Removal of missalettes from Church

[pnewton]

To me, it’s foolish to just listen to the lector. Lectors makes mistakes in the readings, and sometimes these mistakes alter the theology.

Especially in this day and age, often the lectors have a strong accent and it’s hard to understand them. !

These are two excellent reasons for missalettes. I do not read along but rather listen. However, once a month or so, something will sound off, I might not understand someone or I just get distracted by all the pretty lights during the readings. It is then that I am glad to have a missalette to open and flip to check on what the Bible actually says.

If you would like to approach the pastor about it, I would suggest three things:

1. Give it time. Demonstrate your openness to his idea by trying it out and giving the parish a chance to weigh the pros and cons.
2. Do this as a group of like-minded individuals. Groups carry more weight that an individual.
3. Give specific, tangible reasons the missalettes are beneficial. Use only the major points and acknowledge the reasons why they are not beneficial. Finish by a willingness to abide by whatever decision the priest deems best.

 

[DebChris]

…
This makes things difficult for the visitor, especially the converts, but hopefully people would be willing to share their missal with visitors (sorry if this offends those who think that no one should speak to anyone else during Mass!).

It has always been acceptable to explain the Mass to a visitor who may not know what is going on. Obviously this needs to be kept to a whisper, but no one should be offended by one Catholic explaining to a non-Catholic exactly what is going on.
Charity does call for us to share our missals with a visitor, especially somebody that we invited to Mass.

 

[jmcrae]

And when the new translation comes through, he’ll have to provide them for a while at least, I would think, so maybe people could make a point of saying to him how nice it was to have them back again. I think a non-Catholic would really appreciate them - would that convince him, as surely he would want to encourage converts?

When I was first attending Mass (I’m an adult convert), I actually found it easier to memorize my prayers by ear than try to follow along in the Missal. It only took me six weeks to memorize the whole thing. I’m sure that if I’d been reading along, it would have taken a lot longer.

 

[jmcrae]

At a time when few people could read, St. John of the Cross wrote that the clergy read books while the layperson “reads” the clergy when they spread the word of God.
For the visual person, seeing the word in print enhances the ability to hear the Scriptures as they are read.
Nevertheless, there is no obligation for any parish to provide missalettes.

I am a classically visual learner - I’m a painter (artist) - and my personal experience is that reading has more to do with hearing than with seeing. If they provided Sunday School pictures to look at while the readings were being proclaimed, I’d look at them and have an enhanced experience (and indeed, when I’m within eye-shot of a stained glass window whose subject pertains to the subject of the reading, it is indeed a sublime experience, for me), but I find that my “inner voice” drowns out the reader, when I’m reading along - reading along doesn’t provide any kind of a visual experience for me, but rather, an alternate auditory experience that actually displaces the experience of hearing the reader proclaiming the reading.

 

[DebChris]

I am a classically visual learner - I’m a painter (artist) - and my personal experience is that reading has more to do with hearing than with seeing. If they provided Sunday School pictures to look at while the readings were being proclaimed, I’d look at them and have an enhanced experience (and indeed, when I’m within eye-shot of a stained glass window whose subject pertains to the subject of the reading, it is indeed a sublime experience, for me), but I find that my “inner voice” drowns out the reader, when I’m reading along - reading along doesn’t provide any kind of a visual experience for me, but rather, an alternate auditory experience that actually displaces the experience of hearing the reader proclaiming the reading.

I’m not an artist, or at least I used to say that until I completed a required art class.
I do "hear " better when I see the words in print. We have a local church built in the 1952. I find the art distracting during Mass. I do understand how a stained glass window can enhance understanding. They were added to churches as a form of catechesis while few people could read.
I was looking for something that I wrote following a homily from my pastor. It had to do with the light streaming through the stained glass windows.

 

[z_0101]

At first blush, it would appear that the removal of the Missalettes was well intentioned; however, it would appear that the results have created a great deal of controversy and thus more of a distraction from the Mass than a help. That alone might be enough for the Pasture to reconsider his action. The Parishioners need to politely ask him to replace the Missalettes by presenting a well reasoned position – St. Albert may be a good role model for logical thinking concerning this matter.

To the Deacon that said that Missalettes were not being used in other parishes…he is surely mis-informed or maybe he is only trying to support the Pasture – that is his position. Consider:

During our RCIA class, Father brought these in to the class and we went thru them. You have a bunch of 30 to 85 year-old adults in that class and for many of us – our first times going to a Catholic Mass. Now, Father did say that he would prefer, once we had learned the order of the Mass, that we listen to the readings and the gospel; however, he said that there are times that he knows that his voice isn’t going to be the best, there are those 1am calls to the Hospital or a late night call to someone’s home, or there is the crying baby, coughing fit, or that teenager that just does not seem to get “IT.”

