I'm interested in any and all thoughts and feedback, positive and negative, about your tech-mediated worship experience. Here are some questions which may stimulate conversation, but please don't relegate yourself to these topics.
- Did/does your regular parish provide a way for you to participate in tech-mediated worship, such as live-streaming or a pre-recorded mass? Which form of delivery would you prefer?
- When you take part in tech-mediated worship, do you utilize a television set? Laptop or desktop computer? Smartphone? Another viewing device?
- Did you "stay loyal" to your regular parish, or did you participate in another church's worship? What led to your decision?
- Did/do you take part in tech-mediated worship less frequently, about the same frequency, or more frequently than you took part in in-person worship?
- When taking part in tech-mediated worship, had/has your full, conscious and active participation in the mass been less than, about the same as, or more than when you worshiped in-person? Did/do you speak and/or sing the responses? Did/do you stand and kneel when you would do those things in-person?
- When taking part in tech-mediated worship, how different was/is it that you are not surrounded by your faith community? How important is it to you to be part of a larger group during worship?
- When taking part in tech-mediated worship, how much did/do you miss the sacramental participation, such as taking part in the Eucharist and receiving communion?
- On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is "Ghastly" and 10 is "Superior", how would you rate the production value of the tech-mediated worship mass you took/take part in? Were there any technical aspects (e.g. camera angles, close-ups, sound, lighting) which were/are significant distractions or irritants for you? Did your regular mass do anything to improve its production quality over the time you watched it?
- How well did the priest, deacon, readers, cantors and any other on-camera participants adjust to doing their role in a tech-mediated rather than in-person context? What could these ministers do to improve their ministry in a tech-mediated context?
1. Our parish only had two recorded services, during Holy Week and Easter. My preference is for live-streamed rather than recorded, but I'll take what's available.
ReplyDelete2. We watch tech mediated worship on our tv set, in the family room. We call it St. Basement's.
3. We watched one of the other parish in town's live-streamed Mass. Because we didn't have that option from our actual parish. We are however quite familiar with this parish and people; the priest over there has been my confessor for 25 years.
4. We took part in the tech-mediated worship about the same as we do in-person, which is every day.
5. We tried to be as intentional with tech-mediated as we were in person. We spoke the responses and sung the hymns. However we didn't try standing and kneeling, were just couch potatoes. Dirty little secret, we were still in our PJ's, as the live streamed was at 8:00 AM.
6. We did miss our usual people that we see at Mass. But it helped that the faces on the live-streamed Mass were people we know.
7. We did very much miss receiving sacramental Communion. Though the priest who was live-streaming led people in an act of spiritual Communion. I tried to keep in mind that all Communions should be spiritual.
8. I rate the tech-mediated Mass we took part in at a 9.
9. The priest, deacon, and reader were very natural. They didn't act like it bothered them at all that they were televised. The priest led an acapella opening and closing hymn, and chanted the preface, Sanctus, and Lamb of God. He gave a short homily. Which is also what he does normally.
An anonymous donor sponsored the live-streamed Masses from this parish on News Channel Nebraska. They are still televising them, since not everyone is back to in-person attendance. There was enough viewer interest that they are carrying it without sponsorship now.
In our pastor's absence, a retired priest is doing weekend Masses at our parish, and our school principal is livestreaming it on Youtube. There is no daily Mass there right now. But we are attending daily Mass at the parish I just mentioned.
A couple of times we tried the archdiocese's Mass for shut-ins, and were disappointed in the quality compared to our other options.
We are back to in-person attendance now. My husband assists at the altar for two of the weekend Masses. At the other parish where we go to daily Mass, everyone wears masks, without exception. They have their system for dealing with distancing, etc. very well worked out. I am worried about our parish. Seems like they are lapsing into getting careless with precautions.
DeleteOn the list of risky behaviors, church is right up toward the top with bars and theaters. Our parish is very careless. I wish Raber would reconsider going back to "live" Mass this weekend, but he's not gonna.
Deletehttps://www.businessinsider.com/riskiest-to-least-risky-activities-during-coronavirus-pandemic-ranked-2020-5#medium-risk-restaurants-indoors-6
As far as "risky behaviors" in church, it's my personal observation that pastors need to lay down the expectations as non-negotiables, rather than merely "strongly suggest". Some of them are reluctant to do that. But the ones who do don't seem to have trouble getting compliance.
DeleteIn our case, the diocese laid down the expectations as non-negotiables. That is intended to take the burden off pastors; they can simply point to a diocesan email or website and say, "We're following the same program everyone else is."
Delete1. Local parish and diocese at the cathedral both live stream masses.
