(Methodist Protestant) This is my "protest" against the Catholic chruch!!!

[guanophore]

This was after mass! And any way I should have been able to speak with some one! It’s ridiculous that I had no one to speak to for more then 5 seconds!

No, Zundrah. The Divine Liturgy is for worship, not socializing. When Catholics go to Mass, we go to focus on Jesus. If it is fellowship you want, then the Liturgy is not the place.

That’s the problem! You leave the athiest to just be athiest! But protestant churches have people and missionaries who go out and preach! Standing back and keeping christ all to your self is not very christian is it!? That’s not going to get people into Gods kingdom!

This is an interesting comment from a person who has just spent several posts critisizing how other Christians worship God.

the mass was just too much and with no explaination! Going into that catholic church was the biggest shock I've ever had in christianity!

I can understand this. It does not seem like you are quite ready for that. In the olden days, catchumens were not allowed to participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

I was not really dissapointed with the catholic chruch, but just very, very angry that they wouldn’t help me even though I said to them, “I’m from a methodist chruch and all this is very difficult for me to understand!” They didn’t seem to care… They just seemed to say with thier faces, “You shouldn’t be here.”

This is a reflection of your soul wound. You need something, and when you don’t get it from the people you expect should provide it, you get angry with them.

It is very possible that they had no clue how to help you.

catholics are almost robotic at mass! It’s like a manufactering machine, you go in then you go out, no talking, no mingling, no nothing…

The Divine Liturgy is corporate worship. During the Mass, we become present at the foot of the cross. It is a profound mystery and often so moving that it is hard for people to chat. Do you see yourself standing at the foot of his cross chatting and mingling with his sorrowing mother?

I know, it’s like you do not belong there and that is exactly how you feel when you go in!

Perhaps it would be best if you refrained from Mass until you are more ready?

I don’t understand why they are this way… I felt as if I was a christian in a muslim temple…

This makes sense. It is likely that you have never experienced what it is to worship in spirit and in truth.

I AM IN BRITAIN!

The church of england is anglican! Not catholic, get it, there not many catholic chruches here!

Given the cultural history of your region, it is not surprising that Catholics may be a bit reticent. It may help you to study a bit of the history of the Catholic Church in England from the 1600’s until now.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Hello Scott,

Yes I do miss the coffee hour after Mass. But we must remember that most or at least the Episcopal churches I attended were small in comparison to Catholic Churches. Also we only had 3 services one at 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 and the coffee hour was after the 11:00 Mass. Catholic Churches usually have at least 4 or 5 Masses with so many people that it would be more difficult to have a coffee hour. My parish does have a breakfast every month and also many social events.

Sorry but I don’t know how to insert my responses right after the paragraph I want to respond to.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette

Hi Bernadette,

I agree with the logistics but I have to say something would be better than the current nothing. The assembly of god church here in town has far more people than our Catholic parish of about 6,000 families and yet they have this robust after-services get-togethers and outreaches and ministries. We Catholics need to realize that we can learn some things from the Protestants. No, I don’t want to go out and start doing mega-church theatrics, but when it comes to pastoral care and little things like a coffee hour, it can be done. And there could be childcare also. You can’t tell me that we Catholics don’t have women who would be awesome at creating a warm childcare environment? Our parish has a ton of money and is often over-budget. We could do it if we wanted to but the truth is that Catholics have always just had a ‘bring your kids to Mass’ thinking, which is ok, but some parents are in over their heads and could use the help. The kids could use a break as well at times. I know with our three, two, and one year old we wished at times for a little help. Many churches bigger than ours here in town have great child care and the parents can focus better.

I’m not saying we can do as good a job as a small Episcopal parish but what if we had cofee hour every other week or once a month? Put families on rotations like at my former parish, five or six couples at a time and have the church pitch in. I’m just saying, it is possible.

 

[guanophore]

…how can I possibly ignore what doesn’t even come to me! :ehh:

Zundrah, please try to be mindful about where you have just entered this text.

No communication at all…

Your inability to perceive the communication does not mean it did not happen. Mass is for the community to communicate with God in Christ. This communication happens through the Liturgy, with the priest acting on behalf of all.

