Current disappointingly low Mass attendance

[VintageRose]

We’re ever so thankful to now be offered the wonderful opportunity of attending daily Mass, (once weekly) and weekend mass, (twice monthly.) Our sanctuary is open daily for prayer and reflection. Adoration is as regularly scheduled. We’re looking so forward to our Autumn Bible study. Our parish is located in NW Oregon. Yet, although our doors are open, we’ve noticed the attendance to be quite low. Sadly, we’re seeing so many empty pews when watching our Sunday Mass on livestream. Hopefully, the ‘trickle’ will soon become a rushing waterfall…! Is anyone else noticing this happening in their parish…?

 

[TheIttyBitty]

And yesterday, I arrived very nearly close to Mass for first Friday, which for our Parish is in the morning, when people typically are working. There was one spot left to sit because of pews marked off. By the time I located an empty spot and got to the pew, Mass had begun. I wasn’t trying to arrive late, but I have diplopia which makes seeing empty seats in the front of the church from the back nearly impossible. Took three walks up the aisles to find the spot.

The church had a completely full Mass for a Friday morning, for what is allowed during Covid. We aren’t as far out in the country, but we’re still quite a ways out from the city, and a lot of farms out here.

OTOH, evening Mass on weekdays are usually in extremely low attendance. Saturday and Sunday Mass is also full.

 

[1ke]

Is anyone else noticing this happening in their parish…?

Well, week day mass at our parish is always a small crowd because it’s during the work day, 9:00 am. So only retired people go. And many of them are self isolating now.

Our Sunday mass is pretty well attended considering the bishop has set capacity at 25% of seating, although the county allows up to 50% seating capacity. Many people are self isolating, especially the elderly and those with health conditions.

I’m not really sure what you expect in the middle of a pandemic?

 

[Phemie]

As of last Sunday we are allowed 100, including the priest and the reader, if they can be accommodated with the proper spacing… We had about 30 last week, not sure what the numbers will be tomorrow. As we register they complete a seating chart so that when we arrive we are told what section to sit in. Every second row of pews is blocked. There is no slipping into the first available pew: the first person/family to arrive in the section must go to the front and sit in the first pew, the next person/family sits in the vacant unblocked pew directly behind them, and so on.

The low number may be because there is only a two-hour window, in the middle of a work day, to register. I’m inclined to forget to call so, since I know the numbers have been low, I would just go down and take my chances that there will be space for me. There is also the possibility that many of our older parishioners still don’t want to risk it and/or don’t want to have to deal with the masks we have to wear to go.

Our church is never open except an hour before Mass and during the 1 hour of confessions each week. Weekday Mass has not resumed yet. Never see more than 8 or 9 at that one, and those folk were the first to resume coming go Sunday Mass.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I would actually be quite concerned if our Mass attendance around here was high at this point. We’re not out of the woods on this yet; as our schools and universities (the worst offenders) have started opening, we’re seeing resurgences and a mortality rate a smidge higher than the national average. Not a good time to go out and about too frequently.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

A lot of people don’t want to come out and risk their health.

And a bunch more people only come to Sunday Mass because there’s an obligation under pain of sin. If there’s no obligation (there currently isn’t one in any diocese around here), they don’t show up.

It is what it is.

The daily Mass attendance is pretty stable. Those are generally the people who really want to be at Mass.

 

[twf]

We’re capped at 50 people per Mass, including ministers. That’s been the case since public Masses resumed back at Pentecost, and I doubt it will change soon. As such, there is always high demand and pre-registration is required for all Sunday Masses. Some parishes have added more Masses to the schedule to accommodate more people… for example, my parish has gone from 3 to 6 weekend Masses.

 

[1ke]

for example, my parish has gone from 3 to 6 weekend Masses.

Unfortunately we share a priest with two other parishes and there’s a good bit of travel distance between each so adding masses isn’t realistic for us.

 

[twf]

A retired bishop is helping at our parish. In my parents’ town in the neighbouring diocese, which also has the 50 people cap, the two local parishes share a priest, but a retired priest has come in to add more Masses to the schedule. But of course not an option in some locales.

 

[LisaB]

Hopefully, the ‘trickle’ will soon become a rushing waterfall…! Is anyone else noticing this happening in their parish…?

We have the opposite problem - too many people, not enough space. Sunday Masses are by signup, and we can go every 3 weeks. Still people show up not on “their” weekend in hopes of an empty seat.

Weekday Masses get full. I usually come 30-45 mins in advance to get a seat up front.

