VML
Unlike docmattc, I have had very successful experiences of planning in a group and in fact welcome the suggestions from others. In a previous parish, we held a regular meeting of readers, musicians and other ministers to look at the readings of the Mass and discuss what they meant to us. Out of this came not only suggestions for hymns but also for prayers and on occasions ideas for homilies.
In my present parish - all members of the group are invited to contribute ideas based on the readings of the day at a brainstorming session at the beginning of the our practices. At times we do make mistakes and the a hymn is chosen because a particular word is in both the reading and the favourite hymn of a member, but generally we have wide and varied repertoire which is increasing all the time and is reflective of the readings and prayers.
From my point of view it is really worth perservering and including others in your planning especially if by doing so you increase the number of people who are looking at and reflecting on the readings before the mass. I, for one, found my own participation and prayers during mass much increased.
Helen
Active Participation?
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
Re: Active Participation?
Welcome to the forum, Helen!
Liturgy Committees and Planning Groups are very different animals. We have the former, made up of people who play an active part in all aspects of liturgy: readers, Eucharistic ministers, "Stewards" (who combine welcoming and giving out service sheets with getting the church ready for Mass and ensuring all those doing other duties have turned up or finding substitutes if they haven't), music, flower arrangers and others who do a lot of work behind the scenes (e.g. duty rotas) and get very little thanks for it. The Committee was not deliberately formed of representatives of each of those categories but its members simply volunteered for service; as it happens each of them does at least one, if not two or three, of the jobs listed. It does not usually discuss in detail what hymns are sung but rather gives general guidance. If the question came up about adopting the kind of "more interesting" liturgy VML refers to, then the Liturgy Committee would be the forum to discuss it.
At my church we don't have a planning group for the week-by-week nitty-gritty; I choose the hymns on my own, bearing in mind the decisions of the Liturgy Committee, the traditions of our particular community, requests from ordinary parishioners (to whom my response is always to look for an opportunity to use their suggestion when it is liturgically appropriate) and knowledge of who is available to play or lead the singing. The Liturgy Committee usually tell me if I've got it wrong! I have experienced planning meetings at other churches and have found that they take a lot of time: there is a risk of a disjointed liturgy if everyone has to have a suggestion adopted and there is no overall sense of the whole, but as Helen points out it is possible for such a group to work given the right people. In VML's case it sounds as if the person who proposed the planning group doesn't want to be part of it and in any case is asking for things that the Liturgy Committee should be deciding anyway, in which case it would probably be better if VML simply continued choosing the music as at present and let the other lady pick it on VML's week off.
Where I have some sympathy for the other lady is in the matter of choir practices - I know it can be hard to get people together. Whether 15 minutes before Mass is enough time depends on how good the singers are and how difficult the music (sorry if that is too much of an SBO!) so if she insists that 15 minutes is all the time available, pick music that can be rehearsed in that time! If the choir want something more taxing than "Twinkle, twinkle..." they'll have to find the time to practise it!
The "interesting liturgy" referred to is more of a problem and depends very much on what the PP thinks about adhering to rules and how long he's going to be there. For many years we had a very "interesting" liturgy, which attracted many people from outside the geographical parish (who created a very lively community with its own distinctive feel) but also put off a lot of the more "traditional" Catholics - some even wondered whether ours was indeed a Catholic church! A few years ago a new priest took over our church and asked us to comply more closely with the GIRM; despite his best efforts to introduce the changes sympathetically through the Liturgy Committee many long-standing parishioners decided to go elsewhere as a result and though more came in to take their place the newcomers seem less keen to get involved in the life of the community. Go there at your peril!
Incidentally, what is meant by an "alternative" Creed? Is it anything to do with "alternative lifestyles" or "alternative comedy"? I once saw a road sign indicating "alternative parking" and asked myself the same question!
VML wrote:We had a liturgy meeting- quite well attended, a few weeks ago, and the one thing to come out of it was that a planning group should meet and plan music a month at a time.
...
The main proposer of this for this did not want to be involved with HW&E planning, and I work closely with PP and choir on it anyway. What is really being suggested is a 'more interesting' liturgy, - alternative Creed, paraphrased Mass parts etc.
Though she leads the music on my week off each month and often plays and sings with the regular choir, neither she nor three other regular musicians joined in the Vigil or Easter morning. They sat in the congregation. She also does not think choir practices are necessary except for 15 minutes before Mass.
I know family commitments make practices difficult but....
I wonder if any of you have found if planning by group meeting is workable.
Liturgy Committees and Planning Groups are very different animals. We have the former, made up of people who play an active part in all aspects of liturgy: readers, Eucharistic ministers, "Stewards" (who combine welcoming and giving out service sheets with getting the church ready for Mass and ensuring all those doing other duties have turned up or finding substitutes if they haven't), music, flower arrangers and others who do a lot of work behind the scenes (e.g. duty rotas) and get very little thanks for it. The Committee was not deliberately formed of representatives of each of those categories but its members simply volunteered for service; as it happens each of them does at least one, if not two or three, of the jobs listed. It does not usually discuss in detail what hymns are sung but rather gives general guidance. If the question came up about adopting the kind of "more interesting" liturgy VML refers to, then the Liturgy Committee would be the forum to discuss it.
At my church we don't have a planning group for the week-by-week nitty-gritty; I choose the hymns on my own, bearing in mind the decisions of the Liturgy Committee, the traditions of our particular community, requests from ordinary parishioners (to whom my response is always to look for an opportunity to use their suggestion when it is liturgically appropriate) and knowledge of who is available to play or lead the singing. The Liturgy Committee usually tell me if I've got it wrong! I have experienced planning meetings at other churches and have found that they take a lot of time: there is a risk of a disjointed liturgy if everyone has to have a suggestion adopted and there is no overall sense of the whole, but as Helen points out it is possible for such a group to work given the right people. In VML's case it sounds as if the person who proposed the planning group doesn't want to be part of it and in any case is asking for things that the Liturgy Committee should be deciding anyway, in which case it would probably be better if VML simply continued choosing the music as at present and let the other lady pick it on VML's week off.
Where I have some sympathy for the other lady is in the matter of choir practices - I know it can be hard to get people together. Whether 15 minutes before Mass is enough time depends on how good the singers are and how difficult the music (sorry if that is too much of an SBO!) so if she insists that 15 minutes is all the time available, pick music that can be rehearsed in that time! If the choir want something more taxing than "Twinkle, twinkle..." they'll have to find the time to practise it!
The "interesting liturgy" referred to is more of a problem and depends very much on what the PP thinks about adhering to rules and how long he's going to be there. For many years we had a very "interesting" liturgy, which attracted many people from outside the geographical parish (who created a very lively community with its own distinctive feel) but also put off a lot of the more "traditional" Catholics - some even wondered whether ours was indeed a Catholic church! A few years ago a new priest took over our church and asked us to comply more closely with the GIRM; despite his best efforts to introduce the changes sympathetically through the Liturgy Committee many long-standing parishioners decided to go elsewhere as a result and though more came in to take their place the newcomers seem less keen to get involved in the life of the community. Go there at your peril!
Incidentally, what is meant by an "alternative" Creed? Is it anything to do with "alternative lifestyles" or "alternative comedy"? I once saw a road sign indicating "alternative parking" and asked myself the same question!