What is your parish like?

[Colorad007]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

 

[bben15]

1. I don’t know. It’s not folk music. It’s just modern music. I can’t describe it.
2. My parish is old, though it looks young. It was build probably over one-hundred years ago. It was renovated after Vatican II, so it looks new. I’m assuming there was a high altar before it was renovated.
3. It is a rural parish. We mostly have families.

 

[Brendan]

Music is mostly traditional. We do chant most of the common parts of the Mass, either in English or Latin. Hymns are traditional. Communion is generally received Intincted by the priest while kneeling at the Communion Rail.

The parish itself was founded in the early 1900’s in Detroit, but moved to a suburban location in the 80’s.

The parish has a very large number of large families with young kids. Families with 7-9 children are not unusual. One family just had their 14th. Our family of 6 kids is on the smaller end of our parish friends.

The parish is in suburban Detroit, in an average suburb.

 

[babochka]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

1. The Byzantine Divine Liturgy does not really give any musical options. We use prostoprinije/carparthian plainchant.
2. In terms of median age, we are a very young parish. Our average attendance is 50-60, 25-30 of which are children under 12. We have a two teens and several elderly parishioners. We are severely lacking in young, single adults and adults in the 50-65 year old age range. We’re all young families and elderly.
3. Suburban.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

We have moved in the past year so I will answer each question twice.

1)Old Folk, and contemp. praise and worship. “Band” up by altar.
New. Traditional Hymns with organ and choir in loft.
2) Old. Old, and rich two child families.
New. Tons of large families.
3) Old. Suburban.
New. Suburban.

 

[thequietsinger]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

The parish I went to over the summer had music that was mostly soft and calming, always on the organ, and sometimes the lady would play Gregorian chant before Mass. I always enjoyed that!

Um, I’m a bit confused by this one. Church age, about 150 years, I believe. There are about 150-200 families. Most of the parishioners are older, between the ages of 50-65. However, there are quite a few teens who are really involved in the Church.

Rural. Definitely rural. Although it sits right above the turnpike, it is literally in the middle of nowhere!

 

[phil19034]

Music is mostly traditional. We do chant most of the common parts of the Mass, either in English or Latin. Hymns are traditional. Communion is generally received Intincted by the priest while kneeling at the Communion Rail.

The parish itself was founded in the early 1900’s in Detroit, but moved to a suburban location in the 80’s.

The parish has a very large number of large families with young kids. Families with 7-9 children are not unusual. One family just had their 14th. Our family of 6 kids is on the smaller end of our parish friends.

The parish is in suburban Detroit, in an average suburb.

NICE!!!

 

[phil19034]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

1. Modern music with organ and cantor
2. 1800’s but burned down and refurbed around 2003, so is now very modern (but looks like a throw back on the outside – kind of like new throw-back baseball stadiums of MLB). Mostly families and seniors.
3. suburban Philadelphia

As an aside, I’ve visited the oldest Catholic Parish in Philadelphia once for Mass (Old St. Joseph’s from 1733 - current chruch building from 1839). The church was founded by the same Jesuits who later founded St. Joseph’s University in Philly. The parrish is full of lots of young adults and has some of the best music… they sing everything possible and even have their own music book. If are ever in Philadelphia, I highly recommend attending a mass there.

However, there are lots of churches to see in Philly too. Not just lots of US History in Philadelphia, but also LOTs of Catholic History too. From the Cathedral Basilica, the Ukranian Catholic Cathedral of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann Shrine, etc. I think I will actually start a different thread with lots of info for tourists.

 

[TimothyH]

Music is mostly traditional. We do chant most of the common parts of the Mass, either in English or Latin. Hymns are traditional. Communion is generally received Intincted by the priest while kneeling at the Communion Rail.

The parish itself was founded in the early 1900’s in Detroit, but moved to a suburban location in the 80’s.

The parish has a very large number of large families with young kids. Families with 7-9 children are not unusual. One family just had their 14th. Our family of 6 kids is on the smaller end of our parish friends.

The parish is in suburban Detroit, in an average suburb.

I have been to an ordination at the Cathedral, a beautiful Church in the middle of urban blight. It is a sin what the politicians have done to that city over the decades and how they have made the people to suffer.

-Tim-

 

[altms]

My home parish:

1. Traditional hymns in Swahili. Sung with tenor and baritone voices. Accompanied with an organ, drums and a few more instruments. Lots of clapping and ululations, African style Although I’m quite sure our parish priest isn’t a big fan!
2. I’m quite sure we aren’t over 50 yrs old. Families and a lot of youth. This is a university parish and attendances are very strong. Not a lot of elderly!
3. I’d say urban, but we’re 8km away from the city. Still it’s definitely urban.

And the parish I attend every Sunday for its English mass:

1. Modern worship and praise songs from Hillsong et al, with an accompanying keyboard. The music is so, so beautiful. There are song books for us to read the lyrics as well…There are NEVER those for a Swahili mass
2. Oldest in the city, if not country. Established in 1905 when the Germans were still here. Families, and a good number of elderly. Since this is an English mass there are lot of people of Indian descent, Eastern Asians and Caucasians. There are a good number of youths as well. Still there’s a good number of natives as well.
3. Very very urban. In the city centre!

