Parish noise level before and after mass

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dfp42

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I was wondering if it’s the parish priest responsibility for addressing certain noise levels before and after mass. I finding at my parish, there are many people who are talking up a storm right in front of the tabernacle etc all while I’m trying to pray and prepare myself for mass. I understand certain things might need to be said quietly, but I’m finding more and more people are treating the mass as if you are sitting around the dinner table with your family chit chatting away. I know out of offending people perhaps no one ever wants to say anything, even the priest perhaps, but I’m wondering if it’s normal to be a little upset by this. There are many other parishes that I go to and I can see the reverence towards the Lord of the people, they remain quiet and pray. However at this parish I belong to since it has more people there’s so much talk going on. Even right after receiving communion. Don’t get me wrong I try to close my eyes and focus but I wonder why reverence is different is certain parishes compared to others. Anyone else have an issue with this or have any advice?
 
I hear and understand what you are saying.

At my parish before Mass, the people treat the Church like their in a town hall meeting.

Its the priest job to tell people what to do, including being silent.

I had thought about asking him if we could just put up a sign at the entrance, “Silence Please.”

But then, I remind myself how St. Theresa offered up the irritation of another sister clicking her teeth during the liturgies.

So, I have to remember to do the same.

Jim
 
Yeah I guess there’s not a whole lot that can be done. I notice a huge difference though when going to a Chapel where mass seems to be respected a lot more. I know I love my parish and don’t want to abandon it, however I tend to prefer a reverence crowd and have been going other places. I think when nothing is said about the noise levels things start to become loose at mass and then it turns into a social hall over time and people in that parish become conditioned to it. I think the music played during mass has an effect on people too. I’m not into the whole clapping songs with guitars playing it makes me feel like I’m at a concert or something at times. The best thing I can do is I guess offer it up. I’m very thankful for many parishes in the Pittsburgh, Pa area.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
I hear and understand what you are saying.

At my parish before Mass, the people treat the Church like their in a town hall meeting.

Its the priest job to tell people what to do, including being silent.

I had thought about asking him if we could just put up a sign at the entrance, “Silence Please.”

But then, I remind myself how St. Theresa offered up the irritation of another sister clicking her teeth during the liturgies.

So, I have to remember to do the same.

Jim
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I disagree with you here. It is not a matter of us being offended or irritated. This is showing disrespect and lack of reverence towards our Creator. No one should be talking unnecessarily in church. Fr. Groeschel once said that if someone is talking in church, you should turn to that person and say “Shut up!” I don’t know if I would or could actually go that far, but people need to know that this is not just any room. Jesus Christ, our Creator and Saviour, is present in the tabernacle, and it is imperative that reverence be shown.

One priest I know, who was ordained over 40 years ago, said many priests made a concerted effort over the recent years to “protestantize” the churches. I think we are seeing the result of that now. There have been many surveys done that show a good number of Catholics don’t even believe in the Real Presence, so how can they be expected to show reverence to a “piece of bread?”

I try to go to a daily TLM here in New York as much as I can, and I am always amazed at how many people are in prayer before and after Mass, and no one does any unnecessary talking. No one would ever confuse that church with a Protestant hall.
 
One lay person telling another lay person what to do, goes over like a lead balloon and only leads to conflict.

I prefer to avoid conflict and offer it up ala St. Theresa style.

Jim
 
Brooklyn said:
I disagree with you here. It is not a matter of us being offended or irritated. This is showing disrespect and lack of reverence towards our Creator. No one should be talking unnecessarily in church. Fr. Groeschel once said that if someone is talking in church, you should turn to that person and say “Shut up!” I don’t know if I would or could actually go that far, but people need to know that this is not just any room. Jesus Christ, our Creator and Saviour, is present in the tabernacle, and it is imperative that reverence be shown.

One priest I know, who was ordained over 40 years ago, said many priests made a concerted effort over the recent years to “protestantize” the churches. I think we are seeing the result of that now. There have been many surveys done that show a good number of Catholics don’t even believe in the Real Presence, so how can they be expected to show reverence to a “piece of bread?”

I try to go to a daily TLM here in New York as much as I can, and I am always amazed at how many people are in prayer before and after Mass, and no one does any unnecessary talking. No one would ever confuse that church with a Protestant hall.
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Amen to that. Yeah I honestly felt like I was in a whole other Church when I went to a Chapel a few days ago. I was amazed to actually see most people kneel back down and pray after the mass has ended. I took my wife with me to this chapel and she asked “is it over, can we go” out of confusion a bit. I listen to a lot of Fr. Corapi and one thing he often says is that the average doesn’t know very much about their faith. At least that what believes when he locks the doors and he gives out the exam papers.
 
