Indicators of strong Parish

[ryanmac]

I’ve combined the lists above into one concise list.

What do you think? What other questions should I ask a priest?

---

Liturgy of the Mass:

1. Does the priest wear all the vestments, including chasuble?
2. Does the priest kiss the altar?
3. Does the priest or others bow or genuflect to the tabernacle?
4. Does the priest refer use the word “sin” or just “mistakes”?
5. Does the priest pray or perform to the crowd?
6. Does the priest refer to God as “He”?
7. Is the homily orthodox?
8. Does the priest say the full Nicene Creed?
9. Do the prayers of the faithful include unorthodox requests? (ex. “for greater acceptance of gay marriage”)
10. Does the priest refer to the sacrifice being acceptable? (not “celebration”)
11. Is the priest reverent, respectful, and perhaps solemn?
12. Does the priest bend down or kneel during the consecration?
13. Does the priest treat the hosts with reverence?
14. Does the priest go off script or offer homily or teaching before the Our Father and peace of the Lord?
15. Is communion distributed evenly?
16. Does the priest participate in communion? (rather than let lay people do it while he does nothing)
17. Is the Mass ended reverently, with blessing of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

People attending the Mass:

1. Are the people reverent?
2. Do the people pay attention?
3. Do people cross the aisle or walk up and down the aisle during the “Sign of Peace”?
4. Do people kneel for communion?

External indicators:

1. Does the parish use the word Catholic in their name? (as opposed to “Faith Community”)
2. Do the bulletins promote ministries to the poor, support pro-life events, service opportunities, etc.?
3. Do the bulletins promote fellowship, education, etc.?
4. Do the bulletins promote public, private devotions? (Novena, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, etc.)
5. Does the parish offer times to pray the Rosary?
6. Is the sacrament of Reconciliation offered? Frequently?
7. Is perpetual Adoration offered?
8. Are there alternative forms of Mass offered? Latin, Tridentine, Extraordinary Forms of Mass?
9. Are there statues, icons, stained glass?
10. Are there kneelers?
11. Is there a crucifix at or near the altar?
12. Is there Holy Water in the fonts?
13. Is there a communion rail?
14. Does the parish smell of Incense?
15. If the parish has a school, what textbooks do they use for Religion?
16. If the parish has a school, does the parish subsidize Catholic education from a tithing congregation?
17. Does the parish offer orthodox reading materials? (The Catholic Answer, Envoy, This Rock, New Oxford Review, Lay Witness, Our Sunday Visitor, or National Catholic Register)

Questions to ask the Priest:

1. What do you think of _____? (JPII, BXVI, Scott Hahn, Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae)
2. Is the bible inerrant and infallible for more than just matters of faith and morals?
3. Can Catholic doctrines be found in Scripture?

I forwarded this list to a few friends for some comments. Here are some paraphrased reactions:

