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Marie5890
Guest
Fair question. Father’s Day isn’t some sort of solemnity or feast day for that matter. It’s a Sunday in Ordinary time.
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babochka
Guest
Parishes in vacation/resort areas are often bursting at the seams in summertime. I would assume the best, that all those people missing from your parish are filling other parishes while they’re gone.
The attendance at my own parish was better than usual today. We are a commuter parish, so not every family makes it every week. This week, all of the parishioner families were there, plus most of our semi-regulars, plus several visitors. It was a good week.
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Aeden
Guest
My local church was also more or less empty, but that was also probably because there aren’t many grandparents here. Many families would choose to attend mass together with a grandfather on Father’s Day just to keep the family together, giving the appearance of an empty church, when there is really one elsewhere that is bursting at the seams. 
Also, it could be that they went to a vigil mass to be able to give their whole day to the father of the family or that their schedule is for an evening mass to give the dad a great morning.
Also, it could be that they went to a vigil mass to be able to give their whole day to the father of the family or that their schedule is for an evening mass to give the dad a great morning.
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maryjk
Guest
Our Masses were pretty full.
But our attendance drops off during the summer as well. We are a college town. So when the students leave, we actually drop our late Sunday night Mass. We will pick it back up in August when the students return.
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Minnesota1
Guest
Fair point. My original post compared summer attendance to Winter with Christmas and Easter. At least I tried to make that my major point. Sorry if not. And yes year after year dramatic difference during Winter season far greater in attendance.
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johnthebaptist1
Guest
I wish to tell you,s that the church I went to we had a lot of Fathers at Mass,and we were all give a white Rose,and the priest ask all fathers to stand and he said a fathers pray and than bless us with the sign of the Cross It shows that Fathers Day is Important. God Bless all Fathers living or died. Amen
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andrewstx
Guest
I have always associated Father’s and Mother’s day with Protestants much more than Catholicism, especially Mother’s day.
They give roses to all parents there. They take time out to recognize the parent with the most children. The oldest parent, the youngest parent.
It’s like liturgy to them.
But Father’s day is not a religious holiday and it’s not on the church calendar and is strictly secular. IMHO father’s day has no right being observed in the Church.
They give roses to all parents there. They take time out to recognize the parent with the most children. The oldest parent, the youngest parent.
It’s like liturgy to them.
But Father’s day is not a religious holiday and it’s not on the church calendar and is strictly secular. IMHO father’s day has no right being observed in the Church.
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Cojuanco
Guest
Depends what time. Also, I attended a different Mass than usual because my graduation ceremony was Sunday morning (secular school). It was empty, but then most people attend the Mass in the morning, and those are always packed.
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Cat
Guest
I agree that a Hallmark Holiday like Father’s Day should not be “observed” officially in the Church.
But a parish is a family, and families should recognize and honor their fathers (and mothers). Fathers in the U.S. receive very little encouragement and much criticism. The parishes do well to praise and encourage fathers. I think that it’s especially appropriate and uplifting for the priests to do a special blessing for all fathers in attendance at the Mass.
Our Masses were as full as usual. I agree that many families travel on Father’s Day, so it’s not really very gracious to assume that low Mass attendance is because dads are loafing around, fishing, sleeping in, and watching television. That’s a pretty dismal assessment of fathers–I would be careful, because to me, it sounds like the kind of men-bashing that we often hear in the secular media, especially from women media personalities.
From what I’ve seen, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are days when the Masses are more crowded with extended families that take up entire long pews. Mom and Dad have the “power” on their “special days” to ask their children to please attend church with them, and many children will agree to attend, even if they never attend church regularly. I think Mom and Dad should use that power whenever they get the chance!
We do!
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Gidge
Guest
Many families at my church go to the early Mass on Sunday in the summer.
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thistle
Guest
Mass attendance is so high in our parish we have 10 Masses every Sunday to be able to accommodate everyone and even then we have standing at the sides of the Church and even on the road outside.
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Gidge
Guest
10 Masses, that sounds like a 1952 Mass schedule !!!
I used to look at old telephone books and there would be Masses every hour and sometimes half hour at most Catholic churches from 6am -NOON every Sunday and then Vespers and Benediction in the afternoon.
Glad to hear you have so active a parish
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thistle
Guest
Also on days of Obligation apart from Sundays we have the Sunday Mass schedule so everyone can still attend Mass even though they work.10 Masses, that sounds like a 1952 Mass schedule !!!
I used to look at old telephone books and there would be Masses every hour and sometimes half hour at most Catholic churches from 6am -NOON every Sunday and then Vespers and Benediction in the afternoon.
Glad to hear you have so active a parish
Our parish has 14,000 parishioners and our attendance is around 80%.
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Gidge
Guest
Oh, I see you’re in the Philippines, that explains it – isn’t your country like 90% Catholic ?
God bless you
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thistle
Guest
I guess around 85% Catholic.Oh, I see you’re in the Philippines, that explains it – isn’t your country like 90% Catholic ?
God bless you
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pnewton
Guest
Father’s Day is in the summer. Our attendance always drops off in the summer. Some parents only come on CCE days to bring their kids or check Mass attendance for them. Then their is vacation. As to Christmas and Easter, some Catholics only attend a few times a year and on holidays. Such people are not likely to go to confession. The truth is, we really can not know what is happening to others or who goes to confession. That’s the point of the screen.
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