There is a lot of talking in our parish before and after Mass also, I think the Priest bears some responsibility of curbing this, as they MIGHT listen to him, but our priest goes around talking and visiting also, so that is a mute point at our Mass.
 
It gets especially bad when certain celebrations bring either non practicing Catholics or non Catholics into the Church. I have heard our Pastor announce to keep the noice down, but to little avail. Then the organist starts playing, and that usually does it.
 
dfp42 said:
Yeah I guess there’s not a whole lot that can be done. I notice a huge difference though when going to a Chapel where mass seems to be respected a lot more. I know I love my parish and don’t want to abandon it, however I tend to prefer a reverence crowd and have been going other places. I think when nothing is said about the noise levels things start to become loose at mass and then it turns into a social hall over time and people in that parish become conditioned to it. I think the music played during mass has an effect on people too. I’m not into the whole clapping songs with guitars playing it makes me feel like I’m at a concert or something at times. The best thing I can do is I guess offer it up. I’m very thankful for many parishes in the Pittsburgh, Pa area.
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Oh there are a few parishes within the Diocese of Pittsburgh that are just as guilty. I’ve noticed it more though in the parishes that have the newer style of church buildings that are more “open”, or in the “round.” One such parish does put up a sign “silence please” during Holy Week, but I wish they’d leave it up all year round.
 
To me this is simple:

Before mass: whisper if you have to and pay respect to those who pray and prepare for mass
During mass: be quiet and follow the liturgy and the way of the mass itself.
After the mass: be quiet and finish up. Talk outside the church if you must talk.

It can`t be that hard right?
 
JimR-OCDS said:
One lay person telling another lay person what to do, goes over like a lead balloon and only leads to conflict.

I prefer to avoid conflict and offer it up ala St. Theresa style.

Jim
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I agree that telling other people what to do doesn’t normally work too well. It is up to the priest. Our churches need to become Catholic again. But still, I really don’t think the Little Flower would want you offering up disrespect to our Lord.
 
What I have noticed is the difference between parishes which had parish schools run by nuns, before Vatican II, and those who didn’t.

My old parish in the city I grew up in, the people are quite in Church.

The parish I’m in now, where most of the parishioners had little contact with nuns, its noisy.

Bring back the nuns who’d slap your ears back for talking in Church. 😃

Jim
 
Padraig1972 said:
To me this is simple:

Before mass: whisper if you have to and pay respect to those who pray and prepare for mass
During mass: be quiet and follow the liturgy and the way of the mass itself.
After the mass: be quiet and finish up. Talk outside the church if you must talk.

It can`t be that hard right?
Click to expand...
It is very hard if somone doesn’t know why he/she should keep quiet, i.e., they don’t understand the Real Presence.
 
I agree that it is simple, it should be expected, and that the pastor has a right & responsibility to take the leadership in this. (Yes, I agree that lay “instructions” will be mostly ignored, temporarily adhered to, and/or resented.) He needs to make announcements about this when he notices that all are paying attention; he also needs to put notices in the bulletin, and it would help enormously (at every church site) to have posted reminders on the interior entry doors themselves (vestibule doors), regarding respecting the sacred space that others should expect to enjoy.

Conversations that are not a part of the liturgy itself, or necessary to the progress of the liturgy (such as between choir director or cantor – and celebrant or choir), or necessary to operational matters (staff instructing maintenance workers, for example), should not be happening. That would mean social conversations especially. Take it to the vestibule, or outside.
 
Brooklyn said:
It is very hard if somone doesn’t know why he/she should keep quiet, i.e., they don’t understand the Real Presence.
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Yes, that’s an additional problem. However, everyone has a right to silence for the purpose of prayer, whatever others believe about The Presence.
 
Stand up and scream, “Shut up gall dam it, I’m trying to pray.”
 
Brooklyn said:
Fr. Groeschel once said that if someone is talking in church, you should turn to that person and say “Shut up!”
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I had to do this once. But I preceded the “Shut up!” with a “This IS the House of God.” I got a pat on the back from some others afterwards but that wasn’t my intent. I certainly didn’t want to draw the attention to myself but I felt it needed to be done.
 
When I was at Lourdes, France, whenever the noise level got too high around the grotto, you’d hear over the intercom, SHHHHH.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
What I have noticed is the difference between parishes which had parish schools run by nuns, before Vatican II, and those who didn’t.

My old parish in the city I grew up in, the people are quite in Church.

The parish I’m in now, where most of the parishioners had little contact with nuns, its noisy.

Bring back the nuns who’d slap your ears back for talking in Church. 😃

Jim
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I agree. What happened to the nuns? I remember being a child and then after my confirmation I fell away from the Church for 10 plus years and came back and now there are none and a few sisters here and there. It’s sad. I remember getting a little holy smack when I was talking one time during mass by a nun. Looking back on it, I deserved it and actually miss it.
 
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