Have you Ever Walked-Out of Mass

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Yes. About a year after we were married, my wife got up and left Mass right during the service. I followed her. We talked and she said that she couldn’t take it anymore. She considered herself to be a Christian and not a Catholic. We drove to an Assembly of God parking lot and talked, and cried and prayed together. Thus began a nearly twelve year journey through evangelical and mainline protestantism, with an occasional rest stop for me, at least, in a Catholic church.

The great paradox was that walking out and going elsewhere was quite beneficial for me. I experienced first hand what is out there, and it enabled me to finally return refreshed, renewed, energized and with a sense of mission. I am far more active and involved in the affairs of my local parish community than ever before.
 
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benedictusoblat:
Walking out of Mass usually sends a message of disapproval. If the environment or the message or the behavior of the priest and/or his assistants or parishioners is such that Our Lord is being insulted, blasphemed or otherwise treated badly I would leave so as not to be a party to said insults and blasphemy.
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Good point. My original post was going to be that I wouldn’t walk out of the mass because I wouldn’t walk out on Jesus. But if He is truly being insulted, then participating in the insults could be worse than walking out on Him.

Regardless of whether we walk out or stay, if a serious abuse is observed then a dialogue with the priest should be opened in charity and followed up with a dialogue with the bishop if necessary.
 
It is not the Mass’s fault
Don’t walk out on It

Exiting would either not be noticed or the intentions could be misunderstood.

If you have concerns voice them afterwards to a human being.
 
Ray Marshall:
I never walked out of a Mass, but I have changed my seat at least once.

What drives me up the wall are couples who can’t keep their hands off of each other during Mass. They must think it is a movie or something. I did say something to one of them once before I changed my seat.

It is EXTREMELY distracting.
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Ha! I experienced this the last two weeks in a row at my Church. This couple has two teenage sons sitting with them as well. For some reason I was lucky enough to have them choose the pew right in front of me . It is very distracting so if they sit in front of me again, I will move. There is alot of back rubbing, hugging and a few smooches as well as whispering to each other during Mass. I noticed that the woman was holding a Rosary in her hand. I tried not to get distracted but it is hard when they are sitting right in front of me. Oy Vey!
 
Lux in Tenebris:
That was not a slur. You missed the point this Lady was making. It was plain to me then, and it should be plain to anyone now. What She meant was this: That the poorest Catholic people She could think of (in her mind Mexicans) No disparagement to them. Would take all of their resources, to give the best that they had for the divine Worship of God. While we in the Affluent comfortable USA. Sat around while “Father Fatcat” replaced our Altar vessels, with Dime-Store crockery.(Her words) It says more about the people in Mexico having their priorities in order. Than it does about A wealthy Urban Parish taken over by an idiot.

Et Lux in Tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt
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Lux,

I understand completely. The typical protestant complaint is that the Vatican forces poor people to build fancy Churches when the money could be used to house and feed the poor. I always say precisely what you said. “The poor put their resources together to offer their best to God. The wealthy horde “their” money and give crumbs to the Church.” Frankly, I pray for more Mexicans to emigrate to our country. Maybe their priorities will save our sorry Anglo Saxon behinds.

Dan L
 
When Cardinal Ratzinger released the document “Dominus Jesus” in August 2000 it caused quite a stir in the press and of course the Church was taking a lot of heated criticism for boldly defending one is only saved through Jesus Christ and his one true church. There were nuances that the media failed to understand but it was another issue when I had to listen to a parish priest walk up and down the centre aisle spilling the same rubbish. Finally when he said the Pope is not always speaking infallibly and the Church makes mistakes I was lifted out of my pew as if an angel had grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. I may have been sitting on my hands during the long tirade trying to restrain myself and promising no matter what I wasn’t going to make a scene but line about the Pope having no business telling the church in America what to do was too much. The priest and everyone took notice as I seat near the front and stepped out only a few feet from father. When I later told him he is not the pope and Cardinal Ratzinger wrote that document on the request of the pope himself who ratified it. He retorted while Ratzinger isn’t the pope. He is now. God bless Pope Benedict.
 
