Educating The Faithful About the Mass

TeresaH

Has anyone successfully educated the PIP's about what the Mass really is and then moved the parish into sacred and Liturgical music? I'm not good at reinventing wheels so if you have specifics on what you did such as bulletin inserts and teaching homilies or whatever, I would be grateful to hear all about it.

We now have a major rift in the parish among the musicians which has spread to other parishioners. Our church was recently renovated and we lost one of our English Sunday Masses so now everyone is together and not many are happy. Musicians take turns and it ranges from show-choir to Propers and sacred music with some guitarists in between. We have a small group of parishioners who can't stand the "anything goes" mentality of the show-choir stuff or the fact that the newer musicians have no guidance and sang Were You There on Easter morning. The group formed after First Communion when one of the mothers was furious that the music had nothing to do with Communion and became a performance of random semi-religious songs. The group is planning a get-together with a number of the musicians to talk about improvements and guidance and they want a music director reinstated. Those not involved with the "show-choir" are truly wanting to do the right thing, but are new to the faith themselves and want guidance.

I really think that the first thing to do is to educate the faithful about what is actually happening on the altar during Mass. Once they get the idea that Mass isn't about us we can better move to improved music and the Propers all around.

Our priest chants almost all of his parts and is young and solidly formed on everything but music, and is not a strong leader. This has all come about in the 4 years he has been here. He let the music coordinator go a couple of years ago, saying he would direct the music and things really went wild.
He is being reassigned and we will have a new one in July who is said to be a "low Mass" kind of priest. He's walking into a mess as it stands now.

Adam Wood

The priest fired the musician and then said he would direct it himself? From where?
This is very strange.

You can't educate the faithful. Unless it is lead by the priest, there is nothing you can do to change the liturgical or musical culture. Your best bet is to sit tight, pray, and try to talk to the new guy when he gets there.

But don't jump all over him. He will have a lot to deal with as it is.

francis

Here's a small book I put together to help people understand the basics.

http://www.romancatholicsacredmusic.com/wswbsnB2.pdf

melofluent

This is a column I write for the parish newspaper.

http://musicgiftofgod.blogspot.com/2014/05/dear-charlie-sacred-music-advice-column.html

TeresaH

I have seen comments from those who have successfully worked with their priests to educate. I was just hoping one of them would give details.

Francis, the booklet will be a good starting point for the musicians. We can refer them to Melofluent's column, also.

Adam, I didn't mean that the priest planned to direct singing,rather to coordinate and direct the music and musicians. It didn't work out too well.

Adam Wood

Adam, I didn't mean that the priest planned to direct singing,rather to coordinate and direct the music and musicians. It didn't work out too well.

Of course it didn't.

G

If the pastor would allow, you might start with bulletin articles, first making the PIPs aware of the existence of the GIRM and the authority it has, (most of them are probably not,) and then going on to what it says about music.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

donr

Every time I start something new I always do a training before Mass.
When I started the Propers I told the congregation what they were and why we should sing them.
When I introduce a new Chant in Latin, I always tell the PIPs what the translation is whether they will be singing it or not.
At the start of OT I am introducing "Mass of the Angels" by Richard Clark. Every Sunday before Mass I have been singing parts of it to get the PIPs familiar with it. By the time we start singing it they will be familiar with it.

As far as the differing musical styles goes, our church has 1 Sat, and 5 Sun Masses.
4:00pm Sat - Folkyish (4 hymn sandwich)
8:00am Traditional (Propers, some polyphony)
9:30am 80's style Contemporary (4 hymn sandwich)
11:00am Folkyish (4 hymn sandwich)
12:30am Spanish (4 hymn sandwich)
5:00pm Teen Mass (Contemporary - Happy Clappy) (4 hymn sandwich)

I am starting Chant Classes this year over the summer and a Note Reading and Sight Singing Class for beginners.

I am slowly working on the other Choir Leaders to teach them about the proper music at church and am starting to make headway.

Whatever you do, go slow. There is no reason to rush, you are looking to change hearts and minds so be kind. Make sure your new pastor is on board, it will be a big help.

Chris Garton-Zavesky

TeresaH,

If you know who the new pastor is, you might approach the question this way:

You: "Father, there is much division in the parish, and I would like to help lessen it, or at least make it not get any worse."

Father: " Tell me more!"

You: "We've had a parish divided by other things, but this has led to a camp divided at Mass. If you would take the bull by the horns, and educate about the Mass, both in words and deeds at Mass, I can pull together music which will support that."

Father: (to himself): "Here's a choir director who wants to increase the unity of the parish, and already knows what divisions there are. She wants to make my life easier."
(to you): "Thank you. I'm planning to meet with the parish staff when the appointment is official. What sort of education did you have in mind?"

You: "I figured that you would preach on the God-centered nature of the Mass, and I would choose music for Communion which was intentionally not about the worshippers.

......

Just a few thoughts.

God bless,

Chris

Adam Wood

If you think that that is how that dialogue would play out, you have not spent enough time in parish offices.

A more likely scenario would be...

