Masses at night enlighten Catholics

When Sunday morning rolls around, more than 100 parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady will be everywhere but in church.

That's perfectly fine with Rev. Richard Carlino. The pastor knows he will see them later in the day: St. John's is one of the parishes in the Albany Diocese that offer Mass on Sunday nights.

The services are aimed at accommodating the irregular schedules of service-sector workers, college students, young adults, and harried parents juggling soccer, softball and sanity.

Other attendees are Catholics who were unable to get to church earlier, perhaps because of weekend travel.

"People like to go out for a day, take a vacation, be with the family," Father Carlino said. "They like having that extra time on Sunday morning and go to Mass at night."

Students in pews

College students tend to prefer Masses later at night. Father Carlino noted that a "healthy minority" of the people in the pews at the 7:30 p.m. liturgy come from nearby Union College.

Other churches, such as St. Mary's in Oneonta and St. Vincent de Paul in Albany, hold Sunday-night Masses during the school year for the benefit of college students, who are parish-less if they are from out of town.

Sunday "is a time of relaxation for students, because they have an intense, intense week," noted Rev. Edward Kacerguis, pastor of Christ Sun of Justice Church in Troy, which is on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The parish hosts a Mass at 5 p.m. "Sunday, in so many ways, is their real, primary day of rest, especially at RPI because of the intensity of the academics."

Peer parish

Because of the students on hand, some parents come to the evening Masses with younger children so they can see Catholics near their own age in active worship.

"They're making a statement that it's not inappropriate to go to Mass," Father Kacerguis said, "a statement that 'these are young people who go to Mass that are near the same age as you.'"

Those same young people often see Mass as a community-building time. They come in couples, clumps and gaggles, worshiping together before heading off to the dining hall for a communal meal.

Tradition

The Sunday-night Mass at St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Guilderland has an historical connection to young people: It was scheduled in the 1970s to link with the religious education program. Children went to class late on Sunday afternoon and afterwards joined their parents at Mass.

"Religious education doesn't happen that way now, but the Mass was well-attended and received, so we kept it," said Rev. James Belogi, pastor.

The 7:30 p.m. Mass, which often attracts 250 to 300 Catholics, is sprinkled with people from a "cross-section" of the parish, he said, noting that it appeals to those who have irregular schedules, including adults in professions that may require them to work late Saturday night or on Sunday morning. Furthermore, Catholics from other parishes sometimes attend for a number of reasons.

"People do find it a very prayerful celebration and participate," Father Belogi said. Sunday-night Mass "is an established, long-standing schedule. We did revise the Mass schedule recently, but we remain committed to that Sunday-evening Mass."

Pressure on priests

Sunday-night liturgies can be taxing for priests, who have weekend schedules already packed with Masses, weddings, funerals and pastoral care.

Father Belogi admitted that the late Mass sometimes "makes it a long day" after he has celebrated up to five Masses in the morning. Nevertheless, he believes the evening liturgy is an asset that "provides a good alternative" for Catholics.

Currently, St. John the Evangelist -- one of four parishes within a square mile in Schenectady's downtown -- is undergoing a change in Mass scheduling. The current 13 weekend Masses will be reduced to nine, but Father Carlino remains committed to the Eucharist at night. The only question that remains is how late is late?

"We might change to it 8:30," he said.

(1/15/04)