Short Sunday Mass

[Tarpeian_Rock]

A priest in a large city near us has a reputation for being really, really speedy. He draws people from literally miles around who like Mass 10 or 15 minutes shorter than they’d get it in their home parish. Funny thing is, they spend more than that amount of time in their cars just to get to the “speedy” Mass.

 

[Phemie]

Agreed: the best attended Mass is mid-morning. But is that due to the music or the time of day? My hunch is that the time of day is key – most people do not want to be at an early morning Mass on Sunday, whether there is singing, or not…

I think you’re right. In my small parish we only have 2 Masses: Saturday at 4:30 (no music but maybe entrance and recession hymns depending on the priest) and Sunday at 10 am. with choir, sung Gloria and responses. We rarely get more than 40 people on Saturday, and it’s usually closer to 25. Way more people come on Sundays, in spite of the longer Mass.

It’s been said that we’d get more people at the Saturday Mass if it wasn’t so early, that it should be at 7 pm, but a vote on this was taken many years ago and they opted to change from 7 to 4:30 because it gets dark so early in the winter and those who attend the Saturday Mass are mainly elderly.

 

[OraLabora]

Well I almost always go to the 11 am Mass at the abbey I’m associated with, and it’s a “long” mass. The Mass proper is 1:15 but if you arrive for the organ prelude and leave after the postlude, it’s 1:30. Full regalia, Gregorian propers and ordinary, incense, chanted readings and EP, etc. It’s beautiful and very reverent.

There is a parish about a 20 min from where I live that has two Sunday Masses; a short 8 am Mass, recited, no music and a 10:30 am Mass. I haven’t been to either. We’re in a very big area for recreational sports (cycling in summer, skiing and snowshoeing in winter), and the 8 am Mass is intended for those who want to get an early start to their day’s sports activities. There are Saturday evening Masses but my Saturdays are usually pretty full and I find it hard to get to them.

I may start using it as I’m an avid cyclist and hiker/snowshoer, and an 11 am “High” Mass really cuts into the day, and vigorous exercise is not optional for me, I’m a type II diabetic. Exercise helps me keep my weight down and medication requirements minimal. Often Saturday is a washout (especially this year due to rainy weekends) and Sunday is the only opportunity for me to exercise during the week. So I will probably start using the 8 am Mass from time to time.

I can say from experience at weekday Mass, I really do appreciate a very quiet, reflective, recited Mass without frills, if not always, at least from time to time (and that’s certainly my preference on weekdays).

 

[Pug]

Myself, I’d like a little more silence at mass. I enjoy daily mass for this very reason, when I can find one in the evening (my schedule is not conducive to the morning).

I’d like to sit silently at the offertory (the priest is doing blessed are you lord god of all creation) and during/after communion. This can happen at daily mass by there at most being a brief thing recited rather than as on Sunday where they have a hymn that goes on for so many verses that they often start again at the beginning.

I do sometimes enjoy the priest to sing part of the mass, but only a few priests attempt this. Also, I do like it if we sing more than one verse on the entrance hymn. (I am an ex-choir member).

 

[lllj]

Personally, I actually prefer if mass is longer usually.

But I remember as a kid, our family purposely always went to the mass without the full choir because it was shorter.

 

[adrift]

I am curious to know the view of the “people in the pews”, about this question. I often hear that a priest who has a “short Mass” on Sunday (maybe only 45 minutes long!) gets higher attendance. These Masses cut out singing to get the length down. So, are Catholics more interested in a “short” Mass rather than a Mass with a considerable amount of singing? That seems to be the “vote” of the marketplace, since the “short” Masses get quite popular. Why are short ( Sunday) Masses so popular? Would you personally rather have a short Mass, or a sung Mass, please also say why!

I don’t necessarily choose a mass because it is short. The masses I go to generally last 1 hour 15-25 minutes.

You are right it is do to the singing. The Mass I attended yesterday the Gloria lasted ten minutes. I think that is excessive. It becomes about the choir and not about the praise to God. That is my objection if the music becomes the center and not God. Singing multiple versus at Communion is fine but multiple versus at the beginning and end of Mass is excessive. The singing should end in mho when the priest reaches the altar or shortly there after. At the dismissal the singing should also end pretty close to when the priest reached the back and not go on for two more versus.

So it isn’t so much the music which I would not wish to eliminate, but the over doing of the music.

