Music list in bulletin

[matthewb103]

I am thinking about including a music list in our parish bulletin. I have had a few people ask why we do not include hymn numbers for the ordinaries that we sing on the hymn board, but we do not have enough room to put all the numbers. One solution I thought might work would just be adding a small section in our bulletin with weekly music list. Have any of you done this or seen it, and would you be willing to share your bulletin or your experiences?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I’m trying to understand what this would do.

Is the idea that if I don’t know the Gloria, for example, I could look in the bulletin to get the number, then look in the hymnal and be able to follow the music and join in the singing?

If so, it would be helpful in the sense of letting people know where to find the music.

It would not be helpful in the sense that

• I usually pick up the bulletin on my way out of church
• If I’m a visitor (which makes it more likely I wouldn’t already know the music) then I won’t know to check the bulletin for the information
• by the time I locate the number and find it in the hymnal, you’re probably done with that piece and have moved on to the next part of Mass

 

[matthewb103]

Good points!

You example of the Gloria is what I had in mind. Maybe this isn’t the best solution. I just want a way for people to be able to find the music in the hymnal if they want to. And we obviously can’t just announce the hymn number right before the Memorial Acclamation.

 

[Dlee]

I don’t read my bulletin until I’m home, and with a cup of coffee. Our church has a laminated sheet in the pew racks (where the hymnals are.) The sheet has the words of the Gloria as well as the Apostle’s Creed, and the Nicene Creed.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I wonder about printing the numbers on a half-sheet of paper and putting a few at the end of each pew. People would probably leave them for the next Mass (except for the ones kids play with, etc.) and they might be more obvious for the visitor who actually needs them.

In any case, this is a nice idea!

 

[TheLittleLady]

Here the bulletins are not put out until after Mass (the idea is that people read the bulletin instead of listening to Mass).

Maybe list the selections for next week along with the readings for next week?

Do you change up the settings? We use the same setting at every Mass.

 

[Ann_Stanton]

My parish publishes the bulletin online early on Saturday morning. The parish is just learning a new Gloria and most can not remember what number it is in the hymnal. It would help most people in my parish, if we knew where to look.