What does a Roman Catholic week look like?

[Calgar]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?

Traditionally the children went to Mass with their parents. Growing up I always did when we went (we were Easter and Christmas type “Catholics”). I was at Mass a few weeks ago however where the children left to go into a back hall to have their own gospel reading. I think it may have been a simplified explanation/story. Personally I didn’t see a point. Children should be with the rest of the congregation.

I don’t know how common this practise is and I pray that it isn’t too widespread.

1. Is Mass what most folks go to?

Overwhelmingly yes. However occasionally there will also be other liturgical functions in the form of the Divine Office. Some parishes will have evening Vespers. This is the evening pray of the Church, the public or “official” prayer. It is composed of Psalms, etc. In public it’s sung however private recitation by priests (who are obligated to pray the Divine Office) recite it normally. I’ve only ever came across this with priests who celebrate the Extraordinary Form (FSSP, etc.). I know that none of the Ordinary Form parishes here have public recitation of the Divine Office.

Which is sad because it’s one of the things the Council called for greater access to. Centuries ago Catholics would attend the Office sung in monasteries. Not just Vespers but most of the Hours.

1. How long is Mass usually?

That depends. Ordinary Form weekday Mass is about 20 minutes to half an hour. Extraordinary Form Low Mass (weekday Mass) is about 30-40 minutes. Sung Mass (usual Sunday Mass) is an hour+.

1. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?

Catholics are obligated to assist at Holy Mass every Sunday unless properly dispensed (to ill to go, women who have got babies to care for, etc.).

1. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

At a minimum an hour and a half every Sunday. However Catholics should spend as much time in Church as possible. So some will go to Mass every day, some will go to Exposition, etc.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

1. Maybe, but not commonly by any means. There is in some parts of the year a catechetical (teaching) type program, often called CCD, which kids and teens will go to, but this is often the end of learning for most Catholics. Personally, I see this as one of the biggest pitfalls of our modern Church,
2. Yes. Catholics are required as per Church law to attend Mass on all Sundays as well as several other days of the year (Christmas among others), regardless of the day.
3. About an hour. Earlier Masses will usually be a bit shorter, as there might not be music. However, many churches will offer a “solemn” or more formalized type of Mass also that might run 1.5ish hours. And on certain days like Christmas and Easter, Mass might go all the way up to two hours or more. If a bishop celebrates, it can be that long even for a regular Mass.
4. Unfortunately, yes. The poll numbers do not lie.
5. One.

 

[Tietjen]

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?

It depends on the parish, and which Sunday Mass is attended. Most parishes that I have attended do have a scripture study, or a fellowship of some sort either before or after a specific mass… usually the earliest of the Sunday masses.

1. Is Mass what most folks go to?

Catholics are required to attend mass on Sundays and holiday days of obligation. The Sunday mass may actually be attended on Saturday evening in the event that a Sunday mass cannot be participated in.

1. How long is Mass usually?

It depends on the type of mass, and the priest. Usually, a normal weekly mass (Saturday evening or Sunday) will be about an hour and 15 minutes in my parish. A weekday mass is usually only 30 or 40 minutes. A midnight mass (Christmas) and an Easter mass are longer than the typical weekly mass.

1. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?

Many Catholics attend daily mass, though admittedly, not as many as probably could, myself included. In addition to the Saturday evening/Sunday mass, Catholics also attend mass on holy days of obligation. These HDOs may fall on any day of the week.

1. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

Most Catholics who attend mass do so once a week. But, as I said, there are Catholics that attend daily, and all Catholics are required to attend on HDOs as well.

 

[PerfectTiming]

1. At my parish the children leave at the beginning of Mass for their own liturgy and come back about half-way through the service. There are other classes but I don’t know much about them since I don’t have kids.
2. Mass is what we call our church service.
3. Sunday Mass averages about 1 hour, sometimes a little longer depending on how long the homily is. A weekday Mass will be shorter, closer to 30-40mins.
4. Practicing Catholics will attend Sunday Mass each week. Some may attend Mass during the week if they can.
5. Depends on the individual. Personally, I try and go every day of the week as my timetable allows. Some may only be able to make it to Mass on Sunday. Others may spend more time due to other activities they take part in at the parish.

 

[jimmy_cich]

You can go to Mass everyday of the week. There are all kinds of different functions, Bible study groups,Altar and Rosary, chairty work just about anything.

