Unlike our adversary, the Devil, I'm taking a couple of Sundays off but that doesn't mean you don't go to Mass, far from it. So I roused the slumbering team, ironed a shirt and headed out to the local RC church in Dallas. Why there? Because it was around the corner and I wanted to check it out.
St. Cecilia's was set-up as a Swedish congregation back in the day and was an interesting church, with an attractively painted Sanctuary and Stations of the Cross. I know this because I went to Mass there years ago and was surprised at the European aspect of the place. Then it burned down and they built a new church, modern basilica style, sort of thing.
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| As it Was |
It's an airy space, all tones of white with beige brick and an arresting brass tabernacle up against the east wall behind the small freestanding altar. But what was the Mass like? Just what you'd expect. A high-pitched woman cantorite banged away on an amplified piano and led the congregation in song. Not that anyone sang, because the setting was unsingable. You know the tune, you hear it burbling away in the background at retreat center bookshops.
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| Wrecking Crew |
The liturgy was standard too. The Priest sat off to the side of the tabernacle in an outsize chair, or "throne," accompanied by an elderly Deacon and a youth in a cassock alb who held the Missal for the Celebrant. He moved to the altar at the Offertory and took it from there. All well and good and, like the music, exactly what you'd expect. Reverent enough, no clowns, no dancing, but not really liturgical either. Move from the Chair to the Altar, and there you have the stunning simplicity of liturgical reform. Well done, experts of the 1970s, for doing your part to destroy over a thousand years of worshiping tradition.
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| A Catholic Mass |
Still, I shouldn't complain, the Mass was said, the church was full, the people were faithful and the team left St. Cecilia's edified and uplifted by Word and Sacrament at this onetime outpost of Sweden in Dallas.
God bless,
LSP
So sad. At least they weren't singing any Bob Dylan tunes. No homilies by lay women either (I have experienced both).
ReplyDeleteThat's why I only go to the extraordinary form now (thank you Pope Benedict!)
The liturgists really excelled themselves.
DeleteWhat genius. I'd have gone x form if it was there...
No "Stairway to Heaven?" Or dancing lesbians in clown outfits? Well, it's a step in the right direction then.
ReplyDeleteI know, no clowns. What's wrong with these people?
DeleteI only attend an extraordinary form Mass (FSSP) If the choice is between a novus ordo or no Mass, sad to say, no Mass wins. The old church is very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt was attractive and the new one's ok, but not a lot of mystery or beauty. Incense would help; when did US catholics get rid of that?
DeleteI've actually had this conversation with you sister, but modern Catholic churches are the worst. Half the experience of going to mass is being able to sit in a glorious space that truly is the house of God. If I wanted to go to church and not be subjected to beautiful art and architecture that inspires me about the Power, Majesty, and Glory of God I'd become a protestant.
ReplyDeleteThey think, in their obstinate error, that removing all aspects of transcendence from worship will draw people closer to transcendence. And yet again the libs produce the opposite of their intended result.
DeleteOr do they? Perhaps they never really believed in the first place.
Perhaps they never really believed in the first place.
ReplyDeleteBingo, give that man a cigar
Now those of us who care are trying to claw back what we can, at least the churches in our are were not too badly destroyed, save one that would cost a fortune to restore.
actually took the pipe organ and shoved it in the sanctuary, burned all the altars, all the statues are gone, the stations look as if they took a saw and cut them through so you see heads, hands and part of a cross stuck to the plaster. organist console is 4 feet from the altar, in the center of the "cross" if you will. the Tabernacle is in a chunk of stone with rock benches around it, all in a high Gothic building. Like a miniskirt on a grannie, it just DON'T work, GACK
It seems that the progleft were able to trash catholic worship and aesthetics, even if they weren't able to make significant inroads into doctrine -- in Anglicanism the situation was reversed. Doctrine was trashed and people worshipped pretty much as they always had, or wanted to. But what's the use of a Solemn High when there's no substance behind it?
DeleteAnd once again the ugly head of Vatican II rears its head.
ReplyDeleteWe really need to get with the times, I know let's replace our old church with more modern version. That way people will think we're cool and come back.....oh wait...attendance is still dropping? Quick get a guy with a guitar on the altar...maybe some women too. See! We're with it. We can adapt and ignore 2000 yrs of tradition with the best of them.
My local parish church is a 1960s monstrosity that I can't stand. What's utterly galling is that the original church is still right next door and they use it for the Spanish/Filipino masses. Might be worth learning spanish just for that.
They certainly chose the best, ahem, of times to, cough, renew the liturgical space...
Deletethat church looks more Protestant than Catholic. I'm a new convert to RC, and I find the Extraordinary Form is more worshipful than the new Novus Ordo that is everywhere. I thank God there are several churches offering EF within driving distance. I came into the church in the new form, and I like the local priest, but the service leaves much to be desired. And the music in the new form is abysmal, usually. I think you are right. The new RC people may not believe the Mystery anymore.
ReplyDeletebreadandbullets
I like the EF too, though it can be a bit slavish -- is it really that important to sing the Epistle and Gospel in Latin? Maybe, but the Ordinariate Mass seems to make sense in English speaking countries. Perhaps it could become something of a model. Unlikely, but still...
DeleteI was going to say Padre, I remember when I was young (early 70s) they painted (light olive green) over all the murals at our local RC church, which was very depressing since they were fabulous religious paintings, and introduced the guitar playing, singing nuns. Seemed to lose something after that really. That white building is surely a Presbyterian church?
ReplyDeleteI hate the modern architecture, but not all RC churches go that way, and the Novus Ordo need not be vacuous. Ours has lots of lofty transcendence and a big gold tabernacle and incense galore. Drop by if you're ever in Denver! You'll be fed! Literally and figuratively.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ourladyofloreto.org/about_OLOL.html
NO can be good, no doubt about it and I'm not really a liturgical snob, appearances notwithstanding!
DeleteWill check out the church if I'm in Denver.
Well Parson If your ever going to go through Ohio, give me nod, lots of beautiful old churches and a relic shrine, (second largest collection in the states) over here. Love to meet ya. also some good craft breweries too
ReplyDeleteWe have a beautiful old RC church, i still miss Father Dillon, but his homilies were too good & beautiful for a small town, so they moved him to a small weal$hy area. That was 20 years ago, and I have just about forgiven the diocese for that one.
ReplyDeleteBlessed be, Padre.