Very relevant post. We’ve just discussed this very issue, but on the Diocesan level, in St. Louis.

“First, it can take away from the liturgy. I especially don’t like it when they have such announcements in the middle of Mass right after the Homily (or, sadly, sometimes pretty much instead of a homily). At least put them after the liturgy of the Eucharist and before the closing blessing.”

Theologically speaking, the Mass not being celebrated during the homily. The Mass is “put on hold” so to speak, when and if the priest gives a homily. So the announcements are not “in the middle of Mass” since Mass at that point has ceased to be celebrated. This is something that is not taught to the faithful almost ever. Most priests probably don’t realize it themselves or were never taught it. In reality, there is no good time for announcements around the Mass. If before, then you disturb those preparing themselves for Mass (assuming you are in a parish that doesn’t add a bunch of garbage before the Mass anyway). If after, then you disturb those who are trying to give thanks after Mass and pray. If before the homily (the best of the bad in my opinion), then the homily takes more time from the Mass. Again, none of these options are very good but the last seems best suited.

The mind of the Church seems to be that the homily is a highly important & integral part of the liturgy, Chris.

CCC 1100, quoting Sacrosanctum Concilium 24: “In the celebration of the liturgy, Sacred Scripture is extremely important.  From it comes the lessons that are read and explained in the homily and the psalms that are sung…”

Also, CCC 1346: “The Liturgy of the Word includes ‘the writings of the prophets,’ ... and ‘the memoirs of the apostles…’. After the homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of God…”

Of course, there options & exceptions to everything.  An hour-long homily at daily Mass would not be appropriate & a Mass for the dead may not be the best place to dive deep into various aspects of thorny Pauline texts. Regardless, it is clear to me that the Church sees & has always seen the homily as part of the liturgy, not a “break” from it.

The real problem are homilies that are too short, too shallow, too timid, or too off-topic.  We need solid preaching, based on the Scriptures & the teachings of the Church.

As for announcements, the priest at one parish I attend gives them at the beginning of the homily, where they are quickly forgotten, & my other parish the priests give them just before the final blessing, where they are quickly forgotten.

Sadly, recently we had announcements while father was cleaning the chalice of the Precious Blood at the altar.  He had just put the remaining Body into the tabernacle.  The Blood was still technically exposed on the altar.  The congregation was still kneeling in active, personal prayer.  I imagine the last of the communicants still had the Body in their mouths, if they were not the chewing sort.  The layman just talked over the congregation.  It was a horrible battle of wills.  We, 300 people in the pews, lost.  Could not concentrate and just gave up after about 5 minutes of droning on about nothing of import, a bbq I think.  The Mass then recommenced.

Getting email addresses off of people is easier said than done.  We are currently trying this at our parish and it’s a real chore.  You’d think we were asking for a person’s first born, or thumbs or something.

Well-cited Mark G. but neither one of those source contradict what I explained. The homily is an option seperating the Liturgy of the Word/Mass of the Catachumens and the Liturgy of the Eucharist/Mass of the Faithful. The homily has never been considered a integral part of the Sacrifice of the Mass. Up until the 5th century, only a bishop was allowed to give a homily.

“Regardless, it is clear to me that the Church sees & has always seen the homily as part of the liturgy, not a “break” from it.”

I think you misunderstood what I was saying here. The homily is not a break from the Liturgy in the same sense that the Novus Ordo is a break with Tradition, but the priest does in fact stop the Eucharistic Sacrifice for the homily. The priest stops the sacrifice to explain the readings, which themselves are meant to prepare the faithful FOR the Sacrifice and not be the focus of the Mass itself. This misconception that reading from scripture is just as important as the Eucharistic Sacrifice is only reinforced by the foolish idea of calling them seperate “Liturgies,” as though they were two seperate yet equal liturgies, which the Church does not teach.

Since the announcements are by far and above the most unimportant thing to happen at and/or around Mass, I think it would be better to be forgotten during the homily, since the homily is more important anyways, and not forgotten at the end of Mass when people are making acts of thanksgiving and praying.

“Christianity is legal now people. It’s okay to talk church outside of Mass and in between Sundays.”

Uhhhh, no, Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular are NOT legal.  Gays have arisen and will chase Catholics out of the USA.  You may NOT talk about church outside of the four walls because you are ignorant fools.  San Francisco (ironic, since it is an old Catholic mission!) has effectively OUTLAWED Catholicism!

to wit:

WHEREAS, It is an insult to all San Franciscans when a foreign country, like the Vatican, meddles with and attempts to negatively influence this great City’s existing and established customs and traditions such as the right of same-sex couples to adopt and care for children in need; and
WHEREAS, The statements of Cardinal Levada and the Vatican that “Catholic
agencies should not place children for adoption in homosexual households,” and “Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children” are absolutely unacceptable to the citizenry of San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Such hateful and discriminatory rhetoric is both insulting and callous, and shows a level of insensitivity and ignorance which has seldom been encountered by this Board of Supervisors; and
WHEREAS, Same-sex couples are just as qualified to be parents as are heterosexual couples; and
WHEREAS, Cardinal Levada is a decidedly unqualified representative of his former home city, and of the people of San Francisco and the values they hold dear; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Supervisors urges Archbishop Niederauer and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to defy all discriminatory directives of Cardinal Levada; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors urges Cardinal William Levada, in his capacity as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican (formerly known as Holy Office of the Inquisition), to withdraw his discriminatory and defamatory directive that Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco stop placing children in need of adoption with homosexual households.”

We don’t want to hear you.  You are Stupid! Go Away…
There is NO GOD!

@Mr. Nitsche Thanks for that…addition…to the conversation. Did HuffPo/Media Matters run out of topics that snagged your…insights?

God Bless You.

Our parish has moved announcements before Mass begins, which forces brevity in each one and stays out of the liturgy proper. It is done in an non-intrusive way so that those praying before Mass have come to expect it. These other solutions work well too, but there is often a practical and pastoral need to have announcements.

“Why is it that the only place a parish has the ear of their community is during Mass?” Because, for one, many elderly parishioners don’t use email or Facebook, and their eyesight is too weak to wade through the bulletin.

@Chris: I think Nitsche was being ironic. Even so, I wish he would’ve done so in a less inflammatory manner and in a way more relevant to the topic at hand.

The proper time for instruction and testimony is after Communion.Speaking after the Homily is permitted, it should be a serious nature that all will benefit from. There is more to be gained than lost if we follow the
established procedures.

Oh, Amen to this!  A thousand times Amen!

How disruptive of the entire spirit of the liturgy when the announcements are read after the Eucharist and before the Closing Rite/Final Blessing!  All of that recollection, that sense of thanksgiving and intimacy with Our Lord, the very meaning of our communion disrupted by the talk of the bake sale and the parish Monte Carlo night.

