Inviting a Guest to Mass

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I have not invited a non-Catholic guest to attend Mass with me. Has anyone ever invited a non-Catholic guest to Mass? If so, what was the experience like? 🙂
 
Yes, I have. Several years ago I invited my best friend (non-practicing Dutch Reformed) and his wife (non-practicing Baptist) to Christmas Midnight Mass with me. I explained the Communion setup - that they should step out of the pew and let the others go by, then slip back in - and so on before Mass. The wife was astonished by two things:
  1. How beautifully decorated the church was
  2. How ethnically diverse it was. A big part of that was the large contingent of people from Cameroon at that parish, with their bright, lavish, festive clothes. She grew up in rural Mississippi, so it was quite a shock!
It’s really no different than taking someone to their first basketball game or whatever. Just explain what’s going to happen and what’s expected of them so there will be no embarrassment, and it’s fine.
 
I’ve never really invited a non-Catholic to come with me to mass (unless you count my fiancee when we started dating), but I have had non-Catholic friends ask me if they could come to mass with me, and did.
 
mexolic said:
I have not invited a non-Catholic guest to attend Mass with me. Has anyone ever invited a non-Catholic guest to Mass? If so, what was the experience like? 🙂
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One year, I was part of a summer program and made a friend who was Protestant. She wanted to go to church, but there were only Catholic churches in the area so she went with me. She didn’t really make any comments, but she did go with me every week 🙂
 
Everytime I ask my friends and family, they say no 😦 But atleast they said they’d go to my confirmation Mass, if God wills that time
 
mexolic said:
I have not invited a non-Catholic guest to attend Mass with me. Has anyone ever invited a non-Catholic guest to Mass? If so, what was the experience like? 🙂
Click to expand...
Yes and lapsed catholic friends too.

My in laws are not catholic but they have been invited to every baptism first holy communion and confirmation etc.
Whilst my father in law is not interested in religion of any sort he is not opposed to attending special Masses.
My mother in law on the other hand loves it and feels inspired to become catholic! Most especially as her son became catholic last year! Oh by the way thats what I did with my husband kept inviting him…he has been attending Mass everys Sunday for a very long time!

My friends who are lapsed catholics I usually invite to Christmas carol events and introduce them to our friendly parish priest over coffee and cake!
 
I’d love to invite some of the non-Catholics in my life to come to Mass with me, but none of them are interested. Oh well. I’m not gonna pester them about it. 🤷
 
Asking a friend is natural. I think we need to all do that because that is how the church grows. I know for a fact one of the reasons why the Evangelical churches are growing is because people are asking their friends, coworkers, strangers to attend.

If you are successful to get a friend to come to mass, make sure, you tell them that they can go for a blessing which means they cross their arms and put their hands on their shoulders. It helps them to feel included.

Part of the evangelization is to encourage everyone to bring their friends to mass.
 
I have taken a woman I am dating to mass. I explained about crossing her arms and she did it. It was very emotional for me and another Catholic friend. The woman liked the mass and the choir. I view it as a step in the right direction for someone I care about. I recommend the low key approach, but a mass in a church w good spirit and a good choir can help make it a positive. Getting the priests blessing w crossed arms is special and may have a spiritual effect.

Blessings to all who do it…
 
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