CMR is known for its parodies. But I promise you, this is not a parody. It comes from a book published by the Liturgical Conference in 1969 called Manual of Celebration by Robert Hovda (who is also widely known as one of the chief authors of the 1978 bishops’ document on church architecture, Environment and Art in Catholic Worship.) If you think the choices in your parish are bad today, here’s a real trip to 40 years ago…
“A Scriptural Service for a Community Experience of the Sacrament of Penance”
(The following is a more ambitious penance service than is usual. It was prepared for St. Brigid’s parish in Detroit by Fr. James C. Scheik and Sr. Mary Louise Femminineo…)Prenotes: This service… calls for the film “Universe” as well as someone who can use an opaque projector and a movie projector. It also calls for one man to manage the spotlight and another to handle audio. Ideally there should be an organist as well as someone who can take care of the tambourine….
Commentator: In our service tonight, we use all the different media and means of our modern age, an electric age, to build up our theme. In an age that is plagued by an eerie feeling of loneliness, amidst all the electrophonic and psychedelic intimacy, many people stand in darkness….”
Directions for the electrician: Pitch dark church as the service starts. Eerie sound of an oncoming train over the P.A. (there are many sound effects records with train whistles). Spotlight initially pinpoints on a screen and begins to grow and move to give some impression of an oncoming train. (A big flashlight could probably be used…)
The record “Eleanor Rigby is played over the P.A….Train whistle and sequence is then repeated.
First reading (taken from The Estranged God by Anthony Padovano, pp. 89-90
Second reading (Isaiah 40:25)
Third reading (selection from Dr. Martin Luther King’s address from the Birmingham Jail)
Fourth reading (Isaiah 59:9b-14)
Fifth reading (John 1:1-14)Priest in surplice and stole at the pulpit. A yellow spotlight on him. Begin to show the film “Universe” (begin at the spot where they start to show outer space… no sound). Soft background music by the organ ‘We Shall Overcome.”
Sixth reading (Isaiah 60:1-2)
Directions: The church is still in darkness except for a spot on the reader. During this reading, pictures of astronauts and Apollo 8 should be shown on the opaque projector.
Commentator: Matislav Keldych, head of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, says: “Men will always strive to take a direct part in scientific space research. Automatic devices can never fully replace man” …
Seventh reading (Isaiah 60:4-5)
Directions: Show a picture or several pictures of heart transplants from Life magazine. This or these should continue on into the next reading from Time, December 6, 1968.
[reading from Time magazine about heart transplants]
Eighth reading (Isaiah 60: 19-20)
Directions: The church is still in darkness except for a spot on the reader. As the reading ends, a picture of Beethoven is shown on the opaque projector while the last part of his Ninth Symphony is heard over the P.A. At this time, at least two priests dressed in surplice and stole will begin to hear confessions for those who wish to do so….There were very few confessions, but a very large attendance for the service itself.
Ninth reading (selection from That Man is You by Louis Everly)
Tenth reading (selection from That Man is You by Louis Everly)People’s response: “Clap Your Hands” by Ray Repp. (use the tambourine to encourage the people to clap their hands in approval of God’s forgiveness)
Eleventh reading (selection from That Man is You by Louis Everly)
People’s response: “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound of Music
Twelfth reading (selection from The Future As the Presence of Shared Hope by Maryellen Muckenhirn)
Directions: Organ background to this reading: “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha
…Common penance for the faults of the parish, given with explanation by the priest… the words of absolution, proclaimed by the priest over all present.
Directions: The priest will take a light from the Christ candle which has been burning in a prominent place since the church lights went on and will pass this burning light to all those in attendance…Then the lights in the church are slowly turned off. The organ plays and the people begin to sing “The Impossible Dream,” and the film “Universe” is shown on the screen.
I’m glad those days are over, but I’d be particularly interested to read comments from someone who lived through this period and thought this was pretty groovy. What was on your mind in those days?
December 14, 2009 at 3:41 am
I wasn't around, but golly that must have been loooong. I can't see how anyone can complain about an Easter Vigil with 9 lessons, or even an Eastern Rite Ordination after that!
December 14, 2009 at 3:49 am
I can think of a couple of pastors and some parish music directors who should never, never, ever see this post. This is the stuff of a rock concert, but it could be condensed for those parishes that so much long for a sense of being gathered in and made into a new church. Utterly terrifying stuff, gentleman…much more frightening than an ersatz Mayan legend made into a movie about some fictious date and destroying a few computer generated artificial sets.
December 14, 2009 at 4:00 am
Common penance for the faults of the parish…
One of which, I would hope, was putting on this travesty of a penance service.
December 14, 2009 at 4:29 am
This gives me hope ironically. It makes me think that as a Church we're getting better the further in time from this craziness we get. You just don't see this stuff like you used to.
Unfortunately, how many people who've abandoned the pews think this is still the Church they left?
December 14, 2009 at 4:39 am
I think it says something that there were many people in attendance, but few who went to Confession…where was the real focus? I think we've lost our ability to appreciate the sacrament of reconciliation in our Church because of reasons like this 🙁
December 14, 2009 at 6:13 am
Been there, done that! I hate to admit it, but I actually helped plan a few, although we never went this far overboard on the number of readings.
