Mass on the Move

Altar of the Daily Mass Chapel
Notre Dame Cathedral, Bayonne, France 

It doesn't seem like it should be that difficult, concelebrating Mass at a local parish.  But it can be a big pain in the neck.  It takes up a lot of my time and energy.  So why is it such a big deal?  Well, here are some issues involved.

The first thing I do upon arriving at a new place is try to find a church that has Mass.  Now not every church has Mass daily.  Unlike Incarnation and most Brooklyn parishes, not every church has Mass on a given day.  Most churches have a schedule of where Mass will be celebrated in the village/town/city.  So you find that church.   But sometimes there is a hand written sign up: "Ne pas le Messe aujourd'hui" (No Mass Today).  I have what I need to celebrate Mass in my hotel but that is not ideal.  If it's early enough (most churches have evening Mass around 6 or 6:30PM) I'll check for another church.

If there is a scheduled Mass this is where the fun begins.  Every church has a sacristan/sexton who believes he or she is somehow part of the Holy Trinity or carries the keys of St. Peter himself.  More often than not this person will also serve the Mass or read the Scripture passage.  I'll approach this person and explain that I am an American priest and I would like to concelebrate the Mass.  Now it does not seem to be the custom here because the person has no idea why I would want to do such a thing.  Granted there is a language barrier but still it should not be that difficult.

Because this conversation all takes place in the small Mass chapel the entire group of people gathered all know that something "out of the routine" is taking place and so they begin to talk among themselves about this evolving situation.  Some believing the sexton is being "too hard on me," others upset that I am breaking up "their routine."  Some have come up to join the conversation or iron things out in their minds.

After dealing with the sexton/sacristan I get to the sacristy.  Some of the better sextons/sacristans will begin to find vestments for me (a simple white alb and a stole).  As a courtesy I'll wait until the priest arrives to vest.  Some priests arrive fully informed of my presence (the grapevine is awfully thick in these small parishes) others get the news upon their arrival.  I'll ask the priest if I can concelebrate with him and then get vested.

Not all priests like the idea of concelebration and some do better than others with small talk in the sacristy before Mass.  Some priests will chat about New York or my upcoming Camino Pilgrimage others will not say a word to me at all.  I find those priests from religious congregations - Dominicans, Jesuits, Eudists  - all do better at welcoming the stranger.  Perhaps it is because of the nature of religious life that they are more used to visitors.  Some priests welcome me from the Altar at some point of the Mass others say nothing.

Like at home Sunday Masses usually have more people around with the various ministers arriving in the sacristy.  Some of the more daring will try to "practice their English" on me.  While most churches seem to have only one Sunday Mass, it is usually well attended with organ and singing.

High Altar of the Church of St. John the Baptist,   St. Jean de Luz, France
Here King Louis XIV married Marie Theresa of Spain in 1660.

One example to show how welcoming some priests can be.  This past Monday was a holiday here in France.   It was the Monday after Pentecost;  a bank and school holiday.  When I arrived at the Church of St. Jean the Baptist for the 6PM Mass it was cancelled because there was a holiday concert that evening in the church.   After asking around for another church etc.  I was brought to the priest who brought me to the rectory chapel so that I could say Mass.  He was by far the kindest priest I met so far.

On my journeys if the first day works out, I usually return to the same church the next day.  I tell them I am coming and they can expect me rather than start from scratch the next day.  Of course in Solesmes and Lourdes it was an entirely different dynamic.  I have been told that along the camino it will be easier as other priests have preceded me through the years.

All that for Mass on the move!