The paper focuses on the Mass as set to music in Central Europe in the 17th century, at a time when this theme was no longer at the center of the main stylistic currents in European music. The Messa Concertata was the most successful model of liturgical compositions which spread from Italy. Settings of the Ordinary of the Mass which were composed in the second half of the 17th century are described with regard to a social milieu, occasion or purpose for which they had been created (when known). Among them, there are examples of ceremonial and festival Masses or Masses for a small vocal ensemble and organ. Generally it can be said that the composers emphasized textual ideas (whether syntactical pictures or individual words) with ever-newer contrasting motifs and ranges, and using modest means managed to achieve great effects. Liturgical compositions were regarded as functional music subordinated to certain requirements and customs. Thanks to this, a huge amount of similar but mostly unique non-repetitious Masses were written. As the Mass in the 17th and 18th centuries – unlike opera, instrumental music, or even the motet – attracted little attention of music historians, this paper represents a step toward understanding the music written to accompany the central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church.