My visit to a more traditional Parish

[Redbaron998]

Wanted to give you all my experince of visiting what I would call a more traditional parish than my own. I entered the church through RCIA 3 years ago into what most would call a more liberal parish, though not theologically but in how we conduct the Mass (though I would we do not have any blatent liturgical abuses like I have seen online, thank God.) I consider myself more traditional, espically in Theology and love a historically rich Church (being a History buff myself) and cant stand some of the liturgical absuses I have seen around but overall like a more celebratory Mass than a solem one. (though both have thier time and place I think)

The first things I noticed about the more traditional Parish was that it has a full Parish school, which I thought was just wonderful. The second I noticed is that thier Perpetual Adoration Chapel was much more plain than ours. If you changed out the Monestance for a simple Cross it would not have looked any different than a protestant prayer room. Our chapel has a Statue of Mary with child, Stain glass windows, offetory candles, etc.) I thought it odd that the more traditional parish had a very plain chapel.

Upon entereing the Sanctuary the first thing I noticed was the silence, people became very silent when they came in. At my parish people talk and are greeting and hugging each other. I think both approaches have thier virtues.

Thier Sanctuary was very nice with two wonderful statues of Mary and Child and thier Parish Saint. My Parish has a statue of Mary and a Statue of the Holy Family but not in the sanctuary. One thing I noticed and loved was thier oranate Tabernacle right up front. My parish’s Tabernacle is off to the side and only visible to about 1/3 the people at Mass which I dont like. Intresting I noticed that only about the same ratio of people Genuflected to the Tabernacle at this parish as my own despire thier Tabernacle being more visible which surprised me.

Another thing I noticed was the Bells. I have been to about 4 different Parishs visiting in my days and all but my home parish have the Bells and I really do love them.

Thier music was very nice, no insturments. Our parish uses instruments which I dont mind but I wish they wouldnt use drums. They didnt Chant at this traditional Parish (I love Chant) but they had pure vocal music and it was very nice.

The priest was impossible to understand, his accent was SO heavy that even I who knows the prayers was almost completely unable to follow the service. I dont hold this against the parish but it deffinetely took something away from the service, thankfully the Deacon gave the homily so we were able to understand it, I hope for the parish’s sake he was a visiting priest. I know the Mass was still valid but it hurt the experince.

Another point was that they had kneelers. We all kneel at my home parish, but only for the one part during the concencration, they kneeled for much longer but the cushioned kneelers made it not bad. The one thing was that thier kneelers were so high I was actually taller kneeling than sitting.

Another thing was the lack of EMs, We have usualy about 15 EMs on average (I know, I think its a bit to much myself) but we also have both specises of the Eucharist while this parish only had the Bread. After seeing it done both ways im not sure how I feel about EMs, One the one hand the lack of them seems to make it more significant but the presence of EMs make having both species at a Parish of my size practical and keeps the momentum going. I think it would probably just be best if we cut down on the EMs, but I understand thier presence as well. IMHO Both sides have good points.

Also of note was the readings, I had actually been to Confession and Mass at my home parish on Saturday and we had the same readings, but the readers at the parish I was visiting were so monotone and didnt seem at all intrested in the readings and I was surprised what a difference that can make.

The biggest issue to me was that the more traditional parish seemed to lack alot of spiritual importance to me, both my Girlfriend and I shared our feelings about it afterwerds and both agreed it seemed very empty. I know Christ was presence in the Eucharist but there seemed to be no Joy nor sufficently increased solemnity. Now this is without a doubt influenced by the inability to understand the priest and the uncaring attitude of the lectors, but overall I left unfilled.

At my home Parish we really do Celebrate the Mass, and I know some people are more solem and I like that but this one didnt really seem to have the joy of the celebration nor the sacredness of solemnity. I personally think you can have both but this particular Mass didnt seem to me to have eithier unfortunately.

In Summery:

Things I liked:
More promintely placed Tabernacle
Bells
less Modern Music.

Things I didnt like:
Inability to understand priest.
Poor Lectors
It lacked that special something in my heart.

So I enjoyed the experince and I do think I wish to return when thier pastor (my parish’s old parocial vicar) is presiding and I think I may get more out of it. I still very much appreciated the Eucharist, but that was about all I took away from it.

I am planning to visit our Archdioces’s Cathedral at the end of the summer which promises to be more traditional as well so I’ll let ya know what I think when I do.

Thank for listening.

 

[floresco]

At my home Parish we really do Celebrate the Mass, and I know some people are more solem and I like that but this one didnt really seem to have the joy of the celebration nor the sacredness of solemnity. I personally think you can have both but this particular Mass didnt seem to me to have eithier unfortunately.

I question how possible it is to tell what is happening inside people with an interior and quiet sort of spirituality. I often feel great joy at Mass, but I doubt that anyone can tell.

Also, I note that your entire post is about your feelings and subjective impressions. I think that we should also consider other aspects when evaluating.

 

[Advocatus_Fidei]

I will say only this you cant experience most of what goes on at the EF with your eyes it is all much more internal, people can be in ecstasy and you would not know to look at them because they don’t start putting on a show for everyone.

 

[Lycorth]

I still very much appreciated the Eucharist, but that was about all I took away from it.

