Video screens being used during the Mass?!

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I am so glad to have come across this thread. I wanted to bring this topic up a few months ago but thought maybe I was just be too sensitive. However, I don’t think so anymore.

Our pastor received a fairly LARGE grant for the purpose of purchasing and installing such a screen. It hangs over the crucifix behind the altar. This church is one of the oldest, most simple yet beautiful churches around this area. It has the twelve columns, a stone altar, a choir loft, two elegant pipe organs and praise the Lord, is my sanctuary.

But now, it has this ridiculous screen hanging above the crucifix and nearly covers Our Lord’s head. It hangs down the entire time during mass. I wept so bitterly first when I first saw it…It is my firm belief that screens such as this one belong no where in church.

It appears that the reason for it was to encourage everyone to sing along during mass…in my opinion there’s been no increase in those that sing; still the same people as always. God Bless them! And the money that was to be saved by NOT having to buy missalets because the words would be there for everyone to see? Not so. Instead, the missalets continue to be bought and we all have neck strains from looking at the darn thing. Also, there are sometimes when I think that people don’t even notice the crucifix anymore. I’m still very sad about this whole thing and I am praying that it break down somehow (this is a sin right?). :confused:

Jesus help me come to terms with this…give me grace dear Blessed Mother to release this anger and hurt.:gopray2:
 
Hi Annie,

God forbid you should ever fail to be righteously angry or hurt by such an outrageous offense. How you might bear it, or react to it, in such a way as to bring grace upon yourself and others is the challenge. God bless!
 
Conciliar said:
Hi Annie,

God forbid you should ever fail to be righteously angry or hurt by such an outrageous offense. How you might bear it, or react to it, in such a way as to bring grace upon yourself and others is the challenge. God bless!
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thank you Conciliar…as a church volunteer I am often in the presence of our three priests and I have been tempted to ask our pastor how he feels the screen was received by our parishioners. I went to confession the weekend the screen was installed because I had so many angry thoughts about my pastor that I know were unfair. I did not take communion that weekend because of them. During confession, Father (not the pastor) revealed that he and the other priest were also disappointed by its purchase. I don’t think he was gossiping but I do believe he wanted me to understand that our pastor thought it was a good thing for the parish.

Unfortunately, its purchase has created an expense that was not taken into consideration. The screen requires a good cleaning every 3 months or so and a lift has to be rented. 😦 I guess it doesn’t matter what I think about it anymore but I sure was grateful for this opportunity to rant and roll around on the floor about it! 😊
Thank you too Donna…I feel much better now. 🙂
 
A question, Anniemart - if the screen had been installed in a place which did not interfere with the crucifix, say, much to the left or right, on a wall, but visible to the congregation, and if it was not installed in a place so high as to cause severe neck strain, could you live with it?
 
actually, prior to this screen, there was a small simple overhead being used at our 12 pm mass. The responsorial psalm and the words to other songs are posted. It is still being used because sometimes the screen jams or the lens are too dirty or something along these lines. This overhead sits over to the far left of the altar and really doesn’t bother me. (It did my husband though, he’s a cradle catholic and actually served as an altar boy at the Latin Mass when he was younger).

I just felt so heartbroken when the screen was installed because I have affinity for the cross after having read some of St. John of the Cross. Asking the children to focus on the crucifix when they find themselves distracted by the evil one during mass was also the way they learned to pay better attention. 😦 I am proud of one thing though, I’ve kept my thoughts to myself and haven’t shared my angst with any other parishioners. I don’t want to create distraction for anyone where none exists.
 
sandraladeda said:
A question, Anniemart - if the screen had been installed in a place which did not interfere with the crucifix, say, much to the left or right, on a wall, but visible to the congregation, and if it was not installed in a place so high as to cause severe neck strain, could you live with it?
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You have to live with it, it is wrong as it has no place in a Catholic Church and it looks tacky. The Church is to be used to worship God and should look like a Church.

