IYO: Are Catholic weak on fellowship?

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If fellowship is now what church is about I might as well put my guitar down and just go talk to the congregation. Even better, I should just start playing Heavy Metal, since I serve a younger congregation, since we are there to fellowship Ill crank it up and give the Protestants a run for their money!
 
If fellowship is now what church is about I might as well put my guitar down and just go talk to the congregation. Even better, I should just start playing Heavy Metal, since I serve a younger congregation, since we are there to fellowship Ill crank it up and give the Protestants a run for their money!
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To be fair, it’s possible that some of the Catholics posting here live in areas where “fellowship is what church is about”. If so, I think it’s entirely understandable that they would have a far more negative view of fellowship than you or I would. (For the record, I’ve never even been to such an area, as far as I know.)
 
Peter_J said:
To be fair, it’s possible that some of the Catholics posting here live in areas where “fellowship is what church is about”. If so, I think it’s entirely understandable that they would have a far more negative view of fellowship than you or I would. (For the record, I’ve never even been to such an area, as far as I know.)
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Fair
 
What is “fellowshipping”? It seems that it is something that only non-Catholics can do and that it has to be done on Sunday, at church, and that other activities on other days of the week don’t count as fellowshipping.
 
zaffiroborant said:
What is “fellowshipping”? It seems that it is something that only non-Catholics can do and that it has to be done on Sunday, at church, and that other activities on other days of the week don’t count as fellowshipping.
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I’m not sure what your definition of “fellowshipping” is (although that may be partly because the word is pretty foreign to me – sometimes I don’t even feel like it is a real word), but how is it that non-Catholics are able to do it?

Also, what about people who start out Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu etc. but then convert to Catholicism? Do they lose the ability to “fellowship” immediately or gradually?
 
Peter_J said:
I’m not sure what your definition of “fellowshipping” is (although that may be partly because the word is pretty foreign to me – sometimes I don’t even feel like it is a real word), but how is it that non-Catholics are able to do it?

Also, what about people who start out Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu etc. but then convert to Catholicism? Do they lose the ability to “fellowship” immediately or gradually?
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I’m saying I don’t understand what people here mean by “fellowshipping” it seems that when ever some one says well Catholics/parishes do this and this, the response is well that’s not “fellowshipping”. I want to know the definition, what activities qualify and why they fit the definition.
 
zaffiroborant said:
I’m saying I don’t understand what people here mean by “fellowshipping” it seems that when ever some one says well Catholics/parishes do this and this, the response is well that’s not “fellowshipping”. I want to know the definition, what activities qualify and why they fit the definition.
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I think this is a fair question. I’m not sure I understand what fellowshipping is
 
zaffiroborant said:
it seems that when ever some one says well Catholics/parishes do this and this, the response is well that’s not “fellowshipping”.
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I can’t relate to your exact experiences, but I know how frustrating it can be trying to talk with people (Catholic or Protestant).

I’d say next time that happens, don’t let the other person leave without explaining their statement.
 
TC3033 said:
I was about to ask the same question. I don’t think that’s what anyone it talking about…at all.
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I would say it is. Seeing as no-one here so far seems to have a clear definition on it. I’ve already read “it must be on a Sunday at Church,” “Catholics can’t/don’t do it.” etc.

I thought the statement was clear - if people think fellowship is in some way related to loud chit-chat before and after Mass, then I wouldn’t want it. If we are going to have “fellowship” at our Churches, then those fellowshipping need to be shooed outside or into the Parish centre.
 
CuriousMike said:
I would say it is. Seeing as no-one here so far seems to have a clear definition on it. I’ve already read “it must be on a Sunday at Church,” “Catholics can’t/don’t do it.” etc.

I thought the statement was clear - if people think fellowship is in some way related to loud chit-chat before and after Mass, then I wouldn’t want it. If we are going to have “fellowship” at our Churches, then those fellowshipping need to be shooed outside or into the Parish centre.
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I guess I don’t participate in fellowshipping. I am setting up equipment before Mass and tearing it down after Mass. I guess the organizations I belong to through the Church don’t count
 
CuriousMike said:
I’ve already read “it must be on a Sunday at Church,” “Catholics can’t/don’t do it.” etc.
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I think what zaffiroborant meant (I’m basing this on his/her response to me, but hopefully he/she will correct me if I’m wrong) was simply that he/she has *heard *those things, not that he/she *agrees *with them.

But then, I think that the more time I spend in IDFs (Internet Discussion Forums) the more pessimistic I am about them. So I’m not going to make any predictions about this thread.
 
Peter_J said:
I think what zaffiroborant meant (I’m basing this on his/her response to me, but hopefully he/she will correct me if I’m wrong) was simply that he/she has *heard *those things, not that he/she *agrees *with them.

