L
Lion_IRC
Guest
I’d just settle for folks turning their mobile phone ring tones off.
And maybe waiting till the Mass has actually ended before they start walking out.
I felt so sad for Fr Jeff on Sunday night.
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And maybe waiting till the Mass has actually ended before they start walking out.
I felt so sad for Fr Jeff on Sunday night.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
My cousins baptism had about 60 guests who were either non catholic and/or out of town, my wedding guests were 55 and all non-parishioners. If you had more than one baptism additional guests could be easily over 100. My church couldn’t accommodate that many extra people on a typical Sunday.
B
babochka
Guest
I’ve never seen it happen. Most churches aren’t filled to the gills on an average Sunday and have room for extra people at special events. In the even that a church were regularly filled to capacity, I would imagine that particular church would not schedule multiple baptisms during Mass for that very reason.
I know one parish that has Masses at 7am, 8am, 9am,10am 11am 12 noon and 7:30pm on Sunday. The small church has been full every time I’ve been there. I’d imagine they don’t do baptisms during Mass.
Like Phemie, my parish is also very small. Two years ago, we had two babies who were baptized by our bishop. Bishops always draw crowds and baptism always draw crowds. The church was crowded, but nobody was turned away. Some parishioners didn’t get their regular seats and a few families (including mine) were split up and had to sit in different parts of the church. It was fine and the baptisms were beautiful.
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babochka
Guest
Wow! That’s a lot of guests for a baptism. If this is typical where you are from, how does your parish handle First Communions? I know First Communions are not usual during a Sunday Mass in many places, but with 50-60 guests per person, even having 10 or 15 First Communicants could easily fill up a church.
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Phemie
Guest
Even with 5 baptisms we didn’t fill the church. Some families you know there will be a big turn out but other might have only the sponsors and their families.
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Phemie
Guest
We have First Communions at the only Sunday Mass, usually on Mother’s Day. Church still isn’t full.
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babochka
Guest
That’s pretty awesome that your small parish had 5 baptisms at one time.
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babochka
Guest
How many First Communicants do you usually have?
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Phemie
Guest
We had 17 this year. Sadly, only 5 returned to Mass this weekend. The soccer tournament at the local arena took precedence.
And that’s what we compete with all year. Soccer in the summer and hockey in the winter.Our parish has about 400 families but many of those families are seniors. Fewer and fewer children.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
In my families culture a baptism is seen as a time to celebrate with family a bit like a wedding so lots of people get invited. I’ve not been to any other baptisms outside my family so don’t know how typical this is. My wedding was a lot smaller than most weddings I have been to. A generation or so ago a lot of these people would have been fellow parishioners but almost none of them attend mass and many don’t live close. It is seen as a private family event rather than a public parish one.
I have known there to be suggestions that you don’t bring too many extra family members to first communions’ and confirmation. First communions are split over 2 weekends to help. My confirmation was during the week, I don’t know if that was to help keep the numbers down or if that’s normal. I also went to a church where people without young children were asked not to come to the Christmas Eve early evening mass due to the church being filled with people who only go to church at Christmas.
Y
YADA
Guest
We have as many as 5-8 babies baptized at one parish I attend - we have never ran out of seating … there are far more “Guests” for Ash Wednesday, Christmas and Easter then ever appear for a Baptism … standing room only at some Masses …
In a small rural parish - we have too few Baptisms … usually only one - maybe two children … but still fewer that Christmas and Easter
So I am not sure why you would think these visitors would impact parishioners …
An aside - since Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation the increased attendance [which in more than attendance on some Holy Days] has always surprised me a little …
K
Kielbasi
Guest
I don’t think baptisms get nearly the number of family members as weddings or communions or confirmations.
Because they are arranged on quick order, unless its an old fashioned kind of family with everyone local, its tough to get more than a couple of dozen or so.
Because they are arranged on quick order, unless its an old fashioned kind of family with everyone local, its tough to get more than a couple of dozen or so.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
Not all people have quickly arranged baptisms, some would rather wait and plan it so family can attend. It wouldn’t be looked on well if I had a quick baptism after a birth and didn’t invite extended families. Refreshments would also be expected. There clearly needs to be some catechism on what baptism is really about but I’m not sure how with people who don’t go to church.
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babochka
Guest
Attending the baptism should help with that if only they would listen. The rite itself tells us what it is all about and a good priest can help with explanations during the baptism for those who don’t understand. You can also help by making sure it is scheduled within the first few weeks of birth and explaining to the family why you don’t want to wait any longer than that. I think we can (and should) have it both ways - a big family event and a special time for the parish, who is welcoming a new child.
K
Kielbasi
Guest
A big family event, sure.
But I don’t think that people are that close to people merely because of their geographic proximity in the same parish.
Its not like back in the old country, people lived in a village and that’s all they saw. Or even near the start of the 20th Century in urban America, where most people didn’t have cars and stayed closer to home.
It isn’t like I don’t care about my neighbors, its just that I don’t know that much about most of them, they are out doing their own things.
Because of mobility, and modern telecommunications, people are less likely to be involved in such matters just because they are in the same parish. There is a good chance that more that 90% of the mother’s parishioners didn’t even know that she was pregnant with child.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
Sadly I think that sums it up. I wasn’t close enough to anyone at my parish to invite them to my wedding and I was attending mass there. Someone who isn’t a regular attender is surely even less likely to feel close fellow parishioners. In my cousins case celebrating welcoming this little boy into the parish was pretty meaningless as she had no intention of taking him to church.
K
Kielbasi
Guest
I don’t think your experience is that unusual at all.
How many people who are just fellow parishioners, are in attendance at their funeral mass?
Neighborhoods and communities just aren’t as close as they were in previous eras. People move often, and even when they don’t, they are just as like to be friendly with folks that live a few miles further away from their work or other activities.
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Techno2000
Guest
This new Catholic Church I have been going to sometimes has babies getting Baptized right in the middle of Mass, I thought this was to be done after Mass ?
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Phemie
Guest
In many places it is done after Mass but it’s perfectly correct to have Baptisms during Mass. In fact, the rubrics tell you to omit certain things (Penitential Rite, for example) when Baptism will take place during Mass.
K
ktmeyer
Guest
For all the talk about being “open to life” it sure doesn’t seem that way when spending an extra few minutes to welcome a new child is too much of an inconvenience!!!
We say it’s required to sacrifice whatever it takes to bring a child into the world, to raise them properly, but then say we are too busy to spend a few minutes welcoming them into the family??? Because we are all sons and daughters of God, and that baby is our brother or sister in Christ! You don’t have 10 minutes to celebrate your new brother or sister???
Gee, wonder why families are shrinking, when this is the message being sent. You want me to forgo birth control and be open to life, but only if it doesn’t make you late for brunch.
We say it’s required to sacrifice whatever it takes to bring a child into the world, to raise them properly, but then say we are too busy to spend a few minutes welcoming them into the family??? Because we are all sons and daughters of God, and that baby is our brother or sister in Christ! You don’t have 10 minutes to celebrate your new brother or sister???
Gee, wonder why families are shrinking, when this is the message being sent. You want me to forgo birth control and be open to life, but only if it doesn’t make you late for brunch.
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