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CATHERINE WINTER: On a Saturday afternoon, sunlight shines through the stained glass windows at St. Joseph's church in Gilbert. Hundreds of people are packed into the pews. At 4 o'clock eight men in red blazers and black pants file into the front of the church. They bow to the cross. Then some of them pick up instruments and the lead singer turns to the congregation.

SPEAKER: Good afternoon, and an early evening to everyone. Welcome to Father Perkovich's original international Polka Mass. You may remain seated during the prelude. Our two hymns will be the Angelus, which will be sung in Slovenian, and the [INAUDIBLE], which will be sung in Polish. And these are hymns, number 1 and 3 on your music sheets. Please join us.

[POLKA MUSIC]

CATHERINE WINTER: As the band plays, Father Frank Perkovich enters. He wears a traditional white robe. But stitched over the red cross on his right shoulder are two musical notes. And sewn across his back, there's a cross and an accordion. His vestments are unusual, but Father Perkovich is serious. This is a real Catholic mass.

FRANK PERKOVICH: The Lord be with you.

AUDIENCE: And also with you.

FRANK PERKOVICH: A reading from the Holy gospel according to Matthew.

AUDIENCE: Thanks be to God.

CATHERINE WINTER: Jesus said Father Perkovich celebrates the Polka Mass several times a year. He says it's a response to directives from the Vatican Council that music at mass should be suited to the age level, cultural background, and level of faith of the worshippers.

FRANK PERKOVICH: I grew up with this music. After mass, my brother played the accordion. And then we would sing after mass. And a lot of these songs, which are very easy tunes to sing to. And so I thought, well, this is it right here. These are nice song. People like them. They dance to them. They sing to them. Why not put them in the liturgy, put church words to them. And so that was the birth then of the Polka Mass.

CATHERINE WINTER: Today, mass is usually said in the vernacular, and masses use all kinds of music. But Father Perkovich says when he first gave the Polka Mass 20 years ago, people were skeptical.

FRANK PERKOVICH: They were a little afraid of it at first, wondering, a Polka band in church or Beer Hall music in church, and what is this? And I say that what is church music anyway? What is churchy?

Well, church music to me is anything that raises your mind and heart to God. If you do it in good taste, it's good church music.

[POLKA MUSIC]

FRANK PERKOVICH: The Polkaton are the singers. I call them the Polkaton singers. And the band is a Joe Cvek Polka Mass-ters, M-A-S-S hyphen, Polka Mass-ters We have everything covered.

CATHERINE WINTER: You're not worried that they'll go to purgatory?

FRANK PERKOVICH: No, no, they may. They may go to purgatory. I never thought of that.

[POLKA MUSIC]

CATHERINE WINTER: During the mass, Father Perkovich taps his foot and sings along to Let the Son Shine In, that's son, S-O-N. He asks Joe Cvek and his band to play it again. Cvek has been playing with Perkovich since the first Polka Mass in Eveleth 20 years ago.

FRANK PERKOVICH: And it was an instant success. And then we got together, and we needed more songs, so we were trying to write more songs. And my mother came through and saved the day with that. She got inspired and wrote the lyrics to most of the songs that we do.

They are traditional hymns, but the trick is to get the lyrics, hymn lyrics, to write those, and make them fit into the Polkas and Waltzes that we traditionally do.

CATHERINE WINTER: Cvek's band and the Polkatons have released two albums with Father Perkovich. They've celebrated the mass around the country and even in Rome.

FRANK PERKOVICH: People often said, what does the Pope think about the Polka Mass? So I said, well, let's find out what the Pope thinks. Let's go over there and give them the mass. So we went over there and finally, the arrangements were made.

And we had a Polka Mass at the high altar at the Chair of Peter, a very privileged altar. And then at the audience for the Holy Father, we sang most of our songs from the Polka Mass of the Holy Father heard them and he encouraged me to continue with it. And here we are.

CATHERINE WINTER: After the recent mass in Gilbert, hundreds of people spilled down the wide front steps of St. Joseph's church, many of them are smiling.

SPEAKER: I think it's great.

SPEAKER: How come?

SPEAKER: I don't know. It reminds us of our old Slovenian heritage and all the songs we used to sing.

SPEAKER: Through the whole mass. That Cescena Si Maria. My mother used to sing that all the time. So I just start crying.

SPEAKER: The mass is a happy occasion. The mass is something to celebrate. It's a banquet.

[FRANK PERKOVICH, "LET THE SON SHINE IN"] So let the Son shine in [INAUDIBLE]

And happiness from Heaven in your heart

So let the Son shine in

CATHERINE WINTER: Father Frank Perkovich will celebrate a Polka Mass at Holy Cross Church in Northeast Minneapolis, September 19. I'm Catherine Winter, Main street Radio.

[FRANK PERKOVICH, "LET THE SON SHINE IN"] People wish for there is the peace of Christ

[INAUDIBLE]

So let the Son shine in your Christ will [INAUDIBLE]

And happiness will never leave your heart

So let the Son shine in [INAUDIBLE]

And happiness will never leave your heart

FRANK PERKOVICH: Tremendous. Thank you. Thank you very much.