grave mass abuse by young adult group?

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So the local Roman Catholic young adult group with dying membership (handful) decided to do once a month masses instead of social gatherings. It said on the flier for their first one they hoped each Sunday mass would present a unique experience.
Upon entering all chairs were in a circle. Maybe around 17 people at this mass.
There was a circular table in the center for an altar.
The priest started by saying be comfortable and feel free to laugh and participate in the mass.
They skipped the gloria.
There was no homily, just introductions by everyone in the circle.
They skipped the creed.
After consecration but before receiving himself took the Eucharist and gave everyone in the circle a piece and told us not to consume it yet. I refused.
He ate it. Then told everyone to eat it all at once. Then he took the chalice he put the piece of the Eucharist in and gave it to the person next to him to drink from. They proceeded down the circle each person passing it to the next. (Note: these are not EMHCs).
I believe all of these are very grave offenses. Can you confirm though? How should I go about addressing this? To the young adult leadership and priest, then go to the next to see if they fixed it? I’m pretty sure the priest should know better. He is the pastor and was the assistant to the bishop a number of years…
 
And you wonder why young people dont go to mass. The lame watered down hippie version of Christianity that is rife throughout the Post Vactican 2 Church makes people view the faith as a joke.

Preach the gospel, Teach the truth

Not this feel good rubbish.
 
You could write to your bishop and of course leave this group immediately.
They are totally out of order…making it up as they go along.

This happened to Protestant sects in early days & still does.

Frankly sounds more like a ‘Black Mass’ rather than RC one.
 
I could be wrong, but it kind of sounds like it might have been a Neocatechumenal Way Mass…?
 
FirstCalled said:
So the local Roman Catholic young adult group with dying membership (handful) decided to do once a month masses instead of social gatherings. It said on the flier for their first one they hoped each Sunday mass would present a unique experience.
Upon entering all chairs were in a circle. Maybe around 17 people at this mass.
There was a circular table in the center for an altar.
The priest started by saying be comfortable and feel free to laugh and participate in the mass.
They skipped the gloria.
There was no homily, just introductions by everyone in the circle.
They skipped the creed.
After consecration but before receiving himself took the Eucharist and gave everyone in the circle a piece and told us not to consume it yet. I refused.
He ate it. Then told everyone to eat it all at once. Then he took the chalice he put the piece of the Eucharist in and gave it to the person next to him to drink from. They proceeded down the circle each person passing it to the next. (Note: these are not EMHCs).
I believe all of these are very grave offenses. Can you confirm though? How should I go about addressing this? To the young adult leadership and priest, then go to the next to see if they fixed it? I’m pretty sure the priest should know better. He is the pastor and was the assistant to the bishop a number of years…
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I’m prejudiced because I absolutely HATE IT when someone starts jacking around with the foremat of the Mass—even if their reason is to attract young people. I have always found that young people as a group are not so shallow that you have to turn the liturgy into something very nearly like a cartoon to keep their interest up. I agree with you that I’d have nothing to do with it. Some things are meant to remain sacred and special and going to Mass is not the same as going out with a group of your peers to see “Dragons 2”.

I’d call or drop a respectful line to the bishop of your diocese and see if he knows what is going on and if he actually approved of it.
 
FirstCalled said:
Then he took the chalice **he put the piece of the Eucharist in **and gave it to the person next to him to drink from. They proceeded down the circle each person passing it to the next. (Note: these are not EMHCs).
I believe all of these are very grave offenses. Can you confirm though?
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Putting a small piece of the consecrated host into the chalice is normal. It is part of the Mass.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
Putting a small piece of the consecrated host into the chalice is normal. It is part of the Mass.

-Tim-
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Yes, but it is supposed to happen during the fractioning, not immediately before distribution. And the cup is never to be passed - even EMHCs are to receive the cup directly from a priest or deacon.
 
Some of these items are abuses and others are indeed grave abuses. Sadly, they are not at all uncommon at Lifeteen and other “teen Masses.” Please understand that, as serious as they are, they have been around for many years, even decades in some places. I mention that, not to excuse them, but to place them in perspective–especially the perspective of your bishop and other chancery officials, who may or may not consider them urgent items. As a young person, you may be encountering such abuses for the first time in your life, but they may be part of the subculture within the life of your diocese, and may prove to be well-entrenched.

I pray that I am wrong and that such abuses will be quickly stopped when reported. However, many of us know that it sometimes takes much more patience and diligence. Just be prepared for that, and always maintain a healthy and courteous respect when addressing pastors, chancery figures, bishops and even the Holy See. 😉
 
byzantium said:
And you wonder why young people dont go to mass. The lame watered down hippie version of Christianity that is rife throughout the Post Vactican 2 Church makes people view the faith as a joke.

Preach the gospel, Teach the truth

Not this feel good rubbish.
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Please. Comparing this to the Norvus Ordo is just silly. C’mon now , our Popes and Bishops participate in the Novus Ordo, do they have the keys or not?