THIS IS IT! I WENT UP FOR COMMUNION! I went up there and the priest gave me a peircing look and said “your not catholic are you?” I SAID “NO” OBVIOUSLY…

Is this why they gave me a hard time then?

They did not give you a hard time, Zundrah. You expected something you did not get, and you are judging the people that you thought should provide for you and finding them lacking. It is inappropriate for you to present yourself for communion.

What’s fun about feeling as if your talking another language!?

Well, some of us very much enjoy the ancient languages of our faith. It seems as though you expect to go into the Catholic Church to discover something new, then when you found it, you criticize it because it is unfamiliar to you.

This was a dig at protestant worship wasn’t it?

Protestants don’t really have any “worship”. they have a lot of other things, fellowship being one, but since they jettisoned the Eucharist, what they have left is praise and petition. Good things, but not worship.

What about kissing stautes then? …

xxx zundrah xxx

I suggest, if you are not comfortable, that you refrain from doing it.

Well, if they are not in my bible then I guess they don’t need to be there at all do they?

xxx zundrah xxx

You certainly do seem to be in a flippant mood today.

I guess if you are the standard of right and wrong in the universe, then no, you don’t need the rest of the inspired Scriptures. In fact, you don’t even need the ones you have. Might as well chuck them in the river.

That is helping the human race as a whole, but it is not preaching though is it!?

We are each called to our own particular charism and vocation. I am quite certain that criticizing your fellow Christians is not among them.

Ah… but I am responding! I am responding by means of protest against the wrong doings of the catholic chruch!

No, you are not. You are making complaints about a few rather shy or reticent Catholics who did not stroke your ego when you wanted it.

This has nothing to do with the teachings of the Catholic Church. It has to do with you having a temper tantrum when you don’t get your way.

Not only that, you are using a Catholic outreach ministry, paid for and staffed by evangelistic Catholics, to complain that this does not happen!

The impudence is astonishing.

Why is it that the people in the catholic chruch were not as open to me as you people are?

If you walked in there with the attitude you have demonstrated here, then I am surprised they did not all go sit on the other side of the Church.

If I came into your chruch and said, “I’m protestant and trying to understand whats going on here!” What would you say or do?

Same thing everyone has told you here. Go to RCIA. Come back when you are ready to be more respectful of what we believe.
Zundrah;5421631:

Would you get all weird with me because I’m not catholic? Or would you think to your self, “God has guided this person into my cathloic church and I feel the need to do the best I can.”…?

Well I think I know the answer… you would probably act really weird and not talk much…

It seems that you think people are “weird” if they do not act like yourself, or do not do what you expect them to do.

Diving Liturgy is not for the purpose of evangelization. It is for those who have already made a profession of faith.

The pope wants protestants to come back to the **catholic church **and yet the catholics in the church seem to think the complete opposite!

What good is this going to do?!

xxx zundrah xxx

The pope does not expect us to joyfully embrace disrespectful attitudes and behaviors during the Mass. The Pope as the greatest respect for the Eucharist, and does not want it desecrated or demeaned in any way by sacriligious behavior.

 

[guanophore]

Of course I do! We do eucharist in my methodist chruch, so why can't I do it in a catholic chruch!?

You can, as soon as you are ready.

…why was I not told that!?

xxx zundrah xxx

Actually, I told you this myself 3 weeks ago in a PM, and I carefully explained why this is the case.

Perhaps the example you gave is the one you described. It is unusual for strangers to waltz into a Catholic Mass and expect to be offered the Holy Eucharist. However, the Missal usually has a statement about communion. Communion is a sign of unity. Clearly you are not in unity with the Catholic Church (it is the opposite of "protest) and should not be lying to God and others with your body by presenting yourself for communion when you are in rebellion against the Teaching of the Apostles.

But why don’t catholics have a program where they deliberately go out in search of protestants to convert them!?

xxx zundrah xxx

I am kinda confused by this question. Why would that be important to you? It turns out there are many such programs. The one you are entering characters into not the least.

…how am I suppose to know about this “missalette”? If no one tells me…

Zundrah, you already stated in a previous post that you found the missalette, and could not navigate your way around in it to follow the Mass. Now, you are complaining that you don’t know about it?

