Silence in the Church

[CRW]

General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Chapter II, paragraph 45 states: “Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.” Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, The Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours by Peter J. Elliott, number 233 states: “The church should be open well before the liturgy for those who wish to pray privately. Silence is the best preparation for the celebration of the liturgy. Apart from suitable music, no intrusion on the people’s right to tranquility before the Eucharist should be tolerated, for example, musical or choral rehearsals, announcements which could be given later, or distraction in the sanctuary or elsewhere. People may meet and talk before Mass, but in an area set well apart from the place where the liturgy is about to be celebrated.”

My question: How many churches have you attended that follow the norms cited above? Does you music director and choir practice before the start of Mass while others are praying and preparing for Mass? Does your Church have a separate place to gather to avoid distractions? Is the Silence after Mass, to allow those offering their Thanksgiving for receiving the Blessed Eucharist maintained? God Bless

 

[davy39]

The only thing I can compare after Mass with, is the noise in a gym after a basketball game. Heaven help the person that wants to pray after Mass. People don’t really believe the Lord is really present in the Church, or they would act differently.

 

[SMHW]

My church is pretty noisy too. But we do have a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel so those who wish to pray go there or to our worship garden.

We are about to break ground for a parish center/hall which will have a music rehearsal room. (Right now there is no place besides the church building for the choir to prepare and it’s pretty obvious when the choir hasn’t practiced before Mass.) I don’t know if the othe chatter will diminish.

 

[Sir_Catholic]

My church has silence both before and after Mass (except for the Rosary before Mass). People usually talk outside the church.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

One parish I attend on occasion had suffered for ten years with a pastor who tried to liberalize the parish, even going so far as to remove the statues and the tabernacle because, as he said, Christ wasn’t bodily present in the Eucharist. He passed away and was replaced with an interim pastor who restored the tabernacle, statues, and even processions, but also insisted upon silence in the church. The permanent pastor arrived a few months later, a liberal Franciscan whose first act was to get everyone to greet one another before the opening hymn (it is a small, hard-to-find church where everybody knows everybody and visitors are rare), and to require them to hold hands and stretch across the aisle at the Our Father. Many exiles who had returned to the last pastor have left again.

It is sad that many priests encouraged talking before or after Mass or handholding as a way of fostering “community,” because the end result of this has been a reduction of the sense of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and disregard toward those trying to pray. There are much fewer people praying before and after Mass, and an amazing lack of sensitivity by those who gather near a person who is obviously praying and chat at full voice. Worship and fellowship are essential to the Christian life, but they cannot be done at the same time, any more than I can hold a conversation with two people at once. This is why churches build parish halls.

If I am ordained, this is one area that will definitely be addressed in my parish. Musicians should warm up in another room – many older churches had a room off of the choir loft for this – but never in front of the congregation. It is spiritually distracting and musically unprofessional. Talking in church before or after Mass, or inside the sacristy while I am vesting (and saying the vesting prayers) is something I will try to end. In fact, only those who have a ministry in the present Mass should be in the sacristy at all.

 

[CRW]

One parish I attend on occasion had suffered for ten years with a pastor who tried to liberalize the parish, even going so far as to remove the statues and the tabernacle because, as he said, Christ wasn’t bodily present in the Eucharist. He passed away and was replaced with an interim pastor who restored the tabernacle, statues, and even processions, but also insisted upon silence in the church. The permanent pastor arrived a few months later, a liberal Franciscan whose first act was to get everyone to greet one another before the opening hymn (it is a small, hard-to-find church where everybody knows everybody and visitors are rare), and to require them to hold hands and stretch across the aisle at the Our Father. Many exiles who had returned to the last pastor have left again.

It is sad that many priests encouraged talking before or after Mass or handholding as a way of fostering “community,” because the end result of this has been a reduction of the sense of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and disregard toward those trying to pray. There are much fewer people praying before and after Mass, and an amazing lack of sensitivity by those who gather near a person who is obviously praying and chat at full voice. Worship and fellowship are essential to the Christian life, but they cannot be done at the same time, any more than I can hold a conversation with two people at once. This is why churches build parish halls.

If I am ordained, this is one area that will definitely be addressed in my parish. Musicians should warm up in another room – many older churches had a room off of the choir loft for this – but never in front of the congregation. It is spiritually distracting and musically unprofessional. Talking in church before or after Mass, or inside the sacristy while I am vesting (and saying the vesting prayers) is something I will try to end. In fact, only those who have a ministry in the present Mass should be in the sacristy at all.

I offer my prayers to you and others who will hold true to your statement. May God’s voice be spoken and your ordination a blessing to all. God Bless PS: Jesus still listens and obeys his mother; go to her often for your confirmation in the priesthood.

 

[arieh0310]

My parish is silent before mass but after mass the organ is so loud and never-ending that it is hard to think (the organist is talented but I think he is mostly deaf).

The indult parish I attend once or twice a month is silent before and after mass.

 

[acadian]

Our church is silent before Mass, and there are no music rehearsals. The organist may start playing 5 or 10 minutes before Mass starts. It is not so quiet after Mass.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

There is marble, bad acoustics, and yakking. it is noticable at Sunday Masses, not so much on Sunday.

