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Joe_5859
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My first thought was that it sounded like one of those “clever” Church marquees.
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Sarabande
Guest
I know what you mean. When I used to sing in choirs where there was a mix of people who could and couldn’t read music, I know that most of the ones who didn’t read got to the point where they could at least follow along with the notation.I don’t read music per se, but I can follow the melody if I have the notation in front of me, above the words of the hymn. Without the written notes, I am likely to wander off in favor of my own interpretation…
And yes, if you don’t provide the music, don’t blame me if I think some extra notes and changes in rhythm are needed for my interpretation. Just add a cadenza here and some fiorature there.
(In case someone thinks I’m serious, I’m just kidding. I don’t take those liberties although I have been tempted to add to those Irish hymn melodies.)That is a great idea and it makes a parish feel like they are really contributing. Many parishes take care of their hardbound hymnals so they will last quite a while rather than the paperbacks you have to replace each year.
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Irishgal49
Guest
I’ll pass on a church with a projection screen. I’m sorry for those who live too far away to vote with their feet. I like old fashioned worship. To each their own but rude messages are not appropriate no matter how you feel about the screens.
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Irishgal49
Guest
It reminds me of that movie Leap of Faith where the Steve Martin evangelist says, “The more you give, the more you live!”
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TheRealJuliane
Guest
It’s the Punishment Gospel. Either give, or God is going to remove your prosperity.
The more I think about this, the angrier I get. I am going to ask my sources who actually authorized this. If it’s not the pastor, then he needs to know about it (I suspect he’s already been told, unless he came up with it). If it is the pastor, then I am going to contact the Bishop. This has gone far enough.
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Used2beSherryG
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I understand your message. I did not think she was leaving the church, exactly. But the sentiment to leave her own church was there and that is not a good idea. That church needs people like her to stand up for what is right, not turn tail and run away. Her church is hers, pastors come and go. Sadly, we don’t fight for what is right or stand against what is wrong. That is what I am trying to communicate, however badly!
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TheRealJuliane
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Well, it’s been 9 years now, and this pastor has not come and gone. Rather, he’s come and stayed, and chased a lot of good parishioners away! Don’t get me wrong, he has many good qualities but the parish has changed so much from before he came, that no one would even recognize it as the same church, except the outside of the building is the same shape. It is not something one can fight, because in the end, the pastor has all of the power in this case. What he says, goes.I understand your message. I did not think she was leaving the church, exactly. But the sentiment to leave her own church was there and that is not a good idea. That church needs people like her to stand up for what is right, not turn tail and run away. Her church is hers, pastors come and go. Sadly, we don’t fight for what is right or stand against what is wrong. That is what I am trying to communicate, however badly!
We moved 2.5 years ago and we are within the boundaries of another parish, but my husband likes this church specifically because it is less orthodox than our real parish. Of course I am 180 degrees from him but since I am praying for his reversion, I will yield and go to the old parish if he will go with me.
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Corki
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I am always torn in these cases. On the one hand, I live almost equal distance away from four different parishes. If something was going on at my parish that made me feel uncomfortable, I could very easily attend one of the others. That could be short term or permanent. When my kids were younger, I wouldn’t have hesitated a bit to move if the parish was too unorthodox.I understand your message. I did not think she was leaving the church, exactly. But the sentiment to leave her own church was there and that is not a good idea. That church needs people like her to stand up for what is right, not turn tail and run away. Her church is hers, pastors come and go. Sadly, we don’t fight for what is right or stand against what is wrong. That is what I am trying to communicate, however badly!
On the other hand, I know that in my current parish, we are blessed with a wonderful priest but his predecessor was not exactly in line with many Church teachings. The parishioners set up prayer groups to pray for a good and holy priest to be sent to the parish. I was not living here at the time but I know that my family would not have this blessing had it not been for the prayers of those who prayed and did not leave.
Projection screens and the removal of the missals would be beyond tolerable for me. As long as there was another parish to attend, I wouldn’t stay for that. I may not formally transfer my parish registration but I would not be there on Sundays.
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Cristiano
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I was reading the following article:
“Try me in this!” says the Lord. The Biblical teaching on Tithing”
and I started to think that often people complain too much that priests are misleading people when they do not talk about sins like extramarital sex, contraception, receiving communion while in a state of mortal sin etc. However, sometime the more faithfuls become offended when the priests remind us of our obligations called the “precepts of the Church”. If God were to decide to choose to match our income to our giving it would be a much better deal than going to hell for violating one of the precepts. It is easy to wish for the priest to nag people about sins that we do not commit, after all they deserve it. However, we do not like to hear judgements about behaviors that might be close to home.
