Children on altar and deacon cleaning vessels?

[gardenswithkids]

Here’s an update:
I was begining to think perhaps I didn’t see what I thought I saw. My husband and son didn’t remember chidren around the altar, (my husband was the one who had noticed the unconsecrated bread distributed but I din’t see that.) So as far as contacting the bishop, I didn’t know if we had our facts straight.

Yesterday we met with the principal and toured the school. She told me she believes the pastor is very orthodox and would never teach anything not in keeping with the Church. During the meeting she spoke of the weekly school Mass and she specifically mentioned that he brings the children around the altar as if it were a good thing. I mentioned that I thought that was forbidden, but she didn’t think it was. I didn’t pursue it further, and we continued with a tour of the school which is filled with traditional Catholic items and traditional prayers. As we were leaving, the principal mentioned she would look into the issue about children around the altar.

My husband isn’t sure that I’m right about this and has told me to stop calling it a liturgical abuse. He thinks I’m slandering a good priest. (As a side note, the priest also specifically told the whole congregation we should hold hands during the Our Father and I already knew that wasn’t suppose to be done.) None of these things horribly offend me, but I am concerned that this priest either doesn’t know the rules or knows them but ignores them. I’ve experience more than my fair share of that already, and I am very concerned about it.

I’d love to take your advice and run fast. But my husband is holding out hope that this is the answer to his prayers. He’s been dissatisfied with our current parish and our children’s education. He wants to meet with both our current pastor and the pastor at this other parish. This is frustrating. So…pray for us, please. Thank you for your opinions and your help.

 

[netmilsmom]

gardenswithkids:

Here’s an update:

I’d love to take your advice and run fast. But my husband is holding out hope that this is the answer to his prayers. He’s been dissatisfied with our current parish and our children’s education. He wants to meet with both our current pastor and the pastor at this other parish. This is frustrating. So…pray for us, please. Thank you for your opinions and your help.

Are you in MI? (you can private mail a yes or no)
It’s tough to go against your hubby. I’m sure he is looking for the best and thinking of leaving the worst.
I’m praying for you!
Have you ever considered homeschooling? It’s not expensive and a finer education cannot be bought! Great cheap programs out there that are VERY orthodox. We use “Our Lady of Divine Grace” A classical Catholic education.

 

[YinYangMom]

Why not just schedule a meeting for you and your husband with the priest…an interview, so to speak, to help you determine whether or not to send your children to their school.

Share your concerns with him - not so much citing the things you think are wrong with how he does things…

but just sharing what you did with us…your concern that the Catholic education you pay for will indeed provide your children with Catholic teaching in line with the Magesterium. Ask him what his philosophy is with regard to educating children into the faith…ask him his opinion of the principal, is she effective? is she teaching official doctrine/practices or an ‘interpretation’ of her understanding of them?

Ask him what assurances he can offer you and your husband that your children will be taught faithfully.

And somewhere in there, ask what his positions are on abortion, premarital sex, contraception, homosexuality, women priests, euthanasia and stem cell research. Do not let him off the hook on responding to those because his position on those issues will reveal the truth about how closely aligned he is to Rome. IF he is close but not quite in-step then ask him to explain his differences - perhaps it’s the result of his seminary training, perhaps it’s the guidance of the bishop, perhaps he’s young and isn’t secure enough in his position…there can be reasonable explanations for misunderstandings. But if he clearly is out of step with Rome then your husband needs to hear it from the priest himself.

 

[chicago]

If the priest’s worst offenses are inviting the kids to be around the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer and asking people to join hands at the Our Father, the most I would accuse him of is being too touchy-feely. These things aren’t really supposed to be done (and ideally ought be corrected), but they aren’t the end of the world, either; and probably wouldn’t be indicitive of anything more than a priest who sincerely wants his community to feel close to God and each other.