Non Solum: Multi-Lingual Masses

Today’s Question: Multi-Lingual Masses

Many large parishes and communities wrestle with how best to integrate the many language groups present in their community. Many parishes have a Spanish Mass and an English Mass. Often times this creates two communities within one parish since the two language groups rarely gather together for worship. Perhaps this is an improvement over the national Catholic churches based on the language of the community. At least now the various language groupings are all under one roof. But even communities without a sizable number of parishioners who have strong ties to a foreign language sing songs in foreign languages. The default often times is Spanish. Under what circumstances do you think it is appropriate to use multiple languages in one liturgy? How often should multi-lingual Masses be celebrated and within what context? Should more Latin be used? How and when?

What are your thoughts? What does your community do, and why?

Moderator’s note: “Non solum” is a feature at Pray Tell for our readership community to discuss practical liturgical issues. The title comes from article 11 of the Vatican II liturgy constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium: “Therefore there is to be vigilance among holy pastors that in liturgical action not only are laws for valid and licit celebration to be observed, but that the faithful should participate knowingly, actively, and fruitfully.” (Ideo sacris pastoribus advigilandum est ut in actione liturgica non solum observentur leges ad validam et licitam celebrationem, sed ut fideles scienter, actuose et fructuose eandem participent.) May the series contribute to good liturgical practice – not only following the law, but especially grasping the spirit of the liturgy!

Nathan Chase

Nathan P. Chase is Assistant Professor of Liturgical and Sacramental Theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. He has contributed a number of articles to the field of liturgical studies, including pieces on liturgy in the early Church, initiation, the Eucharist, inculturation, and the Western Non-Roman Rites, in particular the Hispano-Mozarabic tradition. His first book The Homiliae Toletanae and the Theology of Lent and Easter was published in 2020. His second monograph, published in 2023, is titled The Anaphoral Tradition in the ‘Barcelona Papyrus.’

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Comments

16 responses to “Non Solum: Multi-Lingual Masses”

  1. John Farley

    We’re beginning to wrestle with this, as well. We’re probably one of the last “English-only” parishes in our diocese. We’ve discovered there are more divisions, however, than language and culture.

    How to bridge the various generational language differences?
    the sports metaphors that some find so inviting and instructional and others find so off-putting?
    the intellectual allusions some find insightful and others find impenetrable and boring?
    the social events some find fun and energizing and others avoid like the plague?
    the emphasis on the lost and outcast which completely contradicts others’ expectations of a club for the insiders?
    the desire for a fully Catholic social understanding which angers both Republicans and Democrats because it’s “too political”?

    And they ALL point to the liturgy: the preaching, the music, the environment, the ministers (especially, but not only, the priest). It’s the source and summit of all consolation or all desolation, depending on one’s point of view.

    Reply
  2. Fritz Bauerschmidt

    The best multi-lingual liturgy I’ve ever participated in was at the Cathedral in San Antonio, which was a mixture of English, Spanish, and Latin. It is a testimony either to my declining memory or to the seamlessness with which the languages were woven together that I cannot recall what was done in which language.

    I also recall a Pentecost liturgy at the University Parish of the Catholic University of Leuven. The UP has three language groups, English, Flemish and French, which all worship in different locations on a normal Sunday. On Pentecost, however, all three come together for a multi-lingual liturgy (which is also multicultural, since the Francophone congregation is largely African and the Anglophone congregation is a mix of North Americans, Asians and Africans). What stands out to me most was the homily, which was given by a professor at the University in English, French and Flemish. What struck me was the skillful way in which he constructed it so that if you only spoke one of the languages you heard what would seem a complete homily, but if you knew all three languages it still seemed like a single homily — he didn’t just say the same thing three times in different languages. I don’t know if a preacher could pull that off every week, but it was certainly impressive.

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    1. Bill deHaas

      @Fritz Bauerschmidt – comment #2:
      Same here, Deacon – San Fernando Cathedral parish led by Rev. Virgilio Elizondo (now professor of hispanic theology at Notre Dame University). He had also founded the Mexican-American Cultural Center that focused on bilingual liturgies and how to integrate cultures; emprowering lay staff in these areas, etc. (now the Mexican-American Catholic College).

