Blast from the Past! [Catholic Caucus]

CMR ^ | December 14, 2009 | D Mac

[NYer]

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?

[NYer]

Domenico Bettinelli posted a very astute observation.

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?

It has been quite a roller coaster ride. Like Dom, I also believe the experimental years are now over.

[agere_contra]

Fascinating historical document. I never came across anything like this in the UK.

Was this kind of inept liturgy widespread in 1970’s America, or was it only in Detroit?

(Not saying the Sacrament of Reconciliation is inept, just the bizarre accoutrements it seems to have been given in this case)

[OpusatFR]

“... just the bizarre accoutrements it seems to have been given in this case.”

That was the method. The end game was to convince people that sin was merely another viewpoint or mental illness or maladjustment.

We no longer had priests as doctors of the soul, but merely social workers steeped in bad theory and relativism.

The scary part is that these people were waiting in the wings ready to go onstage, literally, since quite a few were performance artists rather than priests within a few years of Vatican II ending in 1965.

The 60’s were insane. From 1963 on, the Church lost its way as the world descended into a moral hell.

The church has recovered, Peter’s keys and all that, but the world is worse than ever which leads me to believe that we are on the path to a confrontation, maybe not the last confrontation, but a major confrontation all the same.

Next time a priest shows up in a Superman costume, I hope everyone has the good sense to block his access to the Sanctuary.

*Yes, we had one do this many years ago.

[ArrogantBustard]

Thanks a heck of a lot, FRiend!

That was a bad trip (pun intended) down a dark and scary part of Memory Lane.

I participated (unwillingly) in such an event (I remember them playing “Elanor Rigby”). It was hideous.

[NYer]

I participated (unwillingly) in such an event (I remember them playing “Elanor Rigby”). It was hideous.

Aargh! Then you should definitely post a response at the above web site. It's good to see how these 'interpretive' ceremonies have fallen into disuse. The Church should not be involved in experimentation. With 2,000 years of history, we know what works.

[SuziQ]

Oh, my. I’m glad I never had to endure something like that!

[Desdemona]

Oh, my. In my parish, now, a Penance Service involves all five confessionals having a priest hearing confessions for two hours and unbelievably long lines (I waited an hour yesterday).