go in peace,” the faithful are free to leave regardless of how talented and hardworking the choir is.

ETA: I think the Mass times psychoanalysis game is kind of silly. I know that with an unpredictable three-year-old to care for, my family goes to whichever Mass suits our needs that weekend based on a number of different factors (naptimes, child’s mood, hunger/meal plans, travel, etc.). I suspect most families make their decision similarly. It’s not that God is not first in our lives, but we do the best we can to keep him first every day of the week and see no reason to make things harder than they have to be on Sundays just to attend our favorite, “most reverent” Mass (which for us is the quieter one with chant and Latin, but we NEVER go to it because it bumps into the little guy’s naptime).

I have been to every Mass time at my parish and have noticed no common thread among the participants. It varies from week to week and I run into the same people at lots of different times.

 

[Gearoidin]

Sat. 6pm is the Neocat Mass. I’ve only been once and that was by accident. I guess it is a typical Neocat Mass.
Usually I attend the 7am. It is quiet with about 30 people, about 50/50 mixture of elderly and younger, usually single people. We have an organ and a cantor. Most of the Mass is chanted or sung. We have no air conditioner or heating so it is boiling in summer and freezing in winter!
10am is the main Mass and is usually packed. People arrive about 10-15 minutes early for the Rosary and stay till the end. It is chanted or sung and the hymns are traditional. It is quite noisy with all the families with young kids but people are respectful. Any events are held after this Mass and before it there is Sunday school for the children. We have no evening Mass on Sundays.
The 1st and 3rd Sundays we have an English/Tagalog Mass at 2pm. This is noisy and many people arrive 15-20 minutes late, mainly because they drive long distances and have young children. The music is electric guitars, tamborines and drums with the singing in either Tagalog or English (or a mixture of both). After the Mass there is a community meeting for the Philippino community.
The 2nd and 4th Sundays we have a Spanish Mass. It is at 11am but I’ve never been.
Weekdays we have a 6.30am Mass only. I go during the holidays and there are usually about 30-40 people there. It is quite with almost no singing or chanting.
Gearoidin

 

[Gardening_Mommy]

That’s awfully rude, considering that when the Priest says “The Mass is ended, go in peace,” the faithful are free to leave regardless of how talented and hardworking the choir is.

It had nothing to do with the choir’s work; it had to do with running up the aisle in front of the priest! Every parish I’ve been to in the U.S. (and several overseas), the unwritten rule is that you shouldn’t leave before the priest. I was always taught that it was a matter of respect to let him process out first. At the very least, they could’ve used the side aisles or even the side doors.

 

[Philothea_2.0]

It had nothing to do with the choir’s work; it had to do with running up the aisle in front of the priest! Every parish I’ve been to in the U.S. (and several overseas), the unwritten rule is that you shouldn’t leave before the priest. I was always taught that it was a matter of respect to let him process out first. At the very least, they could’ve used the side aisles or even the side doors.

Exactly, the unwritten rule. It’s not a real rule, just something people do. This question has been asked of my pastor time and time again and his answer is always the same – when he says “The Mass is ended,” he means it. We are free to go. We shouldn’t trample anybody, priest or otherwise, but if, as you stated, the aisle is loooong (and I’ve been to the Academy chapel, it is enormous), there is no reason someone near the back shouldn’t exit before the priest if it’s going to take a while for the priest to even get there.

 

[Hellisreal]

The Vigil Mass at 4 p.m. on Saturday tends to attract the biggest crowd. There are a lot of senior citizens who like it because the senior group gets together for the Mass frequently. There are also a lot of families. People tend to arrive on time and stay till the end, usually shaking hands with Father on their way out the door.

The 8 a.m. Sunday Mass tends to attract mostly senior citizens (usually those who do not go to the Vigil Mass). There are a lot of people but most tend to be older.

The 10 a.m. Sunday Mass tends to be popular with people who like the choir. The choir sings at this Mass. There is less congregational singing because people like to hear the choir sing. The RCIA class goes to this Mass.

The 12 p.m. Sunday Mass is the least crowded. People tend to be late for this one more than for the others.

In terms of attendance, Vigil is most attended, followed by 10 a.m., then 8 a.m., and 12 p.m. is least attended.

7:30
9:00
10:30
12:00

on Sunday for me.

5:00 on Sat

Other than the minor time differences, sounds like the same crowds in my parish.

 

[Sarabande]

I’m usually at our Cathedral which has a different dynamic since the parish is actually very small and the majority of people attending are visitors. In the summer, it really depends on who is on vacation. Most of the masses are fairly equal in how they “participate” in the mass.

During the year:

Saturday 5:15 - Well-attended. Usually visitors. They sing pretty well.

Sunday:

8:00 a.m. - This mass has no music, and I’ve never been to that one, but I’m assuming that actual parishioners or regulars come to this mass mostly.

9:30 a.m. - Well-attended and congregation sings, but not as well as the later masses.

11:00 a.m. - High Mass with choir and organ. It is the most popular well-attended mass. We also have two Latin N.O. masses 1st and 3rd Sunday a month. There is usually traditional congregational hymns for the processional and recessional, plus the acclamations. The Choir will sing for the offertory and communion. For the Latin N.O. they will also sing the Kyrie and Gloria - usually something by Palestrina or Hassler. They also do a Batten mass from the 1600s. The Mass parts for the English will also be in four-part. Congregation does sing very well, but they also love to hear the choir and the organ. Homeless people tend to come to this mass as well.

12:15 p.m. - Also very well-attended and people will sing well in this mass. For this mass and the 11:00, you usually see people who have just completed a race or walk, so they are often in sweats or shorts. The majority aren’t like that, but there are obviously a lot of Catholics who do those races for the cure and the like.

5:00 p.m. - Usually a lot of people who also sing.

 

[Vittorio23]

I think most of our Masses are attended pretty evenly, although I would probably say that our 9:30am is when most people come.

5pm Vigil: Quite a few people, dress is much more relaxed (not a lot of people who 'dress up). Choir, but not the whole choir. Joked as being the “tester” for Father’s homily.

8am: No choir, very simple, and mostly older folks and senior citizens. Pretty reverent. Not a lot of changes implemented, as those who go to this Mass really like it how it is.

9:30am: Probably the one with the most people. Lots of families. Mostly well-dressed. Choir and cantor. The typical Mass. Most changes implemented- sometimes Father will sing parts of the Mass, although he doesn’t at the 8am.

11:30am: A mixture between the very orthodox families and the ‘late-risers’. About half well-dressed, half just got out of bed. The Mass is mostly in Latin (not TLM, but NO in Latin), as newly implemented by our priest. A Schola with beautiful, traditional music. Very reverent. Starting to become the most popular Mass.