      Some observations – first, San Antonio is already a unique city in terms of the blending of the Mexican and US cultures and many folks are bilingual; second; Elizondo laid the groundwork by listening and integrating the various cultures so that there was no Anglo/Hispanic separation; his renovation of the cathedral was a living example of retrieving the best of each culture and gave him an opportunity to explain, discuss, and educte – thus, arriving at the liturgy you experienced.

      Too often, my local experience is closer to Fr.Farley’s – upper income anglo parish with no hispanic involvement but within parish boundaries, census, etc. indicated that 30% of the population were catholic hispanics. New pastor (now bishop of El Paso) challenged the parish to begin to think about and to include Hispanics – outreach efforts, school policies to support lower income to 20% of population; liturgies. Initially, there was an effort to add a bilingual liturgy – Sunday afternoon. But, without better preparation, education, time, the actual result ended up with a hispanic council (separate from the parish council) and a liturgy that is now all spanish. (resistance came from parish DM who never got involved; separate choirs, parish staff who would not expand their areas of responsibility to include Hispanic folks, resistance from school families, etc.)
      Thus, the current afternoon liturgy is well done but has given up on *bilingual* and, in essence, you have two separate parishes.
      There are bilingual liturgy and music books approaches out there but have rarely seen them done well or resulting in what I experienced in San Antonio.

      Reply
  3. Peter Rehwaldt

    In a growing number of hymnals (produced by a variety of denominations), certain hymns are being printed with the text in multiple languages, to honor both the dominant cultural language and also the original language. A common example would be “Silent Night” appearing in both English and German — and sometimes other languages as well. Even if a particular community never sings the hymn in the original language, the printed text becomes a reminder of the multilingual nature of the church.

    I’ve been in a number of parishes take this a step farther with a bilingual worship folder (left hand side in English, right hand side in other language). Regardless of what language is used in a particular worship service, the printed text in the second language visibly reminds that worshiping community of the broader parish community of which they are a part.

    Reply
  4. Steven Surrency

    I think that multi-lingual Masses are necessary at the bigger feasts for large, parish-wide celebrations: Triduum, Midnight Mass, Solemnity of the Dedication of the Church, etc. Ideally, I think, that what should happen in these multi-lingual communities is that Latin should unite the language groups. If Latin is often used as an option throughout the year at single-language masses, then all the Ordinary of the Mass can be done in Latin at these big feast. The people will know the Sign of the Cross, Penitential right, Gloria, etc in both their native language and Latin. So at a big celebrations, an all-Latin Mass will not impede active participation. Singing and understanding will occur and no one will feel slighted! Of course, this only works if Latin is constantly cycled through the regular Masses along with the vernacular (perhaps one part of the Ordinary is sung in Latin each Sunday). At Bilingual Masses, the propers can be done in the majority language, both languages, or even in Latin so long as a very usable worship aid is provided. Moreover, I think this is actually exactly what SC envisioned should happen with the use of Latin. Latin is the language of the Western Rite!

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  5. Peter Rehwaldt

    I have done bilingual baptisms, where the families of the parents come from different heritages. The blending of prayers and blessings in different languages gave witness to the common sacramental gift that embraces us all, and was greatly appreciated by not only the families but also the broader community.

    In a practical sense, some prayers or blessings would be made in one language or the other, others might be done in an alternating manner, and a few might be repeated in each language in full. In the Lutheran rite, the assembly offers a welcome at the end to the newly baptized, and at one baptism for which I was present, the welcome was offered in not only the two languages of the families of the mother and father, but also two other languages that were present in the parish community.

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  6. Martin Badenhorst OP

    Here multilingual Masses are the norm. I would regularly use Afrikaans, English and Sesotho, and with baptisms French, Italian and Portuguese as well, likewise with funerals – depending on who comes from where to attend.

    In the one context where Afrikaans, English and Sesotho are the norm, it has become seamless, with parts of the Mass and hymns alternating, also the readings. I start the Mass in any of the languages and switch at the consecration of the cup, the language not used for the Mass prayers is used in the sermon.

