What is the normal length of the Easter Vigil Mass?

[KarenElissa]

I don’t know , but I am really sick of the “Tiber Swim Team”. (even though my kids were competative swimmers, sorry I don’t get it)

Do you realize what it means? It is a fun way of refering to all of us who have entered the Church. The Tiber is a river in Rome so the phrase “swim the Tiber” refers to people who have become Catholic. Tiber Swim Team is just a fun woy to refer to that and include the year we entered the Church.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

It was a large suburban parish within the diocese of Columbus. I try not to name parishes unless I only say positive things about them.

I could be overestimating the numbers of baptisms and confirmations a little. But, if so it is not by much at all.

It was quick and simple but it was still by far the most beautiful Mass this parish will have this year. And at least the pastor no longer makes derogatory comments about priests who actually use incense occasionally.

If someone I know wasn’t being Confirmed last night I would have been elsewhere.

James

Sorry, I didn’t mean specifically. I was impressed with the number, we never have that many and are a large suburban parish. In my diocese however there are hundreds of catholic churches, so maybe that is the reason.
We have servers for incense and servers with torches, the more spectacular the better here!

 

[KarenElissa]

Joannm, by marriages, I believe Karen means convalidations of marriages. My DH and I had our marriage convalidated, along with 4 other couples, after the vigil Saturday night.

:yup: Yup, they did them right after all of the confirmations. There were a couple back in November when I was received into the Church too.

 

[CarrieH]

Ours usually runs about 2.5 hours, maybe longer if there are many baptisms.

 

[catholic79]

Ours was 2.5 4 readings, with lots of Chanting and Bells and Smells. It was my 1st Easter Vigil Mass and I am so glad we were able to go.

My younger brother served at my parents church, and theirs was a little over 3 hours but they took 2 breaks???

 

[jmcrae]

I have never heard of marriages done at the Easter Vigil…and 8 at that!!!

These are couples who have received a Declaration of Nullity during the RCIA process. It is customary to complete the Sacrament of Marriage at the same time that they receive the Sacraments of Initiation, so that they can arrive home in the same state of grace in which they left the Church.

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t know , but I am really sick of the “Tiber Swim Team”. (even though my kids were competative swimmers, sorry I don’t get it)

The Tiber is a river in Rome that runs past the Vatican. To “swim the Tiber” is to cross over from paganism/Protestantism on the “wrong” side of the Tiber, over to the Vatican side, to Catholicism.

It comes from the title of Steve Ray’s conversion story, which was called “Crossing the Tiber.”

 

[aurora77]

Ours was 2 and a half hours. We had nine people receiving various sacraments, including 7 baptisms. It was amazing. I was privileged to be the godmother of 2 kids who were coming into the church along with their mother. Their dad was Catholic already and now the whole family is! It was wonderful. With the reception afterwards I got home about a quarter to midnight. The time just flew by.

 

[Kayleigh]

Ours is usually 2.5-3 hours. We’ve got all the smells and bells, big flaming torch outside to light the Easter candle, full chanted Exsultet with brass and timpani, several baptisms and confirmations. Then a reception afterward that goes until 1 or 1:30 am to welcome the new Catholics. It’s a great night.

Our Easter Vigil was very similar to yours, although ours lasted about 3 hours. We had no baptisms, and 3 confirmations including 2 who were to receive their First Communion. I received my confirmation at the Easter Vigil this year, I am so excited that after 14 years of waiting patiently, I am finally complete within the Catholic Church.
I was born and raised Catholic, but missed out on my confirmation when we left Ontario and moved to British Columbia.

I loved the Easter Vigil, it was beautiful and I was so happy to be a part of it.

 

[water]

We didn’t chant the Gospel. It took 2.5 hours.
Next day, we had 9 Sunday masses. We have a new church and the old church was also used for extra masses.

 

[Chatter163]

I don’t know , but I am really sick of the “Tiber Swim Team”. (even though my kids were competative swimmers, sorry I don’t get it)

Hmmm, not such a nice comment from such a new forum member…If one does not “get it,” better to ask gently.

 

[Joannm]

Joannm, by marriages, I believe Karen means convalidations of marriages. My DH and I had our marriage convalidated, along with 4 other couples, after the vigil Saturday night.

Oh OK. I have just never seen it done at the Vigil. When we had folks in RCIA who needed convalidation we usually did it during the week in a small private ceremony. I always thought it had to be done before making a profession of faith.

 

[lizaanne]

We were a little over three hours I think - but it was a TLM with baptisms. Only three, but the process is longer in the TLM.

It was totally gorgeous and amazing!!! Though I really felt bad for those who did not have a missal to follow along - the beauty is truly in what the priest is saying, not just the awesome visual beauty alone.

DH and I loved it when the priest was blessing the holy water and places the Easter candle in the water, and the missal calls the candle “the work of bees”. So DH carved with his nail in our little candles “the work of bees”, while we were waiting for Mass to begin. (we read the entire Mass before hand so we could know where to be in the missal and not get lost)

~Liza

 

[jmcrae]

Oh OK. I have just never seen it done at the Vigil. When we had folks in RCIA who needed convalidation we usually did it during the week in a small private ceremony. I always thought it had to be done before making a profession of faith.

It’s a bit of a conundrum, because they can’t have a Catholic marriage if they haven’t made a Profession of Faith, but they can’t make a Profession of Faith and then go home to an invalid or illicit marriage - this is why the custom in so many places is to just have the weddings either during or directly after the Easter Vigil.