Eucharistic Adoration and the Mexican Church

[4GBradley]

About a 3 years ago, our Church started having Eucharistic Adoration after the 8AM Mass and it would run until 5PM. I would always attend and try to say a rosary during a one hour stay after the Mass was said.

Since our town is now mostly hispanic, there has been some adjustments to accomodate various races. We have English, Polish, and Spanish Masses and it is usually no real problem for people.

About a year ago, a woman would show up after the Mass but during Euchastic Adoration and would walk to the front of the Church and kneel in the first pew. The Church was dead quiet as people were showing their respect to God.

Suddenly, this woman would start screaming something in Spanish. She would bellow for about 30 to 45 seconds, then all would be quite. Then she would start screaming again. If no one interrupted her, she would continue this for around 15 minutes.

Since trying to pray during this is near impossible, some people would leave. She did this week after week. Every once in a while, one woman would walk up to her and tell her to be quiet and she would for awhile then leave the Church for that day.

She did this week after week for many months. I once had the opportunity to speak to one of our priest about her. I asked him what is she saying and why. He simple said that he knew about her and that was a song that she was singing. He couldn’t tell me anymore than that.

The Church always has hispanic women at the Eucharistic Adoration and they don’t behave this way.

Since I have always been taught to be quiet in Church, I don’t understand why this is not carried over into the Latin American community. Is this just one woman or is this a cultural thing?

 

[theistgal]

First you said:

The Church always has hispanic women at the Eucharistic Adoration and they don’t behave this way.

Then you said:

Since I have always been taught to be quiet in Church, I don’t understand why this is not carried over into the Latin American community. Is this just one woman or is this a cultural thing?

If “the Church has always had Hispanic women at the Eucharistic Adoration and they don’t behave that way”, then why do you think it is a “cultural thing”? Obviously it’s just one disruptive woman.

Has anyone told the pastor about it?

 

[Doorbell]

I’ve spanish masses and I’ve never heard of people doing this. The closest thing to it, is one time I was at the Eucharist and some older lady was playing a tape of songs. It was kinda annoying.

 

[jbrown0059]

I’ve been to a few Mexican masses and they’re like a fiesta with blaring mariachi music, kids running around the church, and parents standing there with their arms folded, like they would rather be anywhere else but in church. Not a good message for children.

 

[puzzleannie]

Since I have always been taught to be quiet in Church, I don’t understand why this is not carried over into the Latin American community. Is this just one woman or is this a cultural thing?

sounds like one person’s idiosyncracy, I have never observed here or in Mexico. The only time I have seen such behavior is on the part of children or the mentally unbalanced.

 

[RosyFM]

hi, I’m from Mexico, and i our mass is not like a fiesta, at least not were i live (Monterrey), we don’t have mariachis in every mass, maybe just in weddings, but i do see a lot of kids running around, mostly 2 or 3 years old, but you usually see their dad running to get them, and about the lady singing, well i don’t know what to say but i have never seen someone do that during adoration, maybe someone could explain to her that is not OK to do that, and sorry for my english i haven’t practiced it too much lately.

 

[TheDoctor]

Hi 4G. I am having trouble seeing the issue.

If the woman is not mentally disturbed but is disturbing others, she needs someone to speak with her in charity (in Spanish, to make sure she understands) to explain that her outbursts may be hindering others prayer.

If the poor woman is mentally disturbed then the same advice applies, doesn’t it? And if she continues, I would ask your pastor what to do or just let it go (who am I to judge how one of my sisters speaks to God?)

Yeah, I know it can be annoying. There is a young man with a medical disability which causes him to yell out during Mass. Being an idiot, I once even thought “why do they bring him”. Moron. I could see Jesus looking at me from the altar going “you really didn’t just think that, did you?” He was in my prayers for the rest of the Mass.

I don’t know if it helps but whenever I am trying to pray and the Church is noisy or someone is saying a rosary too loud or there is traffic in the parking lot I recall those pictures of Pope John Paul II sitting in the middle of a crowd of 100,000 people, deep in prayer. My little annoyances don’t seem so bad then.