St. Mary Parish Listening Sessions
November 2021

Worship

• Prayerful Environment: Believing that Jesus Christ is present among us in a unique way in the Eucharist and wanting to acknowledge that presence with reverence and respect, there is a desire to deepen the prayerful environment in the church of St. Mary. (11)
• Music: Liturgical music is recognized as a meaningful and essential way to encourage participation and to offer praise and worship to our loving God. (11)
• Traditions: Various devotions as well as signs and symbols of praise and adoration are a cherished part of our Catholic heritage and expression of faith. (30)

The Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy is held in highest esteem in the Catholic way of life, so all its characteristics and elements are also treasured at heart and treated with reverence. Through the liturgy, we come to know who we really are because it is there where we meet Jesus and know him to be the fullness of humanity. In a recent document, written by the Conference of Catholic Bishops in the United States, we are reminded: 

We have been reborn in Baptism and nourished by the Eucharist so that we may live in communion with God and one another, not only today but also in the fullness of the heavenly Kingdom. To worship God on Sundays, then, is not the mere observance of a rule but the fulfillment of our identity, of who we are as members of the Body of Christ. Participation in the Mass is an act of love (The Mystery of the Eucharist In the Life of the Church, USCCB, 2021).

It is out of that very love that those who attended the November Listening Sessions expressed their perspective for the best possible celebration of this august sacrament. As noted above, attention to a prayerful environment, the importance of liturgical music, and interest in various traditions and devotional activities were raised as areas of consideration for future parish planning.

Listed below are the various comments from the Listening Sessions on “worship.” Some comments will be repeated and appear under multiple themes.

• Would like more reverence during Mass. Parishioners need to arrive on time and stay for the whole mass.
• Would like to hear the Roman Canon
• Bring back Saturday Morning Mass and adoration. 24 hr adoration. Incense. Bells. 
• Ensure proper mass times during holy days
• First Friday and Saturday
• Go back to having “first Saturday” Mass in the morning
• 1st Saturday devotionals – Mass, confession and rosary
• Mass times – convenient to parishioners?
• More reverence at Mass
• Male lectors, male altar servers
• Outdoor mass, weather permitting
• Saturday morning Mass, please!
• Specific Mass for the suffering from cancer/other illness
• To have more traditional Mass
• Traditional Latin Mass would be really cool; maybe we could have it once a month
• Traditional Latin Mass, please!
• We used to kneel following the Lord’s Prayer until the end of communion. That was changed by just our diocese. Maybe we can change back.
• It is so nice to be able to come into the church at almost any time of day, to know you can come before the Lord
• More reverence in church
• Choose hymns easier to sing
• Dress appropriately
• Communion – using communion rail
• Confession times are not convenient
• Prayerful env.  To have a chapel built
• Better, lively, commonly known songs at Mass
• Music has been good, historically
• Music ministry has always been important
• Music Ministry is very good
• Music program quality has declined due to loss of talented musicians. Need to rebuild. Invest in music – medical benefits to attract talent?
• Regarding music practice being held before mass starts – it’s hard to meditate on prayer before mass – need to have practice elsewhere
• Scola chapel music! And chapel choir
• Would like better music. Likes the traditions of the faith.
• We need a full-time salaried Music Director
• More participation in joining in the hymns
• Remain standing until tabernacle closed
• Bring back the bells at consecration!
• History of tradition and conservative values. This is what makes St. Mary’s home! The focus on morals, tradition, true to the form of the Mass.
• I know many people who would like the tabernacle returned to the altar, not pushed to the side of the church
• There’s a de-emphasis on rosary and adoration since Vatican II. Re-emphasize the importance of these traditions.
• Important to have everything point toward Jesus. This done well in many areas.
• Bells during consecration
• Bells! Bring them back! Please!
• Bring some tradition back – however keep it in English because there’s more participation
• Kneel from Lamb of God and after receiving communion
• More traditions
• Ringing the bells at consecration!
• Traditional Latin Mass – bring it back – there’s reverence
• Midnight mass at Christmas
• More of a “Mary” centered parish
• We are Church of St. Mary and should be called so.
• Taking communion on the tongue