Would you prefer your parish use incense more often?

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It’s so sad for me, because I love incense, but my parish NEVER uses it. The pastor didn’t even use it for the Easter (!!!) Masses this year. I think incense is one of the most magnificent and triumphalistic things about Mass, especially when you have a priest or MC who really knows how to use incense and lets the coals burn for about 20 minutes before Mass begins to get the giant, deep, smoky clouds.

One of the most exciting things about the EF is watching the priest so meticulously and formulaic-ly censing the altar with the broad, ritualistic swings.

I so wish incense was absolutely mandatory in the OF like it is in Solemn EF Masses. We very rarely see it.
 
Well, my parish uses incense pretty regularly. If there were more incense, we’d all suffocate. 😃 I guess that means I should vote “no,” but a no might imply that I don’t like incense…

Side note: at certain times of the year, light shines in through one of the stained glass windows onto the incense, and it turns all sorts of colors. I don’t know if there’s any spiritual significance to multi-colored incense, but it looks nice. :highprayer:
 
**Yes, I like the incense!:highprayer:
Kathryn Ann:heaven::harp::angel1:

**
 
Yes, it would be great if we have a subdeacon and deacon so there will be more incensing. Most Sundays we opt not to because there’s only the priest at the altar.
 
No. Not because I personally don’t like it, but I know a fair few people with asthma, allergies and other breathing difficulties who likely would be adversely affected by it.
 
I love incense, but sometimes it gets out of control…at my parish on Easter Sunday, there was so much smoke it looked like there was a fire in the back and it was just too overpowering. Honestly the censer just seems to be a hassle; I say leave it for those “special occasions”, sparingly 👍
 
LilyM said:
No. Not because I personally don’t like it, but I know a fair few people with asthma, allergies and other breathing difficulties who likely would be adversely affected by it.
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Well, there can always be a Mass without it for those with conditions.

I suppose to readjust my question: would you prefer more incense at Masses, provided that there was also at least one without it for those with health conditions?
 
Nope. My kid is a severe asthmatic and has to miss Mass routinely die to incense. What? Asthmatics need not apply?

I personally like incense however.

I do not know what an answer could be…
 
YoungTradCath said:
It’s so sad for me, because I love incense, but my parish NEVER uses it. The pastor didn’t even use it for the Easter (!!!) Masses this year. I think incense is one of the most magnificent and triumphalistic things about Mass, especially when you have a priest or MC who really knows how to use incense and lets the coals burn for about 20 minutes before Mass begins to get the giant, deep, smoky clouds.

One of the most exciting things about the EF is watching the priest so meticulously and formulaic-ly censing the altar with the broad, ritualistic swings.

I so wish incense was absolutely mandatory in the OF like it is in Solemn EF Masses. We very rarely see it.
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Most EF Masses are Low Masses where incense is verboten. On the other hand, incense can be used at any OF Mass.

ABp. Jose Gomez used a ton of incense at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels over the Easter Triduum. The thurible used there is huge. Very strong incense too.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Well, there can always be a Mass without it for those with conditions.

I suppose to readjust my question: would you prefer more incense at Masses, provided that there was also at least one without it for those with health conditions?
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There you have it. More Masses!!
 
I would like the parish to use incense more often. I don’t know whether the pastor has gotten negative feedback in the past, but the thurible only comes out once or twice a year. (And on those occasions, the pastor warns of the use of incense in the previous weeks bulletin.)

One can however drive across town to the FSSP parish and revel in the ‘smells and bells.’
 
Jegudiel said:
Most EF Masses are Low Masses where incense is verboten. On the other hand, incense can be used at any OF Mass.

ABp. Jose Gomez used a ton of incense at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels over the Easter Triduum. The thurible used there is huge. Very strong incense too.
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True, but practically all EF-only churches have at least one high Mass on all Sundays. And few people attend Mass (however unfortunately) on weekdays as it is.

I would think that, at large, a higher percentage of EF Masses have incense than OF Masses do. Incense at most OF parishes is a rarity indeed.
 
YoungTradCath said:
True, but practically all EF-only churches have at least one high Mass on all Sundays. And few people attend Mass (however unfortunately) on weekdays as it is.

I would think that, at large, a higher percentage of EF Masses have incense than OF Masses do. Incense at most OF parishes is a rarity indeed.
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The EF Mass around here is a Low Mass and it always has been even on holidays.

I don’t know what an “OF parish” is (the Church makes no such designation) so I cannot respond to your second assertion.
 
It’s used very regularly at the Latin Mass I attend; and I love it, but unfortunately I suffer from migraines, so that I always make sure I am early enough to get a seat right by the door in case I am affected by it and have to leave.
 
Our parish uses it regularly enough for me. I don’t really know what their “criteria” is, but I know we had it last Sunday.

I’ve never had incense affect me at all, always loved it, my most favorite smell of all time, but last Sunday I sneezed 3 or 4 times in church, and at the Easter Vigil I did get a headache. I don’t know why it’s suddenly affecting me.
 
YoungTradCath said:
It’s so sad for me, because I love incense, but my parish NEVER uses it. The pastor didn’t even use it for the Easter (!!!) Masses this year. I think incense is one of the most magnificent and triumphalistic things about Mass, especially when you have a priest or MC who really knows how to use incense and lets the coals burn for about 20 minutes before Mass begins to get the giant, deep, smoky clouds.

One of the most exciting things about the EF is watching the priest so meticulously and formulaic-ly censing the altar with the broad, ritualistic swings.

I so wish incense was absolutely mandatory in the OF like it is in Solemn EF Masses. We very rarely see it.
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I’m a fan. We don’t use it as rarely as your parish does but nor do we never use it. It seems to be brought out on certain special occasions – Christmas, Easter, and I seem to recall on the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. I remember it a few other times as well but can’t recall if they were holy days or not.

We also have one priest who uses Gregorian chant quite frequently; he is a monk on loan to our parish so I suspect it is part of the requirements of his order in terms of how he celebrates mass. He always sings the words of the consecration, for instance.
 
Jegudiel said:
The EF Mass around here is a Low Mass and it always has been even on holidays.

I don’t know what an “OF parish” is (the Church makes no such designation) so I cannot respond to your second assertion.
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I am sorry that the EF Mass near you is a Low Mass.

Why not? It is just a convention of speech. An “OF parish” is simply a parish that celebrates the OF exclusively. :confused:
 
A certain bishop routinely tells a joke to his altar servers as an ice breaker. He will ask all of the servers why incense is used, and everyone tried to give the usual reasons particularly the seminarians and then he finishes, “to make the old ladies cough”.
 
We use it very regularly at our parish, so I don’t think an increase is necessary. One of our children suffers serious asthma, and I’m always worried it will trigger a major attack. We attend a very large Cathedral, so it dissipates fairly well. I do love it. So I wouldn’t want to see it increased, but I’m ok with the regular use we already have.
 
I am really surprised that incense seems to be such a rarity at mass. In the UK, incense is generally always used at the main Sunday morning service regardless of the church’s liturgical tradition.
 
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