Usually the announcement is just before the final blessings. It seems to be the right time. Why are we impatient when anything concerning church or religion is said ? I do not agree with the suggestion that announcement should be replaced by e mail. The tradition is a contact between the priest and the community Mechanical devices may be good but not necessarily for everything.  Why are we catholics impatient in the matters of Church and religion ?  Will a parent tell the son or daughter not to talk but only e mail ?

In our old parish in South Dakota, they started to make announcements before Mass began.  They always kept it relatively short and it seemed to work beautifully.  The problem with the email idea is making the address list available to everyone who needs to use it, not to mention the logistics of tailoring the list to each and every ministry and or organization who might use it,  What about the distinct possibility of misuse and abuse and potential for spam and other dangers.  Has anyone ran into that before?

Good ideas, but somewhat impractical in practice.  (I work for a parish.)

If people would consistently read the bulletin, the problem would largely be solved.  However, some things some up after the bulletin is published:  “There will not be daily Mass on Tuesday due to a funeral.”

People are very reluctant, as has been pointed out, to share things like cell numbers and email addresses.  Part of this is a privacy issue (and in today’s techno age we should all be savvy) and part of it is “I don’t want a bunch of junk cluttering up my email.” 

Also, I know by experience that MOST (not all) of our parishioners over 50 years of age do not rely on tech. to get messages and info.  If we relied on it as a parish staff, we’d miss half our congregation.

My wife and I call that the Liturgy of the Announcements and they are mostly trivial reminders that the Knights are selling raffle tickets after Mass, so that when people walk out after Mass and see Knights selling raffle tickets they won’t become disoriented and start a panic, I guess.

They need to stop, all of them.

Subaru katholics get haughty at Mr. Nitsche for his post and yet do not want to address what he quoted.  Tell me, is there any Truth in the world, you modern comment thread Pilates?

Are the elderly being forgotten again!!  A lot of the elderly don’t even want to be bothered with the computer. I’m 83 and I am an oddity.  Watch, TV and they will say “for more info go to www.”  So, the elderly lose interest. Also, business people who use their cell phones mainly for business would not like it either.  I am not saying ALL, but to give a few announcements before the homily is what I am used to and see nothing wrong with it. I can hear Jesus laughing at all this picayune stuff.  [Here is a bit of humor] My “non-going-church” Protestant husband used to drive me to church every Sunday—he would read his paper in the car waiting for me. One day he said “how come a group of people come out of church and then some minutes later everyone comes out?” I told him that some people leave before the final prayers. Even he thought it disrespectful. I learned to drive a year after that ;o))) Eternal Rest Grant unto him Lord—God bless him, he always supported us in our religion & never criticized anyone elses.

Well, in the diocese of Scranton, Pa.one Sunday per year the Bishop of
Scranton, “takes over” the homily…well, actually dispenses with the homily (which I always was taught was part of the Liturgy of the Word) to
promote his annual appeal for money. A huge screen is placed where all can
see a ten minute video promoting this fund raiser. If that is not liturgy with a commercial I don’t know what is…It is offensive to me and I would think to the Lord. For weeks before we are receiving in the mail notices nd applications to pledge or committ to the diocesan appeal. After the viewing of the video they take further time for those sitting in the pews to fill out pledge cards and then ushers to collect. I am tempted to skip mass and stay home with the shut-ins and watch the Mass on EWTN! When I mentioned this to a friend she told me I was insulting God! Really! I
have to wonder where the real insult lies! Thanks for addressing what
I considered for some time a serious deviation from proper liturgy! It would seem that this could all be taken care of with a short announcement in the Bulletin as well as from the pulpit along with all the mailings.It used to be that the names of contributors would be printed in the bulletin
which I quess was the Bishop’s way of separating the goats and the sheep sitting in the pews! There was alot of Bah-hahing so they elimiated that part of their arm-twisting! I thought charity was to come from the heart..and to be pressured like this seems not only over-bearing but not good catechization. My opinion!

When the priest allows the local representative of some group like adopt a highway trash pickup, habitat for humanity, meals on wheels, time to pitch its cause I get up and leave.  I go to Mass to pray not be recruited to social causes, even if they are good ones.  I almost always stay after Mass to pray, unless it is too noisy, or someone seises the microphone and interupts prayer.  It is easier to remain prayerful sitting in my car than in the pew trying to tune out someone advocating for their cause.

I am a church organist. I remember years ago playing in a parish in Woodside, New York.The pastor, ten minutes before Mass realized there were no announcements. He ran back to the rectory to type some up so the lector would have something to read. Since vatican II, I guess he thought the announcements had become part of the Ordinary of the Mass.

Part of the problem is that they feel they need to double up on these things.  I run the website for the parish, the Facebook page, we have an e-mail list, a podcast, etc.  So what do they do?  They make the announcements at Mass and then say, “you can also find all of this information on our website.” *facepalm*

We attend the TLM in Norwalk CT. http://www.stmarynorwalk.net/ We love to hear our pastor’s announcements! We assist at Mass for about 90 minutes, receive our final blessing, and then everyone sits (because it also feels nice to sit down at that point)and listens to the pastor give a brief run down- always relevant, always orthodox and informative- such as pro-life issues, political issues, natural family planning announcements, relevant parish education, etc. Those kind of announcements we could listen to all day long! :)

Linda you are fortunate indeed to have a pastor who gives such relevant, important announcements. We need to hear what’s going on in our world, as it relates to our faith. I, too, would be happy to listen to such announcements. Instead, I sit through such things as the entire menu for the upcoming fundraiser dinner, while my husband leaves and waits in the car before the final blessing because of the 10 minute + trivial announcements.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, Our Lord and Master

I have often wanted to comment on announcements at Mass. I recently attended a Mass far from our usual parish. Here they made the announcements prior to the start of the Mass liturgy. I really liked this idea because it does not detract from the Mass. In general, however, my experience is that the announcements are made right after Communion. Imagine we have just received the greatest Gift of Life and are going to reflect and thank Our Lord for His Presence within us. Suddenly any silence is interrupted with ‘next Sunday we will have our annual fiesta and so on. For myself these announcements, already in the bulletin, take my interior completely away from His Majesty to a secular or parish related function. I am one Catholic who is thoroughly disgusted with this type of liturgy. If there is truly an important announcement, of course, it should be said even after the Eucharist. However, most announcements are in the bulletin. So whatever interior silence might occur is blotted out. Shouldn’t we spend just a few moments alone with Our Master? I apologize if I have offended any liturgists but I think it’s time to help our Catholic brothers and sisters to have time for reflection after receiving the Body and Blood; Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - not add to their urgency to get to the parking lot first.

Tom

May God Bless and Keep us in His Loving Arms

Tom,

Well said and I whole heartedly concur!  Paz de Cristo.