I haven’t walked out on a Mass, but, oh, I was so tempted once. Most of the time, I just grimace through the various liturgical abuses and try to focus on the readings or whatever part of the Mass we’re in.

However, once, we were in another state for a team skating competition, and the priest, probably thinking he was being friendly to all the out-of-town competitors, called a bunch of the women skaters up by the altar to do a kickline with them. I seem to recall that it was at some point during the Mass, and that the rest of things weren’t totally kosher either, but it was awhile ago, and mostly the kickline stands out now in my mind. Outside the church afterward, fine, but during Mass, at the altar?

I also don’t see a slur in mentioning that someone’s black, even if that’s not how the author originally stated it. Details add color to any story (I don’t mean that as a joke - really). The lady was right about the altar vessels. It’s similar with clothing. The poor often wore their one “Sunday-best” outfit to church. Most of us today have many nice clothes, but they rarely make it to Mass with us.
 
When we lived in the Bay area (CA) in 1995, we walked out on Palm Sunday Mass at Santa Teresa Parish (Saturday night vigil)… There were no kneelers, and when the Passion was read, the part of Christ was read by a woman. The altar wasn’t set up or candles lit until the offertory. We attended Palm Sunday Mass the next day at Univ. of Santa Clara where we found the altar no longer in use (it had been moved to a side wall in the middle of the church), there were no kneelers, of course, and again the part of Christ during the Passion was read by a woman, not the priest. The homily on this day was all about the woman’s place and role in the church. We stayed at this one, as we were running out of choices, but it was difficult. We finally found the Queen of Peace shrine in Milpitas/San Jose near Great America. Very holy!
 
Dr. Bombay:
Even if invalid matter is used? Is He still present in the Eucharist then? That is and was the only reason I walked out. I’ve tolerated a lot, but I must draw the line somewhere.

Now, my question for you is: How much liturgical abuse goes on in the Eastern rite?
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IF INVALID MATTER IS USED, THE CONSECRATION IS ALSO INVALID. THEREFORE JESUS – BODY, BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY WOULD NOT BE PRESENT. IN THE ROMAN RITE, UNLEAVENED BREAD CONSISTING OF WHEAT FLOUR AND WATER IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE MATTER. SORRY.

God saves
 
Have never actually walked out of a mass in progress, but have wanted to on several occasions in my life as a Catholic. Usually because of what was said in the homily. On one occassion just recently my husband had to (as I’ve seen in previous posts) practically “hogtie” me to the pew.

It was during the last presidential campaigne and our pastor was very definitely but in a play on words telling us that we needed to vote for a certain party that traditionally supported the poor. The whole homily centered on this and I remember even praying while he was speaking and blocking him out. (I thought to myself “never mind that this man that could become president believed in abortion, stem cell research, etc., etc.”) One person in back of me whispered to herself -but I was close enough to hear her “Jesus Have Mercy”! If I had it to do over again I probably would have left, and not necessarily to protest but to save myself the peace of mind. And probably shouldn’t have received communion that day, but I did.
 
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Giannawannabe:
I never have walked out, but was tempted to one time. I was at High Mass with my then 5-year-old daughter. After the Homily, Father said that we had a “special treat” in store. At that moment the lights went out, blasting heavy metal music began , and the youth group all came out dressed in black. They were lead in by someone dressed as Jesus. The group split up into “good” and “bad” kids. The “bad” kids stood directly in front of the tabernacle, dancing and pretending they were doing drugs, smoking, and drinking. Somehow or another, it was meant to show how we can hurt Jesus with our sins, but I was so stunned that I think I tuned out most of it. I was never so close to walking out of Mass. The elderly lady next to me did. I’ve never been back to that church. God Bless
Giannawannabe
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You mention High Mass, was this a Tridentine Mass (Indult) you were at? If not, there is no such thing as High and Low Mass in the Normative Order of the Mass.

If it was an Indult TLM I would be very very surprised that the entire congregation didn’t walk out.
 
