SPLIT: Use of incense

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My church uses incense, not regularly, but occasionally. Personally, I love it. It can be a little uncomfortable when it is overdone—we had a seminarian who would always overdo it. One Easter when he was the thurifer, the fire alarm went off. Our sacristan told me that that has happened more than once.

We usually use incense on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, during the Sacred Triduum, on Easter, at Confirmation, at funerals, and at rarely at weddings. I learned how to use incense yesterday when I altar served at a wedding (it was only used during the offertory at that wedding—there was a visiting priest, probably why it was used). I wish it could be used more often, although I know that some cannot be in the church while it is used.

:highprayer: Joseph :highprayer:
 
Sounds like your church needs to fix the fire alarm. :bigyikes: Incense is used every Sunday in many parishes, but there are certain things to consider when using it. First, some people are actually allergic to it. Many more people THINK they’re allergic to it. I’ve heard stories of people coughing at the sight of a swinging thurible, even though there was no incense inside it. Gradual use of incense will help desensitize many people, or little tricks such as smoking up the church a few hours before Mass, but be aware that some people really do have allergies. Second, the priest should put the right amount into the thurible - not enough and the people won’t see or smell it; too much and the fire alarm sounds. Third, there are many types of incense available. Personally, I prefer Eastern Orthodox incenses, because they are pure gums and resins which don’t have pieces of wood in them to inflame allergies. Eastern Rite and Orthodox priests and deacons are renowned for generating clouds of incense during their liturgies without a single cough from the people. In my parish, switching from a “woody” incense to a floral gum incense called “Russian gardenia” made a huge difference for one parishioner with allergies.
 
The_Old_Medic said:
I wish they would use incense more frequently.
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I agree.
Cavaille-Coll said:
Sounds like your church needs to fix the fire alarm. :bigyikes: Incense is used every Sunday in many parishes, but there are certain things to consider when using it. First, some people are actually allergic to it. Many more people THINK they’re allergic to it. I’ve heard stories of people coughing at the sight of a swinging thurible, even though there was no incense inside it. Gradual use of incense will help desensitize many people, or little tricks such as smoking up the church a few hours before Mass, but be aware that some people really do have allergies. Second, the priest should put the right amount into the thurible - not enough and the people won’t see or smell it; too much and the fire alarm sounds. Third, there are many types of incense available. Personally, I prefer Eastern Orthodox incenses, because they are pure gums and resins which don’t have pieces of wood in them to inflame allergies. Eastern Rite and Orthodox priests and deacons are renowned for generating clouds of incense during their liturgies without a single cough from the people. In my parish, switching from a “woody” incense to a floral gum incense called “Russian gardenia” made a huge difference for one parishioner with allergies.
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Our church was built in the 1950s and so probably doesn’t have the best fire alarm system out there, but at least it doesn’t have sprinklers that could go off during the Mass! :bigyikes: Most of the time when it’s used though, it’s used conservatively and the fire alarm doesn’t go off. The boat we use to store incense has a small spoon in it, the bowl being about an inch long. A visiting priest for a wedding this past Sunday put two spoonfuls in the thurible; not sure if that was too much. It probably was because even people in the back of the church thought it was overwhelming; it was used during the Offertory only. I’ll have to ask our parish priest what kind of incense he uses.

:highprayer: Joseph :highprayer:
 
Most people just need to get used to it. We use incence at 4 out of 6 Sunday Masses, no one has problems, and it’s a packed church. I used to think I was “allergic”.

Now, I’m that thurifer asking father to add one more spoonful!
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
Sounds like your church needs to fix the fire alarm. :bigyikes: Incense is used every Sunday in many parishes, but there are certain things to consider when using it. First, some people are actually allergic to it. Many more people THINK they’re allergic to it. I’ve heard stories of people coughing at the sight of a swinging thurible, even though there was no incense inside it. Gradual use of incense will help desensitize many people, or little tricks such as smoking up the church a few hours before Mass, but be aware that some people really do have allergies. Second, the priest should put the right amount into the thurible - not enough and the people won’t see or smell it; too much and the fire alarm sounds. Third, there are many types of incense available. Personally, I prefer Eastern Orthodox incenses, because they are pure gums and resins which don’t have pieces of wood in them to inflame allergies. Eastern Rite and Orthodox priests and deacons are renowned for generating clouds of incense during their liturgies without a single cough from the people. In my parish, switching from a “woody” incense to a floral gum incense called “Russian gardenia” made a huge difference for one parishioner with allergies.
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Most informative. Thanks for posting it.
 
