Latecomers to Mass

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yinekka

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I have just returned from a parish council meeting and the topic of persistent latecomers was brought up. I am not talking about the person who comes late once in a blue moon. We didn’t come to any decision as to what to do because “we mustn’t judge any one.”

Has this problem been solved in your parish? If so how? :confused:
 
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yinekka:
I have just returned from a parish council meeting and the topic of persistent latecomers was brought up. I am not talking about the person who comes late once in a blue moon. We didn’t come to any decision as to what to do because “we mustn’t judge any one.”

Has this problem been solved in your parish? If so how? :confused:
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Oh, my. My, oh, my. Why does the parish council think that it has jurisdiction or responsibility for “coming to a decision as to what to do.”

:tsktsk:

I’m so very glad that you decided that “we mustn’t judge any one.”

This type of thing is just plain not part of any parish council’s responsiblity or mission for serving the parish. Period.

It’s not like anything that the parish council does or says will influence someone to make it to Mass on time.

If it bothers people in the pews that someone comes in after Mass has started, well then… that’s STILL not anybody else’s business.

Gimme a break!

I’m saying this in all Christian charity. I’m just sensitive any more to parish councils stepping outside of their bounds – or trying to.

thanks for listening.
 
Veronica Anne:
It’s not like anything that the parish council does or says will influence someone to make it to Mass on time.
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I take it back. Yes, there IS something that the parish council can do… and that is:

pray for the people who come in late to Mass… chronically or not.

There’s a reason that they’re coming in late.
 
yinekka,

I think you are fighting a losing battle. Some people will be late to their own funeral. Will never stop some people from drifting in late short of locking the doors.

As to the role of parish council, since the parish council is an advisory council to the priest, the council should offer suggestions on any topic the priest requests of it. Surely the priest has a concern with people who fail to make punctual attendance to Mass a priority.
 
The other thing that works is having the priest talk about the value of the Mass during one of his homily and the graces that come from attending the entire Mass.

I have also heard priests mention, if you were in a meeting with a king or the president, would you leave early? At Mass you are in a meeting with God, why would you leave early?
 
Dear Newton,

How true! Some folks just don’t know how to manage time and are chronically late. They drive me batty, but I try to love them, especially since I have my own glaring faults. Their mothers just never drilled into the value of being on time, and how totally annoying, irritating, aggravating, inconsiderate, and obnoxious it is!!! :mad:

:angel1: :gopray2: :getholy:
 
Taken from another thread:** Tell people that complain about late comers disturbing them to fill the church from front to back and leave the back rows for late comers and then they won’t be disturbed by people stepping over them to get to their sets.**
I know this will never happen but I will tell you that I sit near the front and have never been disturbed or even noticed someone coming in late. I know that it happens because the church is fuller when I leave than when I got there. Just a thought 😛
 
Certainly this is an awkward and distracting situation. I wonder about the people that cronically come late – if they are late to work or to the theatre or getting the kids to their baseball game or soccer game or whatever. It is definitely about priority!

The real reason I decided to link into this topic is that I’ve noticed over the years the people that show up about 10 minutes or so before communion. UGH! I just really find it hard to believe that someone can show up just before communion and then partake of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord.

I pray for them all with sincerity and love!

Carl
 
I have a friend who has six children and they are always late for Mass. It has become a running joke. She is late for everything. I just think it is some peoples nature to be late. She even teaches CCD and is at church before Mass and is still late, LOL. She is too wonderful a person to care. I am just glad she is there.

Whenever I invite her over for a party or picnic, I know I am going to get the call “sorry, where running late”. I try to give her a time of about and hour before the actual time I want them to come. She is still late. I don’t think there is any hope for her. I can pray but I like her just the way she is.😉
 
… fill the church from front to back and leave the back rows for late comers and then they won’t be disturbed by people stepping over them to get to their sets.

I think this is a great idea. I just hate those times when I have been late and the usher tries to seat me in one of those open front pews, Ugh!!!.
 
Doesn’t bother me a bit when people show up late, and it’s none of my business either. Ditto for the parish council.

What does bug me though are the people sitting on the end who make the latecomers step over them to get in the pew. That’s rude.
 
All I can say is walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Getting my family out the door on time is like herding cats. I pray every day that God will get me on time to work, appointments, etc. Not everyone is chronically late because they are irresponsible, or have their priorities out of order. Maybe they forgot they needed to run a quick iron over their shirt, so that out of respect for God, they didn’t show up looking like they fished their clothes out of a dirty laundry bag. Or maybe their youngest suddenly had to go to the bathroom as they were running out the door…number two! That can easily add 15 minutes to your exit time. Or maybe they just plain old slept in, because they were exhausted from being kept up by a sick baby the night before. There are countless possibilities why people show up late, and the larger the family, the more likely the chance of it happening. I have to trick my husband by telling him something is half an hour earlier than it is…and that’s no guarantee we’ll get somewhere on time. People who are always late tend to have a lot of stress in their lives (especially the stress of trying to get places on time!) The last thing they need is the parish council barring them from mass. These are the people who most need to be there! Offer them help instead of scorning them.
 
