Disturbing Night At Youth Mass! Please Read

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Gregory24

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I attended a “youth mass” tonight because I didn’t attend my normal church in the morning. I am 24 years old and converted 3 years ago and am in love with the catholic church. However I was greatly upset tonight. I walked into this 6 pm mass. And there was very loud music playing by in the front of the church. When I attempted to pray I couldn’t even hear myself think and this started things badly. The sanctuary was louder and people were talking more than I have ever seen at a church it was very distracting. Most of the people there were teenagers. I noticed they were high fiving each other and even sitting on top of the pews while talking. I couldn’t believe the lack of reverence in the presence of the eucharist. The mass was supposed to start at 6 pm however we practiced all these songs until 6:15. I noticed that they didn’t follow the music in the missal but had there own, and the profession of faith was completely different. I went to church tonight w/ my wife and sister both non-catholics and I decided to leave after the second reading. I was so upset at the lack of reverence I felt was in the church. The one thing that I love about the church since I have joined is the sameness of it. No matter where I go I get the same thing. As soon as we exited the church my sister and wife asked me what was wrong and I was overwhelmed by tears, and believe me I don’t cry very often. I can’t tell you exactly what overcame of me. But I was saddened by the whole scene tonight. On the way home I tried to explain to my sister how I believe that christ is truely present in the eucharist which is located in the tabernacle and that is why I was so disturbbed to see what I saw. I don’t know if I should have left mass or not but I did. Can anyone relate to this? What do you think?
 
Thats absolutely horrendous. Lack of reverence is one of the reasons why i didnt go to Protestantism, and i think the reverence in a Catholic church is so beautiful. To hear of it being abused is horrific.

Ive never been to a youth Mass although i am 20 (but i dont think we really have them in England) but if there was one i probably wouldnt go because from my experience the word ‘youth’ translates as ‘liberal/abuse’ - not to say young people are liberal, but most of the young people i know dont need a ‘youth’ mass so i would be suspicous of why one was needed.

Like you say - its more horrific due to the Real Presence. The lack of ‘sameness’ as you call it would irritate me, but id get over it. Lack of reverence towards the Eucharist would hurt, and i dont blame you for walking out of what could technically be an abuse of the Eucharist.

I think its easy for people to forget what that host becomes, especially for the very young. If they are brought up as a catholic and dont have belief, they may see it as a meeting spot, and forget (or even not believe) what they are in the presence of.

I would report this to someone - maybe it is simply down to a lack of adults?? As for leaving and shedding tears, congratulations! I think i would have screamed obscenities at people, yours was a much better thing to do 😃

God Bless, and good luck in trying to sort this out…keep us posted

Adam
 
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Gregory24:
The one thing that I love about the church since I have joined is the sameness of it. No matter where I go I get the same thing.
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It’s interesting to me that you have that perception. The readings are the same, but I’ve been to many churches and for every church I go to it seems each of them wants to put their own stamp on it.

I went to a single Life-Teen Mass once, and I won’t be going back, I did hear that it was going to be reformed sometime soon though. My advice is to find the right parish, in my case it took a while and I went through my share of heartache, but there are churches out there with Mass done in a very reverant manner, I prefer the TLM, but there are reverantly done NO Masses also.
 
Well, I am 36, and although there were times when I didn’t attend Mass as often as I should have in my youth, I have always appreciated a “normal” Mass. The purpose of the youth mass is to involve the youth more, and try to get them to mass, however what favor are they doing the youth if there is this abuse that you speak of?:eek: The centermost thing in the Catholic Church is Christ in the Eucharist, this is a wonderful gift given to us by Christ, and our youth need to know that above all things.

Perhaps some music that appeals more to the youth is O.K. but it must be appropriate. The creed should never be changed,:tsktsk: and I can’t see why that would make a difference to the youth. Maybe a better way to get youth to go to mass would be to schedule a social event either before, or after the Mass. I think that if youth find it acceptable or even encouraged by their peers to attend Mass they will be more likely to go.

Try contacting your diocese and see what they have to say. Search the liturgy forum for abuse, and you will find some suggestions. This subject has come up before in regards to a youth mass called “Life Teen”.

Was this mass presided over by your regular parish priest? If it was another priest then maybe your pastor is unaware of how it is being celebrated. I would bring it up to the pastor first, and if that gets you nowhere than contact the diocese.