ReplyDelete2. Raber watches the diocesan TV Mass. I say my rosary or listen to the Litany of the Saints in my bedroom on my tablet. I sometimes like Morning Prayer from the National Cathedral during the week.
3. Raber still sends the local parish money, but prefers the diocesan Mass because he can watch it on a bigger screen in a comfortable chair. I am not "loyal" to the local parish. I send my money to other charities.
4. Raber seems more assiduous about TV church in the absence of "live Mass." My worship is always "when the mood strikes," so about the same, though Raber's example of setting aside Sunday morning TV church time often nudges me to do the same in my own way.
5. I have no idea what Raber is doing while TV church is going on. I do chant the responses (ora pro nobis, etc.) when I watch the Litany of the Saints in my bedroom. My conscious seems more engaged because I am not distracted by the people in my parish, whom I dislike. On the other hand, I am not praying for these people, either, which I do do at "live Mass" while they are receiving Communion. So I am getting out of the habit of praying for people I don't like. Bad Jean!
6. It is a relief not to have the local parishioners around, frankly. I would like to worship with a "faith community," but it takes a long time to integrate into a Catholic parish, and I won't live that long.
7. I never take Communion, but occasionally I do miss feeling God's nearness in the sacraments.
8. Sorry no suggestions for TV Mass broadcast improvement. I like the Litany of the Saints because it flashes nice pictures of the saints and Jesus as it goes through the "roll call." The guy at the National Cathedral doing Morning Prayer makes me feel like he is talking directly to me. The production is very good.
1. We (my friend Betty who is staying with me in isolation) have two parishes. She was a cantor at one; I a choir member at the other. Both parishes have pre-recorded but not live streamed Masses. We both prefer live streamed Masses.
ReplyDelete2. My computer monitor is a huge, high quality one used by businesses. When you sit in from of it you feel you are there.
3. We did not stay loyal to our parishes because they don’t have live-streamed nor high quality services. We discovered Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana which does daily Mass and Vespers, all high quality services.
4. We went from Saturday evening Vespers at the local Orthodox church or Saturday Mass at one parish and Sunday Morning Mass at the other to Daily Vespers and Sunday Mass at Meinrad, and often Lauds at Conception Abbey So we are now a daily worshiping community rather than a weekend worshiping community
5. We don’t stand or kneel. We sing the music when it is available or if we know it.
6. I have a long history with Benedictines, first with those from Saint Vincents in Pa, then at Collegeville as an undergraduate. I actually interviewed once in the seventies for a teaching position at Saint Meinrad. A little too far out in the country, I would have had to commute for about an hour. I later spent Holy Week with them when I taught elsewhere in Indiana. I spent time at the Portsmouth Abbey when I was in New England. At one point in her life Betty almost became a Benedictine. So it is just like we’ve gone to a Benedictine monastery for the pandemic.
7. I became well adjusted to Mass without communion when I attended the local Orthodox parish and often watched the live streamed ND Mass during Lake effect snow storms.
8. Saint Meinrad does a simple but effective job with the camera The parishes do a rather poor job with the camera and have not improved over time. Periodically I check their video to see how many are attending and any changes they have made.
9. Saint Meinrad’s does not do much to cater to its outside audience. Most of them are likely Benedictine groupies like us. It is just like visiting them and having a seat in the choir.
As long as we're talking virtual worship, here's a conundrum:
ReplyDeleteOne of the local parishioners with brain cancer has gone on hospice. She sent out a FB message with a long list of people she wanted to see before she died. Raber's name is on the list.
Neither of us can figure out why she wants to see him, since he does not know this woman except to say hello when he sees her husband at the Men's Club. Raber is shy about going on his own to visit this lady and said he would like to go with all the other Men's Club members on the list.
We have been to these types of deathbed gatherings in the past, and there is always a lot of hugging, crying, and singing in close quarters.
I asked Raber not to go with a lot of other people on this home visit because they're all Republicans and Trumpers, and I guarantee they will not be masking up or keeping distance. I suggested he call the husband and to ask when he can visit when there will not be other people there or to use Zoom.
What's the gracious response here?
I think you are right that he should consult with her husband and figure out a time to go solo, even though it would be more comfortable to go with others. The couple themselves have likely not spent time away from home and probably not exposed to the virus.
DeleteWe sometimes don't know when we have touched people's lives in a positive way. The woman must feel that Raber is a good guy.
The couple has a huge extended family that comes in and out. She is getting 5-10 people every day, mostly drop-ins. Raber will do what he wants in any case.
DeleteI've been commenting off and on about some of this, but, for the sake of order, I will go by the numbers.