During the Right of Election, sitting in the pew at the Cathedral, you got it, the Missalettes.

On vacation out of state, thankfully, there were the Missalettes for my Mom, a Baptist – and that was at the Cathedral in Lubbock, TX.

Let’s talk about my Mom, and my Niece and Nephews… Baptist and Episcopalian:

How nice it was to be able to take my Mom thru the order of the mass, the hymnals, and the responsorials. As far as I know, that was her FIRST time at a Catholic Mass… or at least the first time in decades – and she didn’t feel lost nor “out-of-place.” That little book allowed us to discuss communion and who was allowed to receive the Eucharist without any “hard” feelings between us. She didn’t know that the Catholic Church recognized her baptism and that little book helped bring that discussion between us in to the light.

Having that Missalette for my Niece and Nephews… they are teenagers, and they may not be focused on readings; however, they know when to stand, sit, and kneel – without my or my wife’s promptings. They must be reading / following along to some degree as they are often on the move to stand or kneel long before the rest of the congregation!

My Daughter is at the first stages of reading… having the Missalettes available for her to follow helps to keep her attention focused on the Mass and less on being “borrred.” Having the Missalettes lets her feel like she can participate in the mass. Also, we have to sit almost in the front pew so that she can see what is going on at the Alter. This level of involvement at this age is priceless.

It is also a well know fact that, for the majority of people, the more of the five senses one can involve during learning the greater the retention and comprehension. This works for both the children and the adults trying to learn the mass. We are talking about people; thus, there are exceptions to this “rule.”

And frankly, when we started in RCIA last year, I wouldn’t have known these even existed were it not for my sponsors and Father. If I had to purchase one myself, I’m still not sure which Missalette I would purchase. I stand in front of them at the bookstore and there sits a dozen different ones with different formats and so on and on… arrrggghhh which one would I purchase? Because of that over abundance, now I tend to go to usccb.org/nab/ before mass and then follow-up with Missalette once we’re in the pews with my daughter.

The Pasture that removed the Missalettes entirely has done a great disservice to new converts, guests, and parents within his parish. Now, during mass, his congregation must now spend more time explaining the word and the action to guests and more time coaching their children.

Oh, and as for the graffiti / profanity in the texts… more than likely a very bored child/teen that wasn’t being attended to by the parents and the people around them simply took the attitude that “it’s not my child” and it’s not my place to tell the parents – I saw it a lot when I went to service with the Grandparents/Parents at the Baptist Churches.

 

[Aramis]

One of the hardest things for me was breaking my dependence upon following along.

See, in the Ruthenian church, the readings are not in the pewbooks. Heck, half the propers are not in the pewbooks, and the current one is 300+ pages… Everything is sung. We have about 40 pew books available for use… but most don’t need them. When I need the readings, I hit ByzCath.org. When I need the propers, I go to MetropolitanCantorInstitute.org, and download the propers booklet for the day. (It’s only good for major holy days and Sundays…)

The readings are chanted. That’s right, sung to a simple melody with improvised fit. I can chant a text loud enough to be heard over traffic quite easily. I remember more of the readings than of the sermons.

Now, I don’t much use my pewbook, either, but that’s because our head cantor doesn’t use the music in them, and I get cognitive dissonance from seeing one line and singing another… on those occasions I’m asked to lead the cantors, I use it heavily. Sing the black, do the red.

Children tend to pay attention better when not given something to distract them. As an educator, most of my students NEED to hear the text, a few NEED to read it, some need both, and a few won’t get it with either hearing it or seeing it, but need to be walked through doing whatever… But most can learn from hearing it alone, more than by seeing it alone.

There is no reason not to have some simple missals sans readings and propers instead of missalettes. It would provide the basic need for newcomers, and be a good cue for “where am I in the liturgy”… and in the bulletin, point them to the USCCB.org or Byzcath.org (or equivalents for other ECC’s) for the online lectionaries.

 

[pnewton]

I’m not an artist, or at least I used to say that until I completed a required art class.
I do "hear " better when I see the words in print.

I tried to see whether visual learning or auditory learning was more effective and found that there is no right way. Some learn easier by listening, some seeing. This is a good reason to have missalettes available, to use or not. I know most good presenters appreciate the value of visual aids, yet a presenter can teach better than the visuals themselves.

