Leaving Mass early.

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CB_Catholic said:
My Pastor has quit wasting his breath on things like this–he says it doesn’t do any good and he has better things to do. People that have this habit (not including ones who have a good reason to leave early) will not change. I don’t blame him, and I don’t even pay attention any more as to who leaves.
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That’s not true.

Your pastor needs to catechize and lead, not ignore.
 
Irishgal49 said:
Sadly in our parish it’s the older able-bodied folks. It’s always the same ones and they run like hell is on their heels. I have seen one even bump into the priest as he was recessing and they had the nerve to look irritated. Why go if you hate it that much? I know, I know but if they really are rushing to leave do they really believe in the actual presence?

On a post with some friends someone put up a picture of Judas and it said, “JUDAS: The first Catholic to leave Mass early.” I think leaving early sets a horrible example. One that I saw made me angry. It was a family; dad, mom, a teenaged daughter, and a son that looked about 9 or 10. We started singing the last hymn and the son was really enjoying it and the dad taps him that they are leaving. He sort of looked disappointed and put the missalette back and they left.

One time a couple was trying to leave early and I was singing. They acted like they seriously expected me to move to let them out. I said, “Sorry mass isn’t over.” They looked surprised and left out the other side. I know I was rude but why should I interrupt enjoying that hymn because they have to run off?

If you are worried about traffic in the parking lot then stay after and pray for about 15 minutes and lo and behold, the traffic will be gone. It’s the same ones every week that bother me.
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It takes FIVE minutes for my large parish to absolutely CLEAR OUT. It’s almost unnerving.
 
Exorcist said:
People who make such comments have no idea why we actually attend the Mass. It’s not primarily to receive Holy Communion.
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A couple of them actually do know, which is why the comments bothered me so much. They’ve taken the attitude that a little exposure to the Mass is better than none at all. The rest (mostly Easter-Christmas Catholics) told me I didn’t know what I was talking about when I said they hadn’t fulfilled their Sunday obligation.
 
Exorcist said:
Then change the schedule.
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Mass is scheduled 1 1/2 hours apart. If the 8:30 Mass ends after 9:30 you get a traffic jam in the one way in-one way out parking lot of my Church. You just cant change the schedule. The schedule has been coordinated with the other parishes in the area to allow people to attend Mass in a different place if they have a time issue.

Also since our Church is on a block of other churches of other denominations, the schedule has been worked around preventing a tie up on the one lane in each direction road that all these churches are on. This was at the request of the local neighbors and the police and fire departments to prevent chaos in the event of an emergency.

Point being, Mass is over when the priest or deacon says so, not at the end of the closing hymn.:confused:
 
I don’t understand why anyone, without good reason, would want to rush out on Christs presence. It’s ironic how we sometimes (wrongly) feel He walks away & abandons us. Yet, look at Him & His patience with us… As if we needed more reason to love & worship Him. ❤️
 
It doesn’t happen at all in our parish at any service or event.

Very occasionally a person does leave early but we all know why they do but its for a specific reason as such. Not just because they can’t stay to the end.

It simply rude to leave.

The priest doesn’t have to make his way to the vestry but simply stand at the back and catch all those who do try to get out early 👍
 
Our last assistant priest, when the parish priest was saying mass, would ensure he was outside the church at just the right time so he would catch those sneaking out straight after communion!

As we left the church he would be standing there chatting away to the offenders, so their sneaking out was in vain! A couple of weeks of that and the sneaking out stopped!
 
I use to see this back in the 1960s but not much lately in our church a few mostly thosewith small children or perhaps they have to go to work who knows. if the priest ends the mass and talk about something that has nothing to do with us we leave. :gopray2: a mass is for praying so i do not care to hear the priest personnel live story
 
This video is amazing to me:

youtube.com/watch?v=Us5iJZFJuHw

I not only love the hymn I am impressed at how the people remain in their pews and sing! Now it might be that all the “early leavers” have already left before this video began but I sort of doubt it.

I would bet money this pastor really cares about leading his flock.

There is a great deal of motion in my parish during this exact period of the Mass with people leaving before the final blessing, before the procession and IMMEDIATELY after the procession passes them and to heck with the hymn!
 
