Moved from OF to EF parish?

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Magnum_V8

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For those who, after much prayerful consideration, switched parishes to attend the EF exclusively, did you talk about this with your OF parish pastor?

Basically, I’m interested in hearing the story of how people who were maybe long time parishoners and/or heavily involved in an OF parish, who suddenly found themselves drawn to the TLM in another parish, how did you make the switch? Did you just up and leave without giving the pastor notice? Did you talk with your pastor about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing that information, I’d like to hear the story.

I’ve found myself slowly drifting away from my home parish. I serve two Masses in the Extraordinary Form on Sundays; I don’t attend my parish’s Sunday liturgy, although I do try my hardest to go to the Saturday Vigil. But I’m on the parish council, and agreed to a term of about 3 more years. I hesitate to get involved in anything else with my parish, because I’m so involved at these other two parishes. My pastor was there for my return to the faith, celebrated our wedding, baptised my son and has just been generally good to us. The problem is I don’t really enjoy the liturgy at my parish at all anymore.

Shouldn’t spiritual fulfillment be more important than keeping ties with someone, or someplace?
 
Magnum_V8 said:
For those who, after much prayerful consideration, switched parishes to attend the EF exclusively, did you talk about this with your OF parish pastor?

Basically, I’m interested in hearing the story of how people who were maybe long time parishoners and/or heavily involved in an OF parish, who suddenly found themselves drawn to the TLM in another parish, how did you make the switch? Did you just up and leave without giving the pastor notice? Did you talk with your pastor about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing that information, I’d like to hear the story.

I’ve found myself slowly drifting away from my home parish. I serve two Masses in the Extraordinary Form on Sundays; I don’t attend my parish’s Sunday liturgy, although I do try my hardest to go to the Saturday Vigil. But I’m on the parish council, and agreed to a term of about 3 more years. I hesitate to get involved in anything else with my parish, because I’m so involved at these other two parishes. My pastor was there for my return to the faith, celebrated our wedding, baptised my son and has just been generally good to us. The problem is I don’t really enjoy the liturgy at my parish at all anymore.

Shouldn’t spiritual fulfillment be more important than keeping ties with someone, or someplace?
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Could someone please explain these terms or provide links? Thanks - too many acronyms. 😉
 
ckempston said:
Could someone please explain these terms or provide links? Thanks - too many acronyms. 😉
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If I am not mistaken, OF= Ordinary Form of the Mass (Post Vatican II). And EF is the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Pre Vatican II).

Hope this helps!
 
ProVobis said:
Is this by contract?
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Not any legally binding contract, but a verbal agreement and acknowledgment of the requirements for parish council persons. Lawful or unlawful doesn’t really matter to me. I’m a man of my word. But when I’m more spiritually fulfilled elsewhere, how does that figure in?..that’s my dilemma.
 
Magnum_V8 said:
For those who, after much prayerful consideration, switched parishes to attend the EF exclusively, did you talk about this with your OF parish pastor?

Basically, I’m interested in hearing the story of how people who were maybe long time parishoners and/or heavily involved in an OF parish, who suddenly found themselves drawn to the TLM in another parish, how did you make the switch? Did you just up and leave without giving the pastor notice? Did you talk with your pastor about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing that information, I’d like to hear the story.

I’ve found myself slowly drifting away from my home parish. I serve two Masses in the Extraordinary Form on Sundays; I don’t attend my parish’s Sunday liturgy, although I do try my hardest to go to the Saturday Vigil. But I’m on the parish council, and agreed to a term of about 3 more years. I hesitate to get involved in anything else with my parish, because I’m so involved at these other two parishes. My pastor was there for my return to the faith, celebrated our wedding, baptised my son and has just been generally good to us. The problem is I don’t really enjoy the liturgy at my parish at all anymore.

Shouldn’t spiritual fulfillment be more important than keeping ties with someone, or someplace?
Click to expand...
If you are only interested in your spiritual fulfillment, rather than Jesus, I’d say you should think hard about it, because that won’t carry you too far, and you would eventually end up just as unfulfilled at another parish, even if it is in the EF.

