Exciting changes ahead for the TV Mass

Bishop Barbarito to celebrate Sunday Mass for viewers more often.

LINDA REEVES | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PALM BEACH BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 06.18.09

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrates Mass, assisted by Father Brian King, as a video crew records the liturgy for broadcast on a Sunday Morning.

LINDA REEVES | FC
Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrates Mass, assisted by Father Brian King, as a video crew records the liturgy for broadcast on a Sunday Morning.

WEST PALM BEACH | In a world where people are glued to televisions watching people lose weight, dance their hearts out and entertain with aspirations of being the next American superstar, faithful viewers here tune in to see their favorites on the diocese’s own long-running reality-TV show.

“We like Father Brain King,” said Joan Keever, 84, a longtime viewer of the diocese’s TV Mass, who resides at St. Joseph’s Assisted Living Community in Jupiter and is a former St. Peter parishioner.

LINDA REEVES | FC
Joan and Edward Keever are regulars in front of the television on Sunday morning for the televised Catholic Mass. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Mrs. Keever said.

Keever, a former nurse who has physical limitations and is unable to get out much, has watched the televised Mass since October 2002 with her husband, Edward, at her side with the remote. “I love the Catholic Mass, and I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she said.

“I love Father Brain’s style,” she added. “He tells it like it is and he is my kind of priest.”

Father King takes turns with other priest celebrants serving in the television ministry. He’s episcopal secretary for Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, who long has been main celebrant of the televised Christmas and Easter Masses.

Keever was excited to hear Bishop Barbarito is now spending more time on the air, connecting with the faithful who are unable to go to church regularly. On June 4, Bishop Barbarito taped his first of 12 Masses that will air monthly in the next year. The video taping took place in new studios on the grounds of WPEC-TV Channel 12. After the Mass, he blessed the premises and the video and ministry crew.

“The celebration of the Eucharist is always a tremendous gift – the greatest gift for the life of the Church – and I know that many people depend upon the televised Mass to help them to feel like they are in communion with the Church and to experience the Eucharist as it is celebrated,” Bishop Barbarito said.

For More Information

For information on the Mass, to obtain a missal or to contribute financially to the ministry, contact the diocesan Office of Communications at 561-775-9529 or write to awalkenstein@diocesepb.org. To find out the TV Mass schedule and celebrant, please visit www.diocesepb.org and click on the online calendar.

“To me, it will be a great privilege to be part of that,” he said. “I do it presently at Easter and at Christmas, so I am happy to be able to try to once a month celebrate that Mass, first, for the privilege of celebrating the Mass and also to be able to bring the Mass to so many who are such wonderful Catholics in our diocese, especially those who are homebound and in nursing homes, who can’t get out.

“It is a great tool for helping all people to stay in contact with the center of the Church, which is the Eucharist.”

The diocesan Office of Communications in conjunction with Parallax Productions, a West Palm Beach company, and Connie and Rueben Cooley, parishioners of St. John Fisher in West Palm Beach who are volunteer liturgy coordinators, produce the 30-minute broadcasts of the Mass. The Mass has aired every Sunday morning for the past 25 years.

“‘We have been here a long time,” said Connie Cooley, 75, who has helped prepare the altar, arranged flowers and decorations and taken part in the celebration since the ministry began in the studios of Channel 5 TV, when the company was on Flagler Avenue in downtown West Palm Beach.

Alexis Walkenstein, director of the diocesan Communications Office, coordinates the ministry production.

“Many wonderful priests from the various parishes and the Pastoral Center offer their time in service for the celebration of the taped Masses,” said Walkenstein, who is excited that Bishop Barbarito has graciously offered to increase his time with the ministry Pope John Paul II called “a precious help” to so many.

The new Parallax studio is much more spacious than the former studio, which was off Military Trail.

“We have a much bigger studio here,” said Michael Kintzel of Parallax Productions. The company has worked with the diocese more than 10 years and moved in June. “We have a lot more storage, office and editing space here.”

The Mass recorded June 4 was scheduled to air June 14 in the diocese’s five counties, reaching the homebound, residents of nursing homes, hospitalized people and viewers who just happened to be tuning in.

“The televised Mass is an integral part of evangelization to the sick and homebound and the community at large in which we live,” said Walkenstein. “Thousands of viewers have the opportunity to connect to the spiritual life of the Church through the wonderful medium of television which is a powerful tool of communication in this modern age.”

The Mass, shown at 9:30 a.m. on the ICO television networks, is even more important to some now that they are unable to tune into the Catholic Eternal World Television Network that offers Masses. Many viewers are unable to pickup EWTN due to programming and service changes by local cable providers.

“I feel like it is a blessing that this can happen,” said Joan Virgulak, 94, a resident of St. Joseph’s and former parishioner of St. Jude in Tequesta, about the airing of her top show, which she faithfully watches every week.

“I think it is wonderful that they have the Catholic Mass on TV for those that can’t go to church,” she said. “I think it is special. It is very spiritual. It is great that people can watch the Mass and participate.”

The Mass is made possible through donations, supporters and funds received through the annual Diocesan Services Appeal.

“We are grateful to the many supporters of this outreach who contribute financially to keep this apostolate afloat, especially during these difficult economic times,” said Walkenstein, who encourages support and prayers for the broadcast’s success and continuance.

“It is a gift to have the access through television to provide a way for the Gospel to be proclaimed and the treasures of our faith to be revealed to those who would not normally have an opportunity to share in the incredible gift of the holy sacrifice of the Mass,” she said. “Every time we turn around, there is a new channel, network, etc. – news, food, fashion, reality TV, entertainment and so on. TV is the modern marketplace and as a thriving Catholic diocese, we need to have a presence where the people are and provide them the good news.”

Keever said she will continue to watch her favorite show on television.

“I enjoy it and I never miss my Sunday Mass,” she said. “You always hear the bad things, but you don’t always hear the good and enjoyable things. I love the Mass.”

Return to Diocese of Palm Beach Front Page