Having served on many church councils, I can remember that some were the advisors they are meant to be and they advised the pastor who has the final decision. Others tried to control, and eventuallly cause more problems than they help solve.

So keep advising the pastor to say something forceful if he is capable. Include proper dress, and not leaving early too. The Baptists have better maners than many Catholics (and I think they sing better too).http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon8.gif
For those that leave early, my wife wanted to hang a sign at the back of the church “The first person to leave the Church early was Judas”

I also remember a story about a man who always left right after receiving communion. In spite of the pastors efforts, he continued with this bad habit. So one day the pastor had two altar boys with candles waiting at the back orf the Church for him. They accompanied him to his car, lit candles and all. He stayed for the whole Mass after that.

MrS
 
Hi yinekka,

I am in Melbourne too, and I was elected last week to my Parish Leadership Team.

I would love to hear from you on other matters that your Team are discussing.

We wrote a list last week, and latecomers was not on it.

However, our Priest is really pushing the Welcoming Committee that he started this year.

They are a group of people who stand in foyer and hand out the leaflets to everyone as they arrive for Mass, and say a friendly hello.

He says in his homilies quite often about being friendly and open and welcoming to others around us.

I think if he keeps advertising how “welcoming” we are trying to be, some of those latecomers will try and get to Mass on time to see what all the fuss is about.

We also have a cup of coffee or tea quite regularly after Masses now, to try and keep people from leaving early, but also for Parishioners to get to know each other.

God bless you and your Team.
 
:confused:
Veronica Anne:
Oh, my. My, oh, my. Why does the parish council think that it has jurisdiction or responsibility for “coming to a decision as to what to do.”

:tsktsk:

I’m so very glad that you decided that “we mustn’t judge any one.”

This type of thing is just plain not part of any parish council’s responsiblity or mission for serving the parish. Period.

It’s not like anything that the parish council does or says will influence someone to make it to Mass on time.

If it bothers people in the pews that someone comes in after Mass has started, well then… that’s STILL not anybody else’s business.

Gimme a break!

I’m saying this in all Christian charity. I’m just sensitive any more to parish councils stepping outside of their bounds – or trying to.

thanks for listening.
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I so agree with your response…parish councils…can be frustrating.
I’ve been told there is a liturgy committee and what else can they come up with I don’t know :confused:
 
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oldfogey:
Doesn’t bother me a bit when people show up late, and it’s none of my business either. Ditto for the parish council.

What does bug me though are the people sitting on the end who make the latecomers step over them to get in the pew. That’s rude.
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Tell me you’re kidding! :whacky:

Anna
 
All you can do is to try to make people know the seriousness of showing up late and pray for them.
 
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pnewton:
yinekka,

I think you are fighting a losing battle. Some people will be late to their own funeral. Will never stop some people from drifting in late short of locking the doors.

As to the role of parish council, since the parish council is an advisory council to the priest, the council should offer suggestions on any topic the priest requests of it. Surely the priest has a concern with people who fail to make punctual attendance to Mass a priority.
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actually there are churches that do that. if you come late to mission san diego de alcala, you will find the doors closed…

if you were invited to a dinner withe Jesus, would you be late would you wear shorts and flip-fops???
 
I agree, the larger the family, the more likely to be late - especially according to the age of the younger member! I’m often 5-10 minutes late for Mass. In fact, we are sometimes lucky to make it at all! It’s got nothing to do with disorganisation. No matter how early I get up or get ready the need for the baby to feed (or scream in the car the whole half hour to Mass as opposed to travelling calm and contended if I just feed her) five minutes before we have to leave, the sudden explosion in her diaper that leaks out onto all her clothes that means just as we were about to leave we have to stop and change every bit of clothing and wash her down as well (has happened more than once or twice!), the toddler that suddenly has to go to the toilet when you asked him to try five minutes earlier, the child that just can’t seem to find their shoes when you know you put them out the night before and ahve to find where the toddler put it … it’s just not that easy. I do wonder about those who haven’t got any children but you just never know what their reason is.

I’m more disturbed by the people that leave before the priest has processed out.
 
I’m an usher and Father has ordered us to step outside and guard the doors for both readings and the Gospel. When the music restarts, we can let the accumulated thundering-herd go in. This accomplishes several things without too much fuss. First, it minimizes disturbances for the readings and Gospel, second the late-comers get to quietly stand outside while they listen to the readings/Gospel on the speakers. Us ushers were surprised how effective that has been. Habitually late arrivers have actually found ways to get there 10 minutes earlier. There were a few complaints, but we just tell 'em to take it to Father.

Before Mass, Father asked us if we would show up late and leave early for the dinner party for a respected friend. Would we just get up and leave as soon as we ate the last bite? He reminded us that when we arrive late and leave early for Mass that’s just what we are doing. We just receive the Precious Body of Christ and get outta’ there.

Now, since the Fire Marshall says we can’t lock the doors, we ushers conveniently post ourselves in front of the doors immediately after Holy Communion, transfixing our gaze toward the altar, forcing the early-leavers to excuse themselves by pushing us aside. I’m big and don’t move too easily. When Father became aware of this practice, he just laughed and said with a wink that we really shouldn’t do that.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
 
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