January 13, 2025- West Bend, WI – The organizational committee for the annual Holy Angels Parish Festival of Angels is meeting and one of the items under consideration is the cancellation of the annual Sunday Polka Mass. The event is traditionally held at 11 a.m. The outdoor Mass has been extremely popular during the festival, especially the years when Molly B performed and sang Ava Maria in Latin.
Rev. Howard Haase, who came to Holy Angels in 2019, confirmed the Sunday Polka Mass would not take place. Rev. Haase explained the decision was rooted in the liturgical calendar, specifically since the Festival of Angels coincided with the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
“The Polka Mass is an important part of our festival tradition but when I realized the Sunday Mass during the Festival of Angels falls on Pentecost, I knew I had to make a change,” said Haase. “Pentecost is one of the most solemn and significant feasts in the Church. It simply doesn’t lend itself to the celebratory nature of a Polka Mass.”
Pentecost is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day after Easter Day. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Click HERE to learn more.
Reverend Haase explained the unique rituals of Pentecost and why they are at odds with the polka style of worship.
“On Pentecost, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and there are specific elements that need to be included in the Mass,” he said. “For example, there’s the Sequence, a special prayer during the scriptures. You have the blessing with the Easter candle because it’s the last Sunday the Easter candle is used. There’s also the sprinkling rite for baptismal promises. These are essential parts of the liturgy that wouldn’t normally be part of a regular Mass, but they are crucial for Pentecost.”
Haase said these elements require extra preparation and a more reverent tone, something that does not mesh well with the lively, festive nature of a Polka Mass.
“A Polka Mass can be beautiful, but it’s a very different experience than what is required on Pentecost,” he said. “The solemnity of Pentecost—the descent of the Holy Spirit—trumps the celebratory nature of the Polka Mass.”
Questioned whether the Polka Mass could return in future years, Rev. Haase clarified, “This decision has nothing to do with the polka bands or the music itself. It’s about the Feast of Pentecost and its significance in the liturgical calendar. Could we have an outdoor Mass without the Polka Mass format? Yes, theoretically, but that would require additional work, and even then, the focus would still be on the sacred nature of Pentecost, not on the music.”
While this marks the end of the Polka Mass for this year, Rev. Haase emphasized the decision was made with deep respect for the liturgical tradition.
“I don’t have anything against the Polka Mass at all,” he said. “I’ve been part of many such celebrations, and they are joyful and meaningful. But the importance of the Pentecost feast simply takes precedence. This year, we’ll focus on the sacredness of that day.”
When asked if this decision was final, Haase was firm. “Yes, this was a decision I made a long time ago—immediately when I found out the two events overlapped. It’s just one of those years where the liturgical calendar and the festival don’t line up in a way that allows for both.”
As for future years, Rev. Haase was open but non-committal. “We’ll see what happens next year. But for this year, the focus will be on the Feast of Pentecost.”
Looking ahead to next year, Holy Angels Parish will have a different priest at the helm as Rev. Haase is retiring. His last day will be in June/July 2025. The search for a successor is expected to start later this month.
For those not familiar, a Polka Mass has all the traditional elements of a regular Mass, the main difference is the hymns are sung to polka tunes or waltzes.
Click HERE for more insight on the Catholic church and the views of a Polka Mass.
The Festival of Angels is June 6 – 8, 2025.