 

[mexolic]

1. Traditional hymns and organ.
2. Century old parish. Multi-ethnic, various ages.
3. Suburban.

And of course lots of tasty goody’s after the mass in the patio.

 

[Colorad007]

Music is mostly traditional. We do chant most of the common parts of the Mass, either in English or Latin. Hymns are traditional. Communion is generally received Intincted by the priest while kneeling at the Communion Rail.

The parish itself was founded in the early 1900’s in Detroit, but moved to a suburban location in the 80’s.

The parish has a very large number of large families with young kids. Families with 7-9 children are not unusual. One family just had their 14th. Our family of 6 kids is on the smaller end of our parish friends.

The parish is in suburban Detroit, in an average suburb.

That is neat. I don’t find that too often (if at all) in the parishes I have visited.

I admire your bishop a lot and your state is almost as scenic as mine.

 

[maryjk]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

It all depends on which Mass you attend.

The one Saturday evening is mostly contemporary music, lots of Dan Schutte. It is mostly older families.

Sunday, early morning is traditional with mostly chant with lots of Latin. It is mostly families with teens that don’t attend CYO.

Sunday, late morning is very contemporary. And attracts families with young children. This Mass is packed. Standing room only.

Sunday, early evening, is, well, I really don’t know. I haven’t been to that Mass for a while. It attracts teens that attend CYO and is staffed by teens. (Staffed meaning, they are the readers, ushers, altar servers.)

Sunday late night is, again, I don’t know. I have only attended that Mass twice. It is mostly college students and is “staffed” by college students.

Our parish is in a town of about 50,000 people. The parish has 1,000 families plus 2,000 students.

 

[adawgj]

For music beginning entrance traditional hymns. Organ and sometimes with a clarinet.
Suburban ish.
Roughly a little over a thousand attend, our youth group is bigger than what it used to be.
Biggest church and probably building in town too.

 

[Jon_S_1]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?

All masses have organ or piano sometimes choir and sing hymns mostly
The exception being the Sunday night mass that has praise band.

1. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?

A lot of families. Good mix of young and old.

1. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

Suburban city of 40,000

 

[fbl9]

Rural established 90yrs or more.
mostly senior, I was the youngest family till recent immigration of younger families in nearby town.
music is piano, older hymns mostly. With newer stuff creeping in, not my favourite.

 

[Usige]

1. The oldest music we generally hear is Schutte, Hagen, Landry, etc. The standard OCP Breaking Bread fare. On Sunday evenings they have the contemporary band playing stuff from OCP’s Choose Christ hymnal. Chant is almost unheard of and Latin would likely make most parishioners heads explode. :crying:
2. The parish itself is 125 years old, but we are in our third building which is maybe 2 years old. As for demographic age, we have older parishioners that have been there 20+ years and then a large number of families with parents in their 30s and 40s and tons of kids. Most of the families have only been in the parish for 5-10 years as the town trippled in size over the past 15 years.
3. I call it the exburbs. Suburban parish on the very outskirts of metro Denver. The area used to be mostly rural but it is now something like one of the five largest parishes in the diocese.

 

[Brendan]

My home parish:

1. Traditional hymns in Swahili. Sung with tenor and baritone voices. Accompanied with an organ, drums and a few more instruments. Lots of clapping and ululations, African style Although I’m quite sure our parish priest isn’t a big fan!

I’ve now got ‘Jenga Urafiki na Yesu’ going through my head It was a favorite of the choir at the Cathedral in Kahama

 

[CruceSignati]

I have three questions.

1. What sort of music do you often hear at Mass? Contemporary praise and worship–like Matt Maher and Hillsong? The folksy stuff from the 70’s and 80’s? Latin and chant? Traditional with hymns and organ?
2. How young or old is your parish? A lot of families? Young adults? Seniors?
3. Is it an urban or suburban parish? Rural?

1. Folksy 70s and 80s stuff. Wish it was Latin and chant, but it isn’t and there are no parishes within our diocese that offer that (to the best of my knowledge).
2. Not sure exactly how old it is. Most of the people who attend Mass are 50-70 years old. Almost no young people, but there are a few young families that attend.
3. Rural. Its actually situated on a reserve (I’m not Native, but our farm is right next to the reserve border line), so most of the people who attend Mass are the elders of the community, as I stated above.

Overall its a very nice parish. Our last two priests worked at getting a few things fixed up in it, like getting the furnace working properly, getting the walls repainted, and redoing the carpet in the sanctuary. It looks beautiful.

 

[Sunbreak]

1. It depends on which Mass I attend. If I go to the Polish Mass, there will be Polish hymns which are very traditional. If I go to one of the English Masses, there will be hymns that are more on the traditional side like the ones we sang in the 1950s.
2. The parish is over 100 years old and the building is designated a historical building in the city. There are quite a few families in the Polish community. In the English speaking community, the morning Mass draws mostly older people and the late Mass in English draws a mix of people, many of whom are not parishioners.
   3.The parish is in a large city.