Leaving Early After communion

[KateKimmer]

how prevelant is leaving right after Communion at your church?
Does it irk you or are you one of those who leave early?

 

[Luna_Lovecraft]

how prevelant is leaving right after Communion at your church?

Depends on the Mass time. Sundays - no. Weekday morning Masses - a bit.

Does it irk you or are you one of those who leave early?

No. I’m more concerned about my own personal failings.

I think in charity that the people who leave right after Communion need to go to their jobs, have appointments, or need to get to some other pressing business.

In the end, though, it’s none of my business why people leave after Communion. If it becomes too big of an issue at my parish, I’m sure our pastor will address it.

Luna

 

[Cristiano]

how prevelant is leaving right after Communion at your church?
Does it irk you or are you one of those who leave early?

I sit in the front pew to avoid that kind of distractions. I do not want to waste my whole life getting mad at people, I already do plenty of that and it is very unsettling.

 

[johnnyc176]

I do not see this in my parish thank God. Everybody stays for the procession on Sundays and during the week we say the St. Michael prayer as the priest leaves. I just listened to a Steve Ray talk where he mentioned he sometimes stands in the back of the church and says have a nice day Judas (Judas left early) to people that leave early…lol. Don’t think I could or would do that but I imagine it probably puts an end to it (if no excuse) for awhile anyway.

Btw…that talk by Steve Ray was done at the 2011 Catholic Men’s Conference. It is available here along with others. Excellent talks.

columbuscatholicmen.com/audio/audio.php

 

[paperwight66]

. I just listened to a Steve Ray talk where he mentioned he sometimes stands in the back of the church and says have a nice day Judas (Judas left early) to people that leave early…lol.

Unless this Steve Ray knows for cast-iron certain that the people leaving don’t have a good reason to leave, he should not say any such thing, imo.

 

[JaKael02]

It’s pretty weak to leave early.

Why?

1st…B/c God is residing in us. And we are forgetting to give our thanks after communion.

2nd…b/c we are forgetting to say our prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after Mass. As we all should.

Kind Regards,

James

 

[Lutgardis]

I have been attending my parish for about five years. I can think of two occasions when I had to leave right after communion. I felt strange walking out before the Mass had ended, but my only other choice in those two circumstances would have been to miss Mass altogether. For a few, work or other obligations necessitates leaving prematurely. I do not think that is disrespectful to the Lord or to our priests; but for many who leave it is simply to avoid the traffic of other parishioners leaving at the same time. I think this goes on because of a general rudeness, a callousness that has so permeated our society and has begun to carry over into the Christian community. I think *that *is very disrespectful to the Lord, to our priests, and to fellow Christians. Since I don’t notice too much of it, however, I can’t say it makes me angry; but if I saw a great deal of it all the time, I think it would really irritate me.

Interestingly, on this subject, our parish has often provided doughnuts and coffee after Mass. Volunteers take turns preparing the goodies so that everything is ready to eat right after Mass. Once word of this kind service to our parish began to spread, you can probably guess what happened . . . Some parishioners were leaving Mass early and hitting the doughnut bar before the rest of the crowd arrived. I know . . . I know . . . unbelievable–but true! Thankfully, our pastor put a quick stop to that . . . I can only think of one thing to say in regard to these kinds of things, “Lord, have mercy on us all!”

 

[prodigalson2011]

Unless this Steve Ray knows for cast-iron certain that the people leaving don’t have a good reason to leave, he should not say any such thing, imo.

Agreed. In my younger days, I would have said he was being a pretty nasty 4 letter word relating to the male anatomy.

Good reason or no, that’s a pretty self-righteous, not to mention passive-aggressive, move. Sure to win alot of hearts.

 

[ZxM]

lots of dine and dash at my parish, plus the old men think its a good time to go to the bathroom during the consecration.

 

[Nicea325]

how prevelant is leaving right after Communion at your church?
Does it irk you or are you one of those who leave early?

Regularly! Yep! Judas left Mass early and look at his fate? uch:

 

[maltmom]

I just listened to a Steve Ray talk where he mentioned he sometimes stands in the back of the church and says have a nice day Judas (Judas left early) to people that leave early…lol. Don’t think I could or would do that but I imagine it probably puts an end to it (if no excuse) for awhile anyway.

It may put an end to someone coming back to church. His comment to those leaving early is too passive/aggressive, snarky in my opinion.

When I return to my place I’m kneeling and praying. I’ve only noticed on one occasion that someone in my area left and that was b/c they had been sitting in front of me. The little girl, about 3, was adorable. During the Sign of Peace she held our her little hand to me and said, “peth be wit du.” That child was such a blessing to me.

About 1/2 of the people in my church walk out during the closing hymn.