ReplyDelete1. We (Marilyn and I) have had tech-mediated Masses all along. I don't remember what they did on Sunday before the re-opening, but I think it was film from 7 o'clock at 8. Now it is film from the vigil the day before available at 8 on Sunday. Daily Mass is live-streamed and then available on film, but not many people know about it. Our computer was the only one on line for it today. Before the opening, daily Masses often hit 140+ computers. Nobody who sees anybody seems to know of the existence of the daily Mass on film. Sunday is promoted by an email link every Sunday morning to all known homes.
2. We do it on the laptop.
3. We prefer our parish because we know the priests. When something (often) goes wrong with the live feed, we switch to St. Pat's in New York. I have mentioned their hymnal, which was printed about the time steamboats began plying the Hudson.
4.Every day, then and now.
5. We do respond. We stand or sit We gave up kneeling when it started taking the whole canon to get down. We sing, if you can call it that. Except at St. Pat's where we often know the tune but not those incredibly, well you know, lyrics about love abounding like lilies in your bloody head.
6-7. We really miss the community. We also sore miss Communion. But if I could only bring back one at first, it would be the community. We pray the spiritual communion (liturgists writhe in pain, and rightly so) but having to do that feels like sacrifice whereas not having people we know around feels like being stranded.
8. I'd rate what we are getting as a 5 or 6. It will never be confused with the real thing, but it is not hopeless. The only time the cameras move is on Sunday when someone upstairs operates the zoom lens, and there seems to be a second camera, I can't imagine where, that picks up the ambo from the side.
9. Now that they are working with a live (but limited) audience, the celebrants, deacons and lectors don't pay any attention to us.
Our governor proudly announced today that they found a case where someone -- who had tested positive for COVID-19 -- was killed in a traffic accident and misreported as a COVID death. He has idiotically ordered the other 5,205 reported deaths re-examined to see how many more examples he can find. When he interrupted the Premier League game Saturday, he said only fear could keep us from reopening all the schools. Fear killed 5,205 Floridians so far, unless some of them died in traffic accidents. 2,977 died at the World Trade Center, and we went to two wars over that. I don't see that Gov. Roadrunner can hold his position off the edge of the cliff much longer. So soon we will all be back on line here.
Tom - based on what I hear about the infection rates in Florida, "soon" probably should be "right away"!
DeleteJim, or "long ago."
DeleteHere are my answers:
ReplyDelete1. Our parish pre-records. We've offered to help get a live-stream going (and by "we" I mean "my children, who get social media much better than I do"), but so far I haven't been able to motivate the people at the parish who would need to make it happen.
2. We plug my laptop into a flat-screen television and watch it in our family room.
3. The first couple of weeks, our parish hadn't started doing a pre-recorded mass, so we watched a couple of televised masses, one from the cathedral, another from a local home for boys and girls (I don't know if they still are called orphanages, but that's basically what it is). When our parish started pre-recording masses, we switched back to the parish.
4. We did the tech-mediated thing weekly, just like in-person. Except that, like Katherine's husband, I did 2-3 masses every weekend in-person, but while we were under the stay-at-home order, I only watched one mass per weekend. It really opened up my weekend - it was kind of nice from that selfish point of view. But I missed the people terribly.
5. We say and sing the responses (sometimes in multi-part harmony, depending on who is watching with me :-)). As a general rule, we don't stand and kneel; in fact, not to put too fine a point on it, we are reclined in our recliners, with some of the watchers having cups of coffee or tea nearby. However, at some point our pastor started to insert into the pre-recorded mass a prayer for the end of the pandemic, for which he turned to the camera and invited/instructed everyone at home to kneel. My wife, apparently feeling she still needs to set examples for our children (who all are adults now), would kneel and then give me "The Eye" until I kneeled, too. My knees are a little creaky sometimes - I shouldn't admit this but I really hated that part of the telecast, because of the kneeling.
6. I missed the community. That's one of the things that keeps me glued to the parish. A lot of our parishioners have deep faith, and it really sustains me.
7. Missed communion (although I was fortunate enough to be able to receive it a few times when I took part in recording the weekly mass during the stay-at-home period), and also presiding at baptisms.
8. Our productions aren't ghastly, but they're not superior, either. We have a single camera on a tripod. Our communication / bulletin editor guy runs the camera. He does a decent enough job. The sound is worse than the video; the single camera is capturing the sound as well as the video.
9. I struggled a little bit with speaking to a camera. The sound was more of a challenge than the looking-at-the-camera part. I felt that I had to change the pacing and cadence of my speech to suit the camera and its limitations. Still not sure I have it down. Would love to get some pointers from someone who knows more about this stuff. I've noticed that my kids' generation is much more comfortable speaking on-camera; I'm sure they're doing video chats and recordings all the time in their secret little virtual worlds they live in.