I think more incense would do some good for us Catholics. It makes the Mass feel more sacred. :highprayer: I can just feel the sacredness when looking at this smily. 😃
 
JGMendes4049 said:
My church uses incense, not regularly, but occasionally. Personally, I love it. It can be a little uncomfortable when it is overdone—we had a seminarian who would always overdo it. One Easter when he was the thurifer, the fire alarm went off. Our sacristan told me that that has happened more than once.

We usually use incense on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, during the Sacred Triduum, on Easter, at Confirmation, at funerals, and at rarely at weddings. I learned how to use incense yesterday when I altar served at a wedding (it was only used during the offertory at that wedding—there was a visiting priest, probably why it was used). I wish it could be used more often, although I know that some cannot be in the church while it is used.

:highprayer: Joseph :highprayer:
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I love incense… it was used at every High Mass at the TLM parish I attended. I wish it was used more often at the Novus Ordo. 🙂
 
Ahhh, I <3 incense! I come from a Pagan background where incense was a constant in the house. It just smells like home to me:)
 
JGMendes4049 said:
My church uses incense, not regularly, but occasionally. Personally, I love it. It can be a little uncomfortable when it is overdone—we had a seminarian who would always overdo it. One Easter when he was the thurifer, the fire alarm went off. Our sacristan told me that that has happened more than once.
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What’s the definition of “overdo”?
 
TheMc said:
What’s the definition of “overdo”?
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over·do verb \ˌō-vər-ˈdü
over·did - over·done - over·do·ing - over·does

Definition of OVERDO

transitive verb

1 a: to do in excess
b: to use to excess
c: exaggerate

2: to cook too long

3: exhaust

intransitive verb

: to go to extremes

Examples of OVERDO

You should exercise every day, but don’t overdo it.
The acting in that play was badly overdone.
Don’t overdo the salt in this recipe.
The cook overdid the hamburgers.

First Known Use of OVERDO
before 12th century

Related to OVERDO

Synonyms: exaggerate, overstate, overdraw, put on
Antonyms: understate
 
TheMc said:
What’s the definition of “overdo”?
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It’s pretty easy to overdo incense in a church with a low ceiling. That’s why all churches should have very high ceilings. Then you can have great clouds of incense and it all goes up instead of enveloping everyone in a thick, sweet-smelling fog.
 
Will_S said:
It’s pretty easy to overdo incense in a church with a low ceiling. That’s why all churches should have very high ceilings. Then you can have great clouds of incense and it all goes up instead of enveloping everyone in a thick, sweet-smelling fog.
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If the ceilings aren’t high enough, then I don’t know what was wrong with the architect. The church ceiling should look like it’s never ending to represent the vastness of Heaven.
 
Im torn on this to be honest.

Incense gives me a massive headache. One the Easter Vigil when I was coming into full communion thru RCIA the only thing I remember from that night was the physical pain of a serious headache.

Now when I know it’s being used I sit away from the alter towards the back. But the it did kinda have a bad impact on me that Easter Vigil. I tried to stay focus but the headache was that bad. 😦
 
Will_S said:
It’s pretty easy to overdo incense in a church with a low ceiling. That’s why all churches should have very high ceilings. Then you can have great clouds of incense and it all goes up instead of enveloping everyone in a thick, sweet-smelling fog.
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Good point. All the churches I thurifize (:D) at have relatively high ceilings, enough to save the people’s lungs.
 
  1. I adore incense.
  2. I am allergic to it.
I can always tell if there was a wedding on Saturday. I know when there has been a funeral. I cough all the way through the Mass. My eyes water I keep a cough drop in my mouth so that my fellow Parishoners can hear what Father is saying. I keep benadryl strips in my purse and take one if I come in and start feeling like my airway is about to start complaining. I pre-medicate on all days I know that incense will abound. 😉

Caution: do not drive after you have taken benadryl unless you are used to it. :rolleyes:
 
I too can tell if we’ve had a funeral within the past WEEK.

It seems that I’m less sensitive to the allergic effects of incense than in years past, but in general my allergies are much better managed.

To those who do not have allergies/asthma, please do not underestimate the effects of incense on certain individuals. It’s quite distressing when one cannot breathe, start to have a river of snot or develop a sinus headache. Add to that the emotional aspect of such happening during mass and ***because ***of mass, and it’s problematic for those of us with moderate to severe allergies.

I liken it a bit to those with celiac disease, who cannot consume the host; it’s something one wants desperately to participate in, but it’s difficult or impossible to do so because of an incurable medical condition.

That being said, I do like the asthetics of incense. Perhaps they can make a “smokeless” incense someday like those artificial cigarettes. 😉
 
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