Female Lectors...

[HenryV]

Just a give in to modernity and feminism. In some Masses there are more women than men in the sanctuary. Confused ideas are being spread about the role of priests and laymen and a confusing of the feminine and masculine.

 

[BobP123]

Milk monitors. Everyone has to have their little job to feel a full member.

So why are the ushers who take up the collections the least liked individuals in church? Haven’t seen too many women volunteer for this job.

 

[ComradeAndrei]

Sould be left to instituted lectors/acolytes. And they should be vested in a cassock and surplus (all of this is my humble opinion. It is a neutral issue and has been permitted by the competent authority).

I agree. If we are going to have lay readers-they should be actual instituted lectors and really should be vested as one who is actually performing a liturgical function.

Unfortunately, only one or two dioceses in the U.S. actually have instituted lectors who are not in line for orders. Why is this? Oh, yes, I forgot. Then women would have one less reason to be up in the Sanctuary and we can’t have that. No sir…

 

[eric3141]

… it is against the Liturgical tradition of the Roman Rite, and therefore should be done away with for the Roman Rite.

I agree. For 1,900 years liturgical service was a male function. And there was no shortage of priests. Now women get involved and there are fewer men who want to be priests. I see a connection though certainly it’s not the total answer to the problem of not enough vocations. A local priest only allows men on the altar and he has a couple of young men interested in being a priest.

 

[eric3141]

I’ve always been slightly piqued that we’ve got an ordinary minister on the books whom no one outside of a few select dioceses seems ever to have encountered.

The really unfortunate thing is that I suspect most every diocese has devout, capable men who actively desire to normalize their ministry through institution but are denied this because their bishops refuse to institute any ministers outside of those on track for ordination.

IMO it’s because the bishop wants to allow women to be lectors so he won’t normalize the situation. Seems like a form of disobedience to the intent of Rome to me.

 

[eric3141]

Just a give in to modernity and feminism. In some Masses there are more women than men in the sanctuary. Confused ideas are being spread about the role of priests and laymen and a confusing of the feminine and masculine.

Not to mention that when women get involved in liturgical service then men lose interest. The Orthodox largely don’t allow women to be on the altar and (according to the communications director for the OCA) fare much better with vocations to the priesthood. In EO men can readily identify liturgical service as a male function.

 

[BobP123]

I agree. For 1,900 years liturgical service was a male function. And there was no shortage of priests. Now women get involved and there are fewer men who want to be priests.

Actually there are fewer men who attend church these days, period.

A good book to read: The Church Impotent, The Feminization of Christianity by Leon J. Poodles. I remember somewhere in the book reading that the very reception of communion has become more of a female thing.

Exception: I see as many men as women at the TLM. Maybe even more sometimes.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Actually there are fewer men who attend church these days, period.

A good book to read: The Church Impotent, The Feminization of Christianity by Leon J. Poodles. I remember somewhere in the book reading that the very reception of communion has become more of a female thing.

Exception: I see as many men as women at the TLM. Maybe even more sometimes.

A coincidence, maybe? I think not.

 

[eric3141]

Exception: I see as many men as women at the TLM. Maybe even more sometimes.

And only men are able to serve on the altar at TLM.
And the Eastern Orthodox who (mostly) only allow men to serve have many more men interested in being priests (I know - I was EO for a while).

And Bp. Bruskewitz (who doesn’t allow altar girls) has more vocations to the priesthood than any other diocese.

And one of the local priests who doesn’t allow for women on the altar has more young men wanting to be priests than average.

 

[paramedicgirl]

And only men are able to serve on the altar at TLM.
And the Eastern Orthodox who (mostly) only allow men to serve have many more men interested in being priests (I know - I was EO for a while).

And Bp. Bruskewitz (who doesn’t allow altar girls) has more vocations to the priesthood than any other diocese.

And one of the local priests who doesn’t allow for women on the altar has more young men wanting to be priests than average.

Yes, it’s clear that the feminization of the church has destroyed vocations. Sadly.

 

[BobP123]

And only men are able to serve on the altar at TLM.

Except for weddings (and First Communion perhaps) women aren’t permitted in the sanctuary at all during TL Mass. But I’m sure they’ll try at some point.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Except for weddings (and First Communion perhaps) women aren’t permitted in the sanctuary at all during TL Mass. But I’m sure they’ll try at some point.

No doubt.

 

[mollydoggie2]

I read an interesting article in the Crisis magazine that caused me to think. It maintained that the Catholic Church was becoming feminine; girl altar boys, female lectors, female ushers,songs sung in a high soprano voices, female faith formation leaders and teachers. All this leaves little boys who quickly outgrow mommy and girl things ,at a loss. They might see religion as a girl thing and turn it off. Interesting to think about

 

[eric3141]

They might see religion as a girl thing and turn it off. Interesting to think about

Exactly. Boys are looking for male things to associate themselves with. This is well known. Yet the bishops continue to allow the feminization, women to serve on the altar, etc. It seems they are more interested in appeasing feminists than priestly vocations.

