A very strange Catholic church

[Cat]

stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=6826

Article about stopping the practice of altar calls.

Go ahead and hoo ha. But remember, I’ve only been Catholic for 3 yrs, so I’ve never seen the “altar call.” Perhaps our parish did it back when I was still Protestant. But they haven’t done it since April, 2004.

Reading through this article makes it obvious that the Life Teen movement has always sought the guidance of Bishops for the correct liturgy. There is more to praise than criticize in Life Teen.

 

[Catholig]

Last weekend I went to a church that I found extremely disturbing and I’m not sure what, if anything, I should do. It’s not my normal church, thank goodness, so I should just let it go but I can’t stop thinking about it.

First, I like to arrive at Mass about 30 minutes early so I can sit quietly and pray or contemplate. As I entered this church I heard the “band” playing. It was a piano, drums, tamborine, a bass guitar and a choir singing extremely loudly (and quite badly, I’m afraid) They continued for the full half hour. Not singing hymns I’m familar with but rather it was a type of gospel/praise music with lots of drums and clapping.

Then the priest came out, and I honestly had no idea what he was doing. I couldn’t follow his Mass at all. We didn’t do the Gloria or profession of faith instead the choir sang songs both time. Honestly, I think he wrote his own Mass, using his own words and order. I have no idea.

I took a church bulletin and it opened with a mission statement with this line: “We are an all welcoming, all embracing Christian church.” It didn’t mention being a Catholic chuch until the very end, almost as an afterthought. It mostly focused on being “all welcoming, all embracing”

Afterwards, I was talking to a girlfriend about it and she said she’s been to that church when this same priest has preached on the fact that women will and should be priests one day and she also witnessed him give communion to non-catholics, in fact he made a point of introducing them first as a Lutheran minister and his wife.

Do you think I should write a letter to the Bishop? Or should I just be thankful that my parish priests are extremely orthodox and true to Rome and let this go?

Definitely write a letter to the Bishop!!!

Catholig

 

[agapewolf]

You are contradicting yourself. First you say they** NEVER p**promoted the altar call, then you say they put out a video saying to stop the practice. If they **NEVER **endorsed the practice, why did just about every place do it and then why would they put out a video saying to stop it?

It had to come from somewhere.

But I’ll take you at your word. Please direct me to a link where lifeteen explicitly says to stop this practice as well as other practices that fell outside of liturgical norms. I would like to see them for myself.

Thanks

NO, I said it never ever promoted the act of saying the words of consecration.

I didn’t say the altar call itself.

The teens being brought up (however wrong it may be), was not a gimick. It was a means of bringing those “ministering” at the mass forward (just as the altar serves are near the altar, as well as a bride and groom at their wedding mass)…this is a youth mass, so they were brought forward. and the concept of the youth mass is approved and encouraged by the vatican.

I don’t have a link to that video…just to the web site of Lifeteen itself www.lifeteen.com

You will find anything regarding teaching 100% Catholic

 

[palmas85]

NO, I said it never ever promoted the act of saying the words of consecration.

I didn’t say the altar call itself.

The teens being brought up (however wrong it may be), was not a gimick. It was a means of bringing those “ministering” at the mass forward (just as the altar serves are near the altar, as well as a bride and groom at their wedding mass)…this is a youth mass, so they were brought forward. and the concept of the youth mass is approved and encouraged by the vatican.

I don’t have a link to that video…just to the web site of Lifeteen itself www.lifeteen.com

You will find anything regarding teaching 100% Catholic

Yeah, I really didn’t think you’d have either a link to the video or a place where I could find it. That being the case, I somehow doubt that one even exists. That too does not really surprise meafter several years on these forums.

As far as the website being orthodox, I have no doubt that it is. What is actually done in practice however often does not live up to what is called for in the guidelines.

 

[cathyf]

Our Bishop would descend upon them with wrath and call down fire if they tried that, which they wouldn’t!

Look, Cat is in the Diocese of Rockford, and palmas85 you are making a fool out of yourself. No abuses are tolerated there at all – heck they make even Peoria look like a bunch of hippies in comparison!

 

[agapewolf]

Yeah, I really didn’t think you’d have either a link to the video or a place where I could find it. That being the case, I somehow doubt that one even exists. That too does not really surprise meafter several years on these forums.
QUOTE]

That was unbelievably rude. there IS a video … I saw it…they played it at a few different parishes in my diocese. I was a youth minister when they sent it out.

They sent it to EVERY LifeTeen parish in their subscription service at the time. I told you that before, so actually, YOU DO have a place where to go find it. There is no need to have it online, it was so long ago. You can call their office and request a copy if you want it so darn bad.

I didn’t even bother looking hard becuase I didn’t know you would be so darn rude about it,.

Their website is orthodox because they are orthodox…its a few individual parishes that go and do what they want, NOT under what lifeteen wants. Should we blame the whole church because of the priest scandals? of course not.

So go call them and get your video.

 

[Marian_Carroll]

This thread having left the topic of the OP is now closed. Thanks to those who participated.

As a reminder, posters are asked not to hijack the threads of others.