I never heard a gentle voice at my catholic chruch… all I heard was, “…fill in this membership form.”

I did ask, but I had no actual response! The ministers at my **methodist church **were very helpfull to me when I first went there…

Perhaps it would be best if you remained where you feel more comfortable?

Am I arguing too much? Do you think I am some crazed protestant that despises catholics?

Your tone is rude, and your attitude judgemental. No, I do not think you despise Catholics. I think you are a needy, mixed up young person who got angry because someone did not meet her needs in the way she wanted.

 

[guanophore]

At my methodist church we only had bibles! All these weird books the catholic chruch has is foreign to me!

I will give you a hint. When you go in search of the unfamiliar, you can expect to find things that are “foreign” to you.

I saw them obviously but didn’t know what they were for! So I just ignored it and walked past… no one told me that I needed them…

This is a very detrimental attitude toward research and spiritual discovery. If you set out to explore something new and different, don’t you think it would make sense to pay attention to what you FIND!

Just ignoring and walking past what you discover seems counter productive to me.

No one told you to go in there, either, but you did. No one told you to present yourself for communion either, but you did.

My point was that catholics need to pin point protestants! You cannot deny that!

On the contrary, I certainly can deny it. And furthermore, perhaps you do not recall, I started p(name removed by moderator)ointing you shortly after your arrival here, and you had nothing but complaints about it.

Communion- yes my methodist chruch had this but the one you do in your catholic chruch still boggles me!

I know that! I’m not going to take the way they treated me as an example of all catholics! I only wish that I could sit down and speak to some one…

Actually, that is exactly what you have done in this thread. We are up past 50 posts, and many of them contain your words, “protesting” Catholics and the Church because of how you were treated when you arrogantly crashed the Mass.

In my methodist church the ministers would talk with you for as long as you liked or needed them to! In catholic chruch mass its is like an act rather then worship…
I miss the long times of preaching my ministers would do… I miss them both sooooo much…
I think I just miss the things that they use to say to me, since the catholic church doesn’t take time to do this with each individual person.

Sounds like you need to go back to your Methodist Church, Zundrah.

Mass is, indeed, an “act” of worship. It is not for chat, socializing, or “long times of preaching”. It seems that you are not ready for it right now.

This is be casue I can’t seem to understand the catholic faith! It’s too complicated to understand!

There are mysteries involved that are beyond human comprehension.

I am a christian so surly that is all that matters!? What does it matter if I am catholic or not!? Do you beliveve that I’ll go to hell if I don’t join a catholic chruch? I’ve heard some catholics saying this…

It seems that you have having some cognitive dissonance about the HS calling you to Catholicism. When I compare the posts on this thread to some that you wrote several weeks ago, it seems that you are now on the other side of the see saw.

God can save you, no matter what. If you believe being Christian is all that matters then definitely you should go back to your long preaching , carefully counseling Methodist pastors.

It’s true, people over here are very hostile…

By the evidence in some of your posts, you have demonstrated this quite well.

England is very, very, VERY anti - catholic ( the church of england isn’t even catholic )!

Since you know this, it is a true puzzle why you would expect the people at Mass to be warm to you when you announced you were Protestant.

That’s why I tried to go into the catholic chruch in the first place!

Why? If being Christian is all that matters, can’t you find the Truth in your Methodist Church?

But I don’t know any catholics!

This is probably for the best. It is very possible they would find your impudent and critical manner offensive.

 

[BernadetteM]

Hi Bernadette,

I agree with the logistics but I have to say something would be better than the current nothing. The assembly of god church here in town has far more people than our Catholic parish of about 6,000 families and yet they have this robust after-services get-togethers and outreaches and ministries. We Catholics need to realize that we can learn some things from the Protestants. No, I don’t want to go out and start doing mega-church theatrics, but when it comes to pastoral care and little things like a coffee hour, it can be done. And there could be childcare also. You can’t tell me that we Catholics don’t have women who would be awesome at creating a warm childcare environment? Our parish has a ton of money and is often over-budget. We could do it if we wanted to but the truth is that Catholics have always just had a ‘bring your kids to Mass’ thinking, which is ok, but some parents are in over their heads and could use the help. The kids could use a break as well at times. I know with our three, two, and one year old we wished at times for a little help. Many churches bigger than ours here in town have great child care and the parents can focus better.