Good Luck
 
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Gregory24:
I attended a “youth mass” tonight because I didn’t attend my normal church in the morning. I am 24 years old and converted 3 years ago and am in love with the catholic church. However I was greatly upset tonight. I walked into this 6 pm mass. And there was very loud music playing by in the front of the church. When I attempted to pray I couldn’t even hear myself think and this started things badly. The sanctuary was louder and people were talking more than I have ever seen at a church it was very distracting. Most of the people there were teenagers. I noticed they were high fiving each other and even sitting on top of the pews while talking. I couldn’t believe the lack of reverence in the presence of the eucharist. The mass was supposed to start at 6 pm however we practiced all these songs until 6:15. I noticed that they didn’t follow the music in the missal but had there own, and the profession of faith was completely different. I went to church tonight w/ my wife and sister both non-catholics and I decided to leave after the second reading. I was so upset at the lack of reverence I felt was in the church. The one thing that I love about the church since I have joined is the sameness of it. No matter where I go I get the same thing. As soon as we exited the church my sister and wife asked me what was wrong and I was overwhelmed by tears, and believe me I don’t cry very often. I can’t tell you exactly what overcame of me. But I was saddened by the whole scene tonight. On the way home I tried to explain to my sister how I believe that christ is truely present in the eucharist which is located in the tabernacle and that is why I was so disturbbed to see what I saw. I don’t know if I should have left mass or not but I did. Can anyone relate to this? What do you think?
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I’m sorry you were so distressed.

As a teacher and someone who has worked in youth ministry I am greatly aware of how irreverent young people can be. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but can be greatly distracting and is certainly improper at Mass.

The best remedy I have discovered is to offer a silent witness. Most irreverence stems from ignorance rather than malice or insensitivity, so the balance must be made through education. When I take my students to Mass I ensure that I have prepared them, taken them through examination of consciences etc, but I also make sure I sit apart from them - where I am visible. During the Mass I do not speak or look at them (save to assure readers when they should move towards the sanctuary). I focus on praying the Mass. I have overheard my students comment about that: I give them something to imitate.

Perhaps instead of leaving, you could have offered yourself as a witness to them?

I feel compelled to say too that while they may have been noisy they were there with Christ - whereas you chose to leave. Do you think that Christ would have wanted you to depart?
 
I am so sorry to hear about your experience. It is really a shame that some parishes let abuses take away from the purpose of youth masses. It’s not like that everywhere. We have Life Teen here in our parish and it’s the most spirit filled Mass we have (IMHO).

The music is loud but it is all very Chrisitian music and upbeat before Mass, this is called the “Praise and Worship” portion. We have a live band that plays (they have even recorded a CD) and the girls in the band are very reverent and Catholic and they have angelic voices. The kids are loud and friendly but no one is sitting ON the pews. There are many adults there as well. The reason all these people go to this Mass, I believe, is because of the young people.

My parish is probably not like many others. It is a very friendly and welcoming parish. Before Mass, many are talking and visiting (which, I believe should really be done after Mass) but it is the custom here and I don’t find it distrubing at all. It is what draws people into our parish.

I find myself in tears at each and every Life Teen Mass and alot of it has to do with the music and the teens. I see these young people so in love with their faith, yet they are like most other teens - but these have something a little special - it’s the Holy Spirit and He comes through loud and clear at this Mass in particular!
 
I must dis agree with the poster that says youth being irreverant at mass isn’t nessasarely sp a bad thing! think about that statement. We should be trying to elevate the youth to the great holiness of the mass, not lowering the bar to the ordinary even desrespect we sometimes see.
 
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Gregory24:
and the profession of faith was completely different… I went to church tonight w/ my wife and sister both non-catholics and I decided to leave after the second reading.
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A clarification please. If you left before the second reading, when did you hear the profession of faith?
 
I never did hear the profession of faith but it was outlined in the paper they were passing out. I just can’t understand why they feel the need to change something that is good enough for the rest of the world?
 
Gregory,

Of course, God knows your heart and for you to be ‘turned away’ from what you experienced IMO will not hurt you.
Tell a priest why you left early, and your intentions for wanting a more reverant Mass, then I pray the priest will see your point.

I would turn away too in this instance, if my Lord was dissed by the activity that was taken place.