 

[wisdomseeker]

A new pastor has come to our church and ordered that the missalettes be removed from the church completely… I’m outraged and the church staff acts as if its no big deal.

The pastor’s rationale is that people should be following along by hearing… not so easy for a person hard of hearing. They offer hearing devices to be checked out at the beginning of mass, which is ridiculous.

What about children who are learning the prayers? This seems like an assault on the Word of God and I’m considering leaving the parish or getting signatures from those who want them returned to the pews.

Does anyone have any (name removed by moderator)ut, related stories or official church stances on this?

Thanks.

I would think this is a good thing. i believe new missallete are comming with the new Roman Missal. i know in my parish the priest has asked us not to read but listen. i have nothing against that. let s see what happens. we should not oppose the Church until we know what reasons this is taking place. as we know the Church is going to have some changes. lets pray is for the best.

 

[DebChris]

I tried to see whether visual learning or auditory learning was more effective and found that there is no right way. Some learn easier by listening, some seeing. This is a good reason to have missalettes available, to use or not. I know most good presenters appreciate the value of visual aids, yet a presenter can teach better than the visuals themselves.

I agree that visuals do not replace the presenter. They enhance and support.
There are places in the Mass where I depend on the missalette, and times when I set it aside.
Missalettes are definitely a convenience. They have not always been available for persons attending Mass. This remains the case in some parishes. Even when they are available, they do not have the daily readings.
If the decision has been made to remove the missalettes, I would go ahead and purchase my own missal or subscribe to one of the magazines I have already mentioned.
Abide With Me only contains the daily readings. I bought it one year for use in conjunction with Word Among Us during my own prayer time. I am glad Word Among Us now has the Mass Supplement Edition.
The Saint Joseph Daily Missal can be purchased at any good Catholic bookstore. This is the link for anybody unfamiliar with the book.
catholicbookpublishing.com/BrowseByDepartments.aspx?DepID=95
After my mother died, I received the missal that had belonged to my grandmother. The cover was inlaid with mother of pearl. It was purchased in 1952 and was still in the box when it came into my possession.

 

[Cat]

At first blush, it would appear that the removal of the Missalettes was well intentioned; however, it would appear that the results have created a great deal of controversy and thus more of a distraction from the Mass than a help. That alone might be enough for the Pasture to reconsider his action. The Parishioners need to politely ask him to replace the Missalettes by presenting a well reasoned position – St. Albert may be a good role model for logical thinking concerning this matter.

To the Deacon that said that Missalettes were not being used in other parishes…he is surely mis-informed or maybe he is only trying to support the Pasture – that is his position. Consider:

During our RCIA class, Father brought these in to the class and we went thru them. You have a bunch of 30 to 85 year-old adults in that class and for many of us – our first times going to a Catholic Mass. Now, Father did say that he would prefer, once we had learned the order of the Mass, that we listen to the readings and the gospel; however, he said that there are times that he knows that his voice isn’t going to be the best, there are those 1am calls to the Hospital or a late night call to someone’s home, or there is the crying baby, coughing fit, or that teenager that just does not seem to get “IT.”

During the Right of Election, sitting in the pew at the Cathedral, you got it, the Missalettes.

On vacation out of state, thankfully, there were the Missalettes for my Mom, a Baptist – and that was at the Cathedral in Lubbock, TX.

Let’s talk about my Mom, and my Niece and Nephews… Baptist and Episcopalian:

How nice it was to be able to take my Mom thru the order of the mass, the hymnals, and the responsorials. As far as I know, that was her FIRST time at a Catholic Mass… or at least the first time in decades – and she didn’t feel lost nor “out-of-place.” That little book allowed us to discuss communion and who was allowed to receive the Eucharist without any “hard” feelings between us. She didn’t know that the Catholic Church recognized her baptism and that little book helped bring that discussion between us in to the light.

Having that Missalette for my Niece and Nephews… they are teenagers, and they may not be focused on readings; however, they know when to stand, sit, and kneel – without my or my wife’s promptings. They must be reading / following along to some degree as they are often on the move to stand or kneel long before the rest of the congregation!

My Daughter is at the first stages of reading… having the Missalettes available for her to follow helps to keep her attention focused on the Mass and less on being “borrred.” Having the Missalettes lets her feel like she can participate in the mass. Also, we have to sit almost in the front pew so that she can see what is going on at the Alter. This level of involvement at this age is priceless.

It is also a well know fact that, for the majority of people, the more of the five senses one can involve during learning the greater the retention and comprehension. This works for both the children and the adults trying to learn the mass. We are talking about people; thus, there are exceptions to this “rule.”