The elaborate music should be done once in a while but not every Sunday.

 

[englishredrose]

Hello
Okay am Anglican and English and we have churches in every err parish/district so we a good choice.

I am not sure time of day really makes much difference. 20 year ago the priest then tried to cut down the service because too long for babies and families. We cut a couple of hymns out. Today I am still aware where those hymns would be at times.

Our congregation has decreased as families move on and I am now in my 40’s and almost one of the youngest. Sad that I know. Almost one of the youngest. There is one family whose sons are young.

A few year ago when we hit another interrugnum and the PCC were given an option of two different Mass times by the stand in priest. Saturday Evening or 9 0 Clock Sunday Morning. Thankfully they opted for 9 0 clock Sunday Morning. At that time we used to be 10 0 Clock. We only lost two people because they said it was too early. One literally lives around the corner and the other because they used a taxi service that didn’t operate that early on a Sunday. They went to neighbouring parish (of which the present Priest looks after there too). The other goes to the other neighbouring church.

But I know when I had a few year in the pew it felt like starting to get longer and longer and it wasn’t but felt like it. Now that am serving/singing the hour flies by again. We have to be prompt so he get to the neighbouring church on time.

The music involves me. I cannot almost imagine it without music. I don’t see how you can respectfully cut it down to 3/4 of an hour without making it into a mockery type thing. Too short and wouldn’t bother to come because just get there and time to go again it would feel like…

May be you could try varying it with your parish and see what they like because what we like could be different. I don’t go to weekday services but that nothing to do with here. I did go but been put off through own shyness etc and find it uncomfortable in ways. I really don’t see why anyone would want it less than one hour? One hour to God in a week of their lives, to God in Church… if that is too much for them to manage the committment, it is what is important to them I guess? They know they can contact you almost 24/7 but yet they are finding one hour on a sunday morning that little bit too long to commit?

It may be you need to think about different styles of service rather than length of time?

 

[FrStevenJones]

A priest in a large city near us has a reputation for being really, really speedy. He draws people from literally miles around who like Mass 10 or 15 minutes shorter than they’d get it in their home parish. Funny thing is, they spend more than that amount of time in their cars just to get to the “speedy” Mass.

Thank you, I have also heard this, that phenomena is what motivated my original question. Should more priests be offering an option of a really short and sweet, yet reflective Sunday Mass, because many people have a desire for that? Not that all Masses should be like that, but there seems to be something to this idea… On the other hand, if a “short Mass” only attracts people with a disordered desire to “get it over with”, that is not something priests should be encouraging…

 

[Elizium23]

I think it is good for priests to be pastorally sensitive to the needs of busy people who would come for Mass if it didn’t mean rearranging their schedule. A couple of years ago, I came to our noontime Ash Wednesday Mass and prepared to sing as I always do, in the choir area. Our pastor approached me and said “sorry, this is a “low Mass” for people on their lunch breaks.” One of our substitute priests is well-known in the parish for his speedy Masses; I attended a couple and did not get the feeling that it was overly rushed or irreverent.

However, a Dominican I once knew also sped through Masses, and he was always jabbering quickly, rattling off words at top speed as if it were a nuisance to say them. He chose the simplest Mass settings and this was at a community rife with liturgical abuse. I was known to wax derisive about his speed, and came to call him “Father F., the Fastest Friar in Phoenix.” Priests should NEVER take this careless attitude toward Mass, even if they believe that time is of the essence. It will quickly wear out the assembly and cause resentment. Every time I finished one of Father F’s Masses I felt I had to catch my breath for five minutes.

 

[Bklynguy]

I am curious to know the view of the “people in the pews”, about this question. I often hear that a priest who has a “short Mass” on Sunday (maybe only 45 minutes long!) gets higher attendance. These Masses cut out singing to get the length down. So, are Catholics more interested in a “short” Mass rather than a Mass with a considerable amount of singing? That seems to be the “vote” of the marketplace, since the “short” Masses get quite popular. Why are short ( Sunday) Masses so popular? Would you personally rather have a short Mass, or a sung Mass, please also say why!

I honestly do not have a personal preference either way. One thing I CANNOT STAND are the folk/guitar Masses. I think they are highly irreverent, and I say this as a non-traditionalist. I avoid those Masses like the plague.

