Liberal campus centers!

[reed987]

Hey all I’m a college student at a very large very liberal college and as u might guess, we are blessed with a campus center next door door to the campus. Unfortunately, the pastor celebrating there is incredibly liberal. I remember attending one mass there (I’m not even sure if that is the appropriate word for what I’m about to describe) and witnessed the following:
there were no pews. My family and I were the only people in the entire church who knelt during the consecration of the eucharist and after recieving communion!
a very bizzare and horrible tasting substance which I cannot rightfully call “eucharist” It was wet and sticky and grey and thick like a chunk of cookie dough and tasted salty and bitter. It was definately NOT what I had in mind

I left that day giving the church the benefit of the doubt. after all the priest was african (probably nigerian) and I just assumed that the differences were due to his cultural background and were not blatant abuses of liturgy. I never did return (this was about a year ago) but I am tempted to now. The advantages of the center include its proximity to campus as well as its 5 pm daily mass (the other nearest church only offers 8 am daily mass) and all that but I must ask, is it a sin for me to participate at mass at this church? Is it even a legitimate mass? Is it wrong to participate but not take communion?

thank you for the answers

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hi “reed” You might want to try again. What you describe might have been an isolated incident. I’m just curious… which University are you attending?

I’ve heard a lot of discussion on EWTN about “so-called” Catholic Universities… which are anything BUT Catholic. In fact, I think this was a major concern of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI when he visited here in April. He spoke, at length to Catholic Educators… etc.

A couple of really GOOD Catholic Universities… from what I’ve heard… are Christiandom College… and Franciscan University. Both are 100% orthodox… God bless.

 

[water]

Maybe you can call the diocese and find out if this center holds Catholic mass? The substance you described doesn’t sound like Catholic church uses for the Eucharist.

 

[bpbasilphx]

there were no pews.

**Properly in Byzantine Churches there are no pews.

They only came into Western Churches just before the Reformation.**

 

[reed987]

so u guys are telling me I might be over reacting?

 

[Mirdath]

Properly in Byzantine Churches there are no pews.

They only came into Western Churches just before the Reformation.

It was still standing room only in St Peter’s basilica in Rome a few years ago at that. Probably is even now.

reed987:

so u guys are telling me I might be over reacting?

Usually if you have to ask, the answer’s ‘yes’. So there were no pews, nothing wrong there, it’s just a bit odd in America. So most people didn’t kneel, floors are hard, and that’s no fault of the priest anyway. The host itself tasted like raw snotolate-chip cookies? Accidents happen, ask the priest before assuming ill of him!

I think you’ve got more to worry about from your attitude toward the priest than you do from attending a Mass he presides at. If that’s the extent of your complaint and it hasn’t been enough of a big deal that you’ve actually gone and asked him about things or otherwise checked up on it, you’ve got nothing to stand on.