Tom, you are absolutely right. The priest in my parish gives any announcements before the Mass Liturgy, but I have visited other parishes with far more disruptive practises. It has always seemed to my own self that reflection on the Body and Blood of Our Lord is more important than being told, “DONATE!GIVE US ALL YOUR MONEY OR YOU WILL GO STRAIGHT TO HELL!”

I attend a TLM and the people do not leave the church until well after the priests leaves the altar and processes down the aisle and into the sacristy.  If fact, they are still singing when he gets into the sacristy.  Most people stay and say prayers after the mass, a mass that is over 1 1/2 hours-sometines 2 hours.  The Novus Ordo sees people leaving before the mass is over and also people following behind the priest down the aisle.

We, TLM could have annoucements after mass, but most of the Novus Ordo attendees will not hear the annoucements after mass.

Make the announcements right before the Processional- latecomers will miss, but most will hear. Never during Mass!

Frankly, the announcements can be inserted right after the Gospel and before the homily—or right after the homily.  It really does not matter.  The fact is, waiting for the end mass —- most people are looking to leave and do not want to be held hostage by some guest speaker or if the Youth Minister has some special announcement.  It is then when people start heading for the doors when this happens.  Rightly or wrongly, this is what happens.  Another bad protocol near the end of mass is the incessant plea for more money —the missions, retired clergy, capital campaign, ADA, Bishops Relief Fund, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Social Justice advocates—the list is endless.  If you do this at the end of mass you have already lost the attention of those in the pews.  Pastors should not be put in the position being fundraisers for the Bishop.

You avoid announcements after Holy Communion by leaving at communion time, one prayer doesn’t dissolve the graces of the entire Liturgy of the Word nor the Eucharistic prayers and recieving Holy Communion. 
You leave to give other people a chance to get a place in the parking lot (so many in a congo line at ours waiting for people to leave). I think sitting around listening to things of absolutely no interest to me is unnecessary since I do read the bulletin which is where announcements are in the printed out in English and Spanish.
I can’t stand our choir which probably makes me leave earlier than what some might consider the appropriate time but at least I can have my quiet time with the Lord on the way home instead of listening to announcements and silly songs… blessings in abundence without the hassles.

For about five years I lived in a city where I had the opportunity to attend Sunday mass at a monastery. Because it was not a parish they never interrupted the service with either announcements or a collection.  Later, I moved and began attending again at a regular parish. What a shock!  That was 11 years ago…I’ll never get used to the discontinuity in Sunday masses.  Thank God for weekday mass where you can pray.

That is the why our Lord drove from the synogogue the money changers ,tradres and the like .we too must drive them out with a whip in our hand It is the money that accrues to the clergy that makes them to cajole the “haves”  Our church is used as a platform for the affuluent and not for the marginalised

Here is another little trick I sometimes employ:  I go to the Spanish mass.  Now, I know just enough Spanish to follow all the regular prayers of the mass and I can read the readings ahead of time in English from the missal…then follow when they are read in Spanish during the service.  As for the homily and all the announcements (5-10 minutes worth) I don’t have a clue what they are saying.  The break gives me a chance to pray I would not otherwise get at a regular Sunday mass in English.  Extra bonus: the music is a lot better in the Hispanic community.

If it’s possible, I would try to find a TLM close by. I know that isn’t easy, but we drive 40 minutes, and it is well worth it. You can actually PRAY…and the music is heavenly (no pun intended). http://www.ecclesiadei.org/masses.cfm

Sounds like a lot of traditional Catholics on this blog.  I, for one, like Vatican II.  I love the Mass in the vernacular, I love participating at Mass. [by answering the priest in English]  Listening to Latin is not praying to me. Reminds me when I was in Catholic grade school in the late 30’s and all the students sang the Mass in Latin and I always wondered what I was singing. Following the Mass with the English side of the prayer book is not for me either.
You all say you need more time to pray at Mass. Mass, itself is a prayer. If you need to pray in church, make an extra visit (if it is not locked) Pray at home, pray in your car, anywhere—God is everywhere! I pray all day to God. I talk to Him. I live alone and there is no better one to talk to, I thank him, etc. Formal prayers are not the only way of praying to Jesus. I like just speaking my own way to Him. I really liked the Folk Group—I loved their version of The Our Father and their version of the 23rd Psalm. They had good singers and it was beautiful. Young people, practicing and participating.  I guess I am a weird 83 yr.-old.
P.S. below they ask that I enter the word in the image below: It’s age84 [coincidence: I am in my 84th yr. ;o) ]

Chris, reading your response just answered all my questions about your curious position.  Thanks.

In regards to both the relevancy of the homily & the proper placement of announcements, I suggest we consult the new translation of the Roman Missal:

17. Then follows the homily, which is to be preached by a Priest or Deacon on all Sundays & holy days of obligation; on other days it is recommended.

139. ...the Priest, with hands extended, says the prayer after Communion…
The Concluding Rites
140. If they are necessary, any brief announcements to the people follow here.
141. Then the dismissal takes place…

For your reference, Chris, the Liturgy of the Word begins at No.9 & the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins at No.21.

In my parish, the announcements are made just before the final blessing.  Yes, some people miss out on it (but it’s in the bulletin anyway).

Having the announcements before Mass doesn’t work either because some people come in late.

Solution…unless your illiterate….read the bulletin and/or go to the parish’s website.

In my parish, many people head for the doors right after communion perhaps not that they dislike the announcements but moreover —due to the incessant singing.  Good God !!  The Music Director and Cantor are unable to go more the 90 seconds in the course of the mass before jumping in with yet another tired worn out hymn.  They both act like they are on stage at the NY Metropolitan Opera.  Sort of a “PLEASE !! look at us” during the whole mass.  And who said the parish should have to pay good money for such awful singers?

I’ve never had too much problem with annoucements after Communion.  What always drove me nuts and still does is begging for money anywhere during the Mass. It strikes me as too close to when our Lord kicked the vendors out of the synagogue.  As a Catholic musician and a musician who is Catholic, I can sympathize with those complaining about the music.  Right now, our parish administrator (we can’t call him a pastor, he’s a married Episcopal convert) is introducing K-Love music into Mass.  I’m not even sure to whom to complain.  Back to the annoucements, the missing point in Mark’s post is that in 140..the word “brief” is usually ignored.  A well respected priest once told me that if a homily lasts more than 5 minutes, “you’ve lost them”.  The same should apply to annoucements.

To all those who like to trash the TLM, the TLM has an attendance rate of 95% to 100%, whereas, the Novus Ordo has about a 30% rate of attendance.  The Novus Ordo is more like a protestant service.  I guess that is because there were 6 protestant minister “observers” at Vat. II.