When our school principal livestreams she has an i-pad set up on a holder that attaches to a front pew. The idea was that if we had an overflow of people beyond our distanced seating capacity they would be seated in the social hall where they could watch the livestream. But that hasn't happened yet. From what I've seen the i-pad does a decent job of picking up the sound.
ReplyDeleteThe picture and sound are really good from the parish that has their Masses on NCN; it helps to have professional camera people doing the recording. But it was just a stroke of luck for them that they have that. It actually works better than whatever the cathedral does, but it is a huge space with awful acoustics and echoes.
Parishes are missing the Virtual Community boat on this one. Some are actually afraid that people might become comfortable participating at Mass from home.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that many people for many reasons should be able to participate in parish life by way of technology. All public services, Masses, weddings, funerals, baptisms should be available to all the public. People should not have to travel long distances, endanger their health, etc. in order to be able to participate, both in real time by live streaming and also by way of historic record.
"Some are actually afraid that people might become comfortable participating at Mass from home." Jack, I agree that should not be their primary fear. The primary fear should be that they would disengage totally. I feel that technology could help prevent that.
DeleteIf there wasn't a pandemic, there would be many good reasons to insist that people gather together at church. Among them is financial: the church's traditional income model has been that people in the pews toss envelopes into the collection basket. When people aren't in the pews, no envelopes get tossed (or very few; people still can mail or hand-deliver their envelopes to the parish office, but it's a safe bet that not many do so). I expect that virtually every parish offers an option to vacuum the weekly offering directly out of the parishioner's bank account. But not every parishioner has signed up for that method. I don't know what percentage have signed up, but I'd bet it's less than half of those who attend.
DeleteIt would also be interesting to know how many who were on the automatic-giving plan, put a hold on it when the stay-at-home orders went into effect.
"All public services, Masses, weddings, funerals, baptisms should be available to all the public."
DeleteNow that we've restarted our weekend mass schedule, our Saturday evening mass gets recorded and then posted on our website. A few parishioners have objected to being televised in this way (e.g. they are visible on-camera when they receive communion).
I'm not sure to what extent they have a valid point. Liturgy is, by its nature, supposed to be a public event, so they should have no "expectation of privacy" when they walk through the church doors. Still, I believe many people intuit that there is a difference between walking down a street (a public act) and having a photo of my walking down the street appear in the morning newspaper.
A lot more people here (including us) have opted into automatic bank withdrawals for church donation since the quarantine. We call it our self-cleaning checking account since there is a bunch of other stuff that comes out automatically. But it really is convenient, and we wish we had done it before with church. What's also going to be an upcoming financial problem for churches is that most of their fall festivals/bazaars have had to be cancelled. Our parish in the past has made about 50K with theirs, that loss will hurt.
DeleteThe local funeral homes livestream and record all the funerals now. They've become pretty expert at it. My sister tells me that the mortician is the one recording their Sunday Masses in my hometown now.I
I haven't noticed them showing people coming up for Communion on the recorded Masses. If anything it's going to be their backs that show.
It's interesting how they do Communion at the parish where we attend daily Mass. The people remain in the pews. Since every second one as marked off for seating, the EMHCs bring Communion to those in the pews.
I mentioned auto withdrawal to Raber, and the Men's Club is taking this to Father, so thanks for the "you read it here" suggestion!
Delete"A few parishioners have objected to being televised in this way (e.g. they are visible on-camera when they receive communion)."
ReplyDeleteDear me. Some of our locals have taken county government to court over its order that masks be worn in public. The case was heard yesteday. The maskholes' (as my favorite columnist calls them) argument is a mashup of clips from Fox, but they seem to see some God-given right being violated by the requirement that they take steps not to infect their neighbors.
Now the moan-aboutable right is privacy at a Mass? "Liturgy is, by its nature, supposed to be a public event" Case closed.
I guess it depends on the camera angle. If people are being close-upped as they receive, I can see that it might be off-putting.
DeleteThis is to answer Jim's questionnaire.
ReplyDelete1. My parish has televised mass on the local and livestreaming on FB. The recordings are subsequently available on FB and YT. I prefer watching live.
2. I usually watch on TV via local cable channel. Sometimes tablet or smartphone.
3. I "stay loyal". I feel local community needs to be maintained ss much as is possible.
4. Attended tech media worship with same frequency as traditional.
5. Conscious participation same as traditional. No singing being done at my church. I make responses. No standing and kneeling. Lotus position.