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TheRealJuliane
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I do not mind being reminded of our obligations to give. I do not appreciate the not-so-veiled threat in the statement in my first post - implying that if I don’t give according to my income, that God might punish me by allowing my income to match my giving. And if that is what the pastor thinks will improve contributions…I beg to differ. If he needs to talk to us about financial matters, then he needs to come and talk to us in person, be honest, be forthright, listen to his Parish Council and not be intractable about these things.
If that message was someone else’s idea, then that person needs to know how shocking that message really is. I wonder if they put the translation up at the Spanish Masses?
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mafh
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He probably didn’t mean it as a threat. He probably just thought it was a clever play on words. I bet it isn’t even original – it seems similiar to the sort of messages you sometimes see on church marquees. He probably found it on the internet somewhere.
I agree that is is inappropiate and off-putting, especially in this economy. I think it was just poor judgement and bad taste, and he didn’t realize that it was hurtful. You shouldn’t take it personally. If it’s an isolated incident, I’d just let it slide and forgive him. If he keeps at it, then maybe you should have a private talk with him.
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Mrs_Sally
Guest
Besides the projection screens, what is this “blessing of the offering” and who are the altar servers giving it? Not middle school aged boys I presume?It felt like a shakedown to me. We already get a heavily worded “blessing of the offering” by the altar server before the collection, and now this message in white wording on a black background is projected on 2 screens at the front, impossible to miss it.
This is the vigil Mass, with mostly older parishioners, perhaps some of the previous larger donators but many of whom are now retired and on a fixed income.
I found it incredibly insulting and I will probably give less, so I guess God is going to punish me for that.
We get one homily a year about money - when the bishop’s appeal comes out - and that’s bad enough. Everyone else asking for money are missionaries, which is OK because giving money to the “pagan babies” is very traditional.
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TheRealJuliane
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I haven’t written it down, but it runs something like, “Bless this offering that we bring to you out of our labor, because we recognize that everything we have comes from you…” that’s not very close…I will try to write down the text this Saturday. We were out of town this past weekend and went to my son’s new church near his college campus. (Another post for all THAT!Besides the projection screens, what is this “blessing of the offering” and who are the altar servers giving it? Not middle school aged boys I presume?
We get one homily a year about money - when the bishop’s appeal comes out - and that’s bad enough. Everyone else asking for money are missionaries, which is OK because giving money to the “pagan babies” is very traditional.
It was contemporary praise and worship, with Protestant songs. Very dissonant with a Catholic Mass IMO.) Anyway…The “server” is an older man, not a deacon.
When the pastor is there, he makes a special ritual of taking the basket with the money offering and holding it up to the corpus (which is about 12 feet tall) behind the altar…he must say a prayer silently because he holds it up for several seconds, then places the basket at the foot of the cross. I always look down when he does that because it really bothers me, somehow it seems wrong to offer the money to a statue of Jesus.
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Mrs_Sally
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Yeah, I’ve seen that “offering” of the offering a few times. It is a little weird looking, although everything we have *does *come from God. Still thankful that we don’t do anything like that at my parish. The ushers (mostly KofC guys) take the baskets straight into the sacristy and put the money away in the safe.I haven’t written it down, but it runs something like, “Bless this offering that we bring to you out of our labor, because we recognize that everything we have comes from you…” that’s not very close…I will try to write down the text this Saturday. We were out of town this past weekend and went to my son’s new church near his college campus. (Another post for all THAT!
The “server” is an older man, not a deacon.
When the pastor is there, he makes a special ritual of taking the basket with the money offering and holding it up to the corpus (which is about 12 feet tall) behind the altar…he must say a prayer silently because he holds it up for several seconds, then places the basket at the foot of the cross. I always look down when he does that because it really bothers me, somehow it seems wrong to offer the money to a statue of Jesus.
If you can think up a straightforward way to say it, and think you won’t get flustered or mad, I’d talk to the pastor and let him know that all this focus on the collection is actually driving people away and causing the collection to go down. As you said, the people aren’t leaving the Church or withholding their offering - instead they are going to parish x down the street and giving the money there.
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TheRealJuliane
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We all know where our blessings come from, but imagine what a non-Catholic would think of that…Holding up a basket of money to a statue…Yeah, I’ve seen that “offering” of the offering a few times. It is a little weird looking, although everything we have *does *come from God. Still thankful that we don’t do anything like that at my parish. The ushers (mostly KofC guys) take the baskets straight into the sacristy and put the money away in the safe.
If you can think up a straightforward way to say it, and think you won’t get flustered or mad, I’d talk to the pastor and let him know that all this focus on the collection is actually driving people away and causing the collection to go down. As you said, the people aren’t leaving the Church or withholding their offering - instead they are going to parish x down the street and giving the money there.