I’m not saying we can do as good a job as a small Episcopal parish but what if we had cofee hour every other week or once a month? Put families on rotations like at my former parish, five or six couples at a time and have the church pitch in. I’m just saying, it is possible.

Have you suggested this to your Pastor? In our parish we have many babies and small children and they are very well behaved. Even 2 year olds genuflect. It is a very traditional parish. One family just had their 15th child. They are a beautiful family, dress very well and the children behave. I don’t know why our parish is so different than some parishes, except we have a wonderful pastor of the old school and he must instill good behavior in adults and the children. He is a very humble man. We surely are not a hugh parish, around 800 families and I am sure that we are not wealthy. At our 9:00 Mass we have CCD for the children and so many of them attend that while their parents are in church.

Sometimes it just takes a suggestion from someone who is willing to spearhead a project and the pastor might be relieved to find a person willing to coordinate it. I am sure with 3 little ones that you both have your hands full, but maybe there would be a few women that would be willing to have a children’s nursery. I guess you will never know unless you ask. When I was in the Episcopal church I took my four girls into church and my youngest had ADHD, we did get some looks, but I didn’t care. Also there might be another parish close to you that have some of the things you need.

I wish you well and hope that it all works out for your family.

God Bless

Bernadette

 

[guanophore]

Can everyone just lay off Zundrah please?!?!

Not a chance.

You anger and malice towards her are not going to bring her any closer to the Catholic Church. The last thing any of us wants is to push her away.

I have read the whole thread to this point, and I don’t see any anger or malice. I also have no concerns about her coming closer to the Catholic Church. I think that the HS is drawing her, and that she is sincerely seeking the Truth, so she will find it.

I agree that none of us wants to push her away, but it must also be made clear that the rudeness and judgemental attitude is not welcome, necessary, or helpful. We are here to answer any and all questions, but it is not necessary to bring them in such a provocative manner. She has been doing this since day one on CAF.

I understand that some of the things she said might have been a little spiteful, but it does no good to go off like a firecracker and fire a retort back at her. She’s obviously been hurt by her experience at this parish and offending her further will only make her clam up and become anti-Catholic.

I don’t think the hurt came from the parish. She went in there hurt from early childhood stuff. She is looking for answers with a chip on her shoulder. She will find them better if she leaves the chip outside. The spitefulness is not necessary, or helpful.

Rise above the anger and just love!!!

A little bit of love has always done infinitely more good than any amount of anger ever has!

Love and anger are not exclusive. It is not loving to tolerate disrespect and misbehavior.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I think people are over-reacting here. When you have never been to a Catholic Mass, and you have a nervous fear on the way in, it is quite frankly one of the more confusing experiences of one’s life. When you come from atheism, and exposure to religious ceremony is non-existent or minimal, it is exactly like landing in a foreign country, where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. It is bewildering. It takes a while, to get the bearings of this new country, called Catholicism. Patience is needed, all around.

And telling someone they aren’t “ready” for Mass? What the? Everyone belongs there, and we should welcome them. The best way to come to come to an understanding of Mass, to become familiar with the unfamiliar, is to be there.

 

[Reuben_J]

Why is it that the people in the catholic chruch were not as open to me as you people are?

Generally a Catholic church unlike some Protestant churches does not have greeters at its entrance welcoming parishioners let alone strangers. It is understandable you were disappointed if you expected this. I guess going to a church other than your own is perhaps already a big feat that need courage and with solid purpose as to why you’re going there.
Generalizing people without knowing who and what they are, is always a negative, given the different culture and mentality we have being of different churches.

If I came into your chruch and said, “I’m protestant and trying to understand whats going on here!” What would you say or do? Would you get all weird with me because I’m not catholic? Or would you think to your self, “God has guided this person into my cathloic church and I feel the need to do the best I can.”…?

Depend on whom you ask. A Sunday Catholic, that’s a Catholic who goes to church only on a Sunday to fulfill his obligation, will most likely need the same amount of help as you as he/she is just unable to help you.