That’s really all anyone should expect to “get” out of Mass. It’s not a community party but solely an act of worshiping God and receiving the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Really, all else is only supposed to lead up to that point, not detract from nor rival it. That I think is a problem with many more “modern” parishes - that absolute and exclusive focus on the Eucharist is either gone or downplayed in order for the congregation to “fellowship” or feel more “engaged” in Mass. Really, we shouldn’t want to or care to do anything but attend, pray along with the priest, and receive the Lord in the Eucharist. Everything else is secondary.

But it sounds like the church you visited might have slacked off a little. It happens; when we humans do anything repeatedly, even assist at a traditional Mass, it can get routine, and then we can slip up. Constant vigilance is the remedy for all of us. Hopefully, it was just a bit of a rut they were in and not indicative of the norm, and I hope future visits for you will be even more edifying

I sympathize about the smatterings of modernism that bother you about your parish. It’s similar with mine; the tabernacle is still front and center but the old reredos is long gone and so is the altar rail. They were replaced with a half-dome on four pillars, which is really quite dignified and acceptable on its own though replacing the reredos still seems to have been unnecessary; the only altar is the Novus Ordo altar, as of course the proper main altar was removed along with the reredos. There is much hand-holding, assuming of the priest’s orans positon during the Our Father, a somewhat casual atmosphere amongst most parishioners as opposed to a solemn and reverent one (genuflecting before the tabernacle is rare, brief bows are more common as well as ignoring the tabernacle altogether - it’s as if the large and lit sanctuary lamp is invisible), woodwind and sometimes guitar at Mass (a somewhat dreary little organ is the norm; the proper church organ is rarely used and an OSHA issue with the shortness of the railing in the choir loft is cited as to why the organ is usually silent and the choir doesn’t use the loft), polka Masses during the yearly Polish festival in town (I love polkas, but they don’t belong at Mass). Sure, many are matters of a secondary nature, but they are matters nonetheless; I realize the church doesn’t have great stores of funds to use to improve things, but there were changes made years ago that didn’t really need to be made and would have saved money as well, plus the fact that little modernisms lead to greater ones eventually. It’s a beautiful old church in a parish with many young couples and children (hence, a future) so I hate the thought of things getting any more lax, which will invariably not have a positive Catholic effect on the new generation of parishioners. Hopefully, if we get more involved in the church in the future, I can perhaps find positive ways to address some of this…

In other words, don’t feel alone

 

[SonCatcher]

Also of note was the readings, I had actually been to Confession and Mass at my home parish on Saturday and we had the same readings, but the readers at the parish I was visiting were so monotone and didn’t seem at all interested in the readings and I was surprised what a difference that can make.

I’m not sure what the story is with lectors. I’ve been told that many are afraid to put inflection in their voice because they could cause the meaning to change.

When I lector, I ask the Holy Spirit to use my voice. I read with dynamic emphasis and it usually comes out differently from how I practiced. The lector’s purpose (as I see it) is to connect the people with the Word. It’s hard to connect when you’re falling asleep.

 

[Advocatus_Fidei]

I’m not sure what the story is with lectors. I’ve been told that many are afraid to put inflection in their voice because they could cause the meaning to change.

When I lector, I ask the Holy Spirit to use my voice. I read with dynamic emphasis and it usually comes out differently from how I practiced. The lector’s purpose (as I see it) is to connect the people with the Word. It’s hard to connect when you’re falling asleep.

Some people hate when readers do that, you cant please everybody.

 

[Shin]

You really need a missal to follow along with the TLM and to pray it reverently, or some other prayers. There’s more freedom in the TLM to interiorly approach Christ without demands, but like with most forms of freedom you have to do something with it.

It also takes going to regularly to adjust to.

The FSSP has a instructional video for priests on how to do the TLM, if a layperson watches it he may gain a deeper appreciation for what is going on too, I tend to think. But then there are many books too on the TLM, that can help.

 

[Lormar]

I question how possible it is to tell what is happening inside people with an interior and quiet sort of spirituality. I often feel great joy at Mass, but I doubt that anyone can tell.

Also, I note that your entire post is about your feelings and subjective impressions. I think that we should also consider other aspects when evaluating.

 

[SonCatcher]

Some people hate when readers do that, you cant please everybody.

Yes, I know.

I also know that every translation lacks the fine nuanced meaning embedded in the original languages (or Latin - as every meaning is declared to be in the Vulgate). In order to get it back, everyone would have to be fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin and the Word proclaimed in those languages.

But that’s a topic for another thread (if you start one, PM me to let me know where ).

I now return you to our regularly scheduled thread.

 

[malcido]

My parish is one of a very few in the area that offers a Latin Mass. We do not regularly attend, but did for several months and we’re very happy that we have the option.

I love the LM, but I must say that if I would have made an opinion after attending only once, I probably wouldn’t have the most positive opinion. I think it takes several visits to (almost) any mass to really get the feel for how that parish celebrates the mass.

I definitely agree that having a Latin/English missal makes a huge difference. After the first time attending the LM at my parish I asked one of the ushers if I could bring the missal home and return it the following week; looking over the missal a few minutes here and there over that week helped me to feel much more at home the following week.