 

[thewanderer]

I agree that if you see someone leaving early you should most certainly not assume they are being disrespectful. As has been pointed out, there are many people in all different sorts of situations that may require them leaving early, even on a sunday, perhaps they need to get bakc to care for someone who is sick, or catch a plane, train. bus etc to a ___ (fill in any good christian charitable action, or anything required by law etc.) We have no idea what there situation is so we should not assume.

If it becomes evident that there actually is a problem of people leaving early due to a lack of respect (which needs actual evidence, since, as mentioned above there can be many legitimite reasons for leaving early) then it is something to talk to your parish priest about and it is time to pray for serenity and the ability to let go of those things you cannot change.

 

[Luna_Lovecraft]

I just listened to a Steve Ray talk where he mentioned he sometimes stands in the back of the church and says have a nice day Judas (Judas left early) to people that leave early…lol. Don’t think I could or would do that but I imagine it probably puts an end to it (if no excuse) for awhile anyway.

That would put an end to it for me all right. If I saw someone parked at the back of the church calling people Judas as they left, I’d take it up with the pastor. If this individual were then allowed to continue with this activity, I’d go on the assumption this was parish approved behavior, and I’d move my family to another parish.

I have a hard enough time teaching kids manners; I don’t need boorish behavior modeled for them in church.

Luna

 

[thewanderer]

That would put an end to it for me all right. If I saw someone parked at the back of the church calling people Judas as they left, I’d take it up with the pastor. If this individual were then allowed to continue with this activity, I’d go on the assumption this was parish approved behavior, and I’d move my family to another parish.

I have a hard enough time teaching kids manners; I don’t need boorish behavior modeled for them in church.

Luna

 

[Aelred_Minor]

At my parish, my guess is about

5-10% leave right after communion

70-90% start leaving before the last hymn is finished

10-30% don’t start leaving until the last hymn is finished (those who sing the hymns at all are only a subsection of these).

Note I’m actually among those who do not sing, though I do stay. I wish I could sing the hymns (softly), but because my singing sounds like a cross between a tortured frog and a drowning coyote, I don’t feel comfortable singing unless everyone else is, so my voice will be drowned out in the crowd.

 

[Joe_5859]

I generally don’t notice because we try to sit up front. I’ve seen a few people leave early at my parish when sitting towards the back, but nothing like the premature mass exodus (no pun intended ) that I have seen at other parishes I’ve been to. For that, I am grateful.

It does bother me to see it. Mostly it makes me sad to think that people are so poorly catechized as to the nature of the Mass that they would rather be the first out of the parking lot than stay and worship. I want them to be on fire with love for the Lord. I know that things come up and people can have legitimate reasons for leaving early, so I don’t pass judgment on any individuals I see leaving (and I generally try not to pay attention to it at all). But when I’m at a parish where it seems that at least 25% of the people leave after Communion, it’s difficult to imagine that they all have a legitimate reason to leave early.

I’ll never forget when a friend told me a story of a priest he knew. In order to curb this sort of thing at his parish, the priest made the announcement one Sunday that he completely understood that sometimes people need to leave early. So in order to both accomodate this need and to respect the great reality of the Real Presence and the fact that Jesus is still physically present within us in those minutes after receiving Him, the following week there would be altar servers with candles at each exit who would process out with you to your car if you needed to leave early. True to his word, at Communion time the next week, there were altar servers with candles standing at the ready at each exit. Not one person left early.

 

[GRATEFULONEjim]

Our pastor verbally chastises those who leave early as they are doing it and the practice has ceased.

 

[Ubenedictus]

Well i think it is a really bad idea. All other thing should take second place, i thought every body agrees, ‘‘God first’’ right?

 

[thewanderer]

I’ll never forget when a friend told me a story of a priest he knew. In order to curb this sort of thing at his parish, the priest made the announcement one Sunday that he completely understood that sometimes people need to leave early. So in order to both accomodate this need and to respect the great reality of the Real Presence and the fact that Jesus is still physically present within us in those minutes after receiving Him, the following week there would be altar servers with candles at each exit who would process out with you to your car if you needed to leave early. True to his word, at Communion time the next week, there were altar servers with candles standing at the ready at each exit. Not one person left early.

Thats great! I’ll have to remeber it in case I move to a parish with this problem… the one I currently attend does not have a problem with this, which is nice.

 

[Lutgardis]

. . . I’ll never forget when a friend told me a story of a priest he knew. In order to curb this sort of thing at his parish, the priest made the announcement one Sunday that he completely understood that sometimes people need to leave early. So in order to both accomodate this need and to respect the great reality of the Real Presence and the fact that Jesus is still physically present within us in those minutes after receiving Him, the following week there would be altar servers with candles at each exit who would process out with you to your car if you needed to leave early. True to his word, at Communion time the next week, there were altar servers with candles standing at the ready at each exit. Not one person left early.

Love it!!!