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

1. Yes. Catholics are required as per Church law to attend Mass on all Sundays as well as several other days of the year (Christmas among others), regardless of the day.

Lol! I can’t believe I forgot to include the Holy Days of Obligation !

 

[Calgar]

Okay, thanks for the answers.

More questions:

What is mass? Is it the blood and body of Christ? Or is it some other form of praise?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Okay, thanks for the answers.

More questions:

What is mass? Is it the blood and body of Christ? Or is it some other form of praise?

The Mass is the action around which the Body and Blood of Christ is made present. It is the series of sacred actions that surrounds the priest’s consecration of the bread and wine which turn into the literal Body and Blood of Christ. The word of God is read, various songs are sung (of various quality…), various actions are made, and these are all exactly scripted, so to speak.

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

What is mass? Is it the blood and body of Christ? Or is it some other form of praise?

Mass is the re-presentation in a bloodless manner of the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. One and the same as He offered at Calvary two thousand years ago. The bread and wine are substantially changed to that of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, whole and entire, of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and are offered to God to give glory and adoration to Him, in thanksgiving for all His gifts and benefits, as an act of propitiation and reparation and to implore all the things necessary for the Church and for ourselves.

The Mass that happens at your local Catholic Church at 9am in the morning is the very same sacrifice that Jesus Christ offered at Calvary. The same priest (Jesus Christ) is offering the same victim (Jesus Christ).

 

[LittleHannah]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

1. Personally, My Parish does’nt have a sunday school or anything. It really depends on the Parishes. Not all of them have it.

2.Normally, Yes. Catholics go to Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, Bible studys, Prayer groups, etc… It really depends on what the individual Catholic prefers to do, but they have a grave obligation to attend Mass on sundays.

1. Mass during the weekdays usually last about 30 minutes, maybe more If the Priests’ homily is long. Now Mass on Sunday usually lasts about an hour unless its a really special Mass then it may last over an hour.
2. Not necessairly. Some Catholics like to go to Daily Mass, like myself and some Catholics just go once a week on sunday.
3. Well people like to go to daily Mass and some people just go once a week on sunday. It depends on what they prefer to do

Hope this helps. God bless.

 

[Cat]

Good questions.

I’m a convert to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism, BTW.

One thing that many Catholics do during their week is a “Morning Offering” and an “Evening Offering.” This means morning and evening prayers, usually short. In the morning, we dedicate ourselves to Jesus and ask Him to help us to glorify Him throughout the day. In the evening, we review our day, examine our hearts, and ask Jesus to protect us through the night.

Many Catholics have a schedule of prayers that they pray throughout the day. It’s not necessarily anything complicated, but this does keep us focused on the Lord Jesus. Morning and Evening Offering, the Angelus, the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet (at 3), and of course, grace with meals. And there’s the Jesus Prayer–“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”–which can be prayed constantly throughout the day.

I try to pray as much of this as possible, but I’ll freely that I often forget. But I try.

There are prayers for almost every moment of the every day! I really love the Celtic tradition in which throughout the day, the Christian prays constantly, for every aspect of their day, and never really breaks fellowship with Jesus.

 

[Neildown]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

1. Not at my church. I’m homeschooled though, and that’s through a Catholic course.
2. Not sure what exactly you mean in this question, but yes we go to Mass.
3. For me its usually around one to one & a half hours.

4/5. I really couldn’t say - I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to others’ church-going habits. I normally just go on Sundays though - once in awhile I might go to Mass more than once a week. Just a few days ago I actually went to Mass every day for three days down in Ohio, which was pretty nice.

 

[catholictiger]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

I’ll explain what my average Catholic Life as a seminary looks like and what I think a lay persons catholic life should look like.

1. on Sunday I do not attend any type of Sunday School, while I have yet to meet this goal I would like sunday to be a day of rest for me where I just go to Mass, and the required prayers of seminary lauds vespers compline and the other two. I usually have all my school work on those days so i don’t live up to that Goa,…
2. I go to Mass on Sunday and other then the two liturgy of the hours that is all I do sunday
3. for me from an hour to an hour 10 min depending on the priest.
4. yes Sunday, but I attend mass daily
5. I go daily as Just mentioned.

for an average Lay Catholic

1. I don’t think it matters of a Lay Catholic goes to sunday school or not, It may be a good chance to grow in their faith, and going to Church school on sunday may be their only option. IF people don’t go to church school on sunday no big deal.
2. ALL CATHOLICS SHOULD GO TO MASS ON SUNDAY
3. Its about an hour
4. see number 2
5. I say the average Catholic should alt east attend mass on sunday by their requirement, and also if possible go to a daily mass a couple of times a week.

