Priest leaving the sanctuary - help please

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stadre

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I attended a Mass Wednesday evening at my parents’ church (where I am visiting). The priest left the sanctuary to hold hands with the congregation during the Our Father. I thought that the priest is not supposed to leave the Eucharistic Jesus alone in the sanctuary. (The altar boys and girls also left.) I will be attending Mass there again this evening. Does anyone have any links that discuss this? What, if anything should I say or do? Thank you for your help.
 
is this the only place you can attend Mass? Perhaps there is another church nearby. I am certain this is one of those situations similar to what happened to me this past summer. I visited a neighboring Catholic “community” and during the Pater Noster everyone nearly ended up in a game of twister to hold hands. I declined the hand of the person next to me and got a very very serious look. The hand holding thing horizontalizes a vertical prayer.
 
decn2b said:
is this the only place you can attend Mass? Perhaps there is another church nearby. I am certain this is one of those situations similar to what happened to me this past summer. I visited a neighboring Catholic “community” and during the Pater Noster everyone nearly ended up in a game of twister to hold hands. I declined the hand of the person next to me and got a very very serious look. The hand holding thing horizontalizes a vertical prayer.
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We went to a parish in Fort Lauderdale for All Saints Day. To avoid the handholding and other gestures we sat in a pew at the front that held only four people. Worked perfectly.

To the OP, your feeling is correct. The priest should not leave the altar.
 
decn2b said:
is this the only place you can attend Mass? Perhaps there is another church nearby. I am certain this is one of those situations similar to what happened to me this past summer. I visited a neighboring Catholic “community” and during the Pater Noster everyone nearly ended up in a game of twister to hold hands. I declined the hand of the person next to me and got a very very serious look. The hand holding thing horizontalizes a vertical prayer.
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There are other Catholic churches here, but this is where my parents go. I am not sure that it is worth offending them if I am going to Mass. I am thinking to “give him another chance” and then ask my parents if this is normal practice. I know that it had been, but I had been under the impression that the bishops had corrected this problem. (I am not sure if this falls into the “abuse” category.)

The thing is, my parents are not very well-versed in much of our faith and they think that we go quite overboard. (They are horrified that we won’t allow DD to be an altar boy.) Does anyone know where we can find the regulation on where the priest belongs during the Our Father? I am thinking of writing to the local bishop. It would also help to have some church documentation ready if I need to discuss with my parents.
 
Maybe a little off-subject, but when did parishes become “communities”? Is it a parish, a mission, or a social gathering place? Handholdning and glad-handing are more appropriate in social settings.
 
stadre said:
I attended a Mass Wednesday evening at my parents’ church (where I am visiting). The priest left the sanctuary to hold hands with the congregation during the Our Father. I thought that the priest is not supposed to leave the Eucharistic Jesus alone in the sanctuary. (The altar boys and girls also left.) I will be attending Mass there again this evening. Does anyone have any links that discuss this? What, if anything should I say or do? Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
sigh

I counted four things wrong with that parish in your post 😦
 
A) No, the priest ought not be doing that. (But it isn’t entirely unusual, either, unfortunately).

B) There’s probably not much that you can do about changing it, practically speaking.

C) I think it would be best to just try and tolerate it, offering it up, and not worrying too much about this. Go on praying in trust of God to take care of such things in his own time.
 
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