If, however, you truly feel God is calling you to do this, you should pray about it, and try to discern His will. Remember, nothing is about us, it’s about God.

I read posts about “feel good” religion all the time in these forums, mainly relating to Protestants, but it is just as bad for Catholics to do this. I’m not saying you are, just giving you something to think about, because the last line of your post, which may not reflect how you really think, seems to imply that your own spiritual fulfillment is more important than keeping your committment to other people. If that is true, then that is a selfish reason to leave your parish and break your promise, but only you know the answer to that one.

Both forms are truly Catholic, and one is not better than another, but the point is that it is all about God, not us. So I suggest you pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment, examine your motives, and try to follow God’s will, which is the most important thing.
 
If assisting at the EF would be better for your spiritual life, I would suggest switching to the EF parish, but continuing to be active at your former parish until your term on the parish council is finished.
 
I discovered our “Traditional Community” a little over a year ago and immediately fell in love with the Mass and the members.

I’ve not been back to my old parish since.

Even though my old church is only three miles from my house I actually enjoy the forty mile drive to my new one. I love to use that additional time for prayer.

A few months after Motu Proprio came out I emailed my old priest to ask him if there had been any interest expressed in having the Extraordinary Form of the Mass celebrated…he said;
“No,…and I’m not familiar with it anymore, and our church isn’t set up for it.”

So I figure the best way to show my support of the Extraordinay Form of the Mass is to let both my presence at Mass, (or lack thereof), and my money in the collection plate, (or lack thereof), speak for me.
 
Magnum_V8 said:
For those who, after much prayerful consideration, switched parishes to attend the EF exclusively, did you talk about this with your OF parish pastor?

Basically, I’m interested in hearing the story of how people who were maybe long time parishoners and/or heavily involved in an OF parish, who suddenly found themselves drawn to the TLM in another parish, how did you make the switch? Did you just up and leave without giving the pastor notice? Did you talk with your pastor about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing that information, I’d like to hear the story.

I’ve found myself slowly drifting away from my home parish. I serve two Masses in the Extraordinary Form on Sundays; I don’t attend my parish’s Sunday liturgy, although I do try my hardest to go to the Saturday Vigil. But I’m on the parish council, and agreed to a term of about 3 more years. I hesitate to get involved in anything else with my parish, because I’m so involved at these other two parishes. My pastor was there for my return to the faith, celebrated our wedding, baptised my son and has just been generally good to us. The problem is I don’t really enjoy the liturgy at my parish at all anymore.

Shouldn’t spiritual fulfillment be more important than keeping ties with someone, or someplace?
Click to expand...
I still respect the priests at my old parish, but the traditional Mass changed my life. Changed my whole family for the better.

I am still involved with the St. Vincent De Paul chapter at my old parish.

There’s no need to sever any ties at all. Tell your priest about it. If he’s interested, just tell him how you feel. In fact, ask him to say the traditional Mass!

If he tries to dissaude, don’t worry about it. It’s completely licit and great. It can change your whole outlook on the Catholic faith. The priest and people at the EF parish I go to are so devoted.
 
Well, my story is rather complicated. I converted to the Catholic church as a 15 y/o and faithfully attended. At some point,…I left the Chuch, coming back after 30+ years. I started going to the OF at my local parish where I registered. I then started to go to Mass there daily and enjoyed it immensely. It was the school Mass and I liked the instruction the priest gave to the kids everyday.

After a couple of years, I started thinking about the EF after reading about the EF in my diocesan newspaper and found where there was a church offering it solely with the FSSP. I went last year and asked alot of questions of posters on this board, who were very helpful, since I hadn’t attended a Latin Mass for many, many years. I bought the little red paperback missal and studied it for a couple of weeks before I went to my first EF Mass. I went to my first EF Mass and then started to go daily. Then I found myself going to Low Mass on Sunday morning and then High Mass on Sunday morning. Personally, I wouldn’t trade it. I still go to OF at my parish where I am registered every Saturday night, I get envelopes from both churches and contribute to both. I am a substitute adorer at my OF church and I weekly attend the Dolorosary and Holy Hour at my EF church. In this diocese I must maintain my registry at my OF parish, I must continue to contribute financially as well as spiritually. The EF church is an oratory and so we are not registered members there, we are associates. I love both, would never want to leave either of them and am totally blessed that I have both in my life.👍
 
Magnum_V8 said:
For those who, after much prayerful consideration, switched parishes to attend the EF exclusively, did you talk about this with your OF parish pastor?

