"Fast Mass" gains popularity in Co Galway parish.

Run_to_da_hills

We have all heard "fast food", the attraction to be served quickly in a restaurant so that people can promptly get on with their business.

Some Priest in Co Galway has thought of a novel idea of an "express service" mass by cutting out the Homely and other unnecessary chat thus bring the average time of a service down to just 15 minutes.

He has succeeded in a dramatic increase of attendance. Will this take off in other parishes or would the hierarchy approve of this? It would be interesting to see if this will take off in other parishes.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/church-attendance-soars-with-the-15-minute-mass-14697191.html

Zombrex

Isn't the whole point of mass penance through boredom? :P

Run_to_da_hills

Wicknight wrote: »

Isn't the whole point of mass penance through boredom? :P

I would think the same, apart from the Gospels and readings the rest is just repetitious week after week.

kelly1

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I would think the same, apart from the Gospels and readings the rest is just repetitious week after week.

Oh yes, the dreaded "vain repetition". :rolleyes:

Tbh I think it's nice they're trying to accommodate people wanting to attend a service every lenten morning before work (I didn't know that was even done)

seems to uplift them for the day also according to the report

baalthor

I thought non-Sunday masses rarely had homilies anyway?

Fr Brian Darcy reported the opposite - people coming to the weekday masses now expect a sermon so he has to give one ...

But Father Ted Crilly still holds the record for the shortest mass

Timistry

Woop go fast mass!

Stephentlig

Can. 767: §2. A homily must be given at all Masses on Sundays and holy days of obligation which are celebrated with a congregation, and it cannot be omitted except for a grave cause.

§3. It is strongly recommended that if there is a sufficient congregation, a homily is to be given even at Masses celebrated during the week, especially during the time of Advent and Lent or on the occasion of some feast day or a sorrowful event.

§4. It is for the pastor or rector of a church to take care that these prescripts are observed conscientiously.

the express mass is nothing new, he is not in disobedience but it is strongly reccommended by canon law that he give a homily as you will already of read above.I disagree with the express mass, and the reason its got a large attendance already shows that its a bad idea, lazy cafeteria Catholics who tend to keep one foot in and out of the church are the only ones who'd attend such a service.

I don't see the problem with spending a good half hour in Church with at least some sort of decent homily been given.thats my current view of it, no doubt will probably be challenged but there ya go!Pax Christi,Stephen

Hagar

"Could you not watch one hour with me?" - Matthew 24:40

No Lord, 15 minutes will have to do you or I won't come at all. K?

MrPudding

Mass, like most things in society, has to evolve with the times.

MrP

Stephentlig

MrPudding wrote: »

Mass, like most things in society, has to evolve with the times.

MrP

But it is not a progression that is beneficial to the Lords faithful, and is not something that seeks to put God first, but seeks to teach the people that its ok to be a lazy Catholic and put themselves first before God. It is regression thus is a result of original sin, were one chooses oneself and his/her own perogatives over and above God.

MrPudding

Stephentlig wrote: »

But it is not a progression that is beneficial to the Lords faithful, and is not something that seeks to put God first, but seeks to teach the people that its ok to be a lazy Catholic and put themselves first before God. It is regression thus is a result of original sin, were one chooses oneself and his/her own perogatives over and above God.

Your church is going to have to do what it always has done, adapt to survive. You may want it to stay the same and you may want it to put your god first, but that will be the death of it.

I think it is fairly likely that a large portion of the people attending mass don’t have the faith or belief that you do. They won’t see a problem with the mass adapting to be more accessible or more “in tune” with modern life.

Granted, these are probably not proper catholics in your eyes, they believe in contraception, probably have sex before marriage and daily break a multitude of the rules for being a catholic, but your church needs them. If the congregation consisted only of believers of your calibre it would have dies a long time ago.

MrP

Stephentlig

Your church is going to have to do what it always has done, adapt to survive. You may want it to stay the same and you may want it to put your god first, but that will be the death of it.

This thus ends our correspondence.

antiskeptic

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Some Priest in Co Galway has thought of a novel idea of an "express service" mass by cutting out the Homely and other unnecessary chat thus bring the average time of a service down to just 15 minutes.

Cutting out the homily! Whatever will they think of next! Whilst I suspect I'd have a problem listening to the average Catholic homily (based as it could be expected to be, on Catholic doctrine) the homily is the best part of the service I find.

He has succeeded in a dramatic increase of attendance. Will this take off in other parishes or would the hierarchy approve of this? It would be interesting to see if this will take off in other parishes.

Hmmm. Special offers usually do result in increased uptake. If not particularity interested in your faith but still supposing your chances of heaven are increased by mass-going, then this can't be seen as anything but a bargain.

Tragic..

mehfesto

It's only for weekday mass, I hear, but just one question.
Hasn't mass in Ireland changed over the years? I remember being told about mass entirely in Latin, or how you had to pay for sears nearertge front. When these policies were changed I'm imagining Church became more accessible to the broader public. Maybe there should be a quickie Sunday mass.