And frankly, when we started in RCIA last year, I wouldn’t have known these even existed were it not for my sponsors and Father. If I had to purchase one myself, I’m still not sure which Missalette I would purchase. I stand in front of them at the bookstore and there sits a dozen different ones with different formats and so on and on… arrrggghhh which one would I purchase? Because of that over abundance, now I tend to go to usccb.org/nab/ before mass and then follow-up with Missalette once we’re in the pews with my daughter.

The Pasture that removed the Missalettes entirely has done a great disservice to new converts, guests, and parents within his parish. Now, during mass, his congregation must now spend more time explaining the word and the action to guests and more time coaching their children.

Oh, and as for the graffiti / profanity in the texts… more than likely a very bored child/teen that wasn’t being attended to by the parents and the people around them simply took the attitude that “it’s not my child” and it’s not my place to tell the parents – I saw it a lot when I went to service with the Grandparents/Parents at the Baptist Churches.

This is such an excellent post. Thank you for all these anecdotes, which contain a great deal of practical wisdom.

 

[jmcrae]

The environmental concern is weak, everyone of those can be recycled.

Actually, they should be burned when you’re done with them, because they contain portions of the Holy Scriptures. They certainly should never go into a garbage can or recycling bin.

 

[Sarabande]

Forgive me. I phrased my objection as a question, not a statement. Quote:“Do those of you who are concerned about the environment also not buy books, not receive any newspapers or magazines, not use any paper products (e.g., toilet paper?), etc” I hoped that this would indicate that I am NOT assuming anything about others.

Hey! No problem! Again…it’s an amazing thing how the written word can be deciphered (and vice versa) when you don’t hear the tone and inflection of the voice. I know that I’ve written things, thinking it would come across clearly and the it was misinterpreted. Kind of goes along with what we are talking about, too. You sometimes need both, and more, to get the complete comprehension.

Also, as someone else mentioned, people use different senses to understand and learn. When I was college, the university required all honors students to take a test on how they absorbed information so that they could help us focus on our learning techniques. (Actually, I think they should do this for all people.) Most people use one or two of their senses. The other senses are there, but not as strong in terms of absorbing information and they can end up having a difficult time if their stronger senses aren’t involved. This is where enforcing listening only during the readings and prayers can be a problem to those who need to see the words and not necessarily even hear them. I have found when I taught music to children, they like to see and hear at the same time to learn and I know this is also the case when we had the weekly school masses. They liked to read from the missalette, especially since children are still developing their senses.

I ended up being in a small minority where I use all of my senses pretty much equally, meaning, I can have a slightly easier time of being able to absorb information using any one of my senses alone. Although, at the same time, because I do use all my senses, it is actually better for me, personally, to see the words, touch the paper of the missalette, hear the words, sometimes mouth the words and also watch the reader. So, it does have its pluses and negatives in that regard. The only thing I don’t use is taste for that. haha!

 

[DebChris]

Hey! No problem! Again…it’s an amazing thing how the written word can be deciphered (and vice versa) when you don’t hear the tone and inflection of the voice. I know that I’ve written things, thinking it would come across clearly and the it was misinterpreted. Kind of goes along with what we are talking about, too. You sometimes need both, and more, to get the complete comprehension.

Also, as someone else mentioned, people use different senses to understand and learn. When I was college, the university required all honors students to take a test on how they absorbed information so that they could help us focus on our learning techniques. (Actually, I think they should do this for all people.) Most people use one or two of their senses. The other senses are there, but not as strong in terms of absorbing information and they can end up having a difficult time if their stronger senses aren’t involved. This is where enforcing listening only during the readings and prayers can be a problem to those who need to see the words and not necessarily even hear them. I have found when I taught music to children, they like to see and hear at the same time to learn and I know this is also the case when we had the weekly school masses. They liked to read from the missalette, especially since children are still developing their senses.

I ended up being in a small minority where I use all of my senses pretty much equally, meaning, I can have a slightly easier time of being able to absorb information using any one of my senses alone. Although, at the same time, because I do use all my senses, it is actually better for me, personally, to see the words, touch the paper of the missalette, hear the words, sometimes mouth the words and also watch the reader. So, it does have its pluses and negatives in that regard. The only thing I don’t use is taste for that. haha!

We leave taste for the Eucharist.:angel1:

 

[Cat]

Actually, they should be burned when you’re done with them, because they contain portions of the Holy Scriptures. They certainly should never go into a garbage can or recycling bin.

