Are non-Catholic visitors welcome at Mass?

[mdr1964]

I’ve not been involved in church in about 15 years but recently attended a catholic service for the first time. It was not a good experience. I really didn’t understand a lot of the things that were going on and no one around me acted interested in making me feel welcome. To make matters worse there was suppose to have been an insert in the bulletin to follow along with during the service. My bulletin did not have an insert. Not being a catholic, when it came time to receive communion I did not go up. This caused a lot of strange looks from the people around me. I hope this experience was not typical because I’m still interested in learning more about the Catholic church. Was there something I should have done to better prepare myself before attending a Catholic service?

 

[Devon_Caffran]

You’ve come to the right place to ask questions! These links should be helpful for putting your mind at ease about attending Mass. I included articles, books and audio recordings which will explain the basics of the Mass and the Catholic Church. You are welcome to come to everything we offer and to participate in anything you feel comfortable doing outside receiving Communion. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, you can post on our public forums or contact Catholic Answers directly. I hope to see you in church soon!

Recommended Reading:
What can Protestants do at Mass?
What Do You See at Mass? by Anthony E. Clark
The Mass, the Temple, and Loraine Boettner by T.L. Frazier
The Apocalyptic Mass by Scott Hahn
A Worshiping People by Most Rev. Donald W. Montrose

The Institution of the Mass
Sacrifice of the Mass by the Early Church Fathers
What Is the Attraction of the Catholic Church? by Fr. V. J. Matthews
How Do We Know It’s the True Church? Twelve Things to Look For by Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Why I Am a Catholic by G. K. Chesterton
Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

Recommended Books:
Mass Appeal: The ABC’s of Worship by Jimmy Akin (booklet)
The Mass Of The Early Christians by Mike Aquilina (book)

Recommended Listening:
The Mass & the Book of Revelation (part 1) with Scott Hahn
The Mass & the Book of Revelation (part 2) with Scott Hahn
The Mass in Slow Motion (Part 1) with Scott Hahn
The Mass in Slow Motion (Part 2) with Scott Hahn
The Mass in Slow Motion (Part 3) with Scott Hahn
The Mass, the Church, and the Kingdom with Scott Hahn
Encountering Christ in the Mass with Archbishop Justin Rigali
Mass Appeal with Fr. Rich Simon
The Biblical Roots of the Mass with Tom Nash