Paris - Catholic Services
 

Hello.

I will be in Paris for two Sundays. On one of these, I will likely attend mass at Notre Dame. I'm not sure which church to go to for the other one however. Any suggestions? Sainte-Chapelle? Sacre Coeur?

Our guide ,Michael Osman, told us that the music at St Eustache is about the best in Paris . Unfortunately we weren't in Paris on a Sunday!

I've heard the organ at St. Suplice is rather spectacular and you can go up into the organ loft after the service.

I second St. Sulpice. The music was wonderful. I don't speak French and found it an interesting experience to try to follow along with the mass. The church is beautiful as well.

Thanks folks. Anyone have a weblink for the church? I can find some general information but can't find the mass times.

One more...this church doesn't look to be in Paris is it? thanks folks.

The St. Sulpice website is
http://www.publifilm.com/sulpice/

The prelude for the morning mass begins at 10:15.

And, yes, the church is in Paris It's near the St. Sulpice Metro station.

Thanks Thomas. On my 'not in Paris' question, I intended to include this link. This one isn't in Paris is it?

http://www.cr-picardie.fr/uk/page.cf...rales~soissons

The cathedral in your link
(http://www.cr-picardie.fr/uk/page.cf...rales~soissons) is in Soissons, but the St. Sulpice that has been discussed in this thread is in Paris.

Thanks again Thomas. I couldn't find the mass times on the website for the church with the pipe organ.

From the main page, click on the link "Concerts/Auditions." Then scroll down until you reach the heading "Music Program for the Grand Mass, Recitals, and Religious Holidays."

Admittedly the service times are hard to find among the large amount of text.

mdtravel: Whenever I know I will be attending Mass in a foreign language I "borrow" a missalette from my church and carry the pages with me for the Sunday(s) I'll be away. That way I can follow the readings, etc. and not feel completely lost. St. Eustache is a very old and interesting church and is located in Les Halles.

The above comments are perfect proof that we should have left well enough alone and continued the mass in Latin. It then would have been universal no matter where you attended services. Guess I'm an old fogey in this regard, but have railed against the changes in the liturgy since it was changed!

Enjoy Paris mdtravel and agree St. Sulpice is an excellent suggestion.

giovanna: I too am an "old fogey". I am a parochial school, Baltimore catechism, Mass every Sunday Catholic senior citizen.. However, I see nothing wrong with understanding the readings etc. at Mass in English. The Mass remains the same no matter what church in the world you attend. Christ did not speak Latin!

No Christ didn't speak Latin. He didn't speak English either. I had no problem following the mass with my missal and enough interest to learn what was going on. I didn't need a "civilian" to tell me when to stand, sit and kneel either.

These are just my opinions Wags and I certainly didn't wish to start some controversy over the mass. Feel as you wish and I will continue to miss the way mass was said in the "good old days."

Giovanna: Pax Vobiscum!

Thanks for the blessing! Too bad it can't encompass the world.

And Dominus Vobiscum Wags. Happy Easter.

Ste Chapelle is not a working church, it is just a monument. I think St Sulpice is a good idea, also, as well as perhaps St Julien le Pauvre in the Latin Quarter or St Eustache or St Louis en Ile, depending on which might be closest to you. I like all of those. There is also St Germain des Pres, of course.

There is a great web site for the entire Catholic parishes in Paris at www.catholique-paris.com

It has a special link on the upper left, I think, to the Notre Dame web site, and also has a section giving mass times for every church in Paris, you can click on a map by arrondisement for that. I think it's under horaires, maybe (sorry I can't see it now as Im on a strange computer)

St. Josephs, at 50 Ave. Hoche near the Arc de Triomphe, has masses in English. I found the schedule at the parish's website, which I probably found on Google. The priest who said our mass, Fr. Anthony, was from Ireland and was quite friendly. The other Sunday we were there we went to a French mass at a small church outside of Honfleur. It was pretty easy to follow it in the Missalette, and to say the right things at the right time. All in all, I'd go for the French, especially if you do it at one of the churches mentioned in the previous posts.

I appreciate all the help. It looks like Suplice's only Sunday mass won't work for us and I can't find any information on St. Eustache. Any additional help? Google doesn't get me much information, but perhaps I am searching incorrectly.