    In the other context there is are English Masses and a Sesotho Mass on a Sunday. The Sesotho Mass is expected to take about 3 and a half hours.

    With large parish events like the Fete Sunday and previously Easter, Pentecost and St Dominic’s (when I previously served here 20 years ago) there would be one Mass for all the people and the liturgy would incorporate both English and Sesotho and be somewhat shorter, about and hour and three quarters.

    The English Mass also has faithful from French, Italian and Portuguese backgrounds, with visiting family members from their countries of origin who are monolingual. As I regularly celebrate baptism during the Sunday Morning Mass, I have instituted, where I am able, parts of the baptism rite in the language of the parents and family, while the Mass is in English. With Funerals the Mass will have elements of the mooring family’s language, where I am capable, especially to accommodate family who have travelled from far.

    We have an annual Fatima Feast in October which is largely Portuguese with some English hymns and readings.

    The community has had this diversity from many decades. It has simply become second nature to have this diversity in a single act of worship at local and diocesan level.

    Latin does not figure too greatly, except for use of the Missa de Angelis at diocesan events. Something to do with the diversity of missionaries who had their own way of pronouncing Latin and abandoned the diversity of Latin accents for the same…

    Reply
  7. Charles Day

    What we need is an Esperanto Missal. Just kidding.

    I could be wrong, but I always thought that at least part of the reason that Latin was a default language for Mass was that due to the extent of the Roman Empire, it was the English of the day – everyone knew at least a little of it because it was so widespread.

    In my part of the United States (Atlanta area) there are certainly large groups of Hispanic people, but there are also large groups of Asians, particularly Vietnamese and Laotians, many different cultural African groups (it’s a big continent), as well non-Hispanic islanders like those from Jamaica and Haiti.

    I have been to Mass at a church in Norcross where all of these groups were represented in a single Mass. English was used, and no one had any problem with it. At my current parish, we have Spanish masses every Sunday and holy day, but more important than language is culture – for example, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is approaching, and having a celebration for that seems more important than language at Mass.

    Language choice is a legitimate area of concern, but most important is celebrating the diversity of culture.

    Reply
    1. Jeffery BeBeau

      @Charles Day – comment #8:

      Actually there is already and Esperanto Missal!

      Reply
  8. Christian McConnell

    Not that it’s a model I’d recommend, but here in Canada, the default is for different language groups to have their own communities. In a heavily bilingual (English/French) diocese like Ottawa, where I used to live, bilingual parishes are a rarity. Rather, the diocese is made up of two distinct sectors, which sometimes seem a bit like two dioceses with one bishop. Here in Toronto, on any given Sunday, the liturgy is celebrated in over 30 languages. They don’t really mix them, and it’s not like anyone comprehensively could. A parish of more than one language (of which English is often one) will normally just divvy up the Sunday schedule between them. Even separate Triduum liturgies are not completely unheard of. The experiments I’ve seen Stateside, in which multiple languages are used in a single liturgy, are worth pursuing. It can’t be easy, but ghettoization around language is a real risk.

    Reply
  9. Dale Rodrigue

    In the US it can’t hurt us to attend Masses in more than one language. In Europe most of the population can speak 3 languages and understand a few more whereas in the US only a small percentage do. That is changing of course with Spanish but for the most part it’s english or as our British friends say “American”. It can’t hurt us to pick up another language or two; living languages that is.

    Reply
  10. Dan McKernan

    Steven in comment #5 has the right idea. It also has the added benefit of implementing the Church’s universal recommendation to use Latin in mixed language groups. Seems to work well within the framework of SC too.

    Reply
  11. Sean Keeler

    As much as I enjoy Latin, I’ve encountered few priests, and fewer bishops, who are encouraging it much. It’s the vaguely-recalled-by-old-folks language. The result when used in a Mass as the common language is that we have both a language and a generation gap.

    Fr. Badenhorst points to the differences in accent and pronunciation among priests. If you learn it through Rosetta, you learn classical. My learning, and most music, was all ecclesiastical (except for third person present tense of scire!). Understanding it and changing it to one’s own language can be tough.