 

[OraLabora]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

1. Depends. In my part of the world, no, religious teaching was done at school as we had confessional schools (Catholic and Protestant), but now that schools have been secularized religious teaching takes place outside school. Sometimes this can be a “Sunday school” type setting but around here most Sundays families stay together in Church and the religious education happens on Saturday mornings.
2. Most folks, yes. I am a secular member of a religious order (Benedictine Secular Oblate) so I also often attend one of the other liturgical (public) prayer Offices of the Church. The seven canonical hours as they currently stand are, in religious communities: Vigils (prayer during the night, depending on the community can be any time from 11 pm to 5 am), Lauds (morning prayer, typically at dawn), Terce (mid-morning prayer at around 9 am, a minor hour, from the Latin for “third hour of the day”, the first hour being 6 am), Sext (the 6th hour, around noon, another minor office), None (ninth hour around 3 pm), Vespers (at sundown, with Vigils and Lauds the three major Offices), and Compline (before bed). In the secular Church (outside religious orders) the order is simplified to 5 hours: Office of Readings (replacing Vigils, can be recited at any hour of the day), Lauds or Morning Prayer, Mid-day Prayer, Vespers or Evening Prayer, and Compline or Night Prayer). These Hours are obligatory for clergy but optional, and encouraged, for the laity, or as in my case part of a promise to become an oblate (an “offering” to God) even though I am a layman.
3. Weekday, 20-30 min (I disagree with the EF weekday Mass being longer at 30-40 minutes; “back in the day”, there were plenty of 20 minute EF Masses); weekends 50 min to 1 hour + (at our local monastery, 50 min. on weekdays and 1h20 on Sundays, longer on feasts and solemnities because the entire Mass is chanted every day regardless of solemnity).
4. Most, yes. Depends on schedules, etc. I used to frequently go to mid-week Mass but now my work and commute makes that impractical. The other Liturgical Offices (aka "The Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, described in 2 above), can be in a church setting or can be done in private. I have a small private oratory (prayer room) in my home for that purpose.
5. For observant Catholics, the minimum required is to attend Sunday Mass (which can also be attended on Saturday Evening; the Church maintains a vestigial remnant of the Jewish tradition of starting the Sabbath at sundown the prior evening, on Sundays and for solemn feasts during the week; a large part of our Church traditional rites and practices have very clear roots in Jewish ritual, including baptism as Judaism has a ritual washing ceremony as well). There are also “holy days of obligation”, certain feast days in the year that require Mass attendance on that day. They vary from country to country as it is the prerogative of the local bishop’s conference to determine which days are holy days of obligation. Alas the trend has been towards fewer days.

Bonus points: the Catholic Church is often accused of not being scripture-centered. Almost all of the Divine Office is from scripture, with three exceptions: the hymn, the prayer intentions, and the final collect (prayer). The rest (3-5 psalms or psalm parts), the readings, the canticles, etc, is drawn from the Holy Bible. Same thing at Mass, very large chunks are from scripture. The difference compared to non-liturgical churches, is that the readings and the portions incorporated into other parts of the Mass (for example the entrance antiphon, etc.) read or chanted at each Mass are not selected at the whim of the priest. There is an official lectionary, that puts the readings into the context of the season, the day, the feast, etc., and for the Divine Office there is an official breviary and lectionary that does the same.

It helps us become part of the Body of Christ by drawing us into unity.

 

[Ladygem]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

1. Most Catholic children either attend Catholic school or CCD /PREP which meets during the week, after school. At my parish, we do have a Sunday school of sorts for children who are 3-8, that takes place during the Liturgy of the Word (the readings and homily), but its mostly to keep them from squirming around.
2. Yep, cannon law requires us to go to Mass at least on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
3. On Sundays, about an hour give or take, it could be longer or shorter depending on the length of Father’s homily. Weekday mass isn’t usually longer than 40 minutes.
4. Yes, for the most part. There are some people who attend daily Mass, and there are other services during Lent, such a the Stations of the Cross, and Confession is usually offered once a week, with special services during Advent and Lent (the liturgical seasons before Christmas and Easter, I’m not sure if Baptists observe them or not). There are also several parishes that offer Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist, but that’s not really a service. Instead, people offer private prayer in the presence of Jesus in the form of His Precious Body.
5. on average, just Sunday.