Announcements here are right before the homily, only a few minutes and mostly consist of what’s not in the bulletin.  Father will point out important bulletin items and then move into his homily, which he does keep short and to the point, illuminating a particular part of the Mass readings and relating them to our lives.  One question I have does not relate to the thread per se, but relates to other comments here.  When did we start using the “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours etc.” after the Lord’s Prayer?  Just this weekend at Mass I was thinking that seemed very Protestant to me.  I’m just old enough to remember a bit of the pre-Vatican II Mass.  Who brought that in and why?

@Joe DeCarlo:  I do not believe anyone on this blog is or was “trashing” TLM. There is nothing wrong with anyone saying that they prefer the vernacular to the Latin. It is an opinion, not a “trashing”. Also, what do you have against the Protestants, we can learn from one another.
@ Rose:For instance, “for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours” to me is a beautiful addition to the end of the Our Father. Usually it is said after the Amen & in another prayer. From what a priest told me it was always there and not said before—if we got it from the Protestants, so be it and thanks to them. I love ecuminism, that is what brings people into the Church, not criticism. I think it is great to have a Latin Mass for those who like it and a Spanish Mass for Hispanics, but I personally like the Mass in English so that I can PARTICIPATE, rather than be an OBSERVER.

Many of the commenters indicated that announcements disturbed the post reception time of prayer - except that if the proper order is observed announcements occur after Father has called the assembly to pray and before the final blessing.  No one should be in personal prayer at this point.  In our parish, where I am on staff, we all try to keep the announcements few and purposeful, but the fact is we ALWAYS get a better crowd at tables after Mass when the announcements mentions our presence. 

Not a lot of patience or generosity generally seen in these comments,  whole lot of whining.  And Tapestry6 - there’s a lot more going on at Mass than your personal access to grace - it’s just wrong to leave at communion time.

Being too young to have attended a TLM, I am unable to comment on that aspect.  However, I do think the post-Vatican II Mass can be very sacred if done properly and within the rubrics.  What I see, however, is great variety between Masses of different priests and dioceses at this time (some of which I find very disturbing at times) and I hope the revised Missal will address these issues.  I do not know where the revised Mass will place announcements, if any.
@ Sue, what is the difference between indifferentism and the current practice (not necessarily intent) of ecumenism? I don’t mean to be rude, but to date, I’ve not seen much, if any, difference.

@ Tim: Ecuminism is not indifference. Remember that all christian religions started with the Roman Catholic Church. Some broke away for their reasons. (like Luther)  When people argue with protestants about their beliefs, (or vica-versa) they get their back ups, but if you go about it in the proper way, they ask questions. (Watch “Journey Home” on EWTN). When I lived in Virginia in a small town, our priest (who belonged to the local ministerial assoc.) started a Lenten Service. We had Ash Wed. in our church and invited all other churches to the service & to get ashes or not. Then there was a light lunch (where questions could be asked). The next Wed. the service was at the Black Baptist Church, then the Episcople Church, then the Methodist and so on during Lent. Instead of fighting one another (because of ignorance) we were more accepting and we also had converts. The basic Mass is always the same, even though some priests put a little variety into some part of the service. I come from NYState & was living in West Virginia when the Altar “was turned around”—a year later they did it in NY—(started it in small parishes).  In W.Va. our Church invited ministers from different Prot. churches to “give a talk” (don’t know if it was considered the homily) but one Presbyterian minister said during his talk, “What is the competition about—-we all sell the same product—Jesus Christ.”  He was right, you will never get a convert by thinking “we are better than you”.
This is not being indifferent, it is being accepting of other Christian’s and eventually, who knows, there may be another convert. With all the problems today with the Islamic Terrorists—again I shall say—-remember the Crusades—-we Christians had better “stay together” instead of always wanting to separate ourselves.  Also Tim, if a priest is doing something that you are very uncomfortable with, speak to him about it. You have that right.
You know, I married into a Protestant family and so did my son. You would be surprised the ignorant beliefs of the Catholic Faith, but it is up to us to correct them, in what they “hear” about us. Lets face it, if a Catholic hangs around with only Catholics, where is the evangelism? EWTN is coming up with something about Evangelism and what the Pope says about it. By the way, wasn’t our Pope doing a little evangelizing in the U.K. recently?  My opinion.

So here we are into another battle about Novus Ordo vs. TLM. But there is no battle really. The “new mass” was invented by Bugnini and other freemasons and protestants. In most diocese’s it is fading away. Don’t believe me? Check your local mass attendance statistics over the last 20 years. People are voting with their feet and sleeping in on Sunday. Churches are being closed and consolidated. It’s happening in every diocese. C’est la vie, we’re not protestants and if we were, there are plenty of singin’, dancin’ feel good protestant communities all over the country.

The easiest way to get people to give you their email address is to give them something and then require them to “confirm their email address” in order to get it.  Give them a special doughnut at the next meet and greet or an entry into a raffle etc etc…

I, as a Latin mass participant, can read the English while the priest reads the Latin.  Secondly, The TLM is much richer in tradition with its Gregorian Chant and its outstanding rubrics.  Before Vat. II there was a 90% attendance rate, seminaries were full, convents were full, Catholic schools were full.  What happened after Vat. II?  30% attendance rate at mass, empty seminaries, empty convents, and Catholic schools closing all over the country.  So much for the success of Vat. II.  Don’t forget, Vat. II and thereafter were trying to appease the Protestants and Jews with its ecumenism.  The CAtholic church lost most of Western Europe which was 90% Catholic before Vat, II.  Vat II has been a complete disaster.d P. S.  TLM has a dialogue mass where the faithful respond to the priest in Latin.  Before Vat. II,  no matter where to went in the world, the mass was in Latin.  You could bring your missle to any country.  For those who know nothing about the TLM, Latin and English are on either side of the page.  It is easy to follow.

As you can see, there are many different opinions about how the Mass should go on Sunday. In our church it sounds like a social hour for the 30 minuets before (silence? not in todays world) mass and then we have a variety of lectors (should be readers) with there own style (non of which are very interesting) and the choir of course who think they are professionals performing their mightest concert springs into action. Music, music, music while the priest tries to get some words in edgewise. At the end of mass, before the final blessing, the priest holds a who show. You know, who has a birthday? who has a anniversary and who is visiting? After that the final blessing and the choir cranks up again. Oh did I forget? The announcements are in the beginning before mass begins whil the people are still talking about last evenings TV shows…....

@Sue I agree that to truly convert someone, the “I’m better than you” or the “convert or die” theories don’t work too well.  But from where I am at, it seems that the current practice of ecumenism I’ve seen means that we’re just another Christian denomination, all equal, each having the full deposit of faith.  To me, that’s indifferentism.  Now, it may just be the Americanization of Catholicism or the secular trivialization of religion in general.  I don’t know honestly and I’m not sure I’ll ever find the answers but we should not lose what makes us Catholic in order to appease anybody.  But I do worry that the addition of non-Catholic elements into the Mass, such as “For the Kingdom…” appended to the Our Father, or the use of evangelical music such as Third Day or Newsboys, makes the Mass less Catholic and adds fuel to indifferentism.  I do feel the Novus Ordo can be very reverent when done well but I’ve seen that becoming less and less the norm.

