Tips on promoting the Traditional Latin Mass?

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Got any tips on promoting the old rite? Share them here. Keep it short and sweet.

Please, no thread diverting. Let’s make a useful resource for enthusiasts.

Here are a few:
  • Get a good schola going. You need one person who knows what they’re doing and can teach the rest: a cantor.
  • An organist. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Mass 9 sung by a good schola, accompanied by a competent organist. The music is a big draw.
  • Approach people. Catholics don’t really do ‘fellowship’. Say hello in the narthex after Mass.
  • Get it in the parish Mass listings
 
my wish and hope would be more people would promote in their own parishes rather than isolate themselves in one parish in a locality. I realize the attitude of some bishops and priests militate against that, but as long as the average Catholic has no exposure to the EF it will remain too rare. Personally, since the EF was already replacing the TLM before the changes now referred to as the OF, that should be the preferred Latin Mass at all times and places it is celebrated.

I agree with OP you will convince with the music faster than any other way, so a schola and restoration of not only chant but traditional hymns is the way to start educating a parish. Also helpful here has been use of Latin in Advent and Lent and other special times. When this replaces both Spanish and English it eliminates some of the inherent problems with bilingual Masses on Holy days, and also educates the parish. This in turn has awakened local interest in the TLM at our neighboring parish. Most people don’t know about it because until a recent article in our new diocesan newspaper, it was never advertised and nobody else knew about it, either.
 
  1. Ask for it. Those devoted to the EF have a right to request it.
  2. Pray for it. Get together with others and offer the Rosary or pray a Novena.
  3. Avoid triumphalism and/or the attidtude of “we’re better than the average, ignorant, stinky Catholic of today.” Sometimes I think the EF’s worst enemies are her most ardent devotees. I think lots of people would give the EF a try were it not for the arch rhetoric and attitude of some/many of the EF crowd.
  4. Don’t denigrate the OF. It has brought many people into the Church, it is loved by them, and it, too, is the one Mass of the Church.
 
JKirkLVNV said:
  1. Ask for it. Those devoted to the EF have a right to request it.
  2. Pray for it. Get together with others and offer the Rosary or pray a Novena.
  3. **Avoid triumphalism and/or the attidtude of “we’re better **than the average, ignorant, stinky Catholic of today.” Sometimes I think the EF’s worst enemies are her most ardent devotees. I think lots of people would give the EF a try were it not for the arch rhetoric and attitude of some/many of the EF crowd.
  4. Don’t denigrate the OF. It has brought many people into the Church, it is loved by them, and it, too, is the one Mass of the Church.
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What he said…👍👍

Build up the acceptance of the EF by positive effort. Also build up the OF by positive effort, both of which are pointed toward the highest, most reverent, most joyful, most sublime expression of our faith in the Mass.

Peace
James
 
When I chat with Catholics who have never been to TLM I always stress that it is the Mass that was celebrated before the reform of 40 years ago. I talk about tradition and continuity and how I find it crucial to be a part of something that dates back centuries ago rather than to the 1970 aesthetic.
If people respond in a negative way and argue for the spirit of V2 I engage in a discussion and try to explain why the TLM is more theologically sound.
It is important to know the facts and to express them in a clear way but to avoid a confrontational attitude and a certain tone.
 
Contra_Mundum said:
When I chat with Catholics who have never been to TLM I always stress that it is the Mass that was celebrated before the reform of 40 years ago. I talk about tradition and continuity and how I find it crucial to be a part of something that dates back centuries ago rather than to the 1970 aesthetic.
If people respond in a negative way and argue for the spirit of V2 I engage in a discussion and try to explain why the TLM is more theologically sound.
It is important to know the facts and to express them in a clear way but to avoid a confrontational attitude and a certain tone.
Click to expand...
In certain academic circles and discussions, I can see this as acceptable but in general I think such a tack is not productive as it is, or has the appearance of, pitting one form against the other.
Since both forms are to be accepted, promoted and used by the Church (in accordance with the desire of the Holy Father) I don’t believe it is healthy to argue that one is more “theologically sound” than the other.
There is beauty in both forms.
Seek out and promote that beauty.

Peace
James
 
THREAD DIVERSION ALERT(?)

Please stay on topic. Practical tips, please, and keep 'em short an sweet.

Thanks. 🙂

I was thinking more in terms of promotional tips for those who have a Mass already in place. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.

It’s about marketing, people 😃
 
I was thinking last night about the generations of martyrs within the Early Church who were converted Roman pagans.
antiochian.org/node/18734
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St. Priscilla suffered at Rome with the hieromartyr Marcellus, Bishop of Rome, and the holy deacons Sisinius and Cyriacus, along with Smaragdus, Largus, Apronian, Saturninus, Crescentian, Papias and Maurus and the holy women martyrs Lucina (Lucy), and the emperor’s daughter Artemia, during the persecutions by Diocletian and Maximian and their successors, Galerius and Maxentius.
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From reading Acts, it seems to me that St. Peter and St. Paul felt reaching Rome was the zenith of their missionary accomplishments.