1. All of the questions are good ones, but you can’t tell much about the parish necessarily from the way the parishoners behave, since, the parishoners are supposed to go to the parish closest to them (there are exceptions to this, and some parishoners travel to different parishes for reasons like yours).
2. Other things, like the priest not kneeling at the right times, could be explained by very orthodox reasons (same with the parishoners-----it’s very difficult in Europe to find kneelers, and usually in big cathedrals, etc., no one kneels except orthodox American tourists who try to stand out). In St. Peter’s you’re not going to see people kneeling during the pope’s Mass. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of kneeling, and it’s my preference (as it is in the official rubrics).
3. Under “Liturgy”, numbers 4,8,9,10,16 are especially important, but even in the most unorthodox Catholic parishes may get these right.
4. Some “external indicators” may not be helpful either. Especially number 8 (alternative forms of Mass) because it’s up to the bishop and the parish might be in an archdiocese where it’s difficult to get. Also, most priests don’t even learn Latin anymore. Number 2 (promote pro-life & service) is not necessarily a good indicator either, since even the most pro-gay-marriage, pro-contraception priests tend to be pro-life on the issue of abortion.
5. The problem is that we don’t have a whole lot of what you might call “good” orthodox priests in the U.S. A main part of the problem is education and formation. I’ve said this to people before, but as a whole (with some very notable exceptions), I’ve found Catholic priests in the U.S. to be the least educated about their own faith than say Jewish rabbis (reformed, conservative, and orthodox), and Protestant ministers. I’m not totally sure why this is. Few priests have read the whole Bible (although many in isolated parishes do read or hear read most of it over a 3 year cycle), few have read the whole Catechism, etc. And VERY VERY FEW have an adequate understanding of Vatican II (I don’t know of a single parish priest who has read all of the documents from Vatican II, although I’m sure they’re out there). What’s more, most Catholic scholars (who tend to read more than parish priests out of necessity), no matter how conservative or liberal, have never even read the documents (there’s only 2 !!!) of the First Vatican Council. The poverty of religious education for Catholics in the U.S. is very bad. You can do a lot with a well-intentioned priest who screws up liturgy and theology, but doesn’t know that he does and is open to change. The kind of place you’re looking for is Benedictine College, Franciscan University of Steubenville, or places like that. There are very few parishes that would do okay with this list.
6. Just because they don’t pass the checklist doesn’t mean you can’t grow and get fed there. Don’t use your parish to get theology (for this you’ll have to read on your own…I’d recommend becoming a frequent online visitor to the Vatican website: vatican.va/ and also to the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: salvationhistory.com.
7. Even at a parish where the priest is unorthodox, though, you still receive God’s grace through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. The idea that bad priests can’t preside over valid Eucharists, give valid Baptisms, have valid Confessions, etc., was a Heresy in the early Church called Donatism (St. Augustine had to fight against them a lot, since they were a huge problem in North Africa). We’re not Donatists, we’re Catholics. The worst confession is still a valid confession, so long as you bring actual sins to the confessional, you’ve been validly baptized, and the priest had a valid ordination (even if you and the priest are breaking canon law on some matters, the confession may be valid, even if it’s not licit).
8. Don’t focus so much on the orthodoxy of the parish.
9. Concerning children – You’re going to have to be the primary catechists of your children. That’s part of the Catholic mission and vision of marriage. The domestic church is the home. Almost no matter where you go, you’re probably going to have to clarify things to your children that were mistakes they were taught by their priests and catechists. That’s the state of things in the U.S. It’s pretty sad. But there is hope.
10. The Catholicism of the books is easier to love than the Catholicism of the pews.

 

[Lazerlike42]

1. The parishoners are not necessarily “supposed” to go to the parish closest to them. It’s the norm, but it doesn’t require any sort of dispensation to go somewhere else. A Catholic can go to any parish he chooses. Going to the one closest is of course what is expected, but in an anticipatory way, not in a juridical way. The ideal situation is that every parish is identical, in the sense of the sorts of preaching you will hear there and the reverence in the Liturgy. The point is that it is the Catholic Church, and anywhere you go you will be getting what you ought. In other words, it shouldn’t be the case where one may go to a different parish in order to find one he likes, as in Protestant churches, for people’s itching ears, as St. Paul says. Unfortunately, we are in a down period for the Church where now we have to go searching at times for an orthodox church.
2. The people really ought to kneel even when there are no kneelers - that is my opinion, in any case. The rubrics don’t say we should kneel only if there are kneelers. I don’t beleive they even mention kneelers. They just say to kneel.

However, as regards the priest, there is virtually no reason I can think of other than if the priest has a medical condition why he would be excused from genuflecting.

1. True. The point is, if they get them wrong, then you’re really in trouble .
2. I’d agree with this in general. Seeing an Extraordinary Form Mass is usually a good sign, but not seeing one is not a bad one. I know a fantastic priest that simply can’t read Latin and so wouldn’t be able to offer the EF.
3. I’d really disagree with this… I think perhaps this person’s area is lacking in good priests. There are plenty around where I live. This in addition to the fact that the newly ordained priests each year are typically very good. You should be able to find one, even if you have to look around.
4. You ought to find the parish that will give you the most education and best orthodoxy you can. If you can only find an average parish, or the best you can find is a poor one, then absolutely - as long as the priest is saying the Consecration and the words of absolution in Confession properly, you’re getting fed with the most important stuff - the Sacraments. However, if you can find good preaching and teaching, go there over somewhere that doesn’t have it, for sure!
5. Same as 6.
6. Focus as much as you can on the orthodoxy, if you can. Same as I said in number 6… if you can’t find one that’s orthodox, go get the Sacraments However, if you haven’t found an orthodox one yet, and have a few more to check, well go check them out!
7. True.
8. True.

 

[Spiller]

I would look for a parish where the Mass is celebrated per the Church. One where good homilies are frequently preached. Somewhere that takes the sacraments very seriously. A parish where the faithful not only attend Mass together but also meet afterwards for fellowship.

Some of the responses I have read focus far too much on trivial matters that may or may not be indicators. Worse they seem to altogether ignore some very important ones.