 

[CB_Catholic]

In my parish all the Masses have music, and all are about the same length, give or take 5 min. or so. We have one Mass with a full choir, one with an ensemble, and the rest have a Cantor, organ and piano.( 6 or 7 Masses on the weekend.) I have attended all the Masses and it seems to me that the one with the biggest attendance is 4PM Sat., no matter who says it, and it runs about an hour to an hour and 5 min. Plus, the Rosary is said before Mass. People like going to Mass on Sat., evening. The shortest is usually 7:30 Sun. am, because there is less attendance and Communion does not take as long. And it still runs close to an hour.

However, another drawing point, I’ve noticed, is one of the priests who is an extraordinary homilist. His Masses tend to draw a bigger crowd, and they are actually a little longer because his homilies are longer. So it does not seem in my parish that people are favoring the shortest Mass, because there aren’t any. People’s preferences are usually the preaching, the music, or the time of the Mass.

The music does not seem to affect Mass length much because the same hymns with the same number of verses are sung at all the Masses, whether there is the choir, the ensemble, or just the Cantor leading the congregation. Nobody gets out of singing at my parish.

 

[Sunbreak]

The length of the Mass doesn’t matter to me. The Sunday Masses at my parish all have singing - with or without organ accompaniment. Parts of the liturgy are sung also for the Masses with organ accompaniment. Most of the time there are hymns sung at daily Masses also. I don’t think the length of Mass is a motivating factor for everyone - people come at times that are convenient for them. My parish is an ethnic parish and since it’s the only one of its kind in the area, the chance to meet with others of the same ethnic background is the determining factor, not the length of Mass. Also, since it’s a rather “conservative” parish, there are some folks who don’t have the ethnic background who come to the English Masses for the conservative approach (only organ music, communion at the altar rail and no use of EMs, priest is in confessional before every mass.) In both cases, people are spending extra time in their vehicles and bypassing closer churches to attend Mass here. So, these people aren’t concerned about length of Mass time - in fact, they would seem to be shortchanged if they drove 30 minutes or more each way to attend a Mass that was very short.

 

[andrewstx]

Well, I’m Byzantine, so obviously no fan of a “short Mass” myself, but I can share the perspective of some that I’ve talked to. In many parishes, the early morning Mass is the short one. Some like to just get to Mass right away, to get it “over with”. Others are just trying to escape bad music. My experience is Latin-rite parishes is actually the opposite of yours. The best attended Mass is the mid-morning (between 9:30 and 10:30), which often has the parish choir.

Personally I would not have an objection to omitting one or two of all the Litanies in the Liturgy, esp the litany of the catechumens esp since there are no catechumens actually present in most cases.

 

[Warandpeace]

Honestly, with the way things are, we need a Mass with a catechism lesson in the middle. I doubt that would make the Mass shorter.

 

[andrewstx]

Father Jones, I converted from fundamentalist Protestantism and the main thing I objected to was the long sermons which took up about %75 of the time.

I love singing especially Palestrina I wouldn’t omit a single note. I think shorter homilies could be key.

Nothing personal but not all priests are great preachers and I would not object if homilies were omitted. But I know that is against canons but they could be kept short if times the problem.

 

[dgreyes]

This is good question. I guess I rather prefer the music at Mass. Most of the time the music helps me to join more fully into the celebration of the Mass. (Please note I said MOST of the time…but not if it “is in some galaxy light years away”

Besides…what is one hour of my time, especially when it is spent in the awesome and wonderful mystery that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? Moreover, it is not a privilege to be able to receive the Lord? As my mom always said…“You can spend two hours at the movies, but can’t spend an hour with the Lord?”

 

[Usige]

Just in talking to people over the years the primary driver seems to be the time the Mass is offered. Most people seem to want to go to a mass between 9 and 10. It’s early enough to not “mess up the entire day,” but late enough that they can sleep in a little bit.

I’ll admit that with 3 kids under 6 a shorter mass can be a God send. It’s one of the reason we will occasionally go to a low mass rather than the missa cantata at the FSSP parish in town. For me it really depends on what music you are cutting out. If the majority of the singing is hymns from OCP then I am all for saving the 10-15 minutes they take since they do nothing for me. I’d rather have reverent silence. On the other hand if I had the opportunity to attend mass with a sung introit, response, etc., but no hymn sandwich I’d be happy with that.

