Hey gang,
As a former altar boy, I much prefered the old Latin Mass too. If you recall, those of you old enough, the priest (plus the two altar boys) stood with their backs to the congregation sitting in the pews. (Unlike today's modern Mass, where the priest and the altar boys, and, now altar girls, face the congregation in their pews.)
Let me tell you, this was a big advantage to both the good father saying the Mass, and the altar boys who had to remember all of those Latin responses. I don't think I'm being disloyal to all former altar boys of a "certain" age if I now let everyone know, that we sometimes had a Latin response "cheat sheet" tucked in our shirt pockets under those clean white cassocks! Manys the time (particularly with a priest in Count Petofi's age bracket) that we could always be ready when the priest said: "Dominus Vobiscum," and we shot right back: "Et cum spiri tu, tu, o!" without missing a bit.
Of course, if "Fr. Mooney" had had a particularly "rough" evening the night before, the fact that he could face the blank wall behind the altar (and, not face the observant 'kissers" of his congregation), meant that, in all likelihood, the good father could conduct the service with having to endure what we sometimes referred to in those days as a "Catholic contretemps"!
One final note, I recall that Sr. Cordes informed us, that the wine used in Holy Mass would be only 2% proof (at most). Sr. Cordes went on to explain that if they used any more potent wine, the poor priest might start teetering up their on the altar, what with having to say the 8:00 AM Mass without any breakfast beforehand!
Bob the Bartender, who vehemently denies the vicious rumor that every altar boy, at some time or other, ever sampled that 2% proof wine back in the sacristy when no one was watching. A complete falsehood!!!
