My experiences:

Lutheran: very brief announcements between prelude and procession. 15 seconds or less, and only if something vital to the whole parish had occurred after the printing of the bulletin, which had every single announcement in it and proofread religiously. Things on the order of “there is no Sunday school today because the heat in those rooms is out of order”, or “Wednesday events are cancelled because the city needs to dig up a water main”. Nothing at any other point – it was all clearly printed.

Episcopal 1: All at very beginning of homily. I didn’t like this – we had just heard the Word, and then suddenly changed gears to talk about when the AA would meet, and then back again to try to remember what the texts were as he started in preaching.

Episcopal 2: (The Book of Common Prayer orders the middle of the liturgy as follows: Creed, Universal Prayer, Confession of Sin, Sign Peace, then on to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.) This church puts the announcements after the Peace, when everyone’s already looking around and distracted.

Catholic 1: Cantor reads an entire newscast worth of announcements, and then “and now…..…..let us greet our celebrant Fr X with today’s opening hymn, “You are Plenty Eagles Gathered, #666” or whatever. Good money for a college student. Not a fan.

Catholic 2: Prelude, lector says only “Good morning, and welcome to St N. on the Yth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The celebrant is Fr. X. Today’s readings are on p. 1 of the missalette. As we begin, please join in singing hymn #….. ” Only variation was if there was no hymn and the entrance antiphon was read or sung. This was in the process of being phased out when I had to leave. Announcements were read by the lector after the Prayer after Communion but but before the blessing and dismissal.

I think this last one was best, without the initial spiel.

– I don’t like “Good morning…Welcome….”; to me it always feels as if the speaker is saying “This is my house, not God’s, and I will deign to welcome all you outsiders”. I feel more welcomed and more at home when the very first words are the name of the God who made me, who baptized me with that name, whose house and Mass it is I wanted to come to in the first place.

– We trust people driving to Mass to read the street names and stop signs, and even to notice the name on the church and end up in the right place. I don’t think when they walk in they suddenly become illiterate, and truly are incapable of comprehending a hymn board or a leaflet or both that tell them to go to page X. If they really can’t read those things, then why even bother directing them to a printed page?

– I come to Mass to hear from, be with, and worship God. Every word in the liturgy is carefully chosen and put in a specific order to make a whole that will teach me what I must do to serve God. When this structure is interrupted, or when my weak mind is distracted by other concerns (bingo! pasta dinner!), I struggle to get back on track with what the liturgy and homily and music are communicating.

Father signals for the music to start and it starts. No announcements or other shenanigans.

Announcements policies are all over the place. A former pastor of 38 years came out every Sunday before vesting and read announcements. Then a few minutes pause and the mass began. The next pastor essentially didn't do announcements unless it was something eventful. Later, another pastor did them at the end after the dismissal.

we have them in the middle of Mass, just prior to the homily, conducted by the priest... and there is usually only parish gathering information... no sales pitches.

For the love of Pete, keep them brief!

that is why our priests handle them alone... short, sweet and only info that must and should be shared...

The dignity of the ambo requires that only a minister of the word should stand at it.

This dignity doesn't depend on architectural value, or, I would guess, the fact that absolutely anyone can serve as a "minister of the word" now?

I agree with Fr. Krisman, but I will add that I, personally, feel that it is equally bad to have the announcements read from the place where prayers are said, such as the sedilia, or, heaven forbid, the altar itself.

I'd vote for putting announcements on the bulletin board. Tonight we had: pre-Mass explanation of today's Mass, introduction of priest/welcome, priest's commentary (after sign of the Cross, before Kyrie); break before the offertory to bless some couples; then before the final blessing - long reflection on the homily and blessing of the priest from a layman; further announcements and a Hail Mary for vocations. Not my usualSunday parish but I was away until evening. I do love this priest, though, despite his tolerance of too much talking.

Catherine,

I'm glad that's not my parish!