Sunday Mass Schedule "Back in the Day"

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Just out of curiosity, I am wondering what the typical American parish Mass schedule was like prior to Vatican II? I know there wouldn’t be Saturday vigil Masses, but how many Masses would usually be celebrated on Sunday? And was there only one High Mass and the rest were Low Masses, or were churches allowed to celebrate multiple High Masses?

Thanks for any insights.

J.
 
I’ve lived in the same parish for 54 years, but I don’t clearly recall the pre-VII Mass schedule. I think it was 6:30am, 8, 9, 10:30 and 12 noon. Don’t remember which were high or low Mass. We actually have more Masses available now: the Saturday Vigil at 5:30pm, then 7:30am, 9, 10:30, 12 noon and a Sunday evening at 7:00pm.
 
I recall going to the 5:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday morning back when I was in high school and working Saturday nights. I think the early Mass was often 5:30 or 6, and then maybe 7:30 and 9:00. Fast was from midnight.
 
Parish I attended had Masses at 6,7,8,9,10(High),11:15,12:15 All Latin, of course.

Today they have 2 Spanish Masses and 2 English Masses. A bilingual on Sat eve.

This doesn’t tell the full story as I’ve heard some parishes were merged and further merges and closings are anticipated in that area.
 
Something like 7, 8:30, 10:30, and 12:00, with the 10:30 being the chanted/sung High Mass, preceded by the Asperges Mei procession from the sanctuary down the main aisle and back up again. Have distinct altar boy memories of carrying the aspersorium (which was universally known then as the “holy water bucket”) for Father, and then assisting Father out of the cope and into the chasuble once we’d returned to the sanctuary - as well as closing the gates in the altar rail. Good times.
 
As a child before Vatican II in my parish the Mass we went to was I guess a “high Mass”, with the choir singing in an operatic style. The priest faced the altar and we kneeled to receive Holy Communion from the priest only, with the altar boy holding a plate under the communion wafer. We were in a big parish so there were probably 4 Masses on Sunday only. And like someone said earlier, there was fasting for much more than the 1 hr. requirement of today.
 
My parish, in 1960, was 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 5:15 PM (intended for men who worked in Steel Plant on Sunday, but anybody could go). There was a morning Mass Mon - Fri. If there was a wedding on Saturday they had to be done very early, because the church had to be cleared for the crowds-yes-crowds for Confession. (Must have been lots more sin in 1960 compared to 2016, because they also had confession weekdays). (not intending that as humor, but sad commentary on 2016)

School children were supposed to go to the 9 AM Mass on Sunday, where the sisters would attend; and monitor. As that parish grew they had a couple simultaneous Masses in the school gym and the overcrowded church, till the new church was built. I don’t remember exactly when the “high Mass” was. I don’t really have a good recollection of the distinction, other than the choir (and priest) sang a lot. I wonder, did they have a choir at low Masses then?
 
In our village parish there were two, at 8 a.m. (low) and at 10 a.m. (Missa Cantata). The two parishes in the neighboring town had at least 3 each. All the other churches around had at least 2.

Fast forward 50 years, two parishes have 1 every Sunday, 2 have 1 every Saturday evening and the rest have one per month, either Saturday evening or Sunday. I’m not sure that any parish has Mass during the week.

On Ash Wednesday there were 2 Masses for 9 parishes in 9 different communities.
 
in my parish

on Sunday “back in the day”: : 0700, 0800, 0900, 1000, 1100 & 1200

now: 0715, 0930, 1030 & 1200
 
I believe it all depended on how big the Catholic population was in a given area.
 
i do seem to remember “back in the day” mass was about 40 or 45 minutes at the most

“nowadays” mass lasts almost an hour it seems
 
I have a few bulletin copies from my parish back then. Masses were at 6 am, 7 am, 9 am (two Masses at the same time - one was in the church and one in the gym), 11 am, 1 pm and one in the evening although I don’t recall time. So, 7 Masses on Sunday with the 11am being the High Mass. There were 4 priests in the parish.
 
