There are a lot more things missing:
40 Hours' Devotion and Processional.
Miraculous Medal Novena every week.
Yearly public novena to the patron saint of your church.
You're right -- no poor boxes anymore.
FULL Holy Water founts and people used them to bless themselves when tney came and went and used Holy Water at home.
People making the Stations of the Cross EVEN OUTSIDE OF LENT!
Holy Hours that are SILENT so you can think and pray and they aren't led by an altar boy with a set purpose or list of prayers.
Bookracks available at all times, not just on Sundays.
The organist practicing Bach or hymns during the day when you made a visit.
People staying after Mass on their knees in prayer for quite a while.
Making a visit if you were near a church, even if only for 5 minutes.
Lighting a small candle for someone or the souls in purgatory--the racks used to be full of lit candles all week long.
The hymns used to be pious ones, the words really moved your heart. I've read that that is discouraged now as that tends toward personal devotion and Mass is not a personal thing. Some hymns have even had their first verse removed because it was too pious, sentimental. If you recognize a melody but not the words, that's probably why.
Long lines for confession every Saturday in preparation for Mass on Sunday.
You wore your "Sunday best" to church no matter how uncomfortable it was. You dressed as is befitting to be in the house where God Almighty resides day and night because you truly believed He IS there.
A sense of humility, unworthiness when approaching Holy Communion especially -- people had their heads bowed down in thought or prayer.
The priest who said Mass used to come kneel down by the altar afterwards for a good long time. You had to wait to speak to him when he was through his prayers.
Going into the confessional and the priest had a light on where he sat and he was reading the Breviary. You waited until he was done before you began your confession.
You got a good talking to in confession and you thought twice about committing sin again -- priests were gentle but firm. Hell and damnation were REAL.
RESPECT and silence in God's house -- for the people in prayer and because you were in God's house and you acted humbly and reverently until you were outside the church where those praying inside would not be disturbed by your conversation.
The sermons gave you something to really think about during the week. You left Sunday Mass resolved to work on yourself to be better by the following Sunday.
People sat up straight, no leg crossing, no arms extended across the back of the pew.
Children were quiet or a parent took them outside until they quieted down. If they were too young to be still in church they didn't come (but we had many more Sunday Masses then so parents could take turns staying at home with the little ones)
The Mass was said slowly and reverently by the priest. You watched and your thoughts went to the things of heaven and you forgot your earthly cares for that one hour on Sunday. You left church with a deep, deep sense of interior peace--the peace that only God can give.
You respected Sunday as the Lord's Day.
We seem to have lost so very much. The generations since us have not grown up reading the lives of the saints as we did. We had good examples for devotion, for our faith. There was more silence, less rushing around, more time to read and ponder the truths and doctrines we believed.
Devotion to Our Lady was extremely popular
People carried a Rosary or religious medal with them almost all the time in their purse or pocket.
Women used to use a tissue and bobby pin on their heads in order to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament if they didn't have a hat or mantilla and the churches were open all the day for such visits.
Church bells ringing at Vespers in the evening.
People understood about the value of indulgences for themselves and others.
The souls in purgatory were not forgotten. We were reminded of them often and not just during November because one day we would probably be there if we died in the state of grace.
It's not nostalgia. It's called being Catholic. It belongs to no particular time in history, pre Vatican II or post Vatican II. It was how we lived what we believed which spans all ages and times and the things mentioned here and in the previous post are some of the things we did to remind us that life on this earth is just temporary and that while we are here we are to do God's Will to glorify Him and because we will be judged and Heaven and Hell are for real. It can all be done again. It is a most beautiful way to spend your days and nights: being Catholic.