@ Fr.John: [don’t know if you are a priest]I remember when Parish Council started and our Pastor was quite upset about it because he felt it would take away from his leadership. It did not, as Father let it be known that he runs and is head of that particular parish, as it should be. Father put a stop to the talking before Mass, when that started. Also @ Tim again: Our new Mass has always been beautiful and not any crazy stuff as some people talk about. I do know that I heard recently that there will be a new translation of Latin to the vernacular, because so much was lost in the old VatII translation. Many times when translating from a foreign language to Enlish, much of the intention and reasoning is lost. So maybe the Vatican will come up with something everyone is more agreeable to.  I, personally, am a person who does not like too much ritual. I also read abt. Bugnini and so far there has been no proof that he was a freemason. It does make me realize how political the Church is. I think back and remember the New Testament and how Jesus walked the earth, teaching.  So simple and plain and I often wonder how the RCC got so ritualistic with the fancy vestments and gold everywhere. Wish someone would enlighten me on that. I remember when my sister came to W.Va. to visit from N.Y. and after Mass she said “what a friendly, warm and personal Mass, wish ours was like that. I’ll take a small parish any time. Personal, friendly, family-like, just wonderful. Asking for birthday’s, anniv. in a small parish goes over well, not in a large parish. Where I live now there are some churches with 6,000 parishioners.  Well, I shall always go along with my Church, no matter what and I shall always be patriotic toward my country, no matter what. I like being a Catholic in the U.S. & hope neither change too much.

Exodus 28:2–4 says “to give…dignity and magnificence.”

Vestments also symbolize the official and priestly virtues of the wearer, the instruments of Christ’s Passion, and the weapons of the spiritual struggle against the foe.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15388a.htm

IMHO, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is an experience like none other on earth. Everything about the Holy Mass should direct our minds and hearts to heaven. It should be like nothing on earth.

Verso l’alto!

Out of 1200 families, a one-year effort has netted us 250 e-mail addresses. We Twitter and update our website daily, and send our bulletin via e-mail to those who want to get it that way. 75 people signed up to get the bulletin via e-mail. So we need to continue relying on print and word announcements.

I think our Paulist Church takes the cake.  Our Pastor has eliminated the Gloria except for Christmas & Easter.  Isn’t the Gloria an integral part of the Mass?
“We give 5% of the collection to Church or school or…............” at collection time and again at the end of the Mass.  And than the annoncements - some long, all in the bulletin.
Do these men know that at one point we didn’t have bulletins?  Than everyone called the Rectory because they forgot what time or place, etc. had been announced.  Holy Days, Christmas & Easter the phone never stopped ringing.  So a bulletin was decided and they said NO Announcements.  We were told to pick up the bulletin and read it.  Than they realized a few people weren’t doing that and called the Rectory because something had been changed and they got to Mass at 9 and the Mass was half over. 
You can’t win

@JoeDeCarlo: “TLM has a dialogue mass where the faithful respond to the priest in Latin.  Before Vat. II,  no matter where you went in the world, the mass was in Latin.”  “Latin and English are on either side of the page.  It is easy to follow.”
I was brought up with the Latin/English prayer book (as we called it)  Also, yes Latin was in every country. As to the venacular, I would not understand that in other countries either, only mine. As to saying the Mass in Latin, I used to sing the Kyrie and the Gloria in Latin but I never knew what I was singing. I just like being part of the Mass by answering the priest in English. 
Thank you Linda for the website. I have read some of it and will check more into it.  I think we should have a Latin Mass, Hispanic Mass and the vernacular to satisfy everyone.

Our parish is pretty good about keeping announcements to a minimum, the only thing I don’t understand is when people begin to applause after a lay person gives an announcement…it just doesn’t seem appropriate to me, do any other parishes experience this?

I agree with Michelle regarding this recent trend toward “applause.”  A visitor attending from the furthest distance, a son home from college, a parish school girl winning a spelling bee or a couple having a new baby.  Give it rest from including these announcements at mass since only the family cares.  We don’t.  Put it in the bulletin.  Also, Priests who urge applause for the altar servers, cantors, piano players and ushers, et al—what are they?—on stage—and we in the pews are spectators?  Whom is being honored —the Lord or us?

All this talk of announcements, shabby polyester vestments, and responding to the priest in English makes me so happy I attend an FSSP chapel.

There, the priests vestments are made of silk, the candles made of beeswax, and the incense and choir hymnals are heavenly. I was blown away the first time I witnessed a Traditional Latin High Mass. All at once I understood why Bugnini, the protestants and freemasons wanted to end it. Having grown up in the 70’s and 80’s, I never knew anything BUT the new mass. When I witnessed the sheer power and beauty of the Mass of Ages, I understood why so many hated it and wanted to end it forever. And for you Pauline massers out there who love to respond in English to the priest, c’mon over to a FSSP Mass and you can actually SING beautiful responses to the priest Give it a try, find a trdtional Mass for All Saints and All Souls! Deo Gratias.

@Peterman- Amen—-not to mention applause! We had our professional schola and a 30+ kid’s schola sing Jesu Dulcis Memoria (Palestrina). Now if anyone deserved applause… but none was sought and none offered. Feast of Kingship of Christ-only to Him be glory, honor and praise!

http://www.stmarynorwalk.net/musicpages/2010/10/09/music-for-the-feast-of-christ-the-king-31-october-2010/

Don’t be silly.  People read the bulletin during the homily.  Seriously.  I see it every week unless the ushers hide them.  Then I see people rooting around the back looking.

Regarding the original post, I’ve heard this called the “Liturgy of the Bulletin” and I chuckle every time I hear it.

The real problem is we have so many Catholics who don’t attend Mass at all. Many who don’t attend regularly, and many who attend but don’t have a clue and are just waiting to be converted by Evangelicals who are on-the-ball.

The faithful read the bulletin and talk with the Pastor and deacons and know what’s going on.  Many faithful attend the Latin Mass and there’s lots more reverence because most of the people there “Get it”.  If more people “Got it”, the Novus Ordo would be reverent also.

We have a crisis of evangelization happening the faithful usually aren’t living their lives out like they should and the Bishops (for the most part) are fat, dumb, and happy and not standing up to secular culture and certainly not (seriously) calling for holiness and pastors are left in the lurch having to preach softball homilies because if they preach a serious homily, they’ll get tons of complaints and their Bishop will most likely tell them to tone it down rather than back the pastor up.

