Can you help with parishioners who resent change at my church?

[zoey14]

Hello, I am 48 years old and have been a member of my church for 18 years. I am very active in my church. I am the head of finance and I am on the cemetery board. I also represent the church in doing prison ministry. My question is every time we want to or do make any type of changes in the church we end up with a lot of angry parishioners.
We would like to move the tabernacle and have our priest sit behind the altar in a nice chair. Right now he sits next to the altar with the altar servers in a chair you would use for sitting at a table. Do you have any suggestions how to deal with these people with out me getting up and telling them if you don’t like it go to a different church (I would not do this just feel like it some days) We have a wonderful Priest and we feel that he deserves a place of honor on the altar.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Many parishes that moved the tabernacle away from the center of the sanctuary are now moving it back—and with good reason. The sanctuary is the focal point of the Church. The Eucharist deserves such attention. No matter how much the people love their priest, the sanctuary is primariily not about him; it is about the Lord.

Get new chairs for the priest and the servers, but let the tabernacle remain in the most honored place. The Lord deserves more honor than anyone.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.