AUSTRALIA’S longest-running televised Mass will continue to broadcast the liturgy to thousands of people every week after the Diocese of Wollongong secured the rights as the program’s new producer.
Mass for You at Home has been running on the Channel 10 network every Sunday morning from the Archdiocese of Melbourne for nearly 50 years, making it the longest-running program on commercial television.
It was originally established as a joint venture between Channel 10 and the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
Broadcasting of the program from its new production home in Wollongong will start on Easter Sunday 2021.
Wollongong Bishop Brian Mascord said the diocese was very excited to be entrusted with producing Mass for people who are homebound, without internet, or in prison, aged care facilities and hospitals, as well as those flicking through the channels on a Sunday morning.
“In parishes across the country, people are trying their best to make the celebration of the Mass something that is beautiful, prayerful and a source of strength,” Bishop Mascord said.
“Those principles, which sound simple and yet are profound, will be the motivation for our team’s production, which will seek to deliver an experience that comforts, inspires and uplifts people.”
Mass for You At Home has been running on the Channel 10 network every Sunday morning from the Archdiocese of Brisbane for nearly 50 years, making it the longest-running program on commercial television.
It was also one of the first to include AUSLAN interpreters to support the deaf and hearing impaired.
The interim chair of the committee overseeing the production transition, Debra Vermeer, said there was interest from multiple dioceses during the tender process for a new producer.
“The Diocese of Wollongong is not alone in having created high-quality Masses for online viewing while people were homebound during the pandemic,” Mrs Vermeer said.
“Wollongong has, however, been outstanding in the production of audio-visual material for many years, and we’re delighted that the diocese is willing to take on this challenge.”
Mass for You at Home was previously broadcast on free-to-air television at no charge, but recent changes to religious programming quotas for commercial networks saw the cost of broadcasting and production increase from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A fundraising campaign for the production of the Mass in Wollongong will be launched soon.