Exorcist said:
This video is amazing to me:

youtube.com/watch?v=Us5iJZFJuHw

I not only love the hymn I am impressed at how the people remain in their pews and sing! Now it might be that all the “early leavers” have already left before this video began but I sort of doubt it.

I would bet money this pastor really cares about leading his flock.

There is a great deal of motion in my parish during this exact period of the Mass with people leaving before the final blessing, before the procession and IMMEDIATELY after the procession passes them and to heck with the hymn!
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This could be an adult catechesis video! 😉
 
I really don’t know how common the problem of leaving early is at my parish. I sing in the choir so I have to stay until the end.

I do know that it’s not a new problem. People were leaving early long before Vatican II came along.
 
SMHW said:
I really don’t know how common the problem of leaving early is at my parish. I sing in the choir so I have to stay until the end.

I do know that it’s not a new problem. People were leaving early long before Vatican II came along.
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Its not leaving early after the priest or deacon says “The Mass Is Over”… :doh2:

Respectfully you should stay until the recessional has passed, but staying till the final hymn is over is not required
 
Exorcist said:
This video is amazing to me:

youtube.com/watch?v=Us5iJZFJuHw

I not only love the hymn I am impressed at how the people remain in their pews and sing! Now it might be that all the “early leavers” have already left before this video began but I sort of doubt it.

I would bet money this pastor really cares about leading his flock.

There is a great deal of motion in my parish during this exact period of the Mass with people leaving before the final blessing, before the procession and IMMEDIATELY after the procession passes them and to heck with the hymn!
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leaving before the blessing is not right, but anytime after “The Mass Is Over” is correct from the GIRM
 
Personally, I stay until the last note of the last hymn has faded away. As for those who choose to leave early - it doesn’t affect me and it’s none of my business. It’s none of your business either.
 
I am a new convert and before I became Catholic and my husband and I attended we were so amazed how FAST Catholics leave after church! (We’ve been protestant all our lives and been to various churches and Catholics at this parish we went to left the fastest we’ve ever seen - my husband dubbed it “The Catholic 500”!

Now that I’m Catholic and am so amazed with the Mass it seem so wrong to leave before it is over mainly because I see myself as “part” of the Mass with the rest of the Body of Christ. Unless it’s an emergency or something not typical I can’t see why anyone should have to leave before the Mass is over. Humility would show honor to those in charge and the priest should leave before the rest in my opinion.

In Him,
mlz

P.S. Why is it Catholics don’t want to visit with others after Mass? At least some… This is something I miss…fellowship with others. Discussing the homily, our week, our struggles, our life and praying for each other…maybe it’s our parish?
 
mlz said:
I am a new convert and before I became Catholic and my husband and I attended we were so amazed how FAST Catholics leave after church! (We’ve been protestant all our lives and been to various churches and Catholics at this parish we went to left the fastest we’ve ever seen - my husband dubbed it “The Catholic 500”!

Now that I’m Catholic and am so amazed with the Mass it seem so wrong to leave before it is over mainly because I see myself as “part” of the Mass with the rest of the Body of Christ. Unless it’s an emergency or something not typical I can’t see why anyone should have to leave before the Mass is over. Humility would show honor to those in charge and the priest should leave before the rest in my opinion.

In Him,
mlzI
P.S. Why is it Catholics don’t want to visit with others after Mass? At least some… This is something I miss…fellowship with others. Discussing the homily, our week, our struggles, our life and praying for each other…maybe it’s our parish?
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If they are like me, they were taught from an early age that the sanctuary is not the place for visiting with others. The church I grew up in had a basement where we went after Mass for coffee and donuts and we visited with friends there. If you don’t have that kind of space available at your parish that might be why people don’t socialize.
 
agw123 said:
Its not leaving early after the priest or deacon says “The Mass Is Over”… :doh2:

Respectfully you should stay until the recessional has passed, but staying till the final hymn is over is not required
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I meant there were people who left right after receiving communion before Vatican II.
And I agree that Mass is over once the the deacon says, “The Mass is ended…” and the people respond, “Thanks be to God.”
 
I think weddings are over the instant the couple is pronounced man & wife.
 
Apparently the Catholic “how little can I get away with doing” attitude is still alive and well.
 
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