I submit that a parish whose faithful scramble after a Mass and clear the parking lot in 3 minutes is not a healthy parish.

 

[EasterJoy]

This may sound simplistic, but if you want a very good parish and a very good pastor, the first thing to do is to ask God for them. Every day, when you bring your needs to God, take care to raise up that one. Be specific about what your needs are: a good confessor and pastor, brothers and sisters who will help you advance in God’s grace and joy, who will be your co-workers in God’s work and the formation of your children, and so on. After all, you aren’t looking to find the “best parish” in your area. You are only looking for the place God wants you to live and serve within the Body of Christ.

The second thing to do is to go into every liturgy, no matter where you visit, trying to make the most out of the Mass and to be as aware as possible that you are among your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Worship God as one with them. I don’t mean that you should blindly do what they do, but that you should not worry too much about whether they are making some sort of grade with you. In spite of anything else you might think at first, God chose them. That is all you need to know.

In other words, be what you want to find. “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers”. (Acts 2:42) Educate yourself about what a good liturgy is and is not, what the church teaches and does not. Devote yourself to the Eucharist, to prayer, and to service.

If you do this, you can leave the choice up to God. When you and the home God intends for you find each other, you will know it. You will know it without having fretted about it, too. You will also find this place without becoming a sort of connoisseur of churches, which can be a spiritually damaging habit. Besides, who knows? There may be a “not-so-great parish” out there that God wants to plant you in. Be sure of this much: whereever God decides to plant you is the place you want to put down your roots.

 

[Spiller]

I’ve combined the lists above into one concise list.

What do you think? What other questions should I ask a priest?

---

Liturgy of the Mass:

1. Does the priest refer use the word “sin” or just “mistakes”?
2. Does the priest say the full Nicene Creed?
3. Does the priest bend down or kneel during the consecration?
4. Is communion distributed evenly?

People attending the Mass:

1. Do people cross the aisle or walk up and down the aisle during the “Sign of Peace”?
2. Do people kneel for communion?

External indicators:

1. Does the parish use the word Catholic in their name? (as opposed to “Faith Community”)
2. Are there alternative forms of Mass offered? Latin, Tridentine, Extraordinary Forms of Mass?
3. Are there statues, icons, stained glass?
4. Are there kneelers?
5. Is there a communion rail?
6. Does the parish smell of Incense?
7. Does the parish offer orthodox reading materials? (The Catholic Answer, Envoy, This Rock, New Oxford Review, Lay Witness, Our Sunday Visitor, or National Catholic Register)
8. What do you think of _____? (JPII, BXVI, Scott Hahn, Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae)

 

[Margarite]

Don’t attend a church named “Christ the King” or “Our Lady of (name of your town, unless Our Lady appeared there once)” thus “Our Lady of Las Vegas” is not a good church to go to. For some reason these churches are always liberal. Holy Ghost is a great name, Holy Spirit is more liberal because it is all in the spirit of good and love. Immaculate Conception WOW what a great name, it speaks to one of the dogmas of the Church. American Martyrs Catholic Church is a horrible name.
While these are not hard and fast rules, this is my experience from living in 6 states, visiting over half, and visiting over seas.

While it is nice to have a beautiful church, it is much more important to have a good priest. Even if the other people at the parish are a little liberal, what really matters is the priest, as long as the people don’t distract you.

Listen to the sermon, does he know his faith?
does he love the faith?
is he faithful to the Pope?
is he faithful to his bishop no matter how good or bad the bishop is? (good)
are there confessions at least once a week?
are there altar girls (bad)?
are there too many Extraordinary Ministers? (bad)
are the hymns Catholic?
does the priest refuse people communion on the tongue? (bad)
is there a crucifix? (important)
is there a tabernacle in the front of the church at least?
If it is an EF mass, does the priest say things like that the OF is not valid or good, or that the EF is the only good mass? (very bad)
Does the priest tell you that being part of a special group is the most important thing, even more important than staying with the Church?(very bad)
Is the priest too friendly with men or women? (very bad)
Does he want to spend time alone with men, women or children besides in the confessional?(very bad)
Does the priest own a home, does he own more than one? (very bad)
Does the priest talk more about love and good feelings than about what is right and wrong?

A priest should be a lion in the pulpit and a lamb in the confessional. The priest should not joke around too much during his sermon. It is awesome when a young priest participates with the children by participating in their sports, and by visiting their classrooms. The priest should check over everything going on in his parish, he should make sure that it is all in accordance with the laws of the Church. The priest is the father of the parish, he should be like a good father, lay down the rules, but be easy to approach, and knowledgeable.