Looks are very important as they Catechize people. If I design a Church to look like a meeting hall it will seem like a good place to meet and greet people. If I design a Church where it looks like a good place to pray, I will be respectful and pray.
If I design it to look like a stadium I will want to be entertained

Whatever happened to the simplicity of numbers on a board for the hymns, isn’t that a better use of the money?
If they are going to spend enormous amounts of money it should be for beauty to Glory God or for charity for social concerns, not to keep up with the Joneses at the local Evangelical Church.

Why does it seem like this sort of thing is always introduced by the local gay priest, or butch nun? Do you ever see faithful, confession preaching, anti-abortion, anti-contraception, holy priests advocating this sort of thing.
No always the unfaithful, dissenting, effeminite, too wimpy to wear a collar outside of the parish, priest who does this.

Pray for our Church it is under attack from inside and outside,
Scylla
 
scylla said:
You have to live with it, it is wrong as it has no place in a Catholic Church and it looks tacky. The Church is to be used to worship God and should look like a Church.

Looks are very important as they Catechize people. If I design a Church to look like a meeting hall it will seem like a good place to meet and greet people. If I design a Church where it looks like a good place to pray, I will be respectful and pray.
If I design it to look like a stadium I will want to be entertained

Whatever happened to the simplicity of numbers on a board for the hymns, isn’t that a better use of the money?
If they are going to spend enormous amounts of money it should be for beauty to Glory God or for charity for social concerns, not to keep up with the Joneses at the local Evangelical Church.

Why does it seem like this sort of thing is always introduced by the local gay priest, or butch nun? Do you ever see faithful, confession preaching, anti-abortion, anti-contraception, holy priests advocating this sort of thing.
No always the unfaithful, dissenting, effeminite, too wimpy to wear a collar outside of the parish, priest who does this.

Pray for our Church it is under attack from inside and outside,
Scylla
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Do you have any idea how offensive this is? (see bold)

You have just insulted and made grave insinuations against my pastor, and many other very holy priests. I fail to see the connection between words on a screen and the sexual orientation of my pastor, nor his position on the sanctity of life. So you don’t like words on screens. That’s an opinion, not something that should be expressed by insulting priests.

I challenge you to print out your above quoted post, and present it to your pastor/confessor/spiritual advisor, and ask if they consider it an appropriate Christian response.

imo
 
The screens are too protestant. If these people wish to act like protestant the more I follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Burke of St. Louis. With kind love you can respect people, but with kind love you can also welcome them to leave. That’s my interpretation.

The band should be stuffed in the back invisible to the eye, tabernacle directly behind the alter, priest off center of the alter and over to the side, and a crucifix above the alter.

Here in O’Fallon, MO there is a priest in Assumption Church that approves of the same exact practices. However, layman also place, refill, and remove Christ from the tabernacle which is strictly forbidden per the canon.

The band (notice I didn’t say choir) drinks soda in church during the 1-hour long pre-church practice. Here’s the best part, the pastor uses a puppet. The intention may be good, but the reverence of the mass is missing.

I don’t know how priests get away with these days. The blame is directly placed on liberal bishops in their deaneries.
 
WillieManillie said:
The screens are too protestant. If these people wish to act like protestant the more I follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Burke of St. Louis. With kind love you can respect people, but with kind love you can also welcome them to leave. That’s my interpretation.

The band should be stuffed in the back invisible to the eye, tabernacle directly behind the alter, priest off center of the alter and over to the side, and a crucifix above the alter.

Here in O’Fallon, MO there is a priest in Assumption Church that approves of the same exact practices. However, layman also place, refill, and remove Christ from the tabernacle which is strictly forbidden per the canon.

The band (notice I didn’t say choir) drinks soda in church during the 1-hour long pre-church practice. Here’s the best part, the pastor uses a puppet. The intention may be good, but the reverence of the mass is missing.

I don’t know how priests get away with these days. The blame is directly placed on liberal bishops in their deaneries.
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Doing some thing in common with Protestants does not make that thing protestant. Protestant churches also use electricity, microphones, and pews (at least, I think that’s what I sat on at a funeral in a protestant church 3 years ago 😉 )

How, pray tell, is a screen, with lyrics displayed, protestant? It is merely a way to deliver the words to the people. I see a screen as a fine alternative to shuffling thru pages of hymnals to find the right selection.