Basically, I’m interested in hearing the story of how people who were maybe long time parishoners and/or heavily involved in an OF parish, who suddenly found themselves drawn to the TLM in another parish, how did you make the switch? Did you just up and leave without giving the pastor notice? Did you talk with your pastor about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing that information, I’d like to hear the story.

I’ve found myself slowly drifting away from my home parish. I serve two Masses in the Extraordinary Form on Sundays; I don’t attend my parish’s Sunday liturgy, although I do try my hardest to go to the Saturday Vigil. But I’m on the parish council, and agreed to a term of about 3 more years. I hesitate to get involved in anything else with my parish, because I’m so involved at these other two parishes. My pastor was there for my return to the faith, celebrated our wedding, baptised my son and has just been generally good to us. The problem is I don’t really enjoy the liturgy at my parish at all anymore.

Shouldn’t spiritual fulfillment be more important than keeping ties with someone, or someplace?
Click to expand...
After one year of praying, my wife and I made the switch. We talked to our OF pastor and he just waved off our interest in EF. He said it was too hard for people to connect to it.

We registered at our EF parish and we have not looked back. My wife and I have absolutely no regrets and we have been filled with much grace from the Holy Spirit. We even brought my wife’s parents along with us and we have had a stronger relationship with them.

Going to the TLM has changed our lives.

Deo gratias!

credo
 
I attend both an OF parish and an EF parish.

My primary home parish is the OF, which I hope to remain with for a long, long time. I volunteer there as a Eucharistic Adorer. It’s a huge privilege to live so close to the chapel and be able to visit 24/7.

My secondary parish is the EF, where I hope to someday be more active, … financial circumstances permitting … , than merely having attended and enjoyed several donut Sundays. Love the TLM liturgy? Most definitely! I just do not feel called to make a complete 100% parish switch under the circumstances.

As for your own situation as the OP, I would side with those who encourage you to fulfill your obligations to the parish council for three years. Perhaps consider it a sort of purgatory? Anyways, it seems like the council can really benefit from your continued presence there … And I’m not hearing you refer to anything substantial to which you object in the OF liturgy as found in your OF parish. Only that you prefer the EF more, and that in fact, this OF parish has been there for you and your family and seen you through some good times.

The fact that you have been so well treated by your OF parish seems to me cause for gratitude towards that parish, such that if you do at some point … say in three years … wish to transfer, it would be nice to talk with your priest so that you can say good-bye on friendly terms rather than just quietly moving on.

~~ the phoenix
 
Magnum_V8 said:
Not any legally binding contract, but a verbal agreement and acknowledgment of the requirements for parish council persons. Lawful or unlawful doesn’t really matter to me. I’m a man of my word. But when I’m more spiritually fulfilled elsewhere, how does that figure in?..that’s my dilemma.
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It also shows loyalty on your part and that’s good. You also show that you’re willing to plant seeds in order to improve your spirituality. That’s also a very admired trait. Keep up the good work.
 
I understand your dilemma. However, it appears you have been entrusted with a leadership role that you accepted at your OF parish. God has you THERE for a reason. My suggestion would be to seek for and discover that reason. If you choose to live in the “in between” as you do now, do so as a discipline rather than a burden. If your attachment to the EF causes you not to fulfill l your previous obligation to your current parish, I would question your timing. If, however, you manage this for the time you agreed to serve, make sure IF you decide to ultimately switch, you do so on as good a basis as possible. 3 years is hardly forever and you can attend in either place. I would suggest that since you are making decisions and discussing your current parish’s business that you might want to consider how that looks for you to involve yourself at another parish. Be cautious and complete your term honorably. You certainly have my prayers
 
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