Getting to the priest will not guarantee anything though here you will most likely getting the help you require. The CC is a massive public place of gathering of Catholics of all walks of lives. Common sense will dictate that you should scan for a friendly face, people who are not in a hurry to go back home or being too much absorbed in the liturgy, and then try to strike a conversation. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Probably you should not expect great chemistry if you approach a Catholic at random during a mass on Sunday. If you introduce yourself as a Protestant, do give people some moment to come to term with that and what their reaction would be. If you came like you’re spying around, people will naturally become defensive but if you start off in a friendly manner and reveal your denomination somewhere after an engaged conversation people will be more receptive to be helpful.

I suggest you try again especially after hearing tips here and see what will happen? Preparing yourself by reading about what and who Catholics are and their faith is certainly a great help. Understanding what is sacred to them will help you to avoid inadvertently goofing up even if it is with the best of intention. Receiving Holy Communion during a Catholic mass is only for Catholics. Please understand even if you disagree with it.

Another suggestion is to come to a Catholic prayer meeting, usually held at night during weekdays, where the atmosphere is less formal and probably similar to what you have in your church. It is not a mass and people here are prepared for strangers and may treat you the way you are used to in your own church.

God bless you.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Have you suggested this to your Pastor? In our parish we have many babies and small children and they are very well behaved. Even 2 year olds genuflect. It is a very traditional parish. One family just had their 15th child. They are a beautiful family, dress very well and the children behave. I don’t know why our parish is so different than some parishes, except we have a wonderful pastor of the old school and he must instill good behavior in adults and the children. He is a very humble man. We surely are not a hugh parish, around 800 families and I am sure that we are not wealthy. At our 9:00 Mass we have CCD for the children and so many of them attend that while their parents are in church.

Sometimes it just takes a suggestion from someone who is willing to spearhead a project and the pastor might be relieved to find a person willing to coordinate it. I am sure with 3 little ones that you both have your hands full, but maybe there would be a few women that would be willing to have a children’s nursery. I guess you will never know unless you ask. When I was in the Episcopal church I took my four girls into church and my youngest had ADHD, we did get some looks, but I didn’t care. Also there might be another parish close to you that have some of the things you need.

I wish you well and hope that it all works out for your family.

God Bless

Bernadette

It wouldn’t fly with our pastor LOL…I’ve mentioned it before and fell on deaf ears. I actually love having my kids with me, don’t get me wrong, but there have been moments where my wife and I would’ve liked the help. I took my son, my three-year old with me today, and he was great. Usually the kids are pretty good. We get a lot of compliments for having the best kids, great manners, etc. etc. but from our point of view they’re acting up! lol…

If our little 17 month old starts acting up, I take him outside and calm him down, take him for a little walk in the garden area and he’s fine. Our situation is funny because we have a 3, 2, and 1 consecutive! lol…This old teacher of mine who is long-since retired, who had seven kids herself, came up to us when we had our third and said, “hey, Scott, did you and Katie lose at Vatican Roulette again? That’s what happened to us seven times! Vatican roulette!” lol She has a funny, dry sense of humor, great lady and good mom.

Thanks for the warm thoughts, Bernadette!

 

[RebeccaJ]

Zundrah: You call it protest, I called it “struggle”. Never-ending it seemed. Then all those struggles ended, and nothing left to protest. It felt kind of weird to not be in freaking turmoil all the time. It was sort of hard to just let peace settle in, it was so foreign to me.



God is taking care of you. He will lead you to where you need to be. Just ask Him to lead you, and then trust His guidance.

When you go to Mass, just focus on the prayers. Nearly the entire Mass is just that, prayers. The singing, the Bible readings, the standing up to pray, the kneeling down to pray, even reciting the creed is a prayer. So, just pray, with everyone there, as that is what they are doing too. During communion, when everyone is going up, this is a prayer I said sometimes, before I was baptized. It is called an act of spiritual communion:

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

This is the traditional prayer. When I asked a deacon at my parish about it, he said, He is already there.

Pray for patience. Be persistent in going where God is leading you. Even in the face of grumpy Catholics.