I'm not saying mass should cater to the less serious, but I don't think it should notoffer them anything either. My best friend is a Doctor, beginning his internship this year and a practicing catholic. He will work the infamous long hours and is genuinely worried about not being able to attend mass weekly. I'm sure if he found solace and hope in a 'quickie' mass then it is better than nothing, no?

Is it any more problematic than mass on the radio?

Hagar

Hagar wrote: »

"Could you not watch one hour with me?" - Matthew 24:40

No Lord, 15 minutes will have to do you or I won't come at all. K?

15 mins every single morning is hardly that bad? Beats the once a week?

Soul Winner

bluewolf wrote: »

15 mins every single morning is hardly that bad? Beats the once a week?

Being a Christian is supposed to be living in a loving and trusting relationship with Jesus every hour of every day. If your not living with an awareness of that invisible audience then your not a Christian and it wouldn't matter how many times a week you do God such a great favor as to throw Him a courtesy wave by attending a service in any church not just the RCC unless your heart is there also. Paul said we don't have to ascend on high to bring Him down or to descend into the depths to bring Him up, the word is already nigh us, it's in our mouths, we just need to speak it forth, for with the heart man believes and with the mouth proclamation is made unto salvation. You get the impression that church attendance these days is just something to get God out of your hair for a week. Like you're doing Him some sort of favor. If that's your attitude then you're just wasting your time doing it.

chozometroid

Soul Winner wrote: »

Being a Christian is supposed to be living in a loving and trusting relationship with Jesus every hour of every day. If your not living with an awareness of that invisible audience then your not a Christian and it wouldn't matter how many times a week you do God such a great favor as to throw Him a courtesy wave by attending a service in any church not just the RCC unless your heart is there also. Paul said we don't have to ascend on high to bring Him down or to descend into the depths to bring Him up, the word is already nigh us, it's in our mouths, we just need to speak it forth, for with the heart man believes and with the mouth proclamation is made unto salvation. You get the impression that church attendance these days is just something to get God out of your hair for a week. Like you're doing Him some sort of favor. If that's your attitude then you're just wasting your time doing it.

Amen, brother.

Stephentlig

It's only for weekday mass, I hear, but just one question.
Hasn't mass in Ireland changed over the years? I remember being told about mass entirely in Latin, or how you had to pay for sears nearertge front. When these policies were changed I'm imagining Church became more accessible to the broader public. Maybe there should be a quickie Sunday mass.

Mass has not changed, its always gonna be the mass, it changed from Latin to english to be a step forward not a step backward, different liturgical differences here and there, but its always gonna be the mass. I know there are many debates over Vatican II and I'm not gonna satisfy any insatiable desire to have one here thats for sure, gonna stick to the issue at hand.

I'm not saying mass should cater to the less serious, but I don't think it should notoffer them anything either. My best friend is a Doctor, beginning his internship this year and a practicing catholic. He will work the infamous long hours and is genuinely worried about not being able to attend mass weekly. I'm sure if he found solace and hope in a 'quickie' mass then it is better than nothing, no?

Of course, we should be even thankful we have a mass, but its important we recieve spiritual direction and instruction after we here the word of God, and the word of God is ( as one of the early church fathers described it) food for the soul, and we do God a great disrespect by ignoring it and not discussing its importance and just moving on.

I see doctors at mass all the time, I know some in the town where I live, its easy to make time for the Lord on the weekends, if we can sit in front of the tele for an hour, eat a kebab for half, drink a few pints down the local, surely we can get to mass even for half an hour? I can understand a quicky mass in situations in where people are standing on war ground in such countrys as afghanistan where who knows whats gonna happen in 2 minutes, but if your doctor cant go and he has lives to save and is caught in a sticky situation ( catch 22 ), then something should be set up for him at the hospital, that point taken. but quicky masses for the public at the church should never be advocated.

Is it any more problematic than mass on the radio?

mass on the radio is something we listen to for grave reasons as to why we cannot get to mass, but those of us who can attend must attend if we dont its a mortal sin, the Eucharist is the highest prayer in the Church, and so many of us dont realise that. we have so much lost disrespect for the eucharist these days that a boy approached a priest at mass and the priest said ''Body of Christ'' and the young fella said ''what about ye?''

thats the attitude we have these days towards the mass, and its people like this young fella who flock to these quicky masses and would be glad of one, the Gospel is a tought pill for us all to swallow, and those of us who have the courage to swallow it reap the reward in time to come.

Stephentlig

bluewolf wrote: »

15 mins every single morning is hardly that bad? Beats the once a week?

15 minutes of personal prayer is different from attending mass.

In Catholicism Mass is the highest form of prayer we got and the strongest.

When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist and the priest holds our Lord in front of you, you are as close to him as Simon was who unwillingly carried his cross for him, and many of us sadly have become like simon, we wanna watch from the crowd but we dont wanna get too close and complain when we have to, just like he did.

Pax Christi,
Stephen