Pittsburgh Latin Mass for a not-yet-Catholic?

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fieldsparrow

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Hello, all.

I am new to these forums, and fairly new to Catholicism. I am not yet Catholic but plan to pursue RCIA beginning in the fall of this year. I have been trying to read up and understand, and I feel like a Tridentine Mass is best. With that in mind, I would like to attend Mass at St. Boniface during the TLM.

I think that several members read and post here, so I would like to ask a few questions, if I may.

First, is it OK for me to attend even though I will likely have very little idea about what I should do at any given moment? I feel a little awkward about it. Obviously I have no intention of partaking of the Eucharist until I have been received into the Church and made a confession of previous sins. If there is a guide to the Mass I would be interested in reading it. I did already find the Fisheaters site, which does have a wonderful guide, but I feel a bit overwhelmed.

Second, if I do attend, what is considered appropriate attire? I presently really only have pants and do not have the means right now to acquire skirts, which I feel would be more appropriate. I also do not have a head covering, although I could use a rather bright multicolored scarf/wrap I knitted.

Finally, is RCIA offered through the Latin Mass Community? Or would I best pursue that via another parish? Also, would anyone be willing to meet with me to discuss the Church prior to the start of RCIA, which seems a terribly long way away right now?

I hope these are not silly questions. I’ve tried to use the search and read up but there’s so much to parse I’m just not sure where to go right now.

Thank you for reading 🙂
 
Anyone is free to attend any form of Liturgy regardless if they are Catholic or not. So by all means, go, if you feel thats where you want to be.

Attire would be something modest, regardless to which parish you go to. I know in OF parishes there may be more liberal clothing, but that doesn’t mean you should follow them. Always dress modestly.

I would think there is an RCIA there. The FSSP parish in my area has catechism for the kids, so I can’t see why they can’t have an RCIA.
 
fieldsparrow said:
Hello, all.

I am new to these forums, and fairly new to Catholicism. I am not yet Catholic but plan to pursue RCIA beginning in the fall of this year. I have been trying to read up and understand, and I feel like a Tridentine Mass is best. With that in mind, I would like to attend Mass at St. Boniface during the TLM.

I think that several members read and post here, so I would like to ask a few questions, if I may.

First, is it OK for me to attend even though I will likely have very little idea about what I should do at any given moment? I feel a little awkward about it. Obviously I have no intention of partaking of the Eucharist until I have been received into the Church and made a confession of previous sins. If there is a guide to the Mass I would be interested in reading it. I did already find the Fisheaters site, which does have a wonderful guide, but I feel a bit overwhelmed.

Second, if I do attend, what is considered appropriate attire? I presently really only have pants and do not have the means right now to acquire skirts, which I feel would be more appropriate. I also do not have a head covering, although I could use a rather bright multicolored scarf/wrap I knitted.

Finally, is RCIA offered through the Latin Mass Community? Or would I best pursue that via another parish? Also, would anyone be willing to meet with me to discuss the Church prior to the start of RCIA, which seems a terribly long way away right now?

I hope these are not silly questions. I’ve tried to use the search and read up but there’s so much to parse I’m just not sure where to go right now.

Thank you for reading 🙂
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These are wonderful questions! I have been attending the Latin Mass for 17 years. Go anytime and sit where you want and get a missalette that has the Mass in it. It will take you a little while to get the hang of it. You can dress how you want within reason but I always dress up with coat and tie. Many don’t at our Latin Mass but they dress reasonable. In a perfect world it would be great for women to wear a dress and veil. Not all do. There should be a RCIA program at the parish that has the Latin Mass. It will be the same program as at any parish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Recently I began serving again as an altar boy. I am 55 years old and remember serving it for 2 years when I first started serving in 1963.

Converts are the best!!! I have friends who attend the Latin Mass who converted from the Baptist Church. Wow, are they great!!!
 
Thanks… funnily enough I was raised Baptist, which is a whole huge other story.

I am not sure what OF means, alas! I do feel in general that modesty is important in all contexts and essentially I just want to avoid being a distraction to others at Mass. That includes clothing AND not knowing when to kneel, stand, etc.
 
Hi, fieldsparrow,

I am from Pittsburgh, too. Go to pittsburghlatinmass.org. You should find almost all of the information you need there. Don’t be concerned about wearing a skirt. Just dress as you would for any important event. I go on First Saturday when I can and people wear suits and ties, office business casual and even jeans.

Fr. Myers has just been assigned the full time pastor of the Pittsburgh Latin Mass community. They have an RCIA program in place.
 
fieldsparrow said:
Thanks… funnily enough I was raised Baptist, which is a whole huge other story.

I am not sure what OF means, alas! I do feel in general that modesty is important in all contexts and essentially I just want to avoid being a distraction to others at Mass. That includes clothing AND not knowing when to kneel, stand, etc.
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Our subdeacon was raised a baptist. I believe he told me his dad was in fact a Baptist minister.