 

[anniemart]

Exactly. Boys are looking for male things to associate themselves with. This is well known. Yet the bishops continue to allow the feminization, women to serve on the altar, etc. It seems they are more interested in appeasing feminists than priestly vocations.

Gosh! I hope you really don’t believe this. I am a female lector and when I read…believe me…I ask the Holy Spirit to speak through me, not my gender, not my vanity and certainly not my sinful self. *Remember, the male lector should being asking the same. * If truly you have “heard” the scripture being read then you’ve heard the Word of God and if God has chosen a female to do so, give thanks for it, please.

I believe the Catholic church in one of the few staples we have left in this physical world and I do believe that tradition shouldn’t become “progressive.” I do not believe however, that my gender is responsible for the decline in the priesthood. As one who considers herself to be “participating in the heavenly banquet” as Scott Hahn writes, I believe that if I hear another lector (man or woman) run through the readings like they were grocery lists, it will break my heart. If and when I am asked to step down, I will do so but I won’t step down because you may be under the impression that appearance (via a male lector) is more important than proclaming the Eternal Word with all the love a soul can offer to its fellow brothers and sisters.

Just curious, how often do you and your loved ones pray for vocations in your parish?..that act is certainly in decline. Sadly, my parish as a group prays maybe once every six months… I pray that my regular recitation of the rosary for this purpose will never become habitual to me.

I asked God a few years ago to expand my boundaries as did Jabez. Lo and behold, shortly thereafter, my priest asked me to become a lector…what a gift I received for I had never vocalized this secret desire of mine to anyone; not even myself! Thanks be to God for all the tasks he has assigned me since for they truly have been life changing…

God Bless Us All…

 

[eric3141]

I do not believe however, that my gender is responsible for the decline in the priesthood.

If women serving on the altar are not contributing to a decline in priestly vocations then why is it that when they don’t (ex: Eastern Orthodox, TLM, parishes where priest won’t allow it, etc.) there are more vocations to the priesthood?

 

[jaaraf]

Female lectors are morally neutral. In our diocese, all lectors are usually dressed in a white robe over their clothing, and female lectors wear a white veil. Most parishes also require female lectors to wear modest dress (in one parish, I noticed that they usually wear long black ankle-length skirts) and black pumps. Cantors are also dressed in the same manner.

 

[anniemart]

If women serving on the altar are not contributing to a decline in priestly vocations then why is it that when they don’t (ex: Eastern Orthodox, TLM, parishes where priest won’t allow it, etc.) there are more vocations to the priesthood?

women have always been involved in the church…whether it be in religious life or in other ways. to say that women are responsible for the decline because they are on the altar is not a a strong argument…it’s like saying that ice cream is responsible for domestic violence during the summer months…research shows that domestic violence is higher during the summer months (the same time of the year that ice cream consumption is at its highest). I believe you should consider all the factors, the culture of those places in the world where women don’t serve…remember, America is a country known for equal rights for everyone; despite this, the Catholic church remains strong and refuses to give in to our secular brothers and sisters who believe that priests should be married, that women should be priests; that celibacy should be done away with; etc. Remember Simeon and Anna? Female lectors is not the reason for the decline…

 

[eric3141]

women have always been involved in the church…whether it be in religious life or in other ways. to say that women are responsible for the decline because they are on the altar is not a a strong argument…it’s like saying that ice cream is responsible for domestic violence during the summer months…research shows that domestic violence is higher during the summer months (the same time of the year that ice cream consumption is at its highest). I believe you should consider all the factors, the culture of those places in the world where women don’t serve…remember, America is a country known for equal rights for everyone; despite this, the Catholic church remains strong and refuses to give in to our secular brothers and sisters who believe that priests should be married, that women should be priests; that celibacy should be done away with; etc. Remember Simeon and Anna? Female lectors is not the reason for the decline…

Yet all the groups that I mentioned (Orthodox, TLM folks, etc.) all live in the very same culture and are experiencing the same other factors as the rest of the Catholic church in the US. Yet they have more vocations to the priesthood. There is a reason for this. If you think that women serving on the altar does not negatively impact vocations then perhaps you could offer an explanation for why these other groups (that don’t allow women on the altar) have more vocations.

 

[whatevergirl]

I don’t have an issue with female or male (lay) lectors…but after watching a few EWTN aired masses, it really seems to be more sacred when you have priests or priests “in training” reading the mass readings.