The sad thing is that liturgical dance is now popular enough to have its own little industry. Check out the photos and imagine this in the sanctuary of your church.
The sad thing is that liturgical dance is now popular enough to have its own little industry. Check out the photos and imagine this in the sanctuary of your church.
Why not let ‘em get together in the basement of the church on Saturday mornings and dance.
Established in 1977, surprise! surprise!
Unfortunately, if you look at the ‘history’ this woman was asked to be one of the coordinators and choreographers for the Papal Youth Rally in St. Louis… supposedly one of the more conservative dioceses and one that she says she is active in many parishes. Not to mention she was at the pope’s youth rally, apparently dancing away or at least responsible for the dancing away. You can’t combat this stuff if it seems to be condoned by the Chair of Peter.
worship streamers? Sounds like my helium balloon days in the Unitarians…..what a gig!!
Coll,
The Papal Youth Rally was held at the old Arena (The Barn) in St. Louis, where the St. Louis Blues played hockey. It’s since been torn down. No Mass was held there during the rally. It was a pep rally for JPII . To say it was a smashing success is an understatement. The kids went wild when the Holy Father walked out on the stage. It was reported that decibel levels that night were akin to standing next to an F-15 at take off. This gal is giving a false impression of her role in the Papal visit in ‘99. Name dropping, if you will. What she fails to report was that her ‘performance’ was drowned out by the kids yelling “JPII-we love you!” the whole time he was at the Arena. When the Blues presented JPII with a personalized stick and team jersey, the kids blew the roof off the ‘Barn’. Vocations in the area had a dramatic spike, too.
Thanks, KMac, I feel better about what she said although sometimes those papal Masses do include ‘liturgical’ dancing and other dodgy stuff which makes life difficult for those of us who are sick and tired of Mass innovation.
The fact that she was even invited to a papal pep rally as a ‘professional’ disturbs me but who knows who does the inviting to those things. Even if it was bureaucrats at the chancery, Archbishop Rigali was the point man at that time.
I just don’t think silliness deserves recognition.
Dom. Please. Make it stop.
This is not a story for the faint of heart nor for those who maintain a modicum of what was once called decorum.
If you have not witnessed a “liturgical dance” close up, it is a spectacle worthy of an operatic entrance of the clowns. So far, I believe, that only girls are subjected to this attempt at the spontaneity of Old Testatment celebrations. However, with the push to include everyone in one big inclusive Church, who knows what lies in our future? Although, I hate to think of the costuming.
You have to be there as the music begins and the entrance procession of the mass starts up the center aisle. Twirling their sheer cloths and making mincing little steps bounces a phalanx right of out of Groucho, Zeppo, Chico and Harpo along with the servers, cross bearer, lector, and celebrant.
As one faces the entrance procession attempting to sing whatever Marty Haugen jingle is being played, it is difficult to know whether to laugh, cry or bolt out the door.
If there are mothers who deserve time in Purgatory, it is the mothers of these girls. These poor girls are the kind that bear the cross of dumb mothers who believe that moving one’s feet and twirling a scarf constitutes talent. These are also the girls who did not make the cut for junior varsity cheerleading.
Somewhere, in the background is their “teacher” whom I’ll bet conspires with the Sr. Rosie aka pastoral associate with the bad hairdo and worse outfits…matching lime colors.
Many of these girls would do better in extra physical education courses, especially the ones that burn off calories.
When the priest finally gets to the altar and Marty’s jingle is over, it is quite a feat to be spiritually prepared for mass.
I am a firm believer of getting to mass on time if not early.
If the people around you are not gossiping in stage whispers along with the ushers; and others are not greeting each other as if they were at the supermarket, there is time for meditative preparation.
In the case of “liturgical dance” Sundays, I think that it is excusable, no, I am sure that it is…to be five minutes late. Otherwise, I would suggest moving as far from the center aisle as possible, pretending your eyes itch and you need to scratch them, fumbling through the hymnal to find that Marty Haugen ditty, or just having a brown paper bag handy…just in case.
If you read the ‘history’, you will notice that this woman, Suzanne Tushar, claims to be ‘co-director’ of liturgical dance at Immaculate Conception Parish…This has been my parish for 20+ years…These insults to the Holy Mass have yet to be stopped.
I have pictures, a write-up from our School Dedication Mass and my letter to the bishops here with an update here.
My sympathy, Slattery…
For Coll: the Pope’s liturgical main-man at the Vatican is a leftie of the first water. But he will be replaced when the white smoke rises!
Ninenot:
I suspect Archbishop Burke will address the ‘liturgical dance’ issue fairly soon. I understand (from very knowledgable sources) that he and the Archdiocesan Office of Worship are preparing new directives for all parishes in light of Redemptionis Sacramentum and that LD is to be among the issues resolved.