Well, I guess I have said enough, and you have already had so many wonderful posts.

 

[KarenElissa]

You have a lot of good things to look for. One thing I will add is I wouldn’t totally discount a parish after one visit if there is just one or two “little” things wrong.

For example, if the priest doesn’t seem quiet as reverent as he could or seems to be rushing through Mass just a bit, but everything else is great, I’d give it a second visit. Maybe the priest isn’t feeling good that day and is just doing everything he can to make it through Mass.

But if the priest starts talking about how women are allowed to be priests, by all means, please run fast!

 

[Lazerlike42]

Don’t attend a church named “Christ the King” or “Our Lady of (name of your town, unless Our Lady appeared there once)” thus “Our Lady of Las Vegas” is not a good church to go to. For some reason these churches are always liberal. Holy Ghost is a great name, Holy Spirit is more liberal because it is all in the spirit of good and love. Immaculate Conception WOW what a great name, it speaks to one of the dogmas of the Church. American Martyrs Catholic Church is a horrible name.
While these are not hard and fast rules, this is my experience from living in 6 states, visiting over half, and visiting over seas.

While it is nice to have a beautiful church, it is much more important to have a good priest. Even if the other people at the parish are a little liberal, what really matters is the priest, as long as the people don’t distract you.

Listen to the sermon, does he know his faith?
does he love the faith?
is he faithful to the Pope?
is he faithful to his bishop no matter how good or bad the bishop is? (good)
are there confessions at least once a week?
are there altar girls (bad)?
are there too many Extraordinary Ministers? (bad)
are the hymns Catholic?
does the priest refuse people communion on the tongue? (bad)
is there a crucifix? (important)
is there a tabernacle in the front of the church at least?
If it is an EF mass, does the priest say things like that the OF is not valid or good, or that the EF is the only good mass? (very bad)
Does the priest tell you that being part of a special group is the most important thing, even more important than staying with the Church?(very bad)
Is the priest too friendly with men or women? (very bad)
Does he want to spend time alone with men, women or children besides in the confessional?(very bad)
Does the priest own a home, does he own more than one? (very bad)
Does the priest talk more about love and good feelings than about what is right and wrong?

A priest should be a lion in the pulpit and a lamb in the confessional. The priest should not joke around too much during his sermon. It is awesome when a young priest participates with the children by participating in their sports, and by visiting their classrooms. The priest should check over everything going on in his parish, he should make sure that it is all in accordance with the laws of the Church. The priest is the father of the parish, he should be like a good father, lay down the rules, but be easy to approach, and knowledgeable.

Well, I guess I have said enough, and you have already had so many wonderful posts.

Lol… Well the Insitute of Christ the King is one of the most orthodox groups in the Church, so that seems to defeat that rule.

What’s wrong with the American Martyrs? They were a group of very holy Jesuit missionaries who endured horrible tortures for the sakek of Christ.

 

[VietCatholic83]

1. Eucharistic adoration may be a good sign (but sometimes simply implies the community is immigrant)

What exactly do you mean by this? God forbid you join a parish and find out there’s adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on a regular basis, that it is well attended and maintained and…most of the people are not of Anglo descent!!!

 

[EasterJoy]

Don’t attend a church named “Christ the King” or “Our Lady of (name of your town, unless Our Lady appeared there once)” thus “Our Lady of Las Vegas” is not a good church to go to…
While these are not hard and fast rules, this is my experience from living in 6 states, visiting over half, and visiting over seas. …

That’s a lot of parishes. Did you judge any based on a single visit? Any chance there may have been a rash judgement or two in there?

…Even if the other people at the parish are a little liberal, what really matters is the priest, as long as the people don’t distract you…

Distract you? Fellow parishioners are brothers and sisters, a vital part of what makes parish life an actual life, not just fellow clients with the same provider.

Is he faithful to his bishop no matter how good or bad the bishop is? (good)…
are there altar girls (bad)? …

If his bishop tells him to allow altar girls, we have a priest in something of a pickle, don’t we? Maybe we’d be stuck trying another diocese?

If it is an EF mass, does the priest say things like that the OF is not valid or good, or that the EF is the only good mass? (very bad)…

There are priests who say this? Out loud? I would think that kind of comes under not bad-mouthing his bishop.