Can’t stand long announcements, esp. when they are all in the bulletin/newsletter.

I say we all just follow the rubrics (speaking of the OF) to the Roman Missal which state for the concluding rite, before the final blessing:

“140. If they are necessary, any brief announcements to the people follow here.”

Long announcements are an addition/alteration and the Code of Canon Law states:

Canon 846 §1 The liturgical books, approved by the competent authority, are to be faithfully followed in the celebration of the sacraments. Accordingly, no one may on a personal initiative add to or omit or alter anything in those books.

You have no idea how glad I am to be able to DEFEND the Diocese of Scranton, but last Sunday, Bishop Bambera’s video in support of the Appeal was played before the Liturgy. Way to go, Bishop Joe! also, I would be glad if my pastor interrupted his “homilies” with announcements relevant to parish life, at least. When he walks out of the sacristy I think, “Oh, no, another sports comementary.” Tangentially, Matt’s paragraph on people’s reaction to forced information reminds me strongly why I do not contribute to any branch of ...for Human Life. In my opinion, the junk mail they stuff my mailbox with is irritation, not information, and with the limited resources available to the right-to-life movement in general I feel their money could be much better spent educating pro-choice adherents about the real meaning of their decisions.

Hey all - I really appreciate all of the great comments on my post! I actually posted a followup post today in response to a lot of the comments…I hope it helps!  You can read it by clicking here.

Or by going here: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/followup-announcements-at-mass-and-parish-communication

Thanks again for the participation and God bless!

- Matt

Here is a published statement by the USCCB…The Homily

65. The homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended,63 for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life. It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners.64

66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person.65 In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.

There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason. It is recommended on other days, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers.66

After the homily a brief period of silence is appropriately observed.

Sacrosanctam Concilium is cited as the source document from which this decalration is made. I suppose this applies to the OF as I was always taught that the homily was not part of the Mass in what we now call the EF

Linda, great to hear that! I checked out your Church website, great stuff. I bet that choir sounds incredible! This sacred music of the liturgy is not something we can hear anywhere and yet it’s our Catholic heritage, our birthright. Even the classical symphonies don’t play these types of things because they don’t want to go into the religious music for fear of offending their NPR type backers. But honestly a couple of Sundays ago I had the exact thought that people would pay big dollars to hear this beautiful choir and organ. This is when you realize why Mozart, Bach and all the other Catholic composers used huge choirs of boys, soprano’s, tenors, etc to create their works which stand as the greatest in human history. Deo Gratias for the Church and the TRADITION of our faith.

I was just at a historic kind of liturgy.  It was like out of the 1920’s.
There was a communion rail complete with a cloth that people put their hands underneath and the whole thing.  And, I learned after I said Amen that it wasn’t proper to say Amen after the priest said his Latin prayer to you personally.  There was no congregation singing, praying out loud, just silence for two whole hours.  It was a high mass, so the priest was call and responding with a complete boys choir.
If you’d really like to know, it was the most reverent celebration that I’ve ever been to.  This WAS MASS.  This was complete adoration. 
Guess when they had their announcements? 
Before mass.  Do you know why?  Because people were early and already praying and getting ready for mass.  The low mass had ended a half hour prior to the high mass and the low mass participants were talking outside instead of in the vestibule, as to not disturb the early shows for the high mass. 
AND THE FAMILIES!  I couldn’t believe how many families were there!
I said to myself…I could join this church ‘cause these people know what mass is all about…maybe I could learn from them. 
BXVI was totally correct in allowing these people to worship as the whole church did prior to Vatican II.

I shouldn’t read this stuff it just depresses me that this what is important to people.  “I want Latin” “I don’t want Latin” “Vatican II destroyed the Church”  “No it didn’t”  How frustrating!  It is poor reasoning to say that Churches were full before Vatican II and aren’t after as if that’s the ONLY thing that happened in the last 45 years to effect Mass attendance.  Secular society deserves more blame, contraception and abortion on demand plus “free” love ‘60’s radicalism deserves more blame than the Mass in the vernacular.  Don’t we have bigger fish to fry…

Chip —you are correct.  This is sad.  Less attendance at mass—and I speak from experience since I am among those who count the # of men, women and children for the parish statistical reporting.  People are voting with their feet.  While the endless wave of scandals have impacted church attendance negatively, another more subtle factor has been an increasing emerging clergy who lean left in their quest to promote social justice, open borders for immigration and more feminization within the church.  Also affecting church attendance are gay priests who are clearly not good role models.  Parents do not want their children around this influence.  The church has been lax way too long in dealing with these issues —but probably because the majority of our bishops are cut from the same cloth.  All these factors are a reality while the clergy (as a whole) remain in denial.

@chip: believe it or not, I was going to skip clicking on “notify me of following comments” because I got frustrated with the whole thing. I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY. All this fuss about a lot of nothing—if you like latin, go to the latin Mass, if vernacular, go to that Mass, but no Pastor can please everyone in his parish. I feel sorry for them. Too much bickering for me. As for me, I don’t like tunnel-minded Catholics. You are not going to get converts by insulting the Protestants.  I still like “For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory”  That to me is praising God and so what if Protestants use it or not. People can get so picayune.  Some of you act as if the only time you can really pray to God is at Mass. God is Everywhere as we learned as children. Also, what is the difference when announcements are made. Your parish is suppose to be “family”, so for a priest in a small church to ask for birthday’s or anniversaries, makes it “very family”. I know it cannot be done in very large churches.  The vernacular Mass that I go to is very dignified and holy. Befriend a Protestant and they will stop having crazy ideas about the Catholic Church.  We Christians should support one another—-I just heard a Catholic Church was bombed in Iraq.  Makes you think. By the way I am 83 yrs old.

@observer on Tuesday: I cannot speak of the social issues in church, but “gay priests are bad role models”.  Whooh! Is a single priest a roll model to most children? No, their Dad’s are. A priest is a roll model only in their spirituality [generally speaking-if a child is thinking of becoming a priest].  At one time we had a gay priest and he gave excellent sermons that really left you thinking and was a very good priest-all around. The charismatics found out he was gay and did their best to get rid of him and did. It ended very sadly. What is the difference if a priest is gay or not, they practice celibacy. Remember heterosexuals [men/women/parents] can also be pedophiles. [it is a sickness]  I don’t think anyone in a parish should know if a priest is gay or not gay. Then again, if a teenager thinks he is gay, this gay priest can speak with him and let him know how the church feels, that it is fine to be gay, but don’t practice the life style. [he would understand the child] The Church does have couseling for gays. God loves them too. My sister has 5 children [4 boys] the oldest and youngest sons are gay. All the grandchildren love them as much as the other uncles. They set a good example of kindness, love, respect, etc. They have been a good role models to their neices and nephews.  You do not “teach” a person to be gay. Come on good Catholics, lets be more christian to one another. [that means love all as Jesus does]