Not an American parish but my parish used to have 4 Sunday morning Masses - 8, 9, 10 and 11.
 
5:30 am (yep), 8:00 and 11:00 were Low Masses (no music of any kind) and 9:30 was High Mass with organ and choir.

This was in the last 40’s and throughout the 50’s. And it was a medium-sized neighborhood city parish with a resident pastor and two resident assistants.
 
commenter said:
My parish, in 1960, was 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 5:15 PM (intended for men who worked in Steel Plant on Sunday, but anybody could go). There was a morning Mass Mon - Fri. If there was a wedding on Saturday they had to be done very early, because the church had to be cleared for the crowds-yes-crowds for Confession. (Must have been lots more sin in 1960 compared to 2016, because they also had confession weekdays). (not intending that as humor, but sad commentary on 2016)

School children were supposed to go to the 9 AM Mass on Sunday, where the sisters would attend; and monitor. As that parish grew they had a couple simultaneous Masses in the school gym and the overcrowded church, till the new church was built. I don’t remember exactly when the “high Mass” was. I don’t really have a good recollection of the distinction, other than the choir (and priest) sang a lot. I wonder, did they have a choir at low Masses then?
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You might be interested in a talk I heard by Fr. Ricardo on my local Catholic station. I believe he is in the Detroit area. He stated something like he and his fellow priest at the parish that he serves at start hearing confessions on Saturday starting at 2:00. One of them will leave to celebrate the vigil mass, while the other continues to hear confession. After the Mass, the priest will return and continue hearing confessions until after 8:00, sometimes. He says that is a typical Saturday in his parish. Non-stop for about six hours. They also offer a Thursday evening penance service, where confessions are also heard, and that often lasts over three hours (the confessions, not the service :)).
 
Were I LIVE their are three Mass on Sunday, and one on Saturday, back in the old day I can,t remember how many were on Sunday,but I know their was no Saturday Mass.,
 
Sundays: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11:15 and 12

Weekdays: 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00

We also had an old aged home across the street from the church and school staffed by French Canadian religious who had Mass in their chapel.

Hard to believe now what it was once like. :o

The church was also open 24/7.
 
Lormar said:
Sundays: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11:15 and 12

Weekdays: 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00

We also had an old aged home across the street from the church and school staffed by French Canadian religious who had Mass in their chapel.

Hard to believe now what it was once like. :o

The church was also open 24/7.
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This is one of the changes that I found most startling and difficult at first.

Back in my old parish church, pre-Vatican II and even after, the church was always open. You could be in the neighborhood playing on a weekend or evening, and just go in the church for a visit or a prayer or light a vigil candle. The first time I tried to enter the church and found it locked was a shock to me.
 
JimG said:
This is one of the changes that I found most startling and difficult at first.

Back in my old parish church, pre-Vatican II and even after, the church was always open. You could be in the neighborhood playing on a weekend or evening, and just go in the church for a visit or a prayer or light a vigil candle. The first time I tried to enter the church and found it locked was a shock to me.
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Yes, I remember when we’d go on family vacation trips we always visited churches. Today you’d have to hope to arrive at Mass time and not plan to stay long after Mass.
 
My word, going back many years…

Church was 5, 6, 7, 8, 9:15, 10:30 and noon. Dad always called the noon Mass the “early afternoon sunrise service.”

Chapel Masses were same as the Church, but on the half hour.

Never on a Saturday or in the evening.

Church was always open, but Chapel was not as it was in the school basement.

We ALWAYS had our heads covered, too. When going to Mass during the week, if any of us in class had forgotten a hat, someone always came through with a Kleenex and Bobby pin.

On Holy Days, the early Mass was at 4am. Then 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Never on Saturday or in the evening.

Easter Mass at midnight was amazing. The loud chiming of all kinds of bells and the joyous feelings of all the purple coverings coming off the altar. And, oh! the amazing scent of gobs of incense. Stained glass and all Masses always in Latin!
 
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