New Abuse Rant

[AnnieD]

Our Priest for many years, retired not long ago, and we got a new priest. Our retired Priest was very conservative. The new Priest is the walking to and fro and back and forth, during the homily, asking questions of the congregation, type Priest.

Today in our beautiful Church, we now have a HUGE movie screen. It shows the hymn numbers on a bright flourescent green screen, which is totally distracting. It cheapens God’s house. The scene’s also change during the homily. What next…Popcorn??

Today, we didn’t have a homily, the whole time was spent asking all of us to give more money. The time spent on the Gospel, was about a minute.

Sorry for the rant, but I’m really disgusted. Are we the only church with a Huge Movie Screen??

Annie

 

[puzzleannie]

today was the Sunday set aside by the bishop for the Mandatory annual parish financial report, your pastor was being obedient and accountable as required by canon law. did he project the report on that big screen? that would have saved some time and paper rustling. the music folks out there probably know better than I if the projection screen is a real abuse or just a huge annoyance. let’s ask them.

 

[AnnieD]

puzzleannie:

today was the Sunday set aside by the bishop for the Mandatory annual parish financial report, your pastor was being obedient and accountable as required by canon law. did he project the report on that big screen? .

All the parishoners had been sent a very detailed 10 page parish financial report in the mail a few days ago, Puzzleannie. He projected the differences on the Movie Screen of our old priest and himself, and showed some about the finances. During the Mass, it shows like I mentioned, on the Movie Screen, the pages of the hymns, and those changed during the Mass, which was distracting. This is not a Small Movie Screen by any means, It also shows the name of the parts of the Mass, during the Mass. This Movie Screen is going to be in our church every Sunday.

Thanks for the reminder for the annual parish financial report. I only remembered getting the report in the mail every year.

Annie

 

[AnnieD]

I can’t stop ranting. The Movie Screen completely covers the statue of the Blessed Mother. At some of the Masses, the words of the hymns are on the screen, so everyone can follow along. We will probably get a bouncing ball next so everyone can follow the words. Someone has to keep getting up into the aisle and punching the words in, so you can see them on the screen.

Now I’m done…this was the first thread I started, and now I’m having a problem stopping.

Annie

 

[Crusader]

AnnieD:

I can’t stop ranting. The Movie Screen completely covers the statue of the Blessed Mother. At some of the Masses, the words of the hymns are on the screen, so everyone can follow along. We will probably get a bouncing ball next so everyone can follow the words. Someone has to keep getting up into the aisle and punching the words in, so you can see them on the screen.

Now I’m done…this was the first thread I started, and now I’m having a problem stopping.

Annie

If I were you I would make my concerns known to your new pastor. If there were no changes, I would quietly vote against his changes with my checkbook on a weekly basis.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

The use of screens for projecting music seems to have started in some of the Protestant churches, and has spread to the Catholic Church. It is something that, froankly, I find annoying and distracting. Tastefully done it can help the music ministry – but that takes planning and having screens that are built in and that do not stand in front of the statues or other artifacts in the church.

At the same time, having a hymnal is a better approach. The Protestants started using them because of the vast number of new “worship music” pieces that were coming out. The first place I saw these in the Catholic Church was Life Teen where they were taking some of the Protestant songs and using them.

The solution – speak to the pastor first and explain not just that you don’t like it, but why. Offer alternatives. Suggest ways that this issue can be addressed. If that fails, let the bishop know. If you don’t get satisfaction, let Rome know.

Deacon Ed

 

[AnnieD]

Crusader:

If I were you I would make my concerns known to your new pastor. If there were no changes, I would quietly vote against his changes with my checkbook on a weekly basis.

Thanks for taking the time to give me some very good advice, Crusader. I will talk to our new pastor, and hopefully other’s have too and if that doesn’t work, then will try your second suggestion.


Annie

 

[AnnieD]

Deacon Ed:

The use of screens for projecting music seems to have started in some of the Protestant churches, and has spread to the Catholic Church. It is something that, froankly, I find annoying and distracting.

At the same time, having a hymnal is a better approach. The Protestants started using them because of the vast number of new “worship music” pieces that were coming out. The first place I saw these in the Catholic Church was Life Teen where they were taking some of the Protestant songs and using them.