Re pre & post Vatican II: here’s a perspective from someone who grew up in a Catholic school in the 40’s and 50’s. It wasn’t heaven, folks. Priests were leaving the priesthood, but the media had the grace to regard it as a personal decision, not a challenge to Church teaching. But that was only a symptom of a much deeper malaise: the Church was still catechizing (or attempting to) on the 19th century model directed at congregations who had, at best, a grade-school education when most Americans, at least, were high school graduates, independent wage earners, and politically sensitive (if not knowledgeable) citizens. No surpise it didn’t work well. Remember John XXII? Aggiornimento? We really, really needed it - not just in the liturgy but in our methods of approaching catechesis, evangelization, social justice, and realpolitick. No way could Pius XII have freed Poland, welcomed Anglican reunion, made the college of cardinals a world-wide executive body, or visited his children globally - he was the Prisoner in the Vatican in spirit if not in fact. In my opinion it was his failure to perceive the reality of the post-war world that laid the basis for much of our current problems.

@Chip and Sue- I don’t know if the point of bringing up the Latin Mass has so much to do with preference as it has to do with what type of priest is involved and what type of congregation is attending.

You want more men, more families, more respect for the Eucharist, more orthodoxy, more relevant announcements, less (no) feminism, less clericalism, less cult of personality of the priest? All these things are found at the Latin Mass. Is it because the Mass is in Latin? Is it because Latin is better than post Vatican II? Not necessarily.

I think it all comes down to the type of shepherd. Is he afraid to lose parishioners if he speaks the truth? Or if he says the black and does the red? If he is, you will get the kind of parishes you lament.

That’s the point!!!! Please tell me you get it.

I agree with you completely.  For the most part, parish announcements are very brief, at the end of Mass. 

My family attended a special service during the Advent-Christmas season of last year.  We attended the Vigil Mass, which tends to be populated mostly by families like our own, those with small children.  Many individuals with special needs and seniors also attend. 

We arrived early to get a seat.  At most services, latecomers must stand.  There was a program for the children, so we knew the Mass would go over the usual hour.  We were already getting antsy.  The announcements were said and then the priest said, “We have a very special guest this evening.  He is an admissions counselor with such-and-such college”. 

I do not believe this was the appropriate group to even be getting a speech from an admissions counselor promoting his college.  He must have spoken for over 15 minutes, while everyone there seemed to be wrestling with their toddlers, preschoolers, and grade-schoolers.  (Most of the families with teens attend the Life Teen Mass, which would have been a more targeted audience.)

I remember the name of this college and I will avoid sending anyone there.  I won’t even recommend it.  Was that the point of his speech? I don’t think so. 

Sometimes speaking to a captive audience can backfire.

I will understand if you don’t believe the following.
Last Sunday the pastor requested the choir to sing a special song.
The choir immediately begin to sing and all joined in.
The church erupted in singing, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
This was just before the final blessing.

@Elizabeth: that is my kind of priest. Do you know how boring Mass, especially in Latin is to children—-no wonder they get antsy in church. Your priest was trying to make part of the Mass enjoyable to the young children in church. Rudolph, Santa Claus is part of the celebration of the Christ Child’s birthday. I see nothing wrong with it as long as the children realize they are celebrating the birthday of Jesus. I remember being at the children’s Christmas Mass, many yrs. ago and at one point Father sat on the top step and called the children up to him and he would ask them question about Jesus and His birthday. One little boy kept saying “I know, I know” meaning he knew the answer to all the questions, he was 5 yrs old. The congregation loved it and my Protestant husband said to me, “that is what Christmas is all about” meaning it is a birthday party or birthday remembrance of the Birth of the Child Jesus , & children love celebrating a birthday. Two days after Christmas, this little boy died (he was an epileptic).  This little boy taught us more at this Mass about the birth of Jesus than anyone.
I really think some Catholics should “lighten up” a bit.
Yes, it is my choice to NOT like the Latin Mass and it is my choice to LIKE the Mass in the vernacular. Don’t tell me “the Church is not a democracy—-it also is not a dictatorship. Remember:  Jesus spoke Arabaic—somehow it went to Greek then Roman Latin-Jesus’s church was the world, not a building, Jesus’s taught in plain clothes, walking the earth, not fancy vestments, Jesus drank out of a plain cup, not gold. Where did all the Catherals and gold, etc. come from. Someone said, where did all the priest in the seminaries go—-the world is changing and since the Church accepts married ministers of other denominations, then why not the priest get married if they choose to. Remember the Apostles were married.
I think the problem in some parishes is that sometimes the parish council wants to run things, when it is the Pastor who is the “big boss” or head of the Parish and he should be and is responsible for how the Mass and other Services are conducted—-and we should obey our spiritual father on earth.

Elizabeth - sadly I do believe your account.  And in response to Sue, I have young children myself, so I completely sympathize with the desire to keep your children in their seats and engaged.  And if the liturgy’s aim were that of a show choir concert at the mall, clearly there would be no problem with its entertainment value.  However, the liturgy is quite literally the redemptive work of the Mystical Body of Christ - the Head (literally Christ Jesus) and His body, the Church, and at every single Mass we don’t just celebrate a Mass, but the ONE, eternal, heavenly liturgy (laid out in roughly the first 10 paragraphs of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy).  Our role in the Mass is to respond to the Lord, quite specifically, to be the “self-expression” of Christ. Perhaps I do take the redemptive work of Jesus too seriously, but for my children I want them to be engaged in the liturgy because I’ve laid a foundation for them to know the Lord, and therefore recognize when they encounter His presence.  I want them to know, understand, and live true reverence out of an authentic relationship with a God who deeply desires to know them!  I have nothing against reindeer, but my kids are inundated by the consumerist culture that we live in…and a world where the birth of Jesus has been reduced to a fairy tale that has all but been abandoned in favor of a superhero Santa Claus who can really do something for you, like stuff your kids full of anything they could, want, imagine, or google. If there is one place a person, a family, a soul should be able catch a glimpse of reality in the midst of the upside down world we live in that is aware of anything but, it is the Mass. I guess what I am saying, Sue, is that I respectfully disagree.  p.s. While announcements seem to interrupt the flow and recollected nature of the Mass almost anywhere they are placed, especially when you try to get too creative about their placement, their presence (if it all)  and order in the Mass have always been under the authority of the pastor and his discretion at any parish I’ve been at.