It is quite amazing historically how catholic Christianity was blessed with such success in the conversion of the Roman Empire and then on into the entire world.

I would attend a TLM in honor of the Holy Spirit’s accomplishments and the faith of those pagan converts who accepted Christ by sacrificing their lives.
 
The ideal would be one TLM in every parish, or at least in every cluster of the parishes.

There are two steps. To bring in the TLM to a parish, and to get more people to attend TLM if that is there. For both goal the music seems to be a good magnet, either the Gregorian or polyphonic classical music. To start to bring in the TLM the best step is organize a choir, and chant the Officium in Latin, Vespers or Compline in regular basis. This choir could be the seed for the Masses, in a priest is ready to provide TLM in that parish.

In my opinion the ideological reason should emphasize the reverence, instead of the tradition. Very few people are tradition minded, for the majority the new is value. Also emphasize the positive side, not the negatives of the other side.

Also pray to God constantly to make the people around the TLM to be united, instead of fighting each other, or wanting to push their truth as absolute value. Only God is absolute, we are partial, imperfect.
 
Since I have begun attending a TLM only, I have been expounding the beauty and historical accuracy to all my never-even-been-to an-EF Mass acquaintances. I also distribute our bulletin and the Catholic Family News to them.
It must be having some effect as I have been getting feedback in the form of questions. 🙂
 
Teach classes on Latin centered on the Liturgy of the Mass.

The only Latin / Greek we have at our Mass is the Kyria Eliason. The words are flashed upon the screen without the English translation below (which is needed so people “feel” the connection between our modern era and the 2,000 year old Early Church. )

I bet most Catholics don’t know that Halleluyah is Hebrew:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah
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Hallelujah, Halleluyah and the Latin form Alleluia are transliterations of the Hebrew word הללו יה (Standard Halleluya, Tiberian Halləlûyāh) meaning “Praise Jah” (from the first two letters of YHWH, written JHVH in Latin). Hallelujah is found primarily in the book of Psalms. The word is used in Judaism as part of the Hallel prayers, and in Christian prayer. It has been accepted into the English language and has a similar pronunciation in many other languages.
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Contra_Mundum said:
When I chat with Catholics who have never been to TLM I always stress that it is the Mass that was celebrated before the reform of 40 years ago. I talk about tradition and continuity and how I find it crucial to be a part of something that dates back centuries ago rather than to the 1970 aesthetic.
If people respond in a negative way and argue for the spirit of V2 I engage in a discussion and try to explain why the TLM is more theologically sound.
It is important to know the facts and to express them in a clear way but to avoid a confrontational attitude and a certain tone.
Click to expand...
I lived in the 70’s. There is no “70’s aesthetic” to the OF. Further, the EF is not “more theologically sound” and to alledge that it is a “fact” is not expressive of the mind of the Church. Both forms accomplish what the Church says they do and both express the theology of that accomplishment.

You’re right…it is important to know the facts. Some of them are set forth quite well in the cover letter by HH Pope Benedict XVI to the bishops of the world, the one that accompanied the motu proprio.
 
laszlo said:
The ideal would be one TLM in every parish, or at least in every cluster of the parishes.

There are two steps. To bring in the TLM to a parish, and to get more people to attend TLM if that is there. For both goal the music seems to be a good magnet, either the Gregorian or polyphonic classical music. To start to bring in the TLM the best step is organize a choir, and chant the Officium in Latin, Vespers or Compline in regular basis. This choir could be the seed for the Masses, in a priest is ready to provide TLM in that parish.

In my opinion the ideological reason should emphasize the reverence, instead of the tradition. Very few people are tradition minded, for the majority the new is value. Also emphasize the positive side, not the negatives of the other side.

Also pray to God constantly to make the people around the TLM to be united, instead of fighting each other, or wanting to push their truth as absolute value. Only God is absolute, we are partial, imperfect.
Click to expand...
I like that. I can’t get to a TLM because there isn’t one nearby. If there was one in every parish that would help, maybe even one during the week.
Also, music. I agree a choir and chant would be great.
 
InquisitorMax said:
Got any tips on promoting the old rite? Share them here. Keep it short and sweet.

Please, no thread diverting. Let’s make a useful resource for enthusiasts.