 

[ccmcmg]

I am curious to know the view of the “people in the pews”, about this question. I often hear that a priest who has a “short Mass” on Sunday (maybe only 45 minutes long!) gets higher attendance. These Masses cut out singing to get the length down. So, are Catholics more interested in a “short” Mass rather than a Mass with a considerable amount of singing? That seems to be the “vote” of the marketplace, since the “short” Masses get quite popular. Why are short ( Sunday) Masses so popular? Would you personally rather have a short Mass, or a sung Mass, please also say why!

Personally, when I returned to the Faith fully back in '99, Mass could have gone two hours and I would have loved it. The hour flew by. Since our recent return, Mass is one hour almost on the nose, and I enjoy it, but that’s probably due to ‘custom’ rather than desire. I went to my first Latin low Mass last night, and that hour seemed like the longest ever! It was very hard to follow along, and if the red book hadn’t contained notes, especially about the priest’s gestures, I would have been totally lost. I did appreciate that the Mass was for God, as opposed to for the people, and on occasion, a chance for the cantors to showcase their chops and try out for American Idol.

I have been attending weekday Masses at nearby parishes at noon or 5:30 PM (I’m NOT a morning person, but that might be my ‘penance’ next Lent). Sometimes they have a song or two, sometimes none at all. I could sit for an hour listening to the Monsignor at one Mass, but others I don’t feel that at all.

I love weekday Mass, no matter if it’s 30 minutes or an hour. I know the crowds get restless when the Mass nears an hour long and we are still going.

This might be a little more off the topic than you were asking, but those are my thoughts.

God bless,
Christina

 

[marimagi]

I think it is good for priests to be pastorally sensitive to the needs of busy people who would come for Mass if it didn’t mean rearranging their schedule. A couple of years ago, I came to our noontime Ash Wednesday Mass and prepared to sing as I always do, in the choir area. Our pastor approached me and said “sorry, this is a “low Mass” for people on their lunch breaks.” One of our substitute priests is well-known in the parish for his speedy Masses; I attended a couple and did not get the feeling that it was overly rushed or irreverent.

However, a Dominican I once knew also sped through Masses, and he was always jabbering quickly, rattling off words at top speed as if it were a nuisance to say them. He chose the simplest Mass settings and this was at a community rife with liturgical abuse. I was known to wax derisive about his speed, and came to call him “Father F., the Fastest Friar in Phoenix.” Priests should NEVER take this careless attitude toward Mass, even if they believe that time is of the essence. It will quickly wear out the assembly and cause resentment. Every time I finished one of Father F’s Masses I felt I had to catch my breath for five minutes.

That seems really sad to me.

 

[Sarabande]

I am curious to know the view of the “people in the pews”, about this question. I often hear that a priest who has a “short Mass” on Sunday (maybe only 45 minutes long!) gets higher attendance. These Masses cut out singing to get the length down. So, are Catholics more interested in a “short” Mass rather than a Mass with a considerable amount of singing? That seems to be the “vote” of the marketplace, since the “short” Masses get quite popular. Why are short ( Sunday) Masses so popular? Would you personally rather have a short Mass, or a sung Mass, please also say why!

The short masses at one of the parishes where I work are very popular… so much so that the parish (which was dying out for a while) has actually gained many more members over the past few years and has become much more vibrant. The thing, though, is that we sing everything, except for the Gloria. We only sing the Gloria for special masses. The mass on Saturday nights last between 30-40 minutes, which is well-attended. The mass on Sunday mornings run about 40-50 minutes, also well-attended. The length depends on the length of the homily and he usually gives very good homilies. He knows how to make his point without “over-talking”. The priest never leaves anything out and we usually only have him and one or two EMHCs distribute communion.

What I’ve heard from some is that they like the short masses because they like the priest’s homilies, like the cantors (trained professional singers) and they like how he knows how to be concise and full of information, yet not “boring”. Others have complained about different parishes which “sing everything”, but the music is awful and too repetitive, prolonging it more than it should. My in-laws, who live down south, can’t stand the music liturgies down there at any of the parishes they’ve attended. They say the music makes the mass last about an 1 hour and a half. They wouldn’t mind it if there was substance to the length of the mass or substance to the music that is used, but attending mass down there has been pretty hard for them and when they come up north, even the poorly played hymns on the organ is a breath of fresh air for them. These are people who usually aren’t the kind who complain and likes new and old church music.