Beginning in the early 1970s, the phenomenon of "polka masses" began appearing. Polka masses are usually held by members of the Roman Catholic Church who consider the polka an important part of their ethnic heritages. The first polka mass was created by Father George Balasko in 1972 and the idea was spread by Father Frank Perkovich throughout the '70s and '80s. Both were polka musicians. In composing a polka mass, a musician either alters the lyrics of polka pieces to become more appropriate for a spiritual setting or creates an entirely new piece of polka-style music to sing with the usual sacred text. Robert Walser argues that the exuberant polka music motivates participants to "worship more vigorously." [ROFLLOL!!!] He also asserts that the polka mass "brings the community into the church" because it involves music and lyrics that the congregations are more familiar with. [Yes we should have Youth Polka Masses to really relate to kids nowadays]Wikipedia
2008 Polka Mass at Iron River, WI
Uuuuuuuuhhhh. Well interstesting note here, while researching for this post I found the celebrant of this years Polka Mass in Iron River was the Bishop of Superior, Bishop Peter Christensen ....
Superior Catholic Herald
IRON RIVER - Hundreds of people gathered to attend the Polka Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Christensen in Iron River Sunday, July 25, during the annual Blueberry Festival. Afterwards Bishop Christensen visited with people who were enjoying the festivities of the day.
Umm, that's all for now.... I'm breaking into a cold sweat..... I am going to have nightmares for months about those stars.
31 comments:
I was just having a discussion this weekend about wishing the Bishops would outlaw this. Of course, you have to post a bishop being the celebrant. uhhhh!!!! I would have put money on the former bishop of the Superior Diocese doing this. :(
It is wrong on so many levels, and not just because it's tacky and dated. That is the symptom of its wrongness, not the cause.
Whenever the Mass becomes subject to taste and whims, it takes on a character that is vulnerable to becoming dated. The Church is timeless and reaches across the ages. So, too, should the Litugy connect us with all the saints that have come before us and are to come in the future. That's why the Catholic Church is and should be different. It is UNIVERSAL. Universal Church, universal Liturgy...and, dare I say, universal language?
I wonder how those same proponents of the polka mass would feel about a hip-hop mass?
I like Credo's question. I am so sad to say, but my dad was a HUGE polka fan, I grew up with polka music-yes, you can all have a pity party for me! I have been to many polka Masses in my youth, all of them terrible. My dad hated anything that wasn't polkas, so I'm sure the hip-hop Mass would have been out of the question!
Thanks for a blast from the past and very grateful that my days of attending polka Masses are over, but may my dad rest in the peace of Christ, along with the polka Mass.
...but I think it would be better to be shot than to have to sit through the aptly named Polka Mass. ...
Amen, Brother!!! Polka masses bug me (that's the understatement of the century).
LOL, Anne you made me laugh out loud with your last comment.
The thing with Polka Mass is that it has nothing to do with German culture. If they wanted a German Mass they'd perform German music like Beethoven or Mozart. These German composers wrote music FOR THE MASS.
I'm also ROFLOL, right with y'all!!
As for me, how about a 'heavy-metal' mass......c'mon....even I know that's inappropriate, whether I'd enjoy it or not!
The polka is POLISH national music, not German.
Sinatra's revenge: I gotta be MMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
So the German's adopted the Polish music though right? Wikipedia says its Czech... my family is from Plzeň... Oh boy, I have Pennsylvania Polka stuck in my head now..
"Strike up the music, the band has begun....the Pennsylvania Polk!!"
Good GRIEF. Or just GRIEF, since a polka Mass can never be a good one........hopefully at least the Consecration was licit--though on a stage?? Is licit possible that way???
I need a cup of hot chocolate and a long hot bath..............
Alright that's it, I need to post some polka music!
I'm not sure laurazim, but I'll probably still be having nightmares until it is illicit. Let's be glad there was no video....
When I was a young child, I vaguely remember a Polka Mass occurring at St. Thomas More in LaCrosse (now Mary, Mother of the Church). This would have been around 1985 under Father Falconer.
I was a child at St Tom's at that time. I don't ever remember them but I was very young. It certainly had a Polka Mass culture at that time though.
As far as the music goes, the Polka was originally Czech when it started in the US, although it was quickly adopted by Poles and Slovenians (Frankie Yankovich was a huge popularizer). I'm from MA and the Polka Mass was popular in the 1970s and is still around in Central MA and CT (more Poles there than you might realize).
I like the music, as a legitimate American folk sound. So cheap shots about Polkas notwithstanding, I can say, no I don't like the Polka Mass. Not, I confess, as much as I dislike the Teen Mass (I'd take an accordion over an electric guitar and drum set any day, but the principle is the same: the music is not appropriate for the Mass. But, as far as liturgical abuses goes, this is small potatoes, certainly not up there with giant floating puppet heads, inlcusive language, or liturgical dancers (although I have heard of people Polka dancing up with the Gifts, so strike that one). But this one will at least fade, as the participants dwindle
So let's work on that Teen Mass....
From what I understand from native Poles, they would be absolutely horrified by this...
their hymnody and chant is simply marvelous; beautiful in every way...I know from from being an organist, many years ago with a Polish pastor in IL, and from my own contacts with native Poles.
This is DEFINITELY an American phenomenon...
absolutely hideous at Holy Mass...(But I'm Anglo-Irish...what would I know?:<)!)