We have 6 Sunday Masses and 2-3 daily Masses (depending on day of the week).

We need a larger church. This is why I don’t believe any claims that there isn’t much demand out there for the TLM.

 

[Sarcelle]

If your parish is like mine, chances are the people who were most likely frequent mass attendees pre-pandemic were elderly.

The same demographic most vulnerable to the virus. They’re just exercising caution especially if the mass obligation has been lifted.

Being asthmatic, I am vulnerable to the virus so I don’t attend mass.

 

[Horton]

We’ve been back to Mass since June and our three Sunday morning Masses are full, with the COVID restrictions, and people have to be turned away. It’s a first come, first serve thing. If you want a seat, get there early.

At first attendance was very low, 20-30 people. Over time it grew. This dispensation in our Diocese changed in July to those with conditions that put them at high risk, those over 65, and those with extreme fear of the virus.

Give it time. At first I was a little back & forth about attending. I would go one week and the next week I would think it’s too dangerous (I have health issues that do put me at high risk), then I would go again. Finally during prayer, I knew I must go to Mass and I would be safe.

 

[Victoria33]

I know of one Church where you have to reserve your seat at Mass. So be it, we will all get through this. It’s understandable. They also cut back on their Masses at the same time. It must be difficult for Churches to deal with this.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

If your parish is like mine, chances are the people who were most likely frequent mass attendees pre-pandemic were elderly.

The same demographic most vulnerable to the virus. They’re just exercising caution especially if the mass obligation has been lifted.

Being asthmatic, I am vulnerable to the virus so I don’t attend mass.

I have to think people are just erring on the side of caution. Sitting in a closed space for one hour, six feet from the other people around you, wearing an N95 mask, is still a lot of risk. 5 percent of air and particles getting through is still a lot of air and particles.

I have not been to Mass since the pandemic began, and I have no intention of doing so, until either the pandemic is declared over, a vaccine is developed (which I shall take), or both. I have some health issues, fairly common for people of my age, that make me somewhat high-risk. More importantly, my parents, for whom I provide in-home care, are seriously disabled, and my father is gravely ill on top of that. I am robust and take good care of myself — I could probably get the virus and survive it, but they probably could not, and at any rate, the virus is the last thing they need. I do not go inside places I do not absolutely have to go, and even then, I am just “right in and right out”, no lingering. I do not eat in sit-down restaurants and I only go to absolutely necessary medical appointments (dental care is not “absolutely necessary”). If, in spite of my best efforts, I would get the virus, we have a second home nearby to which I can retire and quarantine — might be “shutting the stable door after the horses have gotten out”, but better than not quarantining — I can homeschool my son via online instruction (Skype, Google Classroom, etc.), and I will have food and necessities delivered to my parents and son. I livestream the Traditional Latin Mass and I continue my modest donations to my parish via online giving.

 

[Sarcelle]

Now that I am unemployed, I have all the time to visit family.

However there are several members of my family who are especially vulnerable.

I can’t visit them.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Now that I am unemployed, I have all the time to visit family.

However there are several members of my family who are especially vulnerable.

I can’t visit them.

I am sorry to know you cannot see your relatives. All I have is my parents and my son. I am retired, and if I hadn’t retired almost four years ago, I’d be retiring now, to care for my parents. For various reasons, homeschooling is by far the best option for my son.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Our Diocese has restrictions wrt mass attendance. We can only fill X of capacity, there are MANY open seats. If the place were full like it used to be, we’d have to stop having public Masses.

Here the obligation is lifted so those who practice social distancing or who have their own reasons to avoid public gatherings are free to stay home.

It will be a long time before things change in our Diocese for the health of all.

 

[DeniseNY]

From what I’ve been told, attendance is picking up at my parish but I haven’t returned yet. I live with my elderly father and I have to be very careful about possibly exposing him to the virus.

 

[Phemie]

I have to think people are just erring on the side of caution. Sitting in a closed space for one hour, six feet from the other people around you, wearing an N95 mask, is still a lot of risk. 5 percent of air and particles getting through is still a lot of air and particles.

Where do non medical people get N95 masks? The only masks we wear here are cloth washables or disposables you can pick up at the grocery store. And, per public heath rules, we are to wear them entering church until seated when we may remove them. We must put them back on to go up and receive Communion, remove immediately before receiving, consume, and replace mask before returning to our pew.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You can buy them mail order now in the USA. There’s enough available that suppliers are selling them to the general public for a while now.