Can anyone explain what a Congregational Mass is please

[oopsorganist]

Just googling I found the phrase "congregational Mass" and I wondered what one of them was....

[docmattc]

I think its a term used to describe a musical Mass setting intended to be sung by the congregation (rather than written to be sung only by a choir)

[Southern Comfort]

That's certainly how we used the term back in the 1970s.

[presbyter]

Average Mass of individual adult human being = 70Kg

Say congregation of 100 human beings.

Congregational Mass = 100 x 70 = 7000 KG

7 tonnes - simples!

[keitha]

There are clearly no children who attend mass in Presbyter's parish (unless he is in the USA)!!
(average weight of a UK woman is c11st)

[FrGareth]

In a musical context, docmatt's answer is probably correct.

In a liturgical context, "congregational mass" could refer to the usual Ordinary of the Mass, as distinguished from "Mass with a minister" (i.e. for celebration by a priest in the presence of only one other person, assumed to be an altar server) for which a distinct text is given in the current Missal.

FrGareth

[JW]

Of course, pre Vatican II, lots of Masses were said by priests without a congregation present (often just 1 server), especially in monasteries, or during the week in churches with lots of priests. How times change!