Go to another parish. I would not explain this to the children until they are of age and ready to make their own decisions. You really do not want them telling the world what you think of the music at mass at the parish. Silence is golden. Be shiny.

Your bishop knew the musical leanings of your pastor, the bishop assigned him to your parish and you are royally (or episcopally) screwed as a result. There is nothing that you can do or say that will have any effect except make you look bad to people who can and will pounce and gossip.

When people ask why you are going to Mass at the different church just say, "You know, I just feel more comfortable going to Mass there." and put your hands in the prayer position and look to the heavens. Avoid saying anything...it will all be used against you.

Whenever you have the chance, let the air out of your bishop's tires on his cadillac. Put a flyer under the windshield wiper stating that: There are not enough guitars and bongos at Mass and we are going to keep doing this until EVERY MASS has guitars and bongos.

Hmmm....he'll begin to hate guitars and bongos....THIS COULD WORK!

PS: Caution, if he's driving an old, used white Fiat, his boss might be visiting.

Agreed that you do not have to go to the parish where your children attend school. Maybe retain a connection to daily mass so the OF doesn't become foreign to them.

The tough thing is not letting kids get scandalized or worse, arrogant, that they attend a more reverent mass. I know this first hand. "Honey, people, good people, are confused right now. God has left us in charge of what's best for you, and we think this is it. We'll let you know more as you get older..." does go a certain way, at least it has for my kids.

Prayers for your situation. Your kids have one shot at a Catholic upbringing, and tough choices need to be made. You are the parents, and God will give you the grace to make good decisions.

How I wish I could convince some (not all!!) Boomers and fellow trendy liturgical travelers that young people do not want hipster music. Especially hipster music that hasn't been hip for a long time. Sigh. I feel your pain.

I was that Catholic school girl who repeatedly thought, "if Jesus is really on that altar, then why are we so casual about it?" I graduated 8th grade in 1987. No more than a handful of my 38 classmates retain a Catholic identity. To be honest, we weren't given much of one to begin with. I hope your children are getting better than what we had.

Sorry for the length, and sorry if I sound too down on this. Just hits a sad nerve for me.

Been there, too, KARU! Sometimes you have to vote with your feet and walk away from a situation which you believe will be harmful to your children. We had to do the same thing at our local parish, and it was very painful.

I think women more than men tend to put down deep roots in a parish or a school because they have an instinct to make their environments as home-like as possible, so it's difficult to leave when things change and/or otherwise become intolerable for one reason or another and there's nothing you can reasonably do to improve things.

The upside is, at least with us, that we ended up at the Latin Mass in another diocese and became involved with the music. Now our kids get to sing Gregorian chant and polyphony every Sunday, and we have made many dear friends besides. The transplanting process wasn't easy, but eventually we've all blossomed.

I've seen the same transformation with my children, jpal. They took to the traditional Latin Mass like ducks to water, and for that I'm very thankful. Besides the tremendous spiritual benefits, it is a school of culture and aesthetics. The graciousness and courtesy of the rite, the other-worldly music, the silence and the reverence are all essential lessons for anyone attending it. The Roman rite, is after all, the defining force that created Catholic Europe.

Yes, and that cuts bothe ways:

If you don't like that "your" parish is introducing chant, polyphony, etc., than there are MANY other parishes with guitars, &c. to chose from.

Adam is spot on.

More than anything, you should voice your views (charitably, though firmly) to the priest and/or DM. The bongoists, when removed from other parishes, do not leave without complaining with gnashing teeth causing bleeding of ears.

Whatever your decision ... to attend another mass, to attend another parish, to stay at your current parish, to join the choir, to sit in the pews and pray that the bongos catch fire ... at least let your opinion be heard by the higher-ups. There is nothing more effective you can do.

We have a new parish priest (ordained in 1971). He has been in our parish for 6 weeks. 2 weeks ago, we added in the strummy acoustic guitars. Then, last Sunday, the bongos and electric guitar made their appearance

Here, there and everywhere in litboards we've all joked about the ubiquitous "Liturgy Police." With this new report it strikes a particularly sour chord within me because these clerical princes of my generation have steadfastly refused to admit their privatization, misappropriation and autocracies by the rationale (not virtue) of alter Christus enables them to inflict indignity upon indignity upon the rites. Whether by shiny happy talk show host-like demeanors, grandiose pomposity, or "Jesus is our best friend, and so am I," they hold the faithful hostage by enabling their dependency upon authority to tell them "it's gonna all turn out allright." Enough.
I can, thankfully say that this situation does not involve priests of that age in our parishes, and our senior retired priest is an amazing liturgist!
But, when I hear these stories as by KARU, I wish for the formation of a Liturgy Posse Comitatus (sp?) formed by geezers like me, Noel, Chuck, CharlesW who would be a mobile circuit court with the no-nonsense attitude of Judge Judy, the been-there-done-that demeanor of Teddy Roosevelt, the wisdom of Sheen/Rutler/Barron combined, and the clout of Vlad Putin. Oh, and did I mention the resolve of Vito Corleone?
It isn't about the bongos and guitars, never has been. It's about the lethal combination of the omnipresent and co-dependent clericalism and the insidious effects of license disguised as liberation that has created a "Wonderland" of self-indulgency and what I hope HHF meant as a the self-satisfaction of triumphalism that has nothing to do with the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ (on the Cross.)
I wish I could transport this SWAT team into the dens of such clerics like Star Trek's Scotty, and just inform these men to cut the crap, the nonsense and wise up NOW. They don't know the smell of the sheep, only that of petulie oil and country club greens. They know how to mess things up, but not in the way Francis means. They know what the Black and the Red is, but they don't care! And I wonder if they sing themselves to sleep with "You've got a friend" rather than "Salve Regina" at bedtime.
That's my biological solution. Redeem these men from their errors.
End of rant.

Oh, and did I mention the resolve of Vito Corleone?

I can just imagine priests waking up to find the heads of their bongo drums have been ripped off and placed beside them in bed.

I think it becomes a tougher situation when children are involved... While in a perfect world we could all stay at our geographic parishes and help to make things better, when you are entrusted with the responsibility of raising children, I think the salvation of their souls and teaching them (through experience) about "good" liturgy becomes more important than trying to make changes in a place that is not interested.

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words: going forth out of that house or city shake off the dust from your feet. Matt 10, 14

thanks for bringing this back. The most recent meeting of bishops tasked with mapping church issues most needing urgent attention listed liturgy as #4 of 4.

I miss Melofluent, May he rest in peace.

I put up with the bongo drums and cleared out lots of spiritual clutter and pride

Ralph.... share with us your expertise... how?