Go with God!
Edwin
 
i think the music is terrible and hope to never go back. i remember an overal casual attitude, loud distracting music with drums and electric instruments, and teenagers wearing t-shirts and jeans. one girl was chewing gum while she was an usher.

there is nothing more pathetic then the catholic church attempting to connect to young adults by trying to appear “hip”. this is a sure recipe for disaster. it becomes not about the church being apart of this world or holy, but a church which is imitates the secular world. the liturgy is no longer looked at as a ancient gift that has been handed to us but something which we can manipulate and change according to our own whims. if you worship with no patrimony, how can you live according to the ancient teachings of the church? lex credendi, lex orandi, lex vivendi.
I find myself in tears at each and every Life Teen Mass and alot of it has to do with the music and the teens… - it’s the Holy Spirit and He comes through loud and clear at this Mass in particular!
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i don’t think it is the holy spirit bringing you to tears but your feelings. it’s the same thing that makes mormons believe in the book of mormon dispite all the evidence. if the teen mass is bringing teens to frequent confession, corporal works of mercy, eucharistic adoration, marian devotion, and vocations, then it is the holy spirit. going to church on sunday is the bare minimum and last election 43% of church going catholics voted for kerry.
 
matt cauthorn:
I must dis agree with the poster that says youth being irreverant at mass isn’t nessasarely sp a bad thing! think about that statement. We should be trying to elevate the youth to the great holiness of the mass, not lowering the bar to the ordinary even desrespect we sometimes see.
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I agree that we need to be elevating people’s sights towards Heaven, but it is not charitable to consider all irreverence as necessarily bad. Most often that not, irreverence stems from ignorance & poor catechesis rather than selfishness or malice. While it is absolutely fair to be offended and politely give voice to such offence, one needs to keep perspective.

I’m a teacher - as I said - so I see such moments as wonderful opportunities to teach rather than to tut at like some modern pharisee.:hmmm:

Don’t mistake me: reverence is important and currently it is all too scarce. But irreverence will not be corrected by snide glances and hasty exits; we need open hearts and open mouths. 🙂
 
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Gregory24:
I attended a “youth mass” tonight because I didn’t attend my normal church in the morning. I am 24 years old and converted 3 years ago and am in love with the catholic church. However I was greatly upset tonight. I walked into this 6 pm mass. And there was very loud music playing by in the front of the church. When I attempted to pray I couldn’t even hear myself think and this started things badly. The sanctuary was louder and people were talking more than I have ever seen at a church it was very distracting. Most of the people there were teenagers. I noticed they were high fiving each other and even sitting on top of the pews while talking. I couldn’t believe the lack of reverence in the presence of the eucharist. The mass was supposed to start at 6 pm however we practiced all these songs until 6:15. I noticed that they didn’t follow the music in the missal but had there own, and the profession of faith was completely different. I went to church tonight w/ my wife and sister both non-catholics and I decided to leave after the second reading. I was so upset at the lack of reverence I felt was in the church. The one thing that I love about the church since I have joined is the sameness of it. No matter where I go I get the same thing. As soon as we exited the church my sister and wife asked me what was wrong and I was overwhelmed by tears, and believe me I don’t cry very often. I can’t tell you exactly what overcame of me. But I was saddened by the whole scene tonight. On the way home I tried to explain to my sister how I believe that christ is truely present in the eucharist which is located in the tabernacle and that is why I was so disturbbed to see what I saw. I don’t know if I should have left mass or not but I did. Can anyone relate to this? What do you think?
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I have been to a few of these teen masses and I will never go back. I am 22 years old, so I know what a teen thinks about this kind of mass. This is the worst thing that could happen. They try to dunb down the mass to attract teens, but to tell the truth, they are turning them away. It is not true to what the church is.

By having this irreverence in the mass it is irreverent to God. They are disrespecting God. It is not supposed to be a social event as it is at the teen masses. It is supposed to be a time to worship God and to pray.

I don’t think I would have left mass ealry because the Eucharist is still there, but I can see why you did.
 
Unfortunately Gregory 24 it seems like they don’t know any better, and if they do, don’t care.

Speak to your Parish Priest about it, and if that doesn’t help, maybe a letter to the Bishop, indeed it is sad to see this disrespect.
I had a word with my own priest about people talking when others were trying to pray,-----eventually he mentioned it at Mass.
Problem is we aren’t hearing it at Mass anymore, it’s about time we did.
 