I’m curious about the documentation for this, please. I’ve never ever heard of such a thing. For years, one of the women’s magazines (I believe it was Ladies Home Journal) included a verse from the Holy Bible–so should all of these been burned? How about all the crafts that your kids bring home VBS?

I’m sorry, jmcrae, I’m just a little skeptical. Thanks for providing some validation.

 

[DebChris]

I’m curious about the documentation for this, please. I’ve never ever heard of such a thing. For years, one of the women’s magazines (I believe it was Ladies Home Journal) included a verse from the Holy Bible–so should all of these been burned? How about all the crafts that your kids bring home VBS?

I’m sorry, jmcrae, I’m just a little skeptical. Thanks for providing some validation.

Neither have I heard this to be a requirement.
If the article is blessed, however, then special provisions do need to be taken. For instance, a blessed rosary should be buried, not tossed in the trash.
I think somebody a couple of weeks ago asked the apologist how to dispose of holy cards. The answer was that it was okay to toss them. Generally speaking, if I know that somebody could use a magazine, book, or any other article that I no longer use, I pass it on.
In an earlier post, I mentioned one local parish that charges $2 to defray the cost of Word Among Us. This magazine contains meditations on the daily readings of the Mass. Once the month is over, the magazines are free for the taking.

 

[RosaMystica]

We were told in RCIA that we were to listen, not to read along. But since I like to have the words in front of me, especially when I was learning the mass, I subscribed to Magnificat and brought it along.

I began to notice slight differences in the wording of some of the prayers and readings. The pastor and readers were using inclusive language which wasn’t in the approved text.

For example, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of GOD’S name, for our good, and the good of all GOD’S Church.

If we don’t have access to the actual wording of the readings and prayers, then we won’t be able to tell when they are being altered.

I’m not saying this is always the motivation. Most priests probably genuinely want people to be involved in the liturgy, not flipping pages. But it is something to watch out for, and is also a very good reason for keeping at least a small supply of missalettes for those who want them.

 

[mullenpm]

Fast Learner, there is absolutely no reason that you may not read your missal while following the reader.:yup:

Before Vatican II we all carried our own Missal to Mass - one side of the page English and the other side of the page Latin.

I know that some people on this Forum on other threads say they “prepare for Mass” by reading before Mass and then they just follow the reader. I prepare for Mass by saying my Rosary and spending some quiet minutes before the Blessed Sacrament. So it is what you choose to do.

I subscribe to the Magnificat and I follow the Mass using that little book that comes to me each month.

Don’t be mislead by people who say you must follow the reader – there is absolutely no reason for you not to read.

And I would like to see documentation (official - not opinion) that says that is not permitted. Don’t tell us old folks we cannot use a Missal.:nope:

 

[jmcrae]

I tried to see whether visual learning or auditory learning was more effective and found that there is no right way. Some learn easier by listening, some seeing. This is a good reason to have missalettes available, to use or not. I know most good presenters appreciate the value of visual aids, yet a presenter can teach better than the visuals themselves.

Words on a page are not “visuals” though - my original point was that reading along is not a “visual” experience - it is a kind of auditory experience, because of the fact that the letters on the page translate themselves into sounds in your head. (The source of most spelling mistakes is the fact that words that are spelled differently often sound very similar - some examples just up-thread are “Pasture” for “Pastor” and “alter” for “altar.” If he were visualizing the meaning of these words, he would not have spelled them incorrectly, since a “pasture” is a field of grass where cows live, but a “pastor” is a man in a black suit with a white collar - but since he was “hearing” the sound of the words in his head, he made these errors, since they sound quite similar.

I am not criticizing his spelling - we are all doing the best that we can, of course - but I am just pointing out an example of how the written word is not normally being visualized in the mind, but rather, it is being “heard”.

 

[jmcrae]

I’m curious about the documentation for this, please. I’ve never ever heard of such a thing. For years, one of the women’s magazines (I believe it was Ladies Home Journal) included a verse from the Holy Bible–so should all of these been burned? How about all the crafts that your kids bring home VBS?

I’m sorry, jmcrae, I’m just a little skeptical. Thanks for providing some validation.

Why do you need “documentation”? It should just be common sense - the Holy Word of God is not the newspaper, or a magazine, or a paperback novel. We process with the Lectionary at Mass and the priest kisses it and makes the Sign of the Cross over it when he is reading from it. It seems like a kind of cognitive dissonance to then just toss it in with the banana peels when the month is over. It doesn’t make any sense to kiss it and reverence it one day, and then treat it like trash the next.