I voted yes, unfortunately. 😦 What did it for me was the sermon. The priest said something to the effect of “The Vatican says there will never be women priests. Well, I’m sure many of those old [this priest was pushing 70 fwi] cardinals once said there’d never be alter girls, so we’ll just see won’t we?!” and this was met with *roaring *applause from the congregation. I didn’t feel comfortable—heck, i felt sorta like they might lynch me at any moment :eek: had they known i was on the side of “those cardinals.” So at the offertory i simply picked up my jacket and left, and made it to a Sunday evening Mass elsewhere. I never returned to that parish again.
 
I’ve walked out of Mass once when the priest was about to show part of a movie (Toy Story, I think) to the congregation in lieu of a sermon. I don’t want my children to get the idea that one goes to Mass to watch cartoons.
 
My family and I walked out of Christmas Eve Mass in 2003. My daughter was only six months old, and we were surrounded by people who seemed to have the flu! The service was so tightly packed that everytime one of our neighbors let loose with a hacking cough, we could feel their breath on us.

Why do people insist on bringing their viruses to Mass?
 
I walked out of Mass 2 times. Once at a parish where they had petitions outside the vestibule, right before Mass telling people to vote for pro choice politicians because they were anti war.

The last time was a different parish where the Priest gave a pro choice homily. In fact, he said that they fetus wasn’t viable anyway at 3 mos, so it didn’t matter.

In both of those cases, I wrote letters to the Priest, and the Archdioscese with no response. This happened in the Minneapolis St Paul Archdioscese.
 
surf(name removed by moderator)ure:
My family and I walked out of Christmas Eve Mass in 2003. My daughter was only six months old, and we were surrounded by people who seemed to have the flu! The service was so tightly packed that everytime one of our neighbors let loose with a hacking cough, we could feel their breath on us.

Why do people insist on bringing their viruses to Mass?
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Why do people insist on bringing their viruses anywhere? My in-laws are guilty of that. Their kids have huge hacking coughs but they want them to play with my kids. Ug.

I do remember one Good Friday where I thought truly that I was going to die. I was hacking, couldn’t take a deep breath and my eyes and nose were weeping. I NEEDED to go to stations. However, I stood in the back with my mouth covered by a tissue.

BTW, I lived. 😉 Going to stations may have had something to do with it!
 
Yes, I have when the first altar girls served a Mass I attended. I went to another Mass without altar girls. After that we started attending the Old Mass.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori said that to attend a Mass poorly and irreverently celebrated destroys one’s faith. That has been my experience of late. For the sake of preserving my faith in God and his church I can’t attend wacky Masses and yet I need our Lord and confession.
My husband wonders if we shouldn’t wear ear plugs and close our eyes the whole time, except when receiving Holy Communion, from the beginning to the end of Mass.
By the way, my 16-year old son thought of some quite awesome music for the Mass at one of the local wacky parishes - Star Wars soundtrack. For the entrance and exit, the altar boys could carry light sabers and at the offertory, the music from the bar scene. I can just see it now … I’m sure it’s already been used at some German parish in an effort to be “with it”.
 
I’ve only ever left for health reasons. I get migraines as doees my 11 year old son. Sometimes, the incense (sp?) will trigger mine. We had a priest who used to warn me before mass if the incense were going to being used. I try to make it through mass even if I’m getting a migraine but when my little boy gets one, we leave. They can be so unbelievably painful that I just want to get my son home and he goes right to bed.
Maggie
 
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Leeta:
St. Alphonsus de Liguori said that to attend a Mass poorly and irreverently celebrated destroys one’s faith. That has been my experience of late. For the sake of preserving my faith in God and his church I can’t attend wacky Masses and yet I need our Lord and confession.
My husband wonders if we shouldn’t wear ear plugs and close our eyes the whole time, except when receiving Holy Communion, from the beginning to the end of Mass.
By the way, my 16-year old son thought of some quite awesome music for the Mass at one of the local wacky parishes - Star Wars soundtrack. For the entrance and exit, the altar boys could carry light sabers and at the offertory, the music from the bar scene. I can just see it now … I’m sure it’s already been used at some German parish in an effort to be “with it”.
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I would be very careful what you call a “whacky Mass” Perhaps it is a valid Mass, and you might be guilty of irreverence, or something worse.

Remember you have an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday, and you are not excused from that obligation because you do not like the way the Mass is celebrated.
 
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