God bless, and you are in my prayers.

Rebecca

 

[Zundrah]

I
And telling someone they aren’t “ready” for Mass? What the? Everyone belongs there, and we should welcome them. The best way to come to come to an understanding of Mass, to become familiar with the unfamiliar, is to be there.

This is what I thought too…

Some catholics have said this to me;

“Maybe you’re not ready for catholicism yet, so why not just go back to your methodist chruch…”

…shocker…

 

[Zundrah]

Personally, even before I was a Catholic and just walked into a Catholic church for the first time, I had the exact opposite happen to me (everyone was friendly and welcoming - our parish has a great community). I don’t know why your experience was so bad, but I think it says more about our failings as people than anything else; a person could have a similar experience of being an ‘outsider’ in a lot of different situations. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that you went there to learn and made yourself vulnerable in a new situation, and were treated badly.

From the sounds of it, finding another Catholic church to go to might be a good idea, as a few here have said. I’m glad you decided not to give up on us right away and want to try another church; the more you persevere with patience, despite our failings, the more you’ll be rewarded with the Truth.

Ben,

Hail, I’m so happy you came on this thread! Thank you sooo much, you are a gem!
I have recieved some crazed post here, haven’t I?

Nothing in this world will ever cause me to wave good-bye to catholicism. I’m not that easily defeated, not even by my own protesting heart!

…thank you for helping me in this issue…

xxx zundrah xxx

 

[Zundrah]

…for every one who thinks I am nothing more than just a plain meanie, look at this link just quickly… http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=350456

You will not regret it! Especialy you Guanophore

xxx zundrah xxx

 

[jlhargus]

Where do I start? Hmm… with my experience…

I went to a catholic church once and it was so hostile, no one spoke to me, no one greeted me, no one explained anything to me and they all just kept giving me weird and very mean looks from the side because I was an “out sider”.

When I got a quick word with a woman at the back of the church I mentioned that I was a protestant from a methodist chruch, then suddenly every one seemed on edge and gave me funny looks as if I should be in their church.

You have the cathechism and the book of cannons, communion, loads of different events during the week that aren’t even explained to you. What are they for? Why has your chruch made it so difficult or even impossible for a new commer to grasp!?

I don’t protest against the covenant made to peter, the keys given to him or even the fact that the pope decends from him. But I think that the catholic church just hasn’t done its best with that covenant…

You don’t go out to the lost sheep but instead you call them “outsiders”…
You stay in you church and look after each other but what happened to christ good words such as - “Do you love me? Go and tend to my sheep.” I don’t see the catholic chruch trending to lost sheeps do you?

The chruch is just a museum of saints and a place of religious routine instead of a place of whorship.

Where is the whorship!? When I go there you are just going to one page to another with out even telling me where I should be in this “book” that I’ve never seen before by the way! There is this other book of hymms and even that has no direction… What is this and why does every body else seem to know what pages to go to but I don’t!?

I didn’t feel like I was in a chruch, it felt more like a temple with images and statues that people were kissing and bowing to! Some of the catholics there even got down on their knees to a statue of joseph (Mary’s husband).

Catholics seem to be like muslims - very religious but lacking in love and peace giving emotions!

And when do catholics even bother to go to protestants and try to convert them!? I’ll give you a big clue, never, that’s when!

Why is all the writings on the walls in a strange language!?

Why was jesus spelt as Jesvs? Why was Mary spelt as Maria?

Gasp… :snowing:

…and also I should mention that I’m not entirly bothered that there are books missing from my bible! There must obviously be good reason for that! So start on me about that issue!

JL: I agree with 1ke, I don’t believe a word of your story. As a convert and one who has attended mass in hundreds of Catholic Churches in the US and world. I have never once, expirenced people giving me looks or unwelcome or any of the non-sense you mention. Sounds like you were the problem.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Zundrah

I am sure some if not all of what i say has already been said. Like others here I am sorry that your first Mass was left you with bad feeling about the Church. I will do what I can to maybe help. I attended Mass in the same Parish that I was baptized in 44 years ago as a baby, up until 4 years ago when I took then lead and started to introduce myself and show up at different meetings and groups did I know anyone I the Parish. It comes as a side effect of what I hold as one of the greatest things about the Church.

