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New 'quickie' Mass draws large crowds

By
FRANK GALLAGHER,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Thursday, February 25, 2010, 7:51 AM
Updated Thursday, February 25, 2010, 10:32 AM

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A new fifteen-minute mass in a Galway parish is drawing people in droves and reversing the fall off in mass attendance. The guaranteed 15-minute mass without a sermon and with the help of a Eucharistic minister is allowing parishioners to attend mass before going to work.

Father Michael Kenny switched his morning mass from 9.a.m to 7.30 a.m. and attendance has soared. "The general view among parishioners is that the 9 a.m. Mass was totally unsuitable for people going to work," he told the Irish Independent.

"Now, more and more people are coming along to the Mass at 7.30 a.m. as they know they can be on their way to work or school 15 or 20 minutes later and it is far more suitable," said Fr Kenny.

"We have to think of the needs of people who have to travel long distances to work, some to Galway city 40 km away.

"The only way they could be in time for work while also attending morning Mass during Lent is by being out of the church by 7.45 a.m.

"We are not leaving anything out of the Mass. Everything is there, but of course I do not make any sermon. People seem to like the idea as I have the help of a Eucharistic minister each day and that speeds up the service," Fr Kenny said.

He added: "We are here to facilitate the congregation and if there are any further increases in numbers attending, then the more the merrier."

Local parishioner, Marie Woolley, agrees.

"It is very refreshing to go to Mass so early every morning and you feel spiritually uplifted for the rest of the day. Fr Kenny has come up with a great idea and I hope other churches copy what he is doing," she said.

Frank and Noreen Curley, from Ballyroe, said the early Mass lasting 15 minutes suited everybody – especially Frank, who travels to work in Tuam.

"Fair play to Fr Michael for factoring in the work needs of his parishioners when planning the morning Mass during Lent," said Frank.
 

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34 Comments

15 - 34 | See all comments

jacersisityourself | Mar 02, 2010, 02:16 PM EST
Good on you 2B - I'm still with ya. BTW - I've given up posting on IC until their IT ppl get the gremlins out of their IT systems. Hoping this one goes through! :-)

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2BorNot2B | Mar 01, 2010, 12:55 PM EST
jacersisity: I have no problem with the concept of a 15 minute Mass as pushed here. My problem is with the people who gratuitously spew hatred toward Catholicism in particular without necessarily addressing the subject at hand. As I said before, my tendency is to ruturn mud for mud. There are far better people than I able to turn the other cheek, I, unfortunately am not graced with such quality. I, therefore, leave to you the job. -- As you know, there were quite a few saints as well who were not particularly known for their patience and conciliatory virtues, yet... they made it!

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mmtwrite | Feb 28, 2010, 03:13 PM EST
Good idea. But nothing new. Three years ago I attended Sunday Mass in the Oratory at Shannon Airport. The Mass was 18 minutes long.

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jacersisityourself | Feb 28, 2010, 01:42 PM EST
2B, I'm on your side in the arguments. I don't think the kind of language you use is helpful to our cause but I agree with you. (Hoping this post goes through... I've given up trying to post over the last few days, not just under this topic but under quite a few others where even one-liners don't appear. Has Niall's IT ppl found the gremlins in the works yet?).

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erieshark | Feb 28, 2010, 11:37 AM EST
We had a pastor in Dayton, Ohio at Holy Angels Catholic Church in the 1960s who was known for his 15 minute Masses for NCR factory workers who had 30 minutes for lunch. The Masses were jammed! I am surprise it never caught on, particularly for those workers who have limited time. (Besides, how many can actually recall one memorable sermon in all your years of attendance!)

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Watereskhill | Feb 27, 2010, 04:27 PM EST
A microwave breakfast. A fifteen minute Mass. Odd that 'Happy Hour' in a bar has no one bolting for the door.

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Buffalobrave | Feb 27, 2010, 05:09 AM EST
The celebration of the mass is 15 minutes. The sermon and other trimmings is not essential.

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momaloney | Feb 26, 2010, 10:57 PM EST
I think it is a great idea for Lent! People want to go to Mass during Lent, but if they have to travel a distance to work, the length of time of the Mass sure makes a difference. The Good Father knows enough not to give a sermon and he can take the time on a Saturday or a Sundaya to give the talk to the people. He is a smart man!

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killowen | Feb 26, 2010, 10:10 PM EST
Killowen should try saying that to Jesus - why? he won't hear me, he's dead.

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safarimayo | Feb 26, 2010, 08:08 PM EST
GREAT

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2BorNot2B | Feb 26, 2010, 06:24 PM EST
jacersisity, we all do what we modestly can with the tools the Good Lord gave us. You go ahead and take the O'Reilly tack of pacifiying, straddling the fence, smoothing over, being non-controversial or excessively feather ruffling. I, on the other hand, like the feeling of squashed bugs under my feet, just for the good of my sole -especially those who like scorpions, bed bugs, or cockroaches are adept at stinging and/or spreading krap, and then run off to the sewer for cover. Point is, they are angry slime buckets trading on nothing more than misinformation and outright slander. They love to spread their smelly manure because they find fertile and receptive ground in this website, full of resentful micks who love to spit on their past traditions and on the Church that kept the soul of their ancestors peaceful and comforted.

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JBRAFTREE | Feb 26, 2010, 06:06 PM EST
I am an usher at my church for over 25 yrs. I know we would have more parishioners if Fr. kept it short. There was a priest of high esteem 60 or so yrs ago that said if the homily isn't said in 8 minutes, it's not worth saying.

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jacersisityourself | Feb 26, 2010, 05:52 PM EST
Thanks to Joanhugh for correcting my terminology. The pre-Offertory part of Mass is still that part of pre-Mass for unprofessed Christians. A rose by any other name. I enjoy the Liturgy of the Word. I feel the letter (Epistle) writers speaking to me and Christ speaking to me through the Gospel readings. Lovely stuff for all to hear and enjoy.

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JBRAFTREE | Feb 26, 2010, 05:44 PM EST
Agreed Jacer, 2B needs a good jar and a look at how he or she could smile a bit.

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jacersisityourself | Feb 26, 2010, 03:45 PM EST
2B is on the warpath. There’s no need for that. It’s God’s world and He never loses. I trust God. I wanna be on God’s side. I am on the side of the universal and Catholic Church. The only winning I want is for losers to be turned into winners for God. I’ll pray for that at the next ‘quickie’ Mass.

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