carved Halloween pumpkins on the altar

[robwar]

What is wrong with some of these nuns today? I really don’t understand how they can take Vatican II so far out of context. I also don’t understand how nuns today don’t wear the habit when “on duty”? You rarely (if ever) see friars or monks in secular clothes when publicly doing the work of the Church. Why is it that we rarely see nuns in a habit?

Oh well, different thread - different discussion.

I’m just glad that the priest was mad and I hope the Bishop learns of this and speaks to the Mother Superior.

you have based your comments on someone’s gossip or analysis of another person. We don’t know anything about the offending nun and it was handled by the priest and should have been the end of the story. You also don’t know if the nun is in habit or not or anything else. I am always amazed at how fast people jump to conclusion about others that they don’t even know and start rants about meaningless labels.

 

[franciscangirl]

Then if you witness the conversation and the pumpkins were removed, then why are you on CAF asking all of us? It sounds like it was handled in the parish as it should be by the priest who is in charge. I am bothered by you calling the nun liberal and that her motives were to upset others. I’m not sure what that analysis is about. If there are problems again with that particular nun that I am assuming is working for the parish, she is the priest’s employee and can be fired if that is the case. That is why threads that concern something that happen in a parish, how the Church is decorated, this or that happen at Mass etc should first be handled by going to the appropriate people at the parish, priest etc instead of coming on line asking others who aren’t there and don’t have the whole story. The rest is gossip and opinions and trouble.

Because I wanted to know if anyone else had heard of this sort of thing …and if you don’t like why I have come here…don’t reply

 

[franciscangirl]

No one is spreading fear, some maybe jumping to conclusions,but my reason for coming here was to find out if anyone else had heard of this…sorry if I won’t fill you in on all the info but I have said what I said with knowledge…there is no gossip , speculation or rumor…and no I won’t give anything else out…if you haven’t seen this kin great greatd of stuff before then great, God bless you

 

[HumbledSinner]

a little charity and humility towards our brothers and sisters in Christ can go a long way…

Then if you witness the conversation and the pumpkins were removed, then why are you on CAF asking all of us? …

Clearly what was done by the sister/nun was inappropriate and thus was corrected by the local priest. The whole point of having forums like these is for all of us to discuss and exchange ideas right? You are always free not to engage a particular thread if its bothersome to you.

I always dislike these sorts of threads and questions because the person if they have a concern about what is on the altar should always either go to their priest, or go to the people in charge of decorating the altar and church and share your concern there. Generally, I wouldn’t care to see halloween pumpkins on the altar but I am not there at the Church and problems or concerns like this need to be handled at the parish level, not asking on the internet for (name removed by moderator)ut by those of us who are not even there.

I’m not quite sure why you are up in arms about this thread. As far as liturgical abuses, we should all be concerned about it - we are the body of Christ aren’t we not? I hope you would examine your comment/position about the unnecessary things on the altar. I sure you are aware that this is the place where we make our most holiest sacrifice - the Body and Blood of our Lord - why unnecessarily profane such reverent place?

Agreeing to such thing is akin to being ok with placing a pumpkin (with candle) on your father’s casket during his wake…

–
Dominus Vobiscum!

 

[DaveBj]

Really! A closer look at His word will reveal a great deal about caring for those in need.
Deacon Frank

And a closer look at Veritas would have revealed a tongue firmly planted in a cheek.

 

[robwar]

a little charity and humility towards our brothers and sisters in Christ can go a long way…

Clearly what was done by the sister/nun was inappropriate and thus was corrected by the local priest. The whole point of having forums like these is for all of us to discuss and exchange ideas right? You are always free not to engage a particular thread if its bothersome to you.

I’m not quite sure why you are up in arms about this thread. As far as liturgical abuses, we should all be concerned about it - we are the body of Christ aren’t we not? I hope you would examine your comment/position about the unnecessary things on the altar. I sure you are aware that this is the place where we make our most holiest sacrifice - the Body and Blood of our Lord - why unnecessarily profane such reverent place?

