Is There A Security Camera in Your Parish Church?

[Courtneyjo]

While looking for a new parish, we went to Mass at the only Catholic church in town. This being the West Coast, I was prepared for some differences from the Midwest, but not for the security camera suspended from the ceiling in the middle aisle. It was encased in a ball, so as to be less obtrusive. However, it made me feel very uncomfortable. Are cameras becoming more common in churches?

 

[Michael_Welter]

I run the Audio/Visual Ministry in my parish. We have two video cameras in our church. One of them is a security camera, but we don’t use it for security. We use both cameras during Mass to feed a visual image to the Cry Room. The equipment was donated, so we use it. Yes, the one camera looks like a security camera, but that’s not what we use it for. That could be the case in the church you visited. Maybe that “security” camera is being used to send a live video feed somewhere within the parish.

 

[Courtneyjo]

Thanks for the suggestion. There is no cry room in the church but there is an attached school so I will see if there is one in there. (Frankly, this is the first time I’d ever heard of a piped-in video Mass for the cry room, instead having a direct view of the Mass. You learn something new everyday.) Then there’s always the option of asking the parish about it, lol.

 

[kaymart]

After several “break-ins” and thefts our Parish was forced to install a security camera and many other devices. The Church is locked at certain times when someone can not man the cameras. It’s a sad state when this has to be done. But nobody is “watching you” while Mass is going on, at least in my Parish. In today’s world unfortunatley its a must have.

 

[Michael_Welter]

(Frankly, this is the first time I’d ever heard of a piped-in video Mass for the cry room, instead having a direct view of the Mass. You learn something new everyday.)

Well, our Cry Room is off the Sanctuary, seperated by a sliding glass door, so the people there can see the priest, as long as he is behind the altar. However, the viewing angle of the Lector, or the priest during the homliy, is not good. So we give them a better view. It helps them participate more fully in the Mass.

 

[CatholicCid]

Courtneyjo:

Thanks for the suggestion. There is no cry room in the church but there is an attached school so I will see if there is one in there. (Frankly, this is the first time I’d ever heard of a piped-in video Mass for the cry room, instead having a direct view of the Mass. You learn something new everyday.) Then there’s always the option of asking the parish about it, lol.

My Church has a similar set up as Michael stated, but I don’t know if a Visual feed is given in the cry room as I’ve never been in there… I will assume at least audio is heard…
But, one of the cameras (Honestly I’ve only seen this one, but with the structure of our church, they can be extremely well hidden) also feeds to a Projecter and a Screen mounted on the back… This was used to give a Visual Feed of a Baptism that we being performed in the back of the Church during Mass… Due to the size of the Congregation, it would help anyone beyond the last three rows see the Sacrament.