Format for the Catholic Mass I've been to a Catholic Church very few times in my adult life.  It's a very different experience than the protestant Churches I'm used to.

In most of the Protestant Churches, there is generally a time of singing/praise/worship, followed by some general announcements for members (The Lady's Missionary meeting will be meeting on Monday night at Liz's house, for example), followed by a prayer, then a sermon on a particular topic, more singing, and a prayer.  In most Baptist Churches, there's an altar call just before the final prayer.

The Catholic Church also seems to have a very set format, and it doesn't seem to vary much, but that's probably an outsider's perception.  I'm interested to know what the standard format it, and also, what things are the same every week, and were there is variation.

To give an example, in all the activities in the Protestant Churches I described, each and every one of those activities vary. The sermon is different every week.  The Hymns vary (in our Church they are chosen because the doctrine in the Hymn is directly relevant to the sermon message)  The format stays the same, but the contents seem different.

In the Catholic Church, however, it seems to be much less flexible. I do not mean this to be disrespectful, but it seems that everyone knows when to stand, when to kneel, when to sit, and there's usually a time when the Priest says one thing and everyone else responds in unison.  ("Peace be with you"  - "and also with you" being the easiest to remember.)  I get the impression that this part of the service is the same week after week.

So, in short, could someone post a general format something like:


Opening prayer - varies
Other activity - standard part of the Mass, always part of the Mass, doesn't change


Even better would be each item listed with the correct Catholic terminology with a layman's or potestnt synonym... Like 


Eucharist (communion/Lords Supper)


Or if I'm just perceiving things incorrectly, correct my misunderstanding.
I think you're looking for the Order of Mass

But in General, each Catholic Mass is broken up into 4 parts (It's a little different for Sundays and the few Holy Days of Obligation than it is for weekday Masses; more things are optional for weekday Mass)


Introductory Rite

A. Procession in to the Church

B. Greeting 

C. Penitential rite (there are a few ways this can be done)

D. Let us pray... (This is the prayer that changes, if you go to weekday mass it usually has something to do with the saint whose feast day it is)
Liturgy of the Word

A. OT reading

B. Psalm

C. NT reading (not Gospel)

D. Alleluia

E. Gospel (usually connected in some way with OT reading)

F. Homily
Liturgy of the Eucharist

A. Creed (Apostles or Nicene)

B. Intercessory prayers

C. Collection and presentation of the gifts ( bread wine and money brought up)

D. Eucharistic Prayer (This is the part that the priest does mostly, but I'll list the parts you'd do if you were at Mass)

i. Great Amen

ii. Acclamation (what the we say after "the mystery of faith")

iii. Our Father

iv. Rite of Peace (hand shake time)

v. Lamb of God (and then you kneel)

vi. Lord I am not worthy...

vii. Eucharist time!
Concluding Rite

A. Prayer

B. Lame Joke (that might just be in the Footville order of Mass)

C. Mass has ended...

D. Process out. 

E. Eruption of noise as everyone suddenly forgets they're still in the presence of The Lord. 


That's about the gist of it, the order of mass is what is supposed to happen, some things that aren't supposed to happen are pretty normal ( or at least regional) if you want to see how it's supposed to be done head over to the Guadalupe Shrine outside of La Crosse.