You: "Father, there is much division in the parish, and I would like to help lessen it, or at least make it not get any worse."

Father, to himself: "UH OH! This woman sounds like a gossip. I better not believe anything she says!"

Father, to you: "That is very interesting. What do you mean?"

You: [Insert rambly and mildly incoherent story about a bunch of crazy stuff that has happened, because reality is so bizarre that even the most coherent and concise thinker will sound like a lunatic while describing it.]

Father, to himself: What has the Bishop gotten me into?!

Father, to you: Thank you so much. I'll certainly take these things into consideration.

You: Thank you so much! Good bye!

Father, to himself: Goodness gracious! And I bet that crazy woman is going to volunteer for every dang committee, too.
------------------

kenstb

Funny, but true..

Chris Garton-Zavesky

Adam,

You're quite correct about describing stuff as "so bizarre that even the most coherent and concise thinker will sound like a lunatic", but that's exactly why I suggest not describing it anecdotally. The point is not what causes the division, but that TeresaH will serve father's attempts to right the ship.

Cheers,

Chris

G

Hey, Adam, project much? ;o)

(I also have a tendency to ramble with mild incoherence, but I'm told it's part of my charm...:oP)

Save the Liturgy, Save the World!

vogelkw

I have a resource you may find useful for teaching about the Mass.

The year between being ordained a transitional deacon and ordained a priest, I sent out to friends and family a series of catechetical "audiences" on the Mass. (I sent them out every Wednesday in imitation of the General Audiences of the Holy Father.) The purpose was to help them understand what the Mass and ordination rites were all about and so be able to participate better when coming to the ordination. My friends and family includes both Catholics and non-Catholics, so the audiences begin with the basics of the faith. I collected the audiences in a book (either in color or black and white).

I also recently started recording these audiences and uploading them as videos. So far I only have uploaded about the first half. (Much of the Mass, then, has not yet been uploaded, for example there are nine audiences covering the Roman Canon. I hope to continue to work on these over the summer.) Each audience is fairly short, to foster people actually reading them (or watching them). Here is the link to the playlist and a summary of what can be found in them:

Sacrifice of the Mass Playlist

Audiences 1-17: Background of the Faith
Audiences 18-30: Liturgy of the Word
Audiences 31-34: Ordination Rites
Audiences 35-51: Liturgy of the Eucharist
Audiences 53-54: Conclusion

I wrote these over the course of several years in the seminary, but before I had learned much about the sacred music tradition of the Church. If I were to write them again now, I would definitely incorporate more about sacred music than you will find in them. But the theological foundations of the nature of the sacrifice of the Mass - upon which the Church's teachings on sacred music are based - is definitely there.

You are welcome to use these audiences as a catechetical resource.
God bless,
Fr. Vogel

PaixGioiaAmor

Two of the biggest obstacles that we've had:

1. The people who will avail themselves of any education on liturgy offered are already the people "into" liturgy, and are probably already "on board" with what we're doing. Those who really need to hear it won't come/otherwise avail themselves of the education offered.

2. Some of the people opposed to what we do and who are most passionate about it don't WANT to be "educated," i.e. told why they are wrong. I've had people say to me "They don't want to hear your explanation. They don't care. They just want the music that they love back in the mass." Granted, I wasn't told that in my current parish but a past one. But I've heard it a few times over the years.

I'm not sure how to overcome either of those, but they are the main reasons that we have not proceeded with any major liturgical education initiatives.

G

The people who will avail themselves of any education on liturgy offered are already the people "into" liturgy, and are probably already "on board" with what we're doing.

I disagree emphatically.
Most people involved in liturgy are not "on board" because they don't yet know any better.
Many people, in my experience, want very much to do what is right, but they unfortunately assume what they have observed, or heard at a workshop/conference/whatever is correct.
If you kindly show someone who genuinely cares enough about orthopraxis to serve on the parish liturgy committee where the GIRM or Sac. Con. contradictsthe "knowledge" that he received in a handout from the diocesan OofW, there is a very good chance that he will learn and that he will be grateful.
Within the past decade I have had people, good people, who cared, tell me that "the Church says" we can't sing Marian songs at Mass, we're not allowed to do Latin since Vatican II, only the congregation can sing at communion.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

donr

I agree 'G',
I have always felt that it is ignorance of what the church actually teaches that cause all of the issues we have today.

All we can do is teach the truth, if those seeds land on rocky ground and don't take root, we simply move on and till the seeds in the good soil and bring in a good harvest where we can.

PaixGioiaAmor

Sorry. I spoke too generally.

I should have noted that we are not a typical parish and when I said "into liturgy" I was unintentionally using a bit of code. The people we have who are very liturgy centric tend to be home school families, those who love the EF, etc.

So what I said is true in our situation but I agree won't be in many (most) others.

Gavin

"The people who will avail themselves of any education on liturgy offered are already the people "into" liturgy, and are probably already "on board" with what we're doing. Those who really need to hear it won't come/otherwise avail themselves of the education offered."

That is very true. But what this does accomplish is energizing those people who already like what you're doing.

Welcome to the MusicaSacra Forum!

Categories