Chinze: I started taking my children to Mass at the age of 3. No way could I explain the Mass, as you have above, to them. My whole purpose was to get them used to going to Church on Sunday and as they got older I explained certain parts of it. You can bet they were antsy and bored but they learned to sit and kneel and stand and to keep quiet & try to listen (even though at the time it was Latin). Prayers before going to bed were simple and always ended up with “Good night sweet Jesus”. (from a hymn we sang at Novena). My whole point is that it doesn’t hurt to do something to make Mass pleasant for small children. I assure you when they got into Catholic school,(age 6) the nuns did their job, but even the nuns did not explain the Mass to these young children in a way that they would understand. In later years after my children were grown, I went to a First Communion when the children started to take the wine as well as the bread at Communion, you should see the horrible faces they made. How well did the nuns teach these 7-yrs old children? Personally, I think they should have been given grape juice and they could have done that because we had a visiting alcoholic priest say Mass and he told us he was using grape juice and why.  In other words, I respectfully disagree with you in that you cannot dictate how a person reacts to Jesus at Mass—you can teach them but everyone’s reaction & relationship with Jesus is different—it is not a rote thing. You can explain the whole Mass to people in your way, but each will accept it in their way. In the end, Jesus accepts each of us the way we are—He made us all different from one another, we are not robots.  As a priest told us “going to Mass is a habit, just like everything else in life”——also as to the wine “in the days of Jesus, they did not have wineries, they stored grape juice in caves and it ended up fermenting” [another quote from a priest.] Who knows—it’s what is in one’s heart that counts and only God knows that.  P.S. As I said in one other blog, I remember when Vat.II started the parish council and our Pastor was upset with it and told them, “okay start a P.C. but I am still the boss” and another time at a meeting where a parish council member told another pastor that “it is our church, not yours”. (their thinking was that the priest was there temporarily to say Mass & serve them—but that particular church belonged to them, to run)  I remember when our Altar “was turned around” in the eary 60’s.  As you can tell, I have lived in different places, large towns and small communities and they all have their problems.

Sue: I realize it’s been a few weeks since any new comments have been posted to this thread but I hope you’ll be able to read mine. I wanted to thank you for the opinions you’ve expressed here. Reading them has really made me feel better this morning. We’ve had a new pastor since July who was basically put in place at our parish because he could say the Latin Mass, and this Mass is now offered each Sunday at our church along with the English Mass. Our pastor says both of these Masses every Sunday. He has been posting his homilies to a blog website since the time he arrived to be with us, but I never really cared to go and read them beforehand as I wanted to receive it “fresh” on Sunday morning. However, it’s just been brought to my attention that Father is giving a different Homily at the English Mass than the one for the Latin Mass. The ones for the English Mass are decidedly more of the “everyman” variety while the one given at the Latin Mass is more scripture-oriented. I just assumed that Father was giving each congregation the same message and finding out that he is not is really making me feel funny. Does Father consider the English Mass goers somehow less willing to listen to his more serious sermon? Are the Latin Mass goers considered more “Catholic” than the rest of us? I don’t wish to be rude and ask Father outright about it but it has really been bearing on my mind. Anyway, I’ve strayed a bit here but I did want you to know that I appreciate the comments you’ve made here. I, too, prefer the vernacular Mass and have never considered that I was somehow less worthy than those going to the Latin Mass. I hope my pastor feels the same. Sincerely, Bernadette.

Bernadette: I guess I have a different view of God and Jesus, etc.  God gave us his son to teach us morals, behavior, etc. etc. & finally to be with Him in Heaven. Jesus had a sense of humor, Jesus loved the children, Jesus loved the sinner. It is all in the Bible.  We all know these things.  You teach religion to children in a child-like way.  They had a love for Jesus because I brought Him down to their understanding. EWTN does this. 
As to the folk group music. My son joined the folk group after his wife became a convert. One time at Mass I said to her, I wonder which person has that nice voice and she said “your son”.  I never knew he could sing. He would sing a duet with a girl who took operatic voice lessons in Germany. I once said to a friend of mine. Wasn’t Mass beautiful with all that beautiful music and her response was “but Mass is not a voice contest, or entertainment”.  Why can’t people see that if a person has a talent, voice or whatever, you use it and give it back to God. Talent is God-given.  Our folk group Masses were beautiful.  To me, Mass is one large prayer given up to God and we should make it beautiful with all the gifts He has given us. When I hear beautiful music during Communion, it is so much easier to meditate on the Lord, rather than being distracted by everyone going up to the Altar for Communion.  Well, everyone has their own ideas about things.  Bernadette, if you have a problem with the two different Sermons your pastor is giving, then I would ask him about it.  That is your right to know. I’m sure he would be glad to discuss it with you.  The best Homilies I have ever heard were from Pastors who gave them based on the Gospel of the day.
Here is a funny story: when my son was 10, we were attending a mission church that had 35 families. The Pastor, a Capuchin, came out of the Sacristy and beckoned to my son.  My first thought was “what did he do wrong”  The next thing I new, the bell rang, Father and two altar boys came out, one being my son and I thought “Oh my gosh, he does not know Latin—he never assisted at Mass!”  Later I asked him how he knew the responses because I heard him murmuring.  He told me he just said a lot of jibber-jabber.  After that he was taught to be an altar boy and learned the responses to the Latin Mass.

Dont’t ever consider yourself less worthy, because you like the vernacular. Remember Jesus spoke Arabaic, not Latin.  Many very young priests today have to learn the Latin.  [Also, when I lived in W.Va. I knew a family named Edens.]

Sue: Thank you very much for your response to me. I found out this morning why Father is giving two different Homilies and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the congregation. The Latin Mass has different readings than the English Mass. I had absolutely no idea. I knew that the Latin Mass incorporated some things that were not included in the other, but it never occurred to me that we were hearing different readings. For instance, our Gospel reading today was from Matthew, the Latin Mass goers heard a reading from John. I am so glad that I finally got up the courage to ask Father about this. I got all upset for nothing! :) Thank you again! Bernadette

Bernadette: That answer does not make sense to me. Why would the reading in the Latin Mass and the Vernacular Mass be different.  I e-mailed a friend, whose husband is a Deacon and perhaps I will get an answer there. Possibly Matthew Warner will read this and give us an answer. I also e-mailed him.

Sue: The way I understand it from my pastor, the Latin Mass has a three year cycle of readings and the vernacular/Novus Ordo has a two year cycle. I believe I have that correct, it’s possible I may have them reversed.

Sue: I forgot to add, at the Latin Mass, they also only have one reading before the Gospel, instead of two.

Well, Bernadette, as far as I am concerned, it does not make any difference.  I still like the vernacular best. I am not too big on fancy rituals and never have been.  But we all have our likes and dislikes. For the ones who like Latin, I am glad they have the Latin Mass.

One other thing—about ten yrs ago, when I lived in a very rural area and the small churches would have many Mexicans during the summer, our Pastor would read one paragraph in English and one in Spanish.  Very disconcerting.  Now, many parishes have Masses in Spanish (or Mexican).
My Spanish friend tells me there is a difference. ;o)