I don’t think I’m the one to talk to the pastor…He never does the vigil Mass any more and that’s the only one we ever attend (hubby doesn’t like Sunday Mass). I’ve talked to him just a couple of times, in person, and it’s intimidating. He’s not a forceful-appearing or acting person, but his intellect is somewhat like a nuclear reactor…a lot of power in that brain. I’ve heard from several people that it does no good to oppose him, that once he makes up his mind, there is no going back. But I will ask the people who are closer to him what he is hoping to achieve with this message. In the meantime, I’m going to just ask the projectionist where it came from.
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Phemie
Guest
We did that ~10 years ago to purchase more hymnals. We were looking at @ $21.95 + shipping. People were invited to donate $25 dollars to purchase one in memory of someone. By the time all the money was collected and we ordered through the Diocese we were able to put over 100 new hymnals in the pews.I don’t read music per se, but I can follow the melody if I have the notation in front of me, above the words of the hymn. Without the written notes, I am likely to wander off in favor of my own interpretation…
I miss the hymnals! Funnily enough, the OTHER parish (we are now closer and in their geographical “capture”) is purchasing all NEW hymnals and asking the parishioners to contribute $25 for each one, and if you contribute, your name is placed in however many hymnals you buy. Sounds like a good plan to me. No projection screens in that church. (Also no applause after homilies or after Mass, no 40 minute homilies, 90 minute Masses, etc.)
Now many of those hymnals have a bookplate that says something like “Donated by X & Y in memory of their parents Mr & Mrs Bob Jones and Mr. & Mrs. Joe Smith.” I think the Knights of Columbus donated 10 in memory of ‘Deceased Knights’.
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FAB
Guest
Perhaps it sounds like a threat because of personal practices. The amount that God calls for us to give is 10% of our first fruits. 10% of our income before anything else is paid. The adverage for Catholics are 1-2%.
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Mrs_Sally
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Sounds like an excellent plan. Let us know what you find out.We all know where our blessings come from, but imagine what a non-Catholic would think of that…Holding up a basket of money to a statue…
I don’t think I’m the one to talk to the pastor…He never does the vigil Mass any more and that’s the only one we ever attend (hubby doesn’t like Sunday Mass). I’ve talked to him just a couple of times, in person, and it’s intimidating. He’s not a forceful-appearing or acting person, but his intellect is somewhat like a nuclear reactor…a lot of power in that brain. I’ve heard from several people that it does no good to oppose him, that once he makes up his mind, there is no going back. **But I will ask the people who are closer to him what he is hoping to achieve with this message. In the meantime, I’m going to just ask the projectionist where it came from. **
And yeah, offering money to a statue!
Might as well be Buddhist! 
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andrewstx
Guest
Our church has screens on either side of the altar, and a huge rock concert style speaker system, None of it is used though.Projection screens are slowly becoming the norm in Church; they are replacing the printed hymnals, etc, which are a bug to keep replacing. At my parish church, they are used for such and, when not being used, they show the image of the life-sized head of the Corpus above the altar.
I agree that the message shown at the OP’s church was over the top; giving should not be promoted via browbeating.
ICXC NIKA
The church used to belong to charistmatics who sold it to us. As we raise the funds the screens wil go, (it will take a lot of reconsttution to the walls behind) and the rock speakers will go as well.
The concert grand piano will be replaced with a pipe organ, paid for and ready to install by Easter.
There is also no cross on the wall behind the altar, just a processional crucifix, I am donateing a 4’ crucifix to hang behind the altar.
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Holly3278
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I don’t see them as offering the money to the statue but as offering the money to Jesus. After all, when we pray before a statue of the saint, we are not praying to the statue as many fundamentalists accuse us of, we are praying to the saint. I think it would be better to make this offering of the money before the tabernacle though because Jesus really is there!I haven’t written it down, but it runs something like, “Bless this offering that we bring to you out of our labor, because we recognize that everything we have comes from you…” that’s not very close…I will try to write down the text this Saturday. We were out of town this past weekend and went to my son’s new church near his college campus. (Another post for all THAT!
The “server” is an older man, not a deacon.
When the pastor is there, he makes a special ritual of taking the basket with the money offering and holding it up to the corpus (which is about 12 feet tall) behind the altar…he must say a prayer silently because he holds it up for several seconds, then places the basket at the foot of the cross. I always look down when he does that because it really bothers me, somehow it seems wrong to offer the money to a statue of Jesus.
As for the thing about the offering that is presented on the screens, it does sound very rude but I really don’t think the priest intended it to be that way. He probably just saw the saying online, thought it was cute, and decided to put it up. Of course, he may not even be the one responsible for it. He may not even be aware of it.
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