Shortest Mass Ever?

[Halligator]

I assisted at a Mass yesterday that lasted fourteen minutes, homily included. We skipped over the Creed and the Our Father, but most other parts were there.

It was a 6:15 am Mass, so I guess most folks were heading to work. Being the oddball, I was headed home. About 35 communicants (mostly older adults) present.

I got to spend some extra time in the empty nave after the service. I do love a quiet, dark, Nave.

Is fifteen minutes about as short as a Mass can be?

 

[Saints_Alive]

I just glanced at my missal. The Lord’s Prayer doesn’t appear to be optional.

Hard to say why it was skipped.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

During the week the Credo is recited or sung on solemnities only, and most days are not solemnities. I don’t know of a single circumstance when The Lord’s Prayer is optional, however. :ehh:

Shortest Mass I ever attended lasted fifteen minutes. All the elements were there (including a four-minute homily), but it was just Father and me so Communion took three seconds and there was no point in having a Sign of Peace

I don’t think there is an official minimum length requirement for the Mass, but IMHO even if the day in question were a feria, the reading and Gospel were short, the celebrant included only what was obligatory, and the briefest options were selected where multiple possibilities exist (Eucharistic Prayer, for example), the Mass would have to last at least ten minutes.

 

[Columba_Tom]

I know a Protestant school where many of the choristers are Catholic. They miss Mass due to choral duties. The Catholic chaplain lays on a quick “Mass” for them beforehand. It’s been timed to eight minutes. I’ve never been. I do wonder if it can really be legit.

 

[Murmurs]

I know a Protestant school where many of the choristers are Catholic. They miss Mass due to choral duties. The Catholic chaplain lays on a quick “Mass” for them beforehand. It’s been timed to eight minutes. I’ve never been. I do wonder if it can really be legit.

I’d love to attend that just to see how it’s done!

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

The shortest Mass I had ever attended was decades ago, maybe early 70’s
There had been a heat wave, and the priest at the time said God shall forgive us all,
Because we have no ceiling fans, someone might pass out, maybe even himself,
That very next day, a parrishener donated several ceiling fans , and an electrician donated his time, the next Sunday the priest said we no longer have an excuse ,

 

[theyoungmonk]

Well St. Alphonsus writes in his little booklet “On Mass said Hurriedly” “From all this it must follow, that a priest who celebrates
any. Mass in less than a quarter of an hour (even a Mass
for the dead, or of the Votive of the Blessed Virgin), can
not, without great difficulty, not to say impossibility, be
excused from mortal sin; because it is impossible to
finish Mass in less time than a quarter, and not commit
great irreverence against the holy Sacrifice, and give
great scandal to the faithful.”

I would recommend the reading of that booklet to answer any question of this sort.

 

[agnes_therese]

Well St. Alphonsus writes in his little booklet “On Mass said Hurriedly” “From all this it must follow, that a priest who celebrates
any. Mass in less than a quarter of an hour (even a Mass
for the dead, or of the Votive of the Blessed Virgin), can
not, without great difficulty, not to say impossibility, be
excused from mortal sin; because it is impossible to
finish Mass in less time than a quarter, and not commit
great irreverence against the holy Sacrifice, and give
great scandal to the faithful.”

I would recommend the reading of that booklet to answer any question of this sort.

I would recommend not suggesting a priest is in mortal sin, or committing “great irreverance,” without knowing a LOT more about the priest and the situation.

 

[lakotak]

The morning Mass that I attend each day usually is done in about 15 minutes, however, we do not say the Creed, but we do say the Our Father.

 

[Cat]

Attend a “hospital” Mass if you get a chance. They last about 10 minutes!

The priests recognize that many of the hospital staff simply don’t have a half-hour to spare, and may be called away to deal with emergencies. They also recognize that many of the patients and their families who attend may have to leave in a hurry.