Have your polka music in the beer tent, drink up, have a good time, but keep it the hell outta Church!!
ac - I agree the LifeTeen Mass is just as nasty. But I don't think they pretend it to be reverent or cultural, just modern and hip. But the idea of the Polka Mass is that it has something to do with Central European culture which is completely false.
Father I couldn't have said it better myself.
I see that nobody wants to mention the elephant in the room..... a BISHOP celebrated a POLKA MASS. (and a reportedly "solid" bishop at that...)
Our parish has an annual polka Mass, which I haven't attended for some years, but I don't recall actual polka dance music. The hymns were beautiful, appropriate and reverent; I remember an accordian and two violinists accompanying. Truth be told, the visiting Polish group provided far superior music to our usual off-key choir struggling through the Gather hymnal. Don't jump to conclusions; if the Mass was celebrated by a "solid" Bishop I'm sure it was tasteful, beautiful and licit.
I disagree Siobhan, the Polka Mass hymns are not beautiful, appropriate, or reverent. And yes, I have listened to them. If they were, then they would be used in parishes on a regular basis. They are pseudo-cultural invention of the 1970s (like the Gather hymnal). I've never heard of a Polka Mass parish, but if one exists I stand to be corrected. Polka music was created to dance to not to worship with. Why fashion a round peg to fit a square hole. PS> The violin is not proper to a polka band.
A Polka Mass would not be tolerated in Poland.
I. Hate. Polka. Masses.
Just wanted to say that where I would be appreciated.
ROFL! I hope you didn't need to suffer through one IC.
I avoided it but I would be fine if they were obliterated from the universe.
I really don't see what's so wrong with them. If you don't like them, you don't have to go to them. And it's still a mass, for goodness sakes. It's just got polka music in it!
I've heard people say that it's not approproite music for mass. But who decideds these things? I didn't know there were rules about how you should praise God.
And they do have masses with hip hop music. It's just not called a hip hop mass.
Vatican II says we are supposed to sing Gregorian Chant, that's who say's it's inappropriate. Polka Music was created for dancing, not the worship of God.
Will someone comment on the difference between "style", and "substance" in any worship service?
Anon, you are saying that Polka Masses are the same as Masses according to Vatican II with Gregorian Chant because the substance is the same but the only thing they vary on is "style?" If that's the case, then why does the Church put out documents on proper ... "style" of worship? Or why have a Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music if there's no such thing as "Sacred" Music since it's all a matter of style?
Good God people lighted up! I'm Catholic and after reading these responses I get why people view our religion as uptight.
A Polka mass is for those who have the ability to have fun, and why would you attend such a function if you despise it? Please allow other Catholics to enjoy themselves by staying home. Thank you.
Sincerely,
A fun Catholic
There should never be any reason why faithful Catholics should have to discern whether to attend any Mass anywhere!! Polka Masses originated because of the so called "Spirit of Vatican 2" (a misconception of what Vatican 2 is really about), which those looking for change quickly implemented, regardless of how crazy. In fact, the music for the Mass has to be liturgical and sacred in nature, understandably. The liturgy has to do with the sacrifice of Christ and our partaking in that sacrifice, as attested to by the Apostolic church Fathers. True joy comes from partaking - that is “being fed” by the Eucharist and the liturgy of the Word; Entertaining music is for entertainment and should, therefore be used outside of the Mass. Obviously, these impromptu changes are dividing the Church rather than uniting.
Just a note, a violin is proper in a Polish Style Polka band with Mountaineer flavor.
I have grown up on Polka Music, but do not like Polka Masses either. It could be done well, but rarely the case. The article you cited by Robert Walser spoke of my father's Polka band doing Polka Masses back in the 70's or 80's. My father doesn't like them either to be truthful. One reason is the musicians are often mediocre, and they don't write music to fit the texts of the Mass for the day. They are not done correctly in liturgical terms. Polkas are how the immigrants used to keep ties to their culture outside of Church. Having a concertina or accordion playing at Mass is OK sometimes, like a funeral. Often times at home, my father will play the traditional Polish song: "Serdeczna Matko." The instrument is essentially a hand-held mini organ. This has been a nice way of having the instrument at Mass.
I DESPISE the tune and words of "Serdeczna Matko", especially the shoddy English "translations" that abound, as much as I despise "Gift of Finest Wheat" for other reasons. I am not Polish, but live in a once Polish-dominated parish boundary of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Duluth, MN - upon which you commented in another post. I love ALL "ethnic" music in it's proper place - the tavern, beer tent and dance hall - NOT IN CHURCH. Ironically, the promoter of the ill-thought "Polka Mass", Fr. Frank Perkovich, was a close family friend and High School classmate of my late mother, in Chisholm, MN!
We have a "modern" church built around Vatican II in town that has been retrofitted for the Novus Ordo and Tridentine Mass. ALL masses are said AD ORIENTEM, two weekend NO masses in English, and Sunday noon alternating OF/EF celebrated in LATIN. ALL music is Gregorian chant, plain chant, choral, schola and organ.
We are RETURNING TO NORMALCY in Duluth, MN!!!
I agree 100% with your statement. I went to mass at noon today and found myself in disbelief that this was happening. There is no sacred at Mass anymore. No wonder so many Catholics don't believe in the true body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. They remove our rails and sing like a gang gone camping. God help us....
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