Do you go “shopping” for a church where you find the style of worship suits you, or because you find the priest congenial and the congregation friendly (but not too friendly)? The practice is frowned upon in some Catholic circles, though it’s normal in the Anglican Church with its greater range of worship styles. Many Catholics hold that you should support your local parish church, and that the Mass is the same wherever you go anyway.
In practice there is much variation. The priest’s attitude to the Mass and its meaning, his view of what worshippers might like – these factors make a difference. Readers will have experienced liturgy that is lacklustre; egomaniac priests who drone on, turning their homilies into Marxist tracts, or act like game-show hosts and insert irritating ad-libs into the sacred wording. And then there’s the music …
