Should we forego reverence for popularity?
Although this story is already almost a week old, I cannot for the life of me understand how any priest in his right mind can offer a 15 Minute Mass with a clear conscience. Even when I say Mass on my day off and only my parents are present and there is no homily, no prayer of the faithful, the Mass is almost 30 minutes. Isn’t this the thing that the “reform” following Vatican II was all about doing away with. I also have to question how a Bishop would allow such a abuse of the Holy Mass. Don’t they have enough problems in Ireland without watering down the faith more in order to fill the church.
“An Irish cleric’s congregation has increased tenfold in a week — thanks to a quickie Mass.”
IT’S NOT ABOUT NUMBERS, it’s about quality and until we get that through our heads, there will never be a renew in the life of the Church. Yes, we want everyone to enter the life of grace and come to daily Mass, but it seems a 15 minute Mass is “sacrificing the Mass”, not the Sacrifice of the Mass.
“The popular priest started his 15-minute Mass as nothing more than an experiment at the start of Lent, just over a week ago. And he attributes the speed of the service to foregoing a sermon — and having the help of a Eucharistic minister for communion.”
I hope I’m never popular if I have to treat the Mass like a drive in restaurant!
Read the whole story here. “Church attendance soars with the 15 minute Mass“.
Well said, Father. Some things simply aren’t worth giving up. Maybe it’s possible to have a reverent Mass in 15 minutes, but I find it pretty hard to believe. I’ve seen it done in 20-25 minutes, but that’s getting really close to the line between “fast” and “rushed”.
How on Earth can he do a Mass 15 minutes? I tend to be on the fast side, and I usually take 25 minutes for daily Mass, and that without any music and a short 1-2 minute homily.