The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-25
HIGH MASS AND VESPERS
THE MOST REVEREND ARCH
BISHOP LAYS DOWN REGULA-
TloNs REGARDING THEM.

Nothing Must Take the Place or
Lessen the Importance of the High
Mass-To Be Said at II O'clock
Low Masses at Convenient Hours
vespers Every Sunday Whenever
Possible.
In the course of a recent letter to
the Reverend Pastors of the churches
in St. Paul and Minneapolis the Most
Reverend Archbishop lays down GER
tain regulations to secure uniformity
in the public services held on Sundays
and Holy Days of obligation. We sub
join the portions relating to High Mass
and Vespers.
The High Mass.
The High Mass with sermon is the
authorized, regular church service for
Sundays and Holy Days. Nothing
should take it's place or lessen, even
in appearance, it's Importance or pres
tige. All efforts should be made to
bring the people, in as large numbers
as possible, to the High Mass. Low
Masses, the Faithful should be made
to understand, are intended for the
use of those who cannot without in
convenience be present at the High
Mass. Continuous or frequent alb
sence from the High Mass-even
though the strict obligation to hear
Mass is otherwise complied with-is
a serious detriment to that thorough
religious life, which should vivify the
Catholic, whether in his personal bear
ing of soul, or in his relations to the
religious community of which he is
the member. The High Mass is the
| official, public profession of faith on
the part of the whole community; all
Catholics should strive to have part in
it. Through the special ceremonial
attached to it, the High Mass affords
spScial aid to faith and piety: none
should deprive themselves of the up
| lift it imparts to mind and heart. Con-
neeted with the High Mass there is
the sermon-the official, formal mes
| sage of the official teacher of religion:
none should there be unwilling to
listen to the message. The intelli-
gence of faith, the warmth of piety,
prevalent in parish, is measured by
the smaller or the larger concourse
of parishioners in attendance at the
High Mass.
The High Mass must in all churches
be the last Mass of the day. To this
rule no exception is allowed. Inter-
| posing the High Mass between Low
Masses, placing Low Mass after the
High Mass, lessons the prestige of the
High Mass, seemingly giving to it a
secondary, inferior rank.
For many and plain reasons, it is
most desirable that there be among
the several churches of the cities COM
plete uniformity as to the hour of the
celebration of the High Mass. The
general opinion of pastors indicates
the hour of II a. m. as the time most
suitable to the needs and conveniences
of our Catholic people. We, then,
name the hour of II a. m. as that at
| which the High Mass should begin in
all the churches of the two cities.
The hour for Low Masses shall be
chosen by the pastor, as he judges
most suitable to the convenience of
the Faithful. I make, however, the
suggestion that, where this is posi-
| BILE, one of the Low Masses be placed
at rather late hour-yet not in such
close proximity to the High Mass as
to interfere unduly with the latter
At the Low Masses, as the Council of
Baltimore prescribes, there should be
the short or fve-minute sermon, pre-
ceded by the reading of the Gospel
| of the day.
The custom, lately introduced into
some parishes, of doing away with the
High Mass during the summer months,
cannot be tolerated. The reasons CIV
en- in favor of this custom are alto
| gether insufficient. The elimination
| of the High Mass during part of the
! year takes from it the Importance
which at all times should appertain
| to it.
The Vespers.
In all churches, on Sundays and
Holy Days, there shall be public
religious service in the afternoon or
| evening, as the circumstances Of the
| parish, or the convenience of the peo-
pie, may dictate.
This service, ordinarily at least,
shall be the regular Latin Vespers, as
indicated i'm the "Vesperale" of the
Church. The Latin Vespers lis the
ritualistic eventide service-to be
faithfully and fully carried out in
every church unless there be to the
contrary good and valid reasons. The
| elimination of the Vespers in favor
of other pious exercises, good and
laudable as those may be, In de.
i parture from the spirit and the tradi.
tons OF the Church, and should not
be otherwise regarded than as tenn.
Iporary expedient, justifiable only in