There ARE big doors separating the HUGE marble vestibule (not gathering place, more like enclosed patio and market square) from the HUGE marble church, but the doors do not keep out the noise from the vestibule. And people bring their yakking with them through the doors, instead of finishing up outside.

Some Sundays, we go to another parish that literally has no vestibule, but an open porch. Walk in the back of this church and it is immediately quiet.

 

[CRW]

General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Chapter II, paragraph 45 states: “Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.” Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, The Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours by Peter J. Elliott, number 233 states: “The church should be open well before the liturgy for those who wish to pray privately. Silence is the best preparation for the celebration of the liturgy. Apart from suitable music, no intrusion on the people’s right to tranquility before the Eucharist should be tolerated, for example, musical or choral rehearsals, announcements which could be given later, or distraction in the sanctuary or elsewhere. People may meet and talk before Mass, but in an area set well apart from the place where the liturgy is about to be celebrated.”

My question: How many churches have you attended that follow the norms cited above? Does you music director and choir practice before the start of Mass while others are praying and preparing for Mass? Does your Church have a separate place to gather to avoid distractions? Is the Silence after Mass, to allow those offering their Thanksgiving for receiving the Blessed Eucharist maintained? God Bless

I must say that I expected more to vote on this poll. 220 have reviewed but only 37 took the time to vote. Did I ask the wrong questions? Questions not clear? Or is it simply that no one cares? I do appreciate those that did vote and it will help in church committee discussions.

 

[Pug]

I must say that I expected more to vote on this poll. 220 have reviewed but only 37 took the time to vote. Did I ask the wrong questions? Questions not clear? Or is it simply that no one cares? I do appreciate those that did vote and it will help in church committee discussions.

I’d like a bit more silence within the mass. For example, I’d like time to think after the first reading. I thought the poll would be about that.

 

[Ace86]

I think Announcements are really annoying as well. They’re so distracting. And they’re usually done by the cantor, who will say something heretical like “In today’s readings, we learn that we become the Eucharist”…or whatever. I just ignore them. And then they’ll drone on and on about bake sales and whatever. And then the cantor says “Rise” as if now the cantor is the one to begin the Mass (as opposed to the priest).

Just start the Mass with the music. Or the entrance chant. Don’t announce it, just do it.

 

[AquinaSavio]

Ours is the noisiest Church in the western U.S.

 

[Stu]

Depends on which Mass. For the Indult Mass, before and after are silent. For the others, not so much.

 

[WyomingBob]

Our church is relatively quiet. There is some chatting but it is in whispers. I have not hears the music or choir rehersing in the 8 years I have been here. I have attended some where you would have thought you were at a high school sporting event.
No, I dont think you asked the wrong questin. But maybe there were too many choices. But I was glad to find out that silence is more or less mandated. Thanks

 

[CRW]

Our church is relatively quiet. There is some chatting but it is in whispers. I have not hears the music or choir rehersing in the 8 years I have been here. I have attended some where you would have thought you were at a high school sporting event.
No, I dont think you asked the wrong questin. But maybe there were too many choices. But I was glad to find out that silence is more or less mandated. Thanks

We have experienced major improvement in our Church. We still have room to improve but we are getting there. This past Sunday, I approached three individuals, requesting silence while my wife and I say our Rosary. After Mass it is just impossible some Sundays to offer your Thanksgiving but it is getting better. God Bless and thanks for your post.

 

[CRW]

My church is pretty noisy too. But we do have a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel so those who wish to pray go there or to our worship garden.

We are about to break ground for a parish center/hall which will have a music rehearsal room. (Right now there is no place besides the church building for the choir to prepare and it’s pretty obvious when the choir hasn’t practiced before Mass.) I don’t know if the othe chatter will diminish.

We have a parish hall but the noise level getting there is something else. I can understand the fellowship of saying goodbyes and offering ones love on departing the Mass, but it goes well beyond that level.
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4108/christcrosswz0.jpg

 

[CRW]

The only thing I can compare after Mass with, is the noise in a gym after a basketball game. Heaven help the person that wants to pray after Mass. People don’t really believe the Lord is really present in the Church, or they would act differently.

Have you ever spoken to your priests about this?

 

[fmagill]

Not only is our regular weekend parish far too noisy before and after Mass, but at one of the Sunday Masses (electric guitar music and nothing written before the 1960’s other than “Amazing Grace”), the piano guy plays a little tune during the consecration, in blatant violation of the GIRM. When I brought this to the pastor’s attention, he said “well, the Eucharistic Prayer is really supposed to be sung, anyway.” Granted, but by the celebrant, not by anyone else except for the responses. We don’t attend that Mass any more.

 

[CRW]

Not only is our regular weekend parish far too noisy before and after Mass, but at one of the Sunday Masses (electric guitar music and nothing written before the 1960’s other than “Amazing Grace”), the piano guy plays a little tune during the consecration, in blatant violation of the GIRM. When I brought this to the pastor’s attention, he said “well, the Eucharistic Prayer is really supposed to be sung, anyway.” Granted, but by the celebrant, not by anyone else except for the responses. We don’t attend that Mass any more.

We must offer our prayers for all priests; especially the intersession of the Blessed Mother for our priests. God Bless