 

[PrincepsAuguste]

1. If the parish is large enough to have catechists then usually most children attend Sunday school, in fact, it is often a requirement to at least attend that year’s classes in order receive stuff like first Reconciliation, Communion, and definitely Confirmation.
2. The Mass is the same thing as a Protestant “service,” or any other weekly religious ceremony you can think of. The thing about the Mass is that it almost always follows a set format week in and week out, except on certain holidays when it may be changed a bit, but it always goes something like this: procession, opening prayers and songs like the gloria, readings from the bible, a homily, or “sermon”, by the priest or bishop, prayers and the creed, then a whole bunch of singing, watching, and waiting while the priest says the real meat of the Mass, which are all the prayers he has to say to get the wine and bread ready for the transubstantiation. Then is the transubstantiation itself shortly followed by communion. Then the priest purifies the chalices and paten (bowl in which the Eucharist is held), says a prayer or two, sometimes says the parish announcements, then everyone sings a hymn and heads out.
3. Sunday mass usually runs an hour. It is often influenced by the efficiency of the parish’s communion and the length of the priest’s homily. On holidays like Christmas and Easter the mass usually doesn’t run that much longer, maybe an hour and a half. But for the Easter Vigil you’re talking 2 and a half hours minimum.
4. No. To fulfill the requirement of keeping the Sabbath day holy you can either go on Saturday night (this is called the “vigil mass.”) or just about any time on Sunday. The number of mass services is generally dependent on the size of the parish and the number of priests available: even the most dedicated priest will get burnout from 6 masses a weekend.
5. It all depends. Everyone is required to go on Sunday or Saturday, but at most parishes there is a daily mass and if you are inclined to go you obviously can do so. Usually mostly elderly folks attend these masses, simply because most daily mass times don’t fit well with student or working people schedules.

Hope this helps,
Daniel
To God go the glory

 

[Calgar]

What does the path to salvation consist of for a Roman Catholic?

Say an atheist walks in off the street and tells the priest he needs Christ in his life. What happens before this atheist becomes a regular mass attending catholic?

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

What does the path to salvation consist of for a Roman Catholic?

Say an atheist walks in off the street and tells the priest he needs Christ in his life. What happens before this atheist becomes a regular mass attending catholic?

(So as not to complicate matters, we’ll just assume this atheist in question is a single male in his mid-20s, never married, no children, etc.)

The priest would likely invite him to attend the RCIA program at the parish. Here he would be taught about God, the person of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for mankind. He’d be taught about the Church He instituted and the Sacraments given us for our salvation. He’d be exposed to Scripture and the writings of the Fathers and the saints. Very importantly he would be taught about prayer. All this would be conducted either by the priest himself or those trained to teach catechesis. Or in some cases it would be one-on-one with the priest rather than a classroom environment (which RCIA tends to be). He would also be invited to regularly attend Mass on Sunday.

After about a year, if he has demonstrated a willingness to be received into the Church and has been judged competent to understand the necessities, if he has not been baptised he will be. He would also be confirmed and make his First Communion (though not necessarily in that order). I’m a cradle Catholic my self so I can’t give much more information on this specific part of the process.

After he’s been received into the Church he will be bound to the Church’s law. Attending Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation unless dispensed for grave reason. Receiving the Most Holy Eucharist and confessing at least once a year at Easter Time. He will have to be married according to laws of the Church, etc.

I’m not sure how Protestantism really works here but I understand that Catholics don’t speak of being “saved” like Protestants do. It’s not a spur of the moment thing. Like… you don’t just say “I believe in Jesus” and then get a one way ticket to Heaven.

If a Catholic wants to reach heaven he needs work on it. He needs to pray, regularly frequent the Sacraments, etc. Spiritual reading is not to be taken lightly. Reading the works of the saints, Lectio Divina (reading the Bible like it’s meant to be read).

Essentially once one has been received into the Church the most essential things are to frequent the Sacraments (Mass and Confession) and pray. A lot of praying.

 

[Calgar]

I’m not sure how Protestantism really works here but I understand that Catholics don’t speak of being “saved” like Protestants do. It’s not a spur of the moment thing. Like… you don’t just say “I believe in Jesus” and then get a one way ticket to Heaven.
.

Thanks for the answer. It doesn’t work like that, at least in the SBC.