That said, this sounds like an atrocious abuse that needs to be taken up the chain.
 
Yes almost everything you listed is a grave abuse, and the things that aren’t are just downright tacky and distasteful. You should bring this to the attention of the dean or the Bishop.
 
maryjk said:
And a daily Mass.

No Creed. No Gloria.
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Except the op said this was on a Sunday.

"It said on the flier for their first one they hoped each Sunday mass would present a unique experience. "

Unless Sunday is the new Monday and/or they’re still stuck in Lent neither of these omissions should occur.
 
Psalitte said:
Except the op said this was on a Sunday.

"It said on the flier for their first one they hoped each Sunday mass would present a unique experience. "

Unless Sunday is the new Monday and/or they’re still stuck in Lent neither of these omissions should occur.
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Yep.

And it sounds like a Neocatechumenal Way Mass, during the week.
 
byzantium said:
And you wonder why young people dont go to mass. The lame watered down hippie version of Christianity that is rife throughout the Post Vactican 2 Church makes people view the faith as a joke.

Preach the gospel, Teach the truth

Not this feel good rubbish.
Click to expand...
Yes, there was a lot wrong in the example given by the OP. But, you make it sound like Vatican 2 was illicit.

Surely, you don’t mean that, so I apologize for jumping to conclusions.
 
FirstCalled said:
So the local Roman Catholic young adult group with dying membership (handful) decided to do once a month masses instead of social gatherings. It said on the flier for their first one they hoped each Sunday mass would present a unique experience.
Upon entering all chairs were in a circle. Maybe around 17 people at this mass.
There was a circular table in the center for an altar.
The priest started by saying be comfortable and feel free to laugh and participate in the mass.
They skipped the gloria.
There was no homily, just introductions by everyone in the circle.
They skipped the creed.
After consecration but before receiving himself took the Eucharist and gave everyone in the circle a piece and told us not to consume it yet. I refused.
He ate it. Then told everyone to eat it all at once. Then he took the chalice he put the piece of the Eucharist in and gave it to the person next to him to drink from. They proceeded down the circle each person passing it to the next. (Note: these are not EMHCs).
I believe all of these are very grave offenses. Can you confirm though? How should I go about addressing this? To the young adult leadership and priest, then go to the next to see if they fixed it? I’m pretty sure the priest should know better. He is the pastor and was the assistant to the bishop a number of years…
Click to expand...
I believe you experienced something new and unfamiliar and are jumping to conclusions. Based on your descriptions, it sounds like it was a Neocatechumenal Way-type Mass. It may seem odd to you, but their way of celebrating Mass is legitimate. Second, what time did the Mass occur? I’m assuming that since this was aimed at youth, the Mass would have been probably after 5pm and possibly even later like 10pm. In that case, would it have been possible for the priest to omit the Gloria and the Creed due to pastoral considerations like time constraints? (Apparently, the answer is yes, according to Busted Halo.) Also, the true meaning of a “homily” is actually a “dialogue,” not necessarily a “lecture.” Sitting in silence meditating on the readings could have also taken place.

I found these words quite striking, and I hope they will help you too.
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Anonymous:
Brothers, I am a conservative catholic seminarian. But as far as I am concerned, the Neocatechumenal Way is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Church. Through the years, it has made men and women for others; people who are REAL persons and not very liturgical people. Yes, the liturgy is important, yet it is not the end goal of all. You see, when you become very attached to the liturgy per se, you become less attached to the meaning of the liturgy.

The manner in which the “way” celebrates the Eucharist is a manifestation of conviviality in the Risen Christ, brotherhood in genuine charity and fraternity in diversity.

As good Catholics, we are not to be judgmental. Yes, the liturgy is important. But being Catholic and Christian is far more than just being liturgical. I see no abuse in the liturgy by the NeoCats.

Being overly liturgical can make you more of a snobbish, irrational, and at times inhuman person. Far more than the external practices are the exercises of the soul.

The Vatican, the Magisterium and the People of God are working together to bring us more closely to God and not to mere golden statues and sophisticated cathedrals. Externalities should lead you to God.

I leave you with the thoughts of S. Ignatius of Loyola, “Learn to presuppose.”
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Thanks for the replies. I have never seen parishioners drink from the same cup as the priest that he intincked? in? That was surprising to get I thought that cup was only for the priest but it was the only cup that got passed around.
 
FirstCalled said:
Thanks for the replies. I have never seen parishioners drink from the same cup as the priest that he intincked? in? That was surprising to get I thought that cup was only for the priest but it was the only cup that got passed around.
Click to expand...
In many parishes the chalice offered to the congregation is the same one used by the priest and the one in which the commingling (not intinction, which is the dipping of the Host into the Precious Blood as the means of giving Communion under both species) was done.
 
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