Here are a few:
  • Get a good schola going. You need one person who knows what they’re doing and can teach the rest: a cantor.
  • An organist. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Mass 9 sung by a good schola, accompanied by a competent organist. The music is a big draw.
  • Approach people. Catholics don’t really do ‘fellowship’. Say hello in the narthex after Mass.
  • Get it in the parish Mass listings
Click to expand...
Around here those that attend the EF are very poor spokespersons for that form of the Mass. When I attend I almost chuckle at the theatrically severe persona most of the people take on when they go to Mass. It’s not a matter of being pious, it’s a matter of putting on a show for far too many. It might make me chuckle but I know for a fact it turns a lot of other people off.

Around here the music is a huge turn-off. We have had nothing but Low Masses ever since the MP was promulgated. The EF group simply never attracted enough people or collected enough $$$ to afford a decent music ministry including an organist. It’s not all that easy to put together a schola or find an organist.

I STRONGLY disagree about the fellowship aspect. Fellowship is not the Mass but it’s still vitally important for the health of a parish community. My small Eastern Catholic parish does a nice job with fellowship after Divine Liturgy largely because our first pastor wanted it to be that way. We have all the things the local EF “community” lacks even though our size is about the same. Catholics DO fellowship, at least in healthy parishes.
 
JKirkLVNV said:
I lived in the 70’s. There is no “70’s aesthetic” to the OF. Further, the EF is not “more theologically sound” and to alledge that it is a “fact” is not expressive of the mind of the Church. Both forms accomplish what the Church says they do and both express the theology of that accomplishment.

You’re right…it is important to know the facts. Some of them are set forth quite well in the cover letter by HH Pope Benedict XVI to the bishops of the world, the one that accompanied the motu proprio.
Click to expand...
Amen. 👍

Ef adherents making ridiculous claims like that is precisely what turns people away from the EF.
 
Contra_Mundum said:
When I chat with Catholics who have never been to TLM I always stress that it is the Mass that was celebrated before the reform of 40 years ago. I talk about tradition and continuity and how I find it crucial to be a part of something that dates back centuries ago rather than to the 1970 aesthetic.
If people respond in a negative way and argue for the spirit of V2 I engage in a discussion and try to explain why the TLM is more theologically sound.
It is important to know the facts and to express them in a clear way but to avoid a confrontational attitude and a certain tone.
Click to expand...
You suggest that people will be arguing for the “spirit of Vatican Council II” yet you come up with some equally absurd position with “explain why the TLM is more theologically sound.” Do you understand why some would be turned off?
 
In connection with the idea of music…Forming choirs, scholas etc is a good idea but for course takes time.
I wonder if another good idea, just to “whet the apetite”, would be to see if one could play a tape or CD, softly, for say the 15 minutes before mass and 15 minutes after mass with gregorian or polyphonic prayer.
benefits could easily flow from such an effort.
First, he parishoners could/would become familiar with the beauty that is available but is often missing from the general style music used at mass.
Second, by hearing such music, those interested (or already involved) in choir will likely be highly tempted to try it out.
Third, the simple playing of such reverential music before and after mass can “set the tone” and possibly help to reduce the amount of “chattering” that too often goes on - interfering with those who wish to pray during those times.

The above is by way of a “stealth” tactic that takes nothing from others, changes nothing in the liturgy per-se but instead, introduces an element that many perhaps have never been exposed to and so just don’t know what they are missing.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
In connection with the idea of music…Forming choirs, scholas etc is a good idea but for course takes time.
I wonder if another good idea, just to “whet the apetite”, would be to see if one could play a tape or CD, softly, for say the 15 minutes before mass and 15 minutes after mass with gregorian or polyphonic prayer.
benefits could easily flow from such an effort.
First, he parishoners could/would become familiar with the beauty that is available but is often missing from the general style music used at mass.
Second, by hearing such music, those interested (or already involved) in choir will likely be highly tempted to try it out.
Third, the simple playing of such reverential music before and after mass can “set the tone” and possibly help to reduce the amount of “chattering” that too often goes on - interfering with those who wish to pray during those times.

The above is by way of a “stealth” tactic that takes nothing from others, changes nothing in the liturgy per-se but instead, introduces an element that many perhaps have never been exposed to and so just don’t know what they are missing.

Peace
James
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I’ve been in parishes where this is done during the time slated for confession. Very beautiful, esp. since the lights are usually dimmed (to save money), and very conducive to the examination of conscience.
 
Barbkw said:
Teach classes on Latin centered on the Liturgy of the Mass.

The only Latin / Greek we have at our Mass is the Kyria Eliason. The words are flashed upon the screen without the English translation below (which is needed so people “feel” the connection between our modern era and the 2,000 year old Early Church. )

I bet most Catholics don’t know that Halleluyah is Hebrew:
Click to expand...
Indeed. As is Sabbaoth or however they transliterate it these days.

So basically if you have the Kyrie and the Sanctus in even the OF Mass, you have the three sacred languages of the Cross represented.
 
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