www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology My First Jazz? Mass

Dear Mary Jo,

The Administrator has asked us to bring as many new members into the Eastern Church as possible.

Never mind about that jazz, come into the Eastern Catholic Church!

What's keeping you? Do you need all that saxaphone aggravation? And what will you do when they rename your current Latin parish in honour of "St Martin Luther King Jr.?"

It sounds like you are Eastern by persuasion already.

Either join the EC Church or you'll be "hearing the music" in more ways than one for some time to come!

Alex
Byzantine missionary at large

Mary Jo:

We await you with open arms. No jazz, no tone-deaf old hippies with guitars, hopefully no people who are old enough to know better in tacky T-shirts, and no hand-holding while singing 60s anthems of protest. All we have to offer in the Byzantine Church is that old-time religion handed down to us from the church fathers. Yep, to parody Coke, we've got the "real thing."

Dear Alex and ByzanTn,

We ARE in the Byzantine Church! (St. George's in Olympia) We just can't get there every Sunday because of distance. At our age driving 100 miles not always feasible or affordable. We did attend an Eastern Catholic parish when we lived in another city a few years ago. This was for over a year, so have learned to love the Divine Liturgy, the icons, the theology, and the Spirituality and the People and (of course the feasts, Liturgical and otherwise) ......We are committed to remain living out here in the country for right now. BTW, there is ALSO no Roman Catholic Church out here. And when we can't drive the distance (100 RT) to our little Byzantine Church, we attend the nearest RC church only 44 miles RT. (it is not the one mentioned in my post). So not free to just take off and go and be as involved as we would like at St. George's ....YET. We have talked to our Byzantine priest about our stopping in whenever we can. He is fine with that and very encouraging! Fortunately our daughter lives near there so sometimes we spend the night with her and go to the Byzantine Church. This has only been happening a few months. We are driving more and more to town and St. George's(our Byzantine Church) and eventually we hope to move closer. Pray for us and thanks for the Welcome. Hey, we can always use it again and again. Sorry, I got a little off topic and carried away with my enthusiasm here. Please, folks, go back to "All of that Jazz." Thanks.


God Bless,

Mary Jo aka Porter

do you live east of the mts.? I was stationed in the Air Force in Tacoma, and graduated from the U of W. It was rought, out side of Seattle to find a Catholic Church. When I lived there (in the late 70's) we only had a Ukranian priest from Canada who came down once a month to celebrate the Liturgy in the Lady chapel of the Cathedral in Seattle.
I'm glad I live back East again. We have several Eastern churches in the area, and I can get to them with public transportation.

Mike,

Not right in the Cascades but in the Olympic Forest on the Olympic peninsula not far from Hood Canal. There is now a fine Byzantine Catholic Church in Seattle, but that is even farther for us to go.

Blessings,

Porter

In Society Hill, Philadelphia today I saw a church that had a time for Jazz Vespers! Obviously, this was not one of our churches. I am guessing the Ukrainian Catholic church down the block may have issues with this, except that it didn't look like it was even open for traditional vespers.

Mary Jo:

It must be the upcoming style to have varying secular music brougth into the Liturgy.

Have you ever heard of a "polka Mass"? My mother's parish--way out in the hinterlands-- featured one such offering last Sunday when we were there. When she asked if I wanted to go, I told her I'd pass on that one. Somehow the fast-paced polka style just doesn't do it for me, whether it is on the radio, at wedding receptions, or in church. Jazz?? I can take it in it's place, but church is not the place.

In Christ,

BOB

Mary Jo:

It seems to be the style since the 1960s to have varying secular music brought into the Liturgy.

Have you ever heard of a "polka Mass"? My mother's parish--way out in the hinterlands-- featured one such offering last Sunday when we were there. When she asked if I wanted to go, I told her I'd pass on that one. Somehow the fast-paced polka style just doesn't do it for me, whether it is on the radio, at wedding receptions, or in church. Jazz?? I can take it in it's place, but church is not the place.

But in the last 40 years there have been endless variations on that type of thing: guitars at Masses, symphony orchestra instruments at Masses, bongo drums at Masses--you name it. My parish has even begun to have a solo after Communion that has become a sort of "entertainment" in that someone always starts to clap for the performance.

In Christ,

BOB

Dear FamiliarFelix:

No, unfortuneatley, our beautiful little parish was closed just after Pashca. The Archbishop came one Sunday and announced that that was the last Liturgy. I loved it. It was small, and loved the parishioners. Oh well.

Dear Mary Jo,

All the better reason for you to be here on the Forum getting your Byzantine fix when you can't get to DL! I love to hear about the sacrifices people are willing to make in order to get there. It says a lot about your spirit.

Also, I do not mean to insinuate anything about your age, which you mentioned above. However, my parents, in the 65-70ish age group, have decided to move out of the rural area and back into the city, after suffering health problems that may need to be addressed in a hospital setting. So many people move nearer a hospital once age begins to creep in. If this happens to you, you can rejoice for having a really great reason to want to move closer to your Byzantine parish.

Just a thought!

Tammy

Hi Tammy,

Not at all at all! You are quite right and telling it as it is.. However, we hope to move closer to town sooner than all that. Actually there are pretty good medical facilities twenty miles from here - but no church like our church...also have family living in town so makes sense to get closer to them and the grand kids too.

Actually our little Byzantine Catholic Church is also out in the country(another country region) but only a FEW miles from the city. When we get a new place we plan to live out there in the country near the church.

Just took the trip today. The Divine Liturgy and the warmth of the people made it worth the time and energy.

God Bless,

Mary Jo aka Porter....

Strange that nobody has mentioned the "Polka Masses" that certain ethnic groups have been having?

Hi bergschlawiner,

Actually Theophan mentions the "polka mass" fourth post scrolling up.

Blessings,

Porter

"Dear FamiliarFelix:

No, unfortuneatley, our beautiful little parish was closed just after Pashca. The Archbishop came one Sunday and announced that that was the last Liturgy. I loved it. It was small, and loved the parishioners. Oh well. "

Mr.C,
I just now noticed you referenced the same Jazz Vespers in an earlier post. Sorry about that. In any case it's too bad that ST Andrew's can't show them what REAL vespers are! It looks like such a cute little church tucked in there on Pine St., but I imagine there weren't too many locals in attendance every week. Is the cathedral packing them in? That Old Pine St. church web site mentions the Jazz Vespers, but it doesn't seem like any kind of sacred music - merely a jazz concert on Sat evening at a church.

Well, we had about 25 members of St. Andrew's in Philly. About 12 would attend each week. A previous priest racked up a big heating bill, and didn't pay it. Other expenses as well. So I guess it was more like an albatros for the Archbishop, so he had no choice.

I attend the Cathedral now. I come over from New Jersey. I sometime attend on Sat. night. (english), or Sunday morning (Old Slovanik/Ukranian). Neither one is "packed". Maybe 50-60 for each one. Mostly older folks (70's and 80's). I don't think most Eastern Church parishes are going to be around in say, 20 years. All the old folks will be dead.