But then, I think that the more time I spend in IDFs (Internet Discussion Forums) the more pessimistic I am about them. So I’m not going to make any predictions about this thread.
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You make a good point. I don’t see the reason to be pessimistic about discussion boards. :confused:

My original post highlighted that in a typical suburban Parish, there are plenty of opportunities outside of right-before or straight-after Sunday Mass for fellowship-style events. The opening statement about the level of noise in the Church was merely meant to point out that you can’t judge fellowship based on what’s happening on Sunday around the Mass times.
 
Peter_J said:
I think what zaffiroborant meant (I’m basing this on his/her response to me, but hopefully he/she will correct me if I’m wrong) was simply that he/she has *heard *those things, not that he/she *agrees *with them.

But then, I think that the more time I spend in IDFs (Internet Discussion Forums) the more pessimistic I am about them. So I’m not going to make any predictions about this thread.
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Yes I’ve heard these things and they exasperate me. It feels like “moving the goal posts”, where “fellowshipping” is constantly redefined to exclude what ever is put forth as possible examples of Catholic “fellowshipping”. So I am asking for a clear definition of fellowshipping, what activities qualify and, when something is put forward and denied as fellowshipping, an explanation as to why it doesn’t qualify be given.
 
CuriousMike said:
You make a good point. I don’t see the reason to be pessimistic about discussion boards. :confused:

My original post highlighted that in a typical suburban Parish, there are plenty of opportunities outside of right-before or straight-after Sunday Mass for fellowship-style events. The opening statement about the level of noise in the Church was merely meant to point out that you can’t judge fellowship based on what’s happening on Sunday around the Mass times.
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Our suburban parish has 3700 families that’s a lot of people and cars. “Coffee Hour” would be logistically near impossible on Sunday with our 4 different Masses. Yet here we are and if we don’t provide “fellowship” exactly as our non-Catholic fellows, we don’t do it at all.🤷
 
This is a multi-faceted issue. Many reasons have already been touched on. Larger parishes are one reason (I’m on the eat coast where there’s a Catholic church every 3-4 miles, with 2,000-4,000 people in attendance each weekend). We don’t always go to the same Mass or even the same church. The structures of the church don’t often lend themselves to fellowship. I would love to see larger vestibules with lots of room to stand around and chat after Mass. Many people are not passionate about their faith, so they’re not coming back during the week for bible studies, youth group, volunteering, etc., and really that is how you meet your fellow parishioners.

There is also a different focus in protestant churches. Fellowship generally is the focus. You go to church to worship in community, to praise Jesus in catchy songs, and to hear a great, entertaining sermon. We go to church to worship and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s more individual.

Also, I would propose that the majority of people in a non-denom church on a given Sunday are “true believers”, they’re living a prayerful life, with Jesus at the center. A lot of Catholics who go to church every week seem to just be going through the motions; they’re cultural Catholics.
 
MooCowSteph said:
This is a multi-faceted issue. Many reasons have already been touched on. Larger parishes are one reason (I’m on the eat coast where there’s a Catholic church every 3-4 miles, with 2,000-4,000 people in attendance each weekend). We don’t always go to the same Mass or even the same church. The structures of the church don’t often lend themselves to fellowship. I would love to see larger vestibules with lots of room to stand around and chat after Mass. Many people are not passionate about their faith, so they’re not coming back during the week for bible studies, youth group, volunteering, etc., and really that is how you meet your fellow parishioners.

There is also a different focus in protestant churches. Fellowship generally is the focus. You go to church to worship in community, to praise Jesus in catchy songs, and to hear a great, entertaining sermon. We go to church to worship and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s more individual.

Also, I would propose that the majority of people in a non-denom church on a given Sunday are “true believers”, they’re living a prayerful life, with Jesus at the center. A lot of Catholics who go to church every week seem to just be going through the motions; they’re cultural Catholics.
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I like this post. I would just add that there are cultural protestants also. 😉
 
MooCowSteph said:
This is a multi-faceted issue. Many reasons have already been touched on. Larger parishes are one reason (I’m on the eat coast where there’s a Catholic church every 3-4 miles, with 2,000-4,000 people in attendance each weekend). We don’t always go to the same Mass or even the same church. The structures of the church don’t often lend themselves to fellowship. I would love to see larger vestibules with lots of room to stand around and chat after Mass. Many people are not passionate about their faith, so they’re not coming back during the week for bible studies, youth group, volunteering, etc., and really that is how you meet your fellow parishioners.

There is also a different focus in protestant churches. Fellowship generally is the focus. You go to church to worship in community, to praise Jesus in catchy songs, and to hear a great, entertaining sermon. We go to church to worship and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s more individual.

Also, I would propose that the majority of people in a non-denom church on a given Sunday are “true believers”, they’re living a prayerful life, with Jesus at the center. A lot of Catholics who go to church every week seem to just be going through the motions; they’re cultural Catholics.
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How do you know for sure the spiritual state of anyone much less the spiritual state of large groups of people?
 
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