Is the priest too friendly with men or women? (very bad)…

…he should be like a good father, lay down the rules, but be easy to approach…

There are some internal vagueries here that are difficult to understand, to say the least.

 

[EasterJoy]

What exactly do you mean by this? God forbid you join a parish and find out there’s adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on a regular basis, that it is well attended and maintained and…most of the people are not of Anglo descent!!!

Anyone who won’t check out a parish with a single predominant ethnic group is missing a bet.
I couldn’t say why, perhaps it is the strong family connections of people who maintained their identity in a new country by shared faith, but the ethnic parishes are some of the most faithful.

As for the recent immigrants, thank the Lord for them, for these families are supplying a huge number of our new priests and consecrated religious! If you want fellow parishioners who will encourage your children to be open to a religious vocation, don’t neglect these parishes. They are a true gift to the Catholic Church in the US!

 

[ryanmac]

What exactly do you mean by this? God forbid you join a parish and find out there’s adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on a regular basis, that it is well attended and maintained and…most of the people are not of Anglo descent!!!

It would be a privilege to join such a parish. However, the challenge here was to identify indicators of orthodoxy, and apparently * Adoration may not be an indicator of orthodoxy in immigrant communities.*

 

[ryanmac]

Here’s another response from a close friend that I thought would be helpful for this conversation…

Depending upon how you are planning on using this list, I think these could be good signs of spiritual vitality. Now some things like incense and communion rails you’re just not going to find in a typical parish on an average Sunday. If you are using this list to say, "Oh that’s good. So is that. . . . " then I think it will be fine. However, if you use it negatively, “This parish priest doen’t use the word sin so I can’t go here.” Then you’ve pretty much removed any possibility of finding a home parish!

I think this perfect Church list might be like the list for a perfect wife.

1. She has to be smokin’ hot.
2. She will always understand me.
3. She’ll laugh at all of my jokes.
4. She’s got to be intelligent.
5. She’ll be a godly woman always striving towards loving the Lord better.
   etc.

You get the idea. You know the saying, “As soon as you find the perfect church—leave. You don’t want to ruin it.”

Its good that you want to find the best parish around, and certainly you should feel at home amid a community of godly believers, but if God is calling you to Him and His Church, then you need to follow. Will it be easy/perfect/effortless? No. Will God guide and provide? Yes.

 

[cecilia97]

Perpetual Adoration…if a parish has a big enough group of dedicated people to get permission and keep it going, that’s a great sign. Like my parish!

The external signs can sometimes fool you. I’ve belonged to questionable parishes that were well supported financially and had beautiful stained glass because they’d just happened to inherit an older building. My parish is currently in a church building from the 70s that is “in the round”. But we’re hands down the most reverent NO parish for many miles. (in my not-so-humble opinion!) Buildings cost money and priests get moved to new assignments.

In my area, our church is sort of the hidden gem. Nobody seems to know about it. I lived here for a few years before I found out about it. It’s in a less swanky part of town and there’s no Life Teen Mass so we just seem to attract a different type of parisioner.

I’d put “lack of Life Teen Mass” on any list of good parish tip-offs.

 

[jmcrae]

Thanks Lazerlike42. Are there specifics in the Liturgy that I should watch out for? I haven’t attended a mass yet, and I’m not sure I’ll catch the subtleties you allude.

In all charity, I don’t think you’re ready to be a connoisseur of Masses, yet.

When I attended my first Mass, if I’d been looking for “indicators of orthodoxy,” the standards I had at the time would not have led me to suspect any.

For example, the priest was dressed in what I considered at the time to be women’s liturgical garments (robe with brightly-coloured decoration, instead of a dark suit), the sermon was less than 15 minutes, there were young boys present on the Altar during the ceremony wearing what appeared to me to be girls’ night-clothes, and one of the readings was taken from what I thought to be the Apocrypha.

What I would do in your situation is attend Mass to get a feel for it. It’s going to be way different than anything you’ve ever experienced before, regardless of how orthodox it actually is.

I think instead of trying to evaluate the liturgy, you should look at factors like, is there someone available to answer my questions either before or after the Mass? Did someone offer to introduce me to the priest? When they found out that I’m a seeker, did they offer to give me resources and mention when the RCIA classes start (or tell me when would be a good time to inquire about these things)? Are there lots of kids? Is it easy to know how to get information? Is the bulletin informative, or is it just full of commercial ads?