    Even the priest so well known for “slavishly accurate” translations said in his blog that: [I’ll translate this into American… an Italian epistolary style can sound ridiculous when rendered literally.] If modern linguistics can sound ridiculous, how much worse a mispronounced, wrongly spoken Latin?

    Globally, there are documented 7305 languages (ref. Ethnologue) up from 6500 some 20 years ago. The likelihood of finding one common Mass setting is nil. People will attend churches where they find comfort as much today as US immigrants did a century ago.

    Occasionally, our cathedral will have multi-lingual Prayers of the Faithful, but without printed translations it becomes a waste of time and more of an interruption than a part of the Mass.

    My own church has speakers of over a dozen languages, led by English, Spanish, and Tagalog. Our Masses are all in English, including hymns printed multi-lingually because none of our singers can lead non-English hymns!

    Bottom line seems to be that if somebody moves here, they are expected to make the accommodation to the local language, not the other way around.

    Reply
    1. Jordan Zarembo

      @Sean Keeler – comment #13:

      I have found that even in the secular academy a person who reads Latin aloud in the ecclesiastical dialect is often not stigmatized. I started learning Latin at an early age under the care of lay-brothers and priests, and never experienced the “secular” “reconstructed ciceronian” accent until I attended undergraduate school. Even though I made an attempt to speak in the secular dialect, I could not master it. The dialect struck me as artificial and very stilted. Read the “Preface of the Holy Spirit I” (the EF Holy Spirit Preface) aloud in the “ciceronian” dialect, and you will hear how grating this pronounciation is in the context of Christian prayer.

      I always thought that scire is pronounced ßire in ecclesiastical Latin, “skire” in “classical”. Recently I was reading Plautus aloud in the context of diss. research, and came upon the word piget (pigeo [2], “to be angry”) as pi-zhet, which garnered a raised eyebrow. Nevertheless, this example demonstrates the wide gap between the two pronunciations.
      —-
      None of the previous is truly germane to this discussion. I apologize for the tangent. Still, I believe it important that the priest and people not only know a Mass setting in Latin, but also a select small number of phrases (e.g. the greeting, laus tibi Christe after the gospel, the blessing and dismissal in Latin). These most basic parts of the Mass serve to cement a Mass celebrated two or three languages with a language outside of modern vernaculars.

      Reply
  12. Bryon Gordon

    I think that the usage of different languages within the Liturgy bears witness to the truth that there is a unity in diversity. Theologically, it bears witness to the fact that we are all children of God.

    This came to me clearly at one Mass several years ago when the presider invited the assembly to recite the Lord’s Prayer [Our Father] in whatever native tongue the worshippers possessed. The parish community was multi-lingual. Though not quite the glossolalia of a pentecostal nature, the praying of it did approximate it and it was beautiful, for we were praying as one people to our one Father.

    In some bilingual parishes where I’ve been incorporated, the Triduum was celebrated in Spanish and English (sometimes Latin, if the choir utilized introits and graduals, or motets) through the collects, proclaimation of Scripture. The presiders and lectors made it flow seamlessly. The community knew that the Triduum is one lengthy liturgy (especially at the Great Vigil), so time was not an issue. We realized that we are in this toogther for the long haul.

    Reply
  13. Lynn Thomas

    We have seven masses each weekend, two in Spanish and the rest in English. Likely that will change soon as we move through the rest of a process that will have us working more closely with two other parishes in the diocese. HOW it changes isn’t yet clear. Midnight Mass at Christmas is going bilingual, awkwardly but not horribly so. A few years ago we had one in Spanish [early, in the gym] and one in English in the church. Easter Vigil has gone bilingual for some years, and poorly so. It’s not so much a problem alternating the language of the readings, but the Gospel and homily were done in both languages, which got weird and tiresome. For a couple of years, accommodating the expectations of some of our folks has gotten so awkward and out of norm as to leave me just wanting it to be over and done. Last year the choir didn’t sing the vigil, but let the Spanish music group take it, in recognition of the reality that the folks receiving sacraments of initiation were overwhelmingly Spanish speakers with entirely different views of what should be included and how. I miss the Vigil I knew about six years ago, but not the one we have now. Last time we sang it, I couldn’t stay engaged past the readings, and there were still almost three hours to go.

    Reply

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