I do remember using a selection or 2 from the Neil Diamond soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull on occasion. May God have mercy on me.
December 14, 2009 at 11:52 am
I could only read part way through. Now I've gotta go wash my eyes.
December 14, 2009 at 2:19 pm
What was I *thinking*???? I dunno. I think that we thought we had to do stuff like this. It was what Vatican II was all about, right? I was a high school and college student at the height of this. I remember some particularly 'creative' Stations on Good Friday and some intros to midnight mass that featured slide shows and Vivaldi's Gloria. (Which, I have to say, was not as dumb as the service just detailed above.)
I think we thought that this was participatory liturgy – although what was the assembly doing during this except being subjected to it?
I had three moments, over about 15 years, that turned me around. Moment one: Planning Palm Sunday, actually reading the rubrics and discovering as a group that, you know, this was plenty creative. The priests at the Newman Center were amused that we suggested a procession with palms, following a gospel reading and blessing. Moment two: One of those priests insisting that we sing 'Silent Night' at the Easter Vigil because it brought the Incarnation into the story of salvation. I was holding out for the beginning of Mark's gospel, if we had to add something (which I didn't think we did) but he insisted, to the point of tantrum, so we did it. Moment three: Now not a college student, but an actual parish minister, trying to organize this huge 'procession of light' at Midnight Mass. It was a big difference from the days of yore, but still a last gasp at being 'creative.' I had recruited about 30 parishioners for this, but I was getting grumbles about having to stand in the back for most of the service while they waited for their big moment, not being able to sit with their families, having strangers take their seats…. and thought, "Why?" That was it. I became a "Let's do what is in the book" gal that evening and have remained so, more or less.
True confessions of a liturgical innovator.
December 14, 2009 at 2:53 pm
It's taking the people from where they are to lift them up. It's starting from something they're familiar with and then leading them to something new. It's addressing the pastoral challenges on the day and making the Church relevant.
December 14, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Rick: I can't tell if your statement was serious or a parody? I hope the latter, really.
If you are serious, may I point out (as a person born in 1963)that the service described above is where most people now start–that a true effort to lead them somewhere new would not start with tambourines. And I don't give a toss about "making the Church relevant" except in the context of giving me guidance to make the correct decisions with the moral challenges I face. Don't tell me it's all OK and it's the Church that must change. I know that's not right.
As I said, though, this might be parody. In which case: good job.
Cathy G
December 14, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Cathy: I didn't say it's OK. I was giving an insight on the thought process behind the liturgical experiment.
December 14, 2009 at 3:35 pm
We can make the celebration of the Sacraments more relevant to those in the pews by carrying out the proper catechesis and awareness-raising of why we do what we do (aka mystagogy). Sadly, this seems to get the short shrift in parishes, but fortunately that's changing.
There's a reason so many Christians are coming to the Catholic Church from "relevant" nondenominational churches and other communities – they respect and need Catholic liturgy and the true message that's behind it. Would that we can call out in our fellow pew sitters that same zeal!
December 14, 2009 at 4:06 pm
My strongest recollection from religious ed. at this time was being upset that I couldn't finish listening to the Mets game because I had to go to "Confraternity." (Even though there was absolutely no mention of actual Church teaching, religious ed. in our parish was called "CCD" short for "Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.") 1969 was the year of the "Miracle Mets" and they actually played afternoon games at the time. During the battle for the pennant, it was a real trauma to be ripped away from the radio so that I could sit in a class to listen to "groovy" prayers while the music from Jesus Christ Superstar played in the background. It was years before I learned anything substantial about my faith as an adult. Because my mother was Protestant, I really relied on these classes for learning the faith. Oh, well, God is good, and he led me to some great adult ed. classes. Looking back on these days, however, gives me a little bit of a shiver!
December 14, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Rick, my apologies if you were simply stating the mindset, rather than upholding it. Marilyn: my daughter still goes to CCD, I haven't heard that the name has changed, although her content seems to be better than mine was. There was a lot of necessary self-education on my part between 1976 (Confimration, 8th grade) and today.
Cathy G
December 14, 2009 at 5:30 pm
This post scarily explains a lot about the Stations of the Cross I attended at one parish in Chicago on Good Friday a decade ago. One of the meditative songs for Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother was Lennon's "Let it Be."
I took a train to downtown later that day because I wanted to make sure I had actually been to Stations.
December 14, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Cathy G: I've heard many names for CCD depending on the geographic location and traditional/liberal leanings of the parish–Catechism; PSR=parish school of religion; RE=religious education…
December 14, 2009 at 8:32 pm
What was on your mind ?
More like what was your mind on.
December 14, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Wasn't this around the time William Shatner was interpreting the Beatles?
December 15, 2009 at 1:30 am
If you want to watch the film "Universe" its is available to see free on line at http://www.nfb.ca/film/Universe/
December 15, 2009 at 3:12 am
Who led this service, the Rev. Jim Ignatowski?