The Mass in countries outside of the USA

  • Thread starter Thread starter OurLadyOfEfes
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
O

OurLadyOfEfes

Guest
Although I have traveled outside of the USA many times I have not, unfortunately, been able to go to a Mass in the countries I have visited. 😦

What country have you visited and were able to attend Holy Mass?
 
Mexico (Guadalajara, Cotija, San Juan del Barrio) and Italy (Siena, Assisi & Rome) —KCT
 
I am from Argentina, and Ive been to mass in Spain and Andorra.

I went to midnight christmas mass in Castelldefels, a town near Barcelona that had 2 churches, one old which most of the people prefered, and a new one modern looking less popular.

I went to the modern one because it was closer to the place I was staying in, it was a very nice mass, the priest was very orthodox and a good homilist, there were no kneelers, and you could tell catholicism is not very popular now in Spain because the church was rather empty for such an important day, and the priest spent 5 minutes at the end thanking the people in the church for coming to mass.

Andorra is the only place in the world where the mass is in catalan I think, I didnt understand a thing, everybody there also speak spanish, so i could confess anyway, the mass lasted only half an hour.
 
I visit Turkey every year I am hopeing that this year I will be able to visit the ancient see of smyrna (modern Izmir). For those of you who have not ever visited Turkey. I would highly suggest it did you know that in Ephesus the house of the Blessed Virgin still stands? It is the same that the Blessed Ann Catherine Emmerich saw in her visons of which there are a few books. Also the Grave of St John the Evangelist he was buried near where the council of Ephesus was held. Also about an 8 hour drive from there is The Church of St Nicolas (Santa claus) which is in pretty good shape considering it is 1600 years old. Also there are some awesome churches in Istanbul and underground churches in cappadocia.

Did you also know that all of the seven churches of revelation is right in Turkey and you could see them all within a one week tour?
 
I have been to Mass in Poland. It is a great experience to see people of all ages there, not just older people. It is also wonderful to see equal numbers of men and women, as I said many many younger people than we have here in the USA.

Many churches have adoration. People of all ages and social classes drop to both their knees immediately upon stepping into the church, long before getting to the pew or the adoration chapel. I had tears in my eyes the first time I saw this.

The people sing with all their hearts. We have always had masses with lots of hymns, it is not an innovation like in the United States.
 
I went to mass in italy. it was fantastic… the mass is entirely in latin except for the prayers of the faithful; gregorian chant, polyphony, awesome, awesome, awesome…
 
40.png
OurLadyOfEfes:
I visit Turkey every year I am hopeing that this year I will be able to visit the ancient see of smyrna (modern Izmir). For those of you who have not ever visited Turkey. I would highly suggest it did you know that in Ephesus the house of the Blessed Virgin still stands? It is the same that the Blessed Ann Catherine Emmerich saw in her visons of which there are a few books. Also the Grave of St John the Evangelist he was buried near where the council of Ephesus was held. Also about an 8 hour drive from there is The Church of St Nicolas (Santa claus) which is in pretty good shape considering it is 1600 years old. Also there are some awesome churches in Istanbul and underground churches in cappadocia.

Did you also know that all of the seven churches of revelation is right in Turkey and you could see them all within a one week tour?
Click to expand...
It sounds as though you cannot get to mass easily in Turkey. Isn’t it mostly Muslim? Why do you go every year?

I have heard there is the Loretto House of Our Lady that is in Italy and was supposed to have been brought over there by angels. I guess it was a different house than the one in Ephesus. Do you know anything about this?

If possible, I try to vacation where I can go to mass. I really like going in other countries too. I feel more connected to the people that live there.
 
Ireland, UK, Holland (Latin Mass) and Korea (Cathedral in Seoul).

Oh yea, and Canada too. 😉
 
Ireland, Holland, New Zealand (It was strange with hymms projected on a screen like a Protestant seeker service), Norway, Canada and Great Britain,
 
Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Thailand.

Colombia was the most like the US (liturgically creative 😦 ), Venezuela the most packed (standing in the courtyard all 6 Masses) and Mexico (Cozumel) the most reverent.

Small sample size, though. 😉
 
I have been to Mass in Italy, including Assisi, Rome & Siena, in France, the USA & my home country the UK. The US Mass was the fastest i’ve ever been to with a mass with hymns & sung gloria/ kyrie etc in 40minutes. The Mass in Assisi was the most crowded, big cathedral full to the rafters.
 
Somalia (Spiritu Santo Cathedral) built by the Italians - very small congregation though

Mauritius - very French and very orthodox

Australia of course - I live there

St Thomas (USVI) - very baptist revival style music but very reverent otherwise

Seychelles - see Mauritius above

England - very sad
 
40.png
OurLadyOfEfes:
What was your experience there like?
Click to expand...
It was incredible! It was celebrated in the Silverdome, then home of the Detroit Lions, so it was a packed stadium all there to worship and pray with the Pope!!
 
I had the opportunity of going to different pilgrimage Churches in Europe, and I lived in Seville, Spain for a year. Here are my observations…
Spain - They stand a lot, even during the consecration, and their masses are very short, with hardly any singing. They still do traditional gestures that were done pre VII. The priest normally enters from the side, not from the back.
Italy - The ones in St. Peters were of course orthodox. The priest celebrated ad orientem. Oddly enough, almost all of my masses there were in another language (filipino, German, etc.!)
Switzerland - Very similar to our own orthodox Churches. They stand and sit at the same time (In Spain, they stand at different times, like after the Mystery of Faith). They sang a lot too (by the way, this was at Eisedeln and Locarno, two of the biggest pilgrimage sites in Switzerland).
France - The mass at Lesiuex was, in my opinion, a bit liberal. But it wasn’t scandalously so. However, the one at the Monastary of Solesmes (a popular gregorian chant abbey) they had all of their masses in latin and were extremely orthodox (it was awesome). And the one at Chartes Cathedral was orthodox as well.
The pilgrimage site for the Brown Scapular in Ayelsford, England was very liberal. They sat a lot, including the Prayers of the faithful, and during the Liturgy of the hours, they didn’t even stand for the Magnificat or the Our Father. But they sang often, which was nice.
Portugal - The mass at the Fatima Basilica was beautiful, from the music, to it’s orthodoxy. However, they also stand at different times like Spain does.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top