Priests being hurt by Parish Ignorance

[melensdad]

At he end of the meeting, the second priest addressed the audience and said that the two of them were not going to change anything that thley were doing. Immediately, 1/3 of the audience gave him a standing ovation. I guess that there is hope!

Sounds like great news.

If 1/3 of the people gave a big stand “O” you can bet that the mean spirited folks probably realized that they are in the minority. Hopefully they will temper their tone and realize the Church is not a democracy, and that our faith is not something to be negotiated.

 

[Ellen_G]

Just from reading through these responses I can pretty much tell the local where this is occuring. I liked the response - " send these priests to my Parish" As far as a spoon full of honey to make the medicine go down, we must keep that in mind as St Thomas mentioned that we need to cross the road and see where the blind person is at - then help him get to the other side. Our Lord, however, allowed the crowds to walk away rather than compromise the TRUTH - " This is My Body " This Bishop has some great seminarians coming up and there will be strength in numbers. Remember : John Paul 2, We Love You ! -our priests and Bishops too ! Our Lady tells us: Pray, Pray, Pray - AD JESUM PER MARIAM.

 

[Aquinate]

One of the factors that can help understand the commotion in the parish is the fact that these priests decided some months ago to go back to the practice of having only altar boys serving at Mass as a way to foster vocations to the priesthood. According to Church practice, even if a bishop decides to permit girl altar servers in his diocese, the priest in charge of a church in that diocese can nevertheless choose to use only altar boys in his parish. In this case Father mentioned that the bishop was aware of the change and gave his consent to it.

Nevertheless, they didn’t just forget the girls. They have formed a new group just for the girls to allow them to serve God and the parish in many different ways, as well as discern their own vocation. It is interesting to note that this group has been a huge success, mainly due to the help of one of the Religious Ed. and Youth Ministry directors of the parish. During the “infamous” meeting, one of the most emotional speeches was the one of a former high school altar girl who argued that all those people that were complaining about the way the priests were running the parish had not even bothered to talk to them personally. For her part, as for many of the girls in the parish, they were very happy and excited about their new group.

Most of the upheaval comes from analyzing the change from a worldly perspective. The priests have been accused of not treating women equally and of “taking the girls away from Jesus.”

The point that I want to make in this comment is that it was very easy to introduce altar girls in the Mass, even before the publication of the circular letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to presidents of episcopal conferences on 15 March 1994. Before this publication the use of altar girls was prohibited, nevertheless widely accepted. Now, if a pastor wants to go back to a practice that has existed in the Church for centuries and that is perfectly in accordance with Church law he has to deal with the possibility of rebellion of part of his congregation.

 

[Ellen_G]

In response to woman needing to feel equal by being altar girls,etc,etc, I would suggest reading the book: " What St Paul really thought about women " The author brought out the culture of Paul’s time, when women were treated as posessions. St Paul, more than anyone put women on a pedestal. The author also brought out that St Paul was a Military man and that when he stated that the man was to be the head of the house, he meant that the man was to be the protector ( Military "HEAD " always stuck his head out to protect his men in his care ). The author also brought out the fact that St Paul did not say that women were to be subject to men ( He used the word “DEFER” - to others opinions ). St Paul had many women followers and treated them as Royalty - equal but not the same ! – We need more St Paul’s in our society !

 

[raanderud]

EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD STAND UP FOR THESE PRIESTS— Give talks and use the following books as guides— "'THIS DAY WE FIGHT “” by