When you enter a Catholic Church you are not just walking into another Building, Christ is present in the Tabernacle, most if not all talking stops upon entering the Church as people are in Prayer/ or should be. Given this It makes contact with visitor a little difficult I agree. But not impossible. After Mass our Priest is normally out front of the Church Greeting People and shaking hands, you never said If you said anything to the Priest other than when you came forward for the Eucharist. If you are truly interested in the Church contact him and set up an appointment.

I realize that there is never a way to redo that first impression. That is why we can not make conclusion based on them. I myself decided to attend the Divine Liturgy of a Greek Orthodox I felt that I would be able to follow along and not be to lost. No one at this Church so much as Looked at me. If you want culture shock go to an Orthodox Liturgy.

I am not make excuses but you may not realize being as you were a Atheist I think you said your whole Life and all though it is not as overtly today as before contact between catholic and Protestants in Great Britain have never been good there is more than likely a lot of deep seeded mistrust. and You do realize that all that fighting over in Ireland was about the Irish Catholics wanting those Protestant English out of Ireland and to take those heretic Protestant Irish with them. Trying to be funny with the wording there so if not i do apologize.

 

[Zundrah]

JL: I agree with 1ke, I don’t believe a word of your story. As a convert and one who has attended mass in hundreds of Catholic Churches in the US and world. I have never once, expirenced people giving me looks or unwelcome or any of the non-sense you mention.

Well, a handful of humans do not represent the whole world do they? …every one is different, some kinder and far more gentle than others.

Sounds like you were the problem

…

God bless, you think that I am hurting you…

 

[Zundrah]

Zundrah

I am sure some if not all of what i say has already been said. Like others here I am sorry that your first Mass was left you with bad feeling about the Church. I will do what I can to maybe help. I attended Mass in the same Parish that I was baptized in 44 years ago as a baby, up until 4 years ago when I took then lead and started to introduce myself and show up at different meetings and groups did I know anyone I the Parish. It comes as a side effect of what I hold as one of the greatest things about the Church.

When you enter a Catholic Church you are not just walking into another Building, Christ is present in the Tabernacle, most if not all talking stops upon entering the Church as people are in Prayer/ or should be. Given this It makes contact with visitor a little difficult I agree. But not impossible. After Mass our Priest is normally out front of the Church Greeting People and shaking hands, you never said If you said anything to the Priest other than when you came forward for the Eucharist. If you are truly interested in the Church contact him and set up an appointment.

I realize that there is never a way to redo that first impression. That is why we can not make conclusion based on them. I myself decided to attend the Divine Liturgy of a Greek Orthodox I felt that I would be able to follow along and not be to lost. No one at this Church so much as Looked at me.

Like others here I am sorry that your first Mass was left you with bad feeling about the Church.

Scott, please don’t feel the need to apologise for others…
My experience at the church left me upset and sad, but now I think I am talking about it with a bit of anger but certainly that anger is not directed at catholics but just the way that church was run…

I will do what I can to maybe help.

Your kindess has already done that for you dear!

(real name) - jennifer :bible1:

xxx zundrah xxx

 

[Zundrah]

…this feels like the last supper in the bible, but… I will not be able to access the internet for a long time… I feel really bad - but what can I do?

( sigh ) I feel like I did a bad job of opening my protesting heart on this thread.

I so badly want the catholic chruch but it’s like I don’t deserve it some how? What makes me pull away from the catholic church? I don’t even know. What am I protesting about? I don’t even know the answer to that either… I think my heart is rebelious, I need to open up and let the church in the same way I did with christ. I need to come to it with open mind and soul.

xXX Jennifer XXx

 

[SeanTom]

There must be something about the Catholic church as it just keeps growing and growing. We can’t all be wrong. I recently saw some statistics that shows our RCIA programs are growing, more men are starting to enter our seminaries and also more young ladies are entering the sisterhood.

Remember, you should not judge the Catholic faith by the actions of one or even several Catholic churches. We are all humans and, as such, we are not perfect. But the Catholic faith will be with us until the end of time.