Is all change bad? Is all change a sure sign of protestant influence?

Is it not possible to dislike a practice, say you don’t like it personally, without dismissing it as protestant and therefore beneath true Catholic practices?

imo
In Christ…
 
sandraladeda said:
Doing some thing in common with Protestants does not make that thing protestant. Protestant churches also use electricity, microphones, and pews (at least, I think that’s what I sat on at a funeral in a protestant church 3 years ago 😉 )

How, pray tell, is a screen, with lyrics displayed, protestant? It is merely a way to deliver the words to the people. I see a screen as a fine alternative to shuffling thru pages of hymnals to find the right selection.

Is all change bad? Is all change a sure sign of protestant influence?

Is it not possible to dislike a practice, say you don’t like it personally, without dismissing it as protestant and therefore beneath true Catholic practices?

imo
In Christ…
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I don’t think you got the bulk of the original message that started this thread. Read the first message and comments of the author. Removal of the stations of the cross, no statues, no cross, etc. is an outright protestant movement.

Using screens is a liberal practice as of late bleeding into the Catholic church. Assumption church in O’Fallon includes the “sound engineer,” big screens (two on each side of the alter), the band to the left of the alter, irreverent Eucharistic Ministers (instead of Extra-Ordinary Ministers as they should be called), the talking puppet to the kiddies, hands a’raisin during the Our Father, and once in a while the Spiritual Dancers down the aisle. I especially love the bongos, drums and trumpets. So much for focusing on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Catholicism is the celebration of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord. Mass is sacred and is the reenactment of Christ on Calvary with authentication and transubstantiation of bread and wine into our precious Jesus.

American Bishops are of the Love and Flowers of the 60’s. Thankfully there is a resurgence of orthodoxy coming back with our younger seminarians who will soon lead the church.
 
WillieManillie said:
I don’t think you got the bulk of the original message that started this thread. Read the first message and comments of the author. Removal of the stations of the cross, no statues, no cross, etc. is an outright protestant movement.

Using screens is a liberal practice as of late bleeding into the Catholic church. Assumption church in O’Fallon includes the “sound engineer,” big screens (two on each side of the alter), the band to the left of the alter, irreverent Eucharistic Ministers (instead of Extra-Ordinary Ministers as they should be called), the talking puppet to the kiddies, hands a’raisin during the Our Father, and once in a while the Spiritual Dancers down the aisle. I especially love the bongos, drums and trumpets. So much for focusing on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Catholicism is the celebration of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord. Mass is sacred and is the reenactment of Christ on Calvary with authentication and transubstantiation of bread and wine into our precious Jesus.

American Bishops are of the Love and Flowers of the 60’s. Thankfully there is a resurgence of orthodoxy coming back with our younger seminarians who will soon lead the church.
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Point taken. However, the focus (and title) of the thread is “Video screens being used during the mass?!”, not “the removal of traditional Catholic Liturgical symbols in churches” , or such like that.
Why are screens such a “liberal practice”? What is the harm (I am talking screens now, not removal of Stations of the Cross, etc.)

It just seems like a big hullabaloo, based on someone not liking change (I see, gunshy of change, due to all the post V2 shenanigans, I know) We used to have hymnals. Now, some of us use screens to display the words. I hardly think God is looking down in anger that some churches would switch from hymnals to projected words on a screen!

Also, as a member of a lovely parish (with screens), and someone who considers herself very Catholic, I cannot see where the harm/abuse/irreverence/protestantism is. In fact, the poster I was replying to must not, on reflection, have thought it very “protestant” either, since they felt compelled to delete their post asserting just that.