So they talk fast and hurry the Mass along. No one complains, though, because a hospital is a setting in which time is measured in seconds and minutes rather than hours.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

I would recommend not suggesting a priest is in mortal sin, or committing “great irreverance,” without knowing a LOT more about the priest and the situation.

St Alphonsus Liguori is considered the Church’s top moral theologian. A 15 minute Mass prior to the reforms would have required the priest to severly race through it, thus be a form of gross irreverence towards the Mass. The Code of Canon Law also placed not following the precise rubrics of the Mass under the pain of mortal sin.

 

[signit]

Attend a “hospital” Mass if you get a chance. They last about 10 minutes!

The priests recognize that many of the hospital staff simply don’t have a half-hour to spare, and may be called away to deal with emergencies. They also recognize that many of the patients and their families who attend may have to leave in a hurry.

So they talk fast and hurry the Mass along. No one complains, though, because a hospital is a setting in which time is measured in seconds and minutes rather than hours.

I would think, too, a Mass at an airport would be kept short.

 

[FrDavid96]

Assuming the readings are not too long, no homily, no hymns, Eucharistic Prayer II, only a few people for Communion, and the priest is a relatively fast reader and speaker, a weekday Mass can finish in 10 minutes: without any sense of rush or irreverence.

 

[pianistclare]

Assuming the readings are not too long, no homily, no hymns, Eucharistic Prayer II, only a few people for Communion, and the priest is a relatively fast reader and speaker, a weekday Mass can finish in 10 minutes: without any sense of rush or irreverence.

Anyone who has been to a weekday Mass in Ireland also knows this, LOL!

 

[Neofight]

St Alphonsus Liguori is considered the Church’s top moral theologian. A 15 minute Mass prior to the reforms would have required the priest to severly race through it, thus be a form of gross irreverence towards the Mass. The Code of Canon Law also placed not following the precise rubrics of the Mass under the pain of mortal sin.

Rubrics is one thing, but we are not bound by the writings of the Saints, unless those opinions of these Holy men and women have been incorporated into Church precepts, laws, doctrine or dogma.

This is not to say that the opinions of saints are not without merit, but being people like you and I, there is plenty of disagreement between saints on various topics.

 

[ProVobis]

St Alphonsus Liguori is considered the Church’s top moral theologian. A 15 minute Mass prior to the reforms would have required the priest to severly race through it, thus be a form of gross irreverence towards the Mass. The Code of Canon Law also placed not following the precise rubrics of the Mass under the pain of mortal sin.

Would have been a nightmare for the servers, if not for those in the pews.

 

[dans0622]

Assuming the readings are not too long, no homily, no hymns, Eucharistic Prayer II, only a few people for Communion, and the priest is a relatively fast reader and speaker, a weekday Mass can finish in 10 minutes: without any sense of rush or irreverence.

Well, maybe you’re right… If so, one of the first acts of my pontificate (as Pope Suburban), would be to declare that a 10 minute Mass is against the law.

Dan

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I recall being told, many years ago [before the EF came to be and all masses were in Latin], that eight minutes was the minimum. I attended a few that were a minute or two shy of that.

 

[Saints_Alive]

St Alphonsus was talking about the EF, not the OF.

Still a good read though, as is anything by the good Doctor

 

[FrDavid96]

Well, maybe you’re right… If so, one of the first acts of my pontificate (as Pope Suburban), would be to declare that a 10 minute Mass is against the law.

Dan

End result:

The priest finishes the post-Communion prayer.

Looks at his watch.

When the 10-minute mark arrives, he gives the final blessing.

Mass cannot be measured in terms of minutes and seconds simply for its own sake.

If all the necessary parts are done, and the prayers are done reverently, then the time is simply a non-issue.

I happen to speak fast. That’s normal for me.
On days when the readings are rather short (ie they don’t drag on overly long, like some in the current weekday Lectionary), Mass is finished in less than 10 minutes. Nothing was missing, so there’s no problem.