OF is the Ordinary Form of the Mass, which is the Mass you will see in a great majority of Roman Catholic parishes.

With regards on what to do, just do what everyone else does. When I go explore other forms of Liturgy, I sit near the back so I can see what everyone else does and follow what they do.
 
Thank you all for the thoughts. Watching Masses on YouTube is a great idea I hadn’t thought of and it’s just what I was hoping for. I try to keep Matthew 6:34 in mind:
“Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”

…but I still haven’t perfected it 😉

I also want to be super super clear that I would not partake of Holy Communion until such time as I have been received into the Church and made a full confession. I feel like this is one of the very important distinctions for me vs. being raised Baptist, where anyone who’d ever been baptized, ever could partake even if in a state of mortal sin, without contrition. The Host being passed around like a plate of cookies was, I think, detrimental to the notion of respecting the sacrifice of Jesus. I hope I can say that within the rules of the forum. It always bothered me that communion at the Baptist church was almost an afterthought. Ahem.

ETA: What is the appropriate thing to do if not receiving Communion? I have read various things, ranging from “walk up anyway and cross your arms” (how?) to “stay in the pew, stand and put the kneeler up.”
 
If I’m not going to communion I just stay in the pew, and put the kneeler up so other people in the pew can get in and out. 🙂
 
fieldsparrow said:
Thank you all for the thoughts. Watching Masses on YouTube is a great idea I hadn’t thought of and it’s just what I was hoping for. I try to keep Matthew 6:34 in mind:
“Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”

…but I still haven’t perfected it 😉

I also want to be super super clear that I would not partake of Holy Communion until such time as I have been received into the Church and made a full confession. I feel like this is one of the very important distinctions for me vs. being raised Baptist, where anyone who’d ever been baptized, ever could partake even if in a state of mortal sin, without contrition. The Host being passed around like a plate of cookies was, I think, detrimental to the notion of respecting the sacrifice of Jesus. I hope I can say that within the rules of the forum. It always bothered me that communion at the Baptist church was almost an afterthought. Ahem.

ETA: What is the appropriate thing to do if not receiving Communion? I have read various things, ranging from “walk up anyway and cross your arms” (how?) to “stay in the pew, stand and put the kneeler up.”
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I, too, am a convert from the Baptist tradition, and believe ti or not, I am in the Pittsburgh area currently. Dress as well as you can, since you cannot receive, stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. To follow along, there are red mass bboklest available. You can order one here.
It would be best to go with a friend at first to help you along. God bless you on your journey to the Catholic Faith!
 
I would second what ConstantineTG said because I started going to a nearby parish that says the EF exclusively and being new to it I wanted to see everything that was going on so I sat on the first row. I couldn’t see the rest of the parishoners so everytime I heard movement I was looking over my shoulder to see if they were standing, sitting, or kneeling. Most of the time it was kneeling, the EF is very reverential. I personally love it and try to go as often as possible but it’s been hit or miss with others I’ve been able to get to attend with me.
 
Hi I’m from Pittsburgh as well and I just heard about this only Latin Mass in Pittsburgh. I went down to Saint Anthony’s Chapel to visit a week ago and figured I’d see where this church was. I wanted to go in to see what it was like during the daytime hours but the doors were locked. I haven’t check this mass out yet but I hope to do so soon. I never received communion kneeling or from an alter rail so this will definitely be a humble experience I believe.
 
dfp42 said:
Hi I’m from Pittsburgh as well and I just heard about this only Latin Mass in Pittsburgh. I went down to Saint Anthony’s Chapel to visit a week ago and figured I’d see where this church was. I wanted to go in to see what it was like during the daytime hours but the doors were locked. I haven’t check this mass out yet but I hope to do so soon. I never received communion kneeling or from an alter rail so this will definitely be a humble experience I believe.
Click to expand...
There is an EF high mass once a month at Franciscan
 
fieldsparrow said:
Thank you all for the thoughts. Watching Masses on YouTube is a great idea I hadn’t thought of and it’s just what I was hoping for. I try to keep Matthew 6:34 in mind:
“Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”

…but I still haven’t perfected it 😉

I also want to be super super clear that I would not partake of Holy Communion until such time as I have been received into the Church and made a full confession. I feel like this is one of the very important distinctions for me vs. being raised Baptist, where anyone who’d ever been baptized, ever could partake even if in a state of mortal sin, without contrition. The Host being passed around like a plate of cookies was, I think, detrimental to the notion of respecting the sacrifice of Jesus. I hope I can say that within the rules of the forum. It always bothered me that communion at the Baptist church was almost an afterthought. Ahem.

ETA: What is the appropriate thing to do if not receiving Communion? I have read various things, ranging from “walk up anyway and cross your arms” (how?) to “stay in the pew, stand and put the kneeler up.”
Click to expand...
Stay in the pew.
 
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