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Gregory24:
I attended a “youth mass” tonight because I didn’t attend my normal church in the morning. I am 24 years old and converted 3 years ago and am in love with the catholic church. However I was greatly upset tonight. I walked into this 6 pm mass. And there was very loud music playing by in the front of the church. When I attempted to pray I couldn’t even hear myself think and this started things badly. The sanctuary was louder and people were talking more than I have ever seen at a church it was very distracting. Most of the people there were teenagers. I noticed they were high fiving each other and even sitting on top of the pews while talking. I couldn’t believe the lack of reverence in the presence of the eucharist. The mass was supposed to start at 6 pm however we practiced all these songs until 6:15. I noticed that they didn’t follow the music in the missal but had there own, and the profession of faith was completely different. I went to church tonight w/ my wife and sister both non-catholics and I decided to leave after the second reading. I was so upset at the lack of reverence I felt was in the church. The one thing that I love about the church since I have joined is the sameness of it. No matter where I go I get the same thing. As soon as we exited the church my sister and wife asked me what was wrong and I was overwhelmed by tears, and believe me I don’t cry very often. I can’t tell you exactly what overcame of me. But I was saddened by the whole scene tonight. On the way home I tried to explain to my sister how I believe that christ is truely present in the eucharist which is located in the tabernacle and that is why I was so disturbbed to see what I saw. I don’t know if I should have left mass or not but I did. Can anyone relate to this? What do you think?
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Gregory –

I’m sorry you did not find your attendence at this Mass rewarding. If the 6:00 Mass is not for you, don’t go. Its too bad you found this upseting.
 
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Stephen-Maguire:
Problem is we aren’t hearing it at Mass anymore, it’s about time we did.
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That’s not the only part of the problem, or even the major part of the problem. The “sector” of the Church which has most obviously failed our children isn’t the parish. It’s the domestic church that has failed.

Celebrant: “You have asked to have your child baptized. In do so *you are accepting the responsibility of training him in the practice of the faith. *It will be *your duty *to bring him up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking.”

Parents: “We do.”

Too many parents are basically lying when they speak those last two words. They have their children baptized merely because it is expected, not because the baptismal promises the parents make mean anything or that baptism has any spiritual significance.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
At least they care enough to be there.

Albeit very disrespectfully, but there none the less.
 
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mlchance:
That’s not the only part of the problem, or even the major part of the problem. The “sector” of the Church which has most obviously failed our children isn’t the parish. It’s the domestic church that has failed.

Celebrant: “You have asked to have your child baptized. In do so you are accepting the responsibility of training him in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking.”

Parents: “We do.”

Too many parents are basically lying when they speak those last two words. They have their children baptized merely because it is expected, not because the baptismal promises the parents make mean anything or that baptism has any spiritual significance.

– Mark L. Chance.
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Yes it is true about the parents and guardians as well, thats why we here have to go to a pre- Baptism event so that the parents know their responsibility.
A priest here used to say to parents that wanted their baby Baptized, " I don’t see you at Mass, what is the point in Baptizing your baby if you aren’t going to bring it up in the faith" ?
 
My parish has been doing a Life Teen Mass for years. I avoid it if at all possible and so does my 14-year-old son. My understanding is that the Life Teen program rose out of the Charismatic movement, which has a spiritual style that doesn’t suit me or my family. I’ve talked to many people who love the Life Teen Mass. One of the beautiful things about the Catholic Chuch is that she allows many different spiritual styles, all legitimate.

OTOH, I can see where the Life Teen Mass can be particularly prone to liturgical abuse. There’s a tendency to put the inmates in charge of the asylum, so to speak. At my parish the pastor used to allow all the teens to come up onto the altar during the consecration, which is a real no-no. When another parishioner I know raised this as an issue, she was told that unless he received a directive not to do this, he would continue allowing it. Well there was finally a directive and the pastor stopped this particular abuse.

My advice to you is to attend a different Mass, or find a different parish, if necessary. But remember, no matter how irreverent the Mass, it’s still the Eucharist.
 
there is no defense for the abuses of the LIfe Teen Masses, which is why the program has been order to bring its liturgy in line with the GIRM. I don’t know whether this was LT, but it was an attempt by the parish to get the teenagers to Mass. As a DRE in charge of high school programs I can tell you at least half of them do not come with their families, and having a monthly youth Mass is one way at least to expose them to the Eucharist and allow the Mass itself to catechise them. They may have used the Apostles Creed since it is allowed for a children’s Mass, but that would be stretching it, or they may have used the renewal of baptismal promises if this was for a Confirmation class. Any other profession of faith would not be allowed.

If you would like to participate with teens and young adults in a faith-filled reverent homage to Jesus present in the Eucharist, look for a Youth 2000 gathering in your area. If you despair about youth appreciating the Eucharist, this will warm your heart about the new generation of Catholic youth.
 
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