Interesting discussion…

In Christ…
 
What is wrong with using the missalette? Why would a parish ever feel the “need” for screens? And exactly where in the church could possibly be an appropriate place for the screen? Once the crucifix is up, I can’t imagine wanting to look at anything else in the sanctuary except possibly a beautiful statue or stained glass windows. A screen would seem to me to break up and take away from the beauty of those things that help us to focus on our worship. I’m so glad we don’t have a screen - it’s bad enough we don’t have kneelers because our first pastor said we didn’t need them!
 
sandraladeda said:
Do you have any idea how offensive this is? (see bold)

You have just insulted and made grave insinuations against my pastor, and many other very holy priests. I fail to see the connection between words on a screen and the sexual orientation of my pastor, nor his position on the sanctity of life. So you don’t like words on screens. That’s an opinion, not something that should be expressed by insulting priests.

I challenge you to print out your above quoted post, and present it to your pastor/confessor/spiritual advisor, and ask if they consider it an appropriate Christian response.

imo
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WOOPS I’m sorry, I didn’t know your pastor was
an effeminate, limp wristed, wimpy, heretical priest. If he is and you support that, then I am not even sure why you would be insulted. (I am crude at times and I do it to get attention as sometimes a slap in the face gets a point across more than a simple pleading) I would slap a friend who wanted to drive drunk rather than just plead for him to give me the keys to his car.
Salvation is serious business…

Now if your pastor is a good holy priest, who leads the parish in devotions, offers frequent confession, frequent Masses, tirelessly defends\promotes the Holy faith and has spent the money on a projector then possibly he is just slightly misguided about the liturgy and just wants to share the faith more clearly. There are better ways to spend the money of the dedicated faithful, such as starting a Catholic radio station or supporting one.

If I have offended you, I am sorry you were offended, yet I must point out truth and possibly offend some people who might be exceptions to general rules. In most cases it is the heretical gay priests who introduce novelties and destroy the faith of others, sometimes. If your priest is not one of those, the comments I make are not directed at the holy priests, just the bad ones, so you should not be insulted at all, unless you enjoy having bad priests.

In Christ
Scylla
 
Am I wrong? What does everyone here think of using these devices in church?
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I don’t like them. The Church I used to attend had two very large screens on either side of the altar. The last time I attended Mass there, the program they use to project the lyrics failed and instead of seeing the words of hymns, we had to sit and watch the microsoft logo flash for 7 minutes on the screen right in the middle of the Mass. Disgusting.😦
 
. It is protestantism for the placement of screens. Mass is not a Power Point presentation.
 
I don’t mind change as a Catholic, we just need to do it respectfully.

I see absolutely no problem replacing hymnals with ebook devices. We could have the Mass electronically updated each Sunday to the current readings and hymns and use technology in a respectful manner.

Using things such as screens though is tacky, reeks of Protestantism, diminishes the holiness of the Church and focuses on entertainment, rather than edification.

There is nothing wrong with change as long as it respects truth continues focus on God and properly represents our Catholic theology. I am open to holograms, electronic evangelization, all the newest, except for the newest perversions of the faith.
To pervert our focus of the faith is not progress but a defection from the truth and not called for in the documents of Vatican II.

In Christ
Scylla
 
However, there are places such as the Shrine to the Blessed Sacrament and Shrine of St. Therese of Liseaux that use them because of the large number of people who attend the masses. Apparently, they are lowered during the Liturgy of the Word and then retracted for the consecration, and only used for song lyrics.
But I have not actually seen them. I am relaying information I have read in other threads.
 
scylla said:
I am open to holograms, electronic evangelization, all the newest, except for the newest perversions of the faith.
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Here’s the solution to this and all matters of concern as follows:
  • retain the screens for those incapable of holding a book or can’t read music out of the book.
  • add a “follow the bouncing ball” as we all sing
  • have someone present each mass in sign language
  • provide braille hymnals and missalettes for the blind
  • provide handicap access to all confessionals and communion areas
  • remove all candles and replace them with simulating candles with flashlight bulbs (believe it or not this is being done at one of my old churches)
  • Provide an archdiocesan Power Point presentation and web telecast of the sermon to address the shortage of priests.
  • Build drive through communion services and confession by email, phone, IMing, or text messaging.
 
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