 

[Lazerlike42]

Here’s another response from a close friend that I thought would be helpful for this conversation…

He’s right in the sense that you don’t reject the Church just because you can’t find a parish that is any good. He would be wrong if he means that you should just settle for whatever is at the local parish and not worry about trying to find a good one. If you have 5 parishes you can get to, try the closest one first, and if it’s got problems, try the next closest one, etc. Try all 5. If one of them is better than the rest, you might try going there. If they’re all terrible, don’t just decide you aren’t going to go to any. That’s the thing not to do.

 

[LRThunder]

If his bishop tells him to allow altar girls, we have a priest in something of a pickle, don’t we? Maybe we’d be stuck trying another diocese?
.

Actually, I don’t think a bishop can mandate a priest use altar girls, but he can forbid them within his diocese. If a bishop allows them in the diocese, then it’s up to the pastor and then the celebrant priest whether to use them or not. But priests can’t be ordered to use them. Now, altar girls might have to be used out of necessity due to lack of boys being altar servers, but that’s not the same thing as the bishop ordering them to be used.

 

[jmcrae]

Questions to ask the Priest:

1. What do you think of _____? (JPII, BXVI, Scott Hahn, Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae)
2. Is the bible inerrant and infallible for more than just matters of faith and morals?
3. Can Catholic doctrines be found in Scripture?

Okay - try not to come across as a “know-it-all” when talking to the priest.

Ask him questions for information; don’t “quiz” him.

Part of the Catholic faith is to show respect for the office of the priesthood, which means that we don’t ever, ever, ever, treat him like he doesn’t or might not know what he’s talking about. (Even if in the depths of your heart you suspect him of being a congenital idiot, you do not ever, ever, ever let such an attitude show on the surface.)

Believe me, if you start showing disrespect towards him before you even know him very well, he’s not going to have the time of day for you, and you might as well start looking for another parish already.

 

[Margarite]

That’s a lot of parishes. Did you judge any based on a single visit? Any chance there may have been a rash judgment or two in there?

All I was saying was that from my expereince. It could be different in your parish, and I think it sad that such a name as Christ the King (which is an awesome name) is often the name of such liberal parishes. I wasn’t trying to be super serious, I think it is a little sad/funny because in my experience it is so consistent.

Distract you? Fellow parishioners are brothers and sisters, a vital part of what makes parish life an actual life, not just fellow clients with the same provider.

I was trying not to push any particular groups buttons, but if you insist, well, I won’t.
The other day at my parish where we have a hybrid mass (half Latin, half English) there was a man who took off his shoes outside the church. All throughout mass he raised his arms and spoke quietly, but loud enough to distract the people around him. He swayed around and went into a pew that wasn’t his after Holy Communion causing an entire family to have to move. They had walked into the pew and gathered their things, but he did not take the hint. He did not participate in the mass, but was too busy with his own devotions. After mass he went to the holy water font and was throwing it all around him and sort of washing his face with it.
This sort of person is what I am talking about. I am sure that he has a parish where he is normal, and that would be extremely distracting to me. It is much better for me to go to a mass where separatists are not distractions.

If his bishop tells him to allow altar girls, we have a priest in something of a pickle, don’t we? Maybe we’d be stuck trying another diocese?

I wasn’t saying that altar girls are the be all and end all, they are just a negative point for me. Also, as was recently stated, I don’t think a bishop can require altar girls.
At a priest friend of my family’s parish, he has 1200 families and 132 altar boys. He said that if he allowed altar girls, most of the boys would stop serving.
I believe that the role of altar boy is an introduction into the life of the priest, since girls can’t be priests, then they also shouldn’t be altar servers.

There are priests who say this? Out loud? I would think that kind of comes under not bad-mouthing his bishop.

Oh, but some of these priests say that they are loyal to Rome and to their bishop, they just know that they are right. I have never been able to understand the logic.

There are some internal vagueries here that are difficult to understand, to say the least.

I am sorry I confused you, I don’t want to go into more detail though, unless you want me to PM you the details.

 

[bilop]

I wasn’t saying that altar girls are the be all and end all, they are just a negative point for me. Also, as was recently stated, I don’t think a bishop can require altar girls.
At a priest friend of my family’s parish, he has 1200 families and 132 altar boys. He said that if he allowed altar girls, most of the boys would stop serving.
I believe that the role of altar boy is an introduction into the life of the priest, since girls can’t be priests, then they also shouldn’t be altar servers.

I concur. If you don’t have boys, use men as acolytes. At a TLM I sometimes go to the servers are usually one teenage boy, and one man in his '70’s.

God Bless