Rest of survey.
Delete6. Very important to be part of larger group. Would be better if I wasn't single and alone.
7. Miss sacraments a lot. I like physical reality and how sacraments tie spiritual and physical realities together.
8. I think technical production was just fine.
9. Priest and deacon are doing fine. I never had to be entertained whether in classroom or church.
By the way, this morning I attended my first mass since the pandemic began. Everybody wore masks. Distancing was fine. Large volume of air per person. Distribution of communion through shield. I feel comfortable with going again.
Stanley, I'm glad to hear you're comfortable going back, because what you described is what we're doing, too.
DeleteFWIW, I think I mentioned that, a couple of weekends ago, the attendance was just a fraction of the ceiling imposed by the archdiocese. This past weekend, attendance was up. I think it will continue to ramp up.
Jim, weekday masses here are without reservation but Sunday masses require one. If a reservation is required, I don't go because I figure I'm taking a spot a family or couple could use.
DeleteReally, really glad a reservation isn't required here.
DeleteRE: contributions. Do you really know WHY they are down? Could you devise a questionnaire to determine if parishoners have lost jobs; if they've had a huge hit to retirement income; if they are helping to support family or friends who have lost jobs; if they have had their kids and grandkids move home, increasing monthly food and utility bills; if they have lost health insurance coverage and are now having to pay more for it privately or through Obamacare; if they are increasing savings dramatically because they fear loss of income down the road and want to build up their savings in order to meet a future financial hit, etc.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this should provide for anonymity. Perhaps a survey posted on the website would work using something like Survey Monkey. I can't imagine that there isn't at least one good techie in each of your parishes who would be able to set it up as a volunteer to help the parish!
Re: Filming faces for TV broadcast. My son the freelance producer once filmed a reality TV series focused on high school basketball. Hundreds of people would come to the games. Since obtaining individually signed permissions was not practical, he was legally able to post highly prominent signs stating that filming would be taking place, some of it would be broadcast on TV, and letting them know that entering the gym was evidence of giving permission for their faces to be shown on TV. A bit tough for a parish and people coming to mass, but at least inform them that filming and broadcast of the mass is occurring. Perhaps those objecting to their faces being shown could be grouped in some way, go up first or last as a group, and the TV camera aimed at a window or statue for a minute or two while they receive communion. It's also possible to smudge faces during editing (this is a commonly used technique on reality TV, even the house shows often smudge the images of paintings or photos hanging on walls because they don't have permission from the artists to show them). However, that would require pre-recording and post production editing. Maybe a volunteer?
Jean, why can't Raber ask that someone living with the woman or caring for her set up a video call and both of you could have a chat with her (do you know her?). It seems sort of obvious to me that Raber could point out that the cancer/chemo has wiped out your immune system and that he has to minimize his own potential exposure to the virus in order to protect you. Tell them your oncologist insists that he limit his exposure to the minimum. Visits of random people in and our of the woman's house does not create a minimum exposure environment.
Yes, I have suggested a video call. As you know, one can only plant seeds and make suggestions with husbands.
DeleteI think there is a certain amount of resentment that arises when a sick spouse places limitations on the well one. Likely the pandemic has heightened these tensions for a lot of people.
"Since obtaining individually signed permissions was not practical, he was legally able to post highly prominent signs stating that filming would be taking place, some of it would be broadcast on TV, and letting them know that entering the gym was evidence of giving permission for their faces to be shown on TV. A bit tough for a parish and people coming to mass, but at least inform them that filming and broadcast of the mass is occurring. "
DeleteYes, that is a good point of comparison. As a matter of fact, each of our parishioners has to stop at a kiosk to get checked in prior to being ushered to a pew (as attendance is supposed to be by pre-registration only). So the notifications that the mass is being recorded for broadcast could be provided at the time of registration, and again at the check-in kiosk.
Thanks, Anne, I'm going to suggest it to our Worship Commission :-)
Agreed, about resentment. I have seen a lot of resentment among those living with an Alzheimer’s patient for years. I would probably be one of them if it ever happens to us.
DeleteBut it seems that Raber really hasn’t been a close friend of the woman, so a video call should be ok. But, I’m married to a stubborn man too and understand that sometimes planting the seeds is the most that can be done.
(Ahem) just a humble and respectful observation that it is not only husbands who can be stubborn and require the, er, planting of seeds, although I feel I should change up the metaphor in this case ... require the supportive and affirming suggestion
DeleteI've never had a wife, Jim, so I defer to your experience. I myself am a model of I'm uncomplaining selflessness and feminine docility.
DeleteThank you, Jim.
ReplyDelete