Agreeing to such thing is akin to being ok with placing a pumpkin (with candle) on your father’s casket during his wake…

–
Dominus Vobiscum!

to answer your question, problems like this should be handled with the priest at the parish level. Likewise, there are too many threads by people complaining about this happen at this Mass. There are only a few real liturgical experts on CAF but it seems like there are too many with opinions that think so. Since the priest took care of the pumpkins himself, there was no question to ask in the mannor it was which made it seem like they were left there.I am very much already aware that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Body and Blood take place there. For someone complaining about charity, look in the mirror because the last line is rather insulting.

 

[FAB]

Well deacon frank , until it’s reclaimed ,and by the way,only in the ,it’s still ASCII USA is it really commercial ,it’s still associated with evil spirits and goblins…and it still shouldn’t be on the altar…

We as Catholics believe in evil spirits, Christ drove them out.
As another poster indicated, in European church’s there are skulls, skeletons and gargoyles on the walls and often altars. This is not for satanic worship, but to remind us of our ultimate end, as well as to drive away unwanted spirits. It’s a age old practice.
The carved pumpkin is should remind us as Catholics of the same and lead us to prayer and examination of conscience as to our ultimate end. This is how we reclaim what is ours, and we have to each year.
I personally love the Latin tradition of the day of the dead, when dead relatives are suppose to come back and visit us. This is in our belief that the our connection with the dead remains. We are part of the communion of saints.

 

[Lerchinator]

Would you elaborate? The reason I’m asking is because this question has come up before with LifeTeen.

Thanks!

Woah, sorry guys, let me elaborate!
First, I am a member of Life-Teen. I am a teen
Second, I am a member of the Diocesan Youth Council for my diocese.

What I am referring to is how teens will perform certain duties (candle-holding, acceptance of gifts) that would normally be performed by an acolyte or an altar server, both of which would be properly robed etc. They will perform these duties in “street-clothes”, or for the ladies, sometimes quite revealing manners of dress.
Now granted, I am not denying “come as you are”. However, I am saying that “if you have the ability to NOT dress like you’re going to the club, please refrain from doing so”.
And it’s really quite sad to see, because all people outside of the life-teen movement will see is teens poorly dressed in the Holy of Holies.

No, its not a “snotty offhand remark”. I do believe the thread, in general, is about things not necessarily employed in the sanctuary due to ambiguous level of respect.
Didn’t mean to rustle any jimmies.

**O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.**

 

[Lerchinator]

That’s sad.

We have LifeTeen in our church. The youth participate fully in altar serving and the music and they are very respectful and reverent.
We have them wear khakis ( no jeans, shorts or short skirts) and either white or navy blue polo shirts as a sort of “uniform” if they are altar servers, ushers or if they are singing. ( because teens will be teens…and some do not have good role models…and others do, yet still leave the house with a tshirt with a rappers face on it without their Mom noticing…Yes, it happens!..They need reinforcement of what is /isn’t appropriate to wear to church, and in the meantime they put on the “uniform” and they are ready.
I have found that the teens are excited to be at church, participating in the Mass…

Sorry that your LifeTeen teens are not dressed appropriately.

It really is sad, and I wish we had a general dress code. And most teens do dress quite well, at least decently well! It’s just the ones that don’t…well, you hear the most about them sadly
The solution has been brought up before, and we have decided as a council that it is really in the Core members (for those not involved with LifeTeen, the adults that set the framework for everything) court. But…our Core members by and large are…lacking in maturity. And as long as they themselves don’t step up and enforce dress or proper behavior in Mass, nothing will get done. Our teens sit in their own special section, right in the very front. Perhaps this is why it is such an affront to me as one of the Master Servers and a Eucharistic Minister, I see this every week.
So we continue to pray for a change of heart, and a heart of acceptance in ourselves as well.

**O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.**

 

[Lerchinator]

Lastly, @robwar, the Life Teen movement is great for its ambitions. Its great for its impact, and its great for its revitalizing spirit.
However, a movement to draw people nearer to Him should not as a side effect push people away from Him.
And, I do truthfully say, we have had people not return to the 6 PM Life Teen mass due to lack of respect from the teens.
Granted, this mass is to attract teens. But really, the demographics report shows that its not really teens, but mostly adults who go to this mass. Granted, the teens are there, but the community is not, at this time, solely comprised of teens. Therefore, all members of the community should be attended to, lest a single person be driven from Him.
Are we good brother? I’m the last person you’d meet who would down the Life Teen movement, I’m a product, and currently a member, of it!
Cheers

**O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.**