The solution – speak to the pastor first and explain not just that you don’t like it, but why. Offer alternatives. Suggest ways that this issue can be addressed. If that fails, let the bishop know. If you don’t get satisfaction, let Rome know.

Deacon Ed

Thanks for the interesting information on where the Movie Screen’s seem to have started, Deacon Ed. Our new priest said that he talks to alot of Protestant Ministers, so maybe that is where he got the idea. I had never seen Movie Screens in a Catholic Church, this was all new to me.

We have hymnals in our Church, so it’s really unneccessary to have to show the words on a Movie Screen. Hope we don’t move on to the clowns and the mime’s next, as has been mentioned about some churches.

I am getting good advice I intend to follow. Thanks!


Annie

 

[JimG]

If he won’t take it down, maybe he would be willing to project some old Fulton J Sheen programs.

 

[Fast_ed75]

I don’t want to downplay your concerns but if a movie screen for hymns and a priest walking around are your problems- you are very lucky and your liturgy is probably more faithful than 75 percent of the Catholic parishes in the US.

At least your not having to sit through pagan “liturgical dance” skits, candy dishes for consecrated hosts, lay homilies, EMHC’s concelebrating, risen christ on a cross, or homemade “altar bread” that could pass for sticky/honey buns.The Prepared Pantry

 

[Minerva]

Fasted, that’s your communion bread?!? It looks . . .um . . .yummy, like something I’d eat for brunch after Mass. But wow what an abuse for communion!

Sorry to hear about the big projection screen for music. That sounds really tacky though not an abuse per se. I also can sympathize with homilies more about giving money than about the gospel. If I may brag about my wonderful parish, St Paul in Highland Park NJ, our homily today was about the gospel, and at the end of Mass two parishoners spoke about stewardship (since it is the stewardship weekend). They stressed giving our talents not just our money to the church. I thought it was about as well done as you could do with the delicate topic of asking for more money.

 

[AnnieD]

JimG:

If he won’t take it down, maybe he would be willing to project some old Fulton J Sheen programs.

That would be a wonderful idea to use the Screen to show Fulton J Sheen Movies, Jim. It would be ideal to see them in the cafeteria or other room by the Church.

Good Suggestion! Something else I can mention when I talk to our new Priest.


Annie

 

[AnnieD]

Fast_ed75:

At least your not having to sit through pagan “liturgical dance” skits, candy dishes for consecrated hosts, lay homilies, EMHC’s concelebrating, risen christ on a cross, or homemade “altar bread” that could pass for sticky/honey buns.The Prepared Pantry

That is really sad, Fast_ed75!! No, we sure don’t have those problems, but I must add a YET. We have not had our new priest but a month or so, so there is still time for other things to take place. Thanks for sharing. Those buns are making me hungry.


Annie

 

[AnnieD]

Minerva:

. If I may brag about my wonderful parish, St Paul in Highland Park NJ, our homily today was about the gospel, and at the end of Mass two parishoners spoke about stewardship (since it is the stewardship weekend). They stressed giving our talents not just our money to the church. I thought it was about as well done as you could do with the delicate topic of asking for more money.

We used to have a church like your’s. I envy you! As for stewardship, we were told that if we didn’t respond to a first mailing, we would receive a second mailing and if there was no response to that, we would be called on the phone.

If the new Movie Screen is how money is going to be spent, it sure doesn’t make a person want to contribute more money.

Thanks for sharing about your Church, Minerva.


Annie

 

[AnnieD]

AnnieD:

As for stewardship, we were told that if we didn’t respond to a first mailing, we would receive a second mailing and if there was no response to that, we would be called on the phone.


Annie

I would like to rephrase that. We weren’t told personally that we would get two mailings and then a phone call if we didn’t respond about giving more funds. The whole congregation was told that.
My husband and I are not Catholic parishoner deadbeats.

Annie

 

[AnnieD]

**THE MOVIE SCREEN IS GONE!! THE MOVIE SCREEN IS GONE!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! :clapping: **


Annie

 

[Mary1973]

That was fast. What happened?

 

[AnnieD]

Mary1973:

That was fast. What happened?

I don’t know what happened, Mary. There were alot of people that were upset about the Movie Screen. I hadn’t had a change to talk about my concern to our new Priest, but possibly alot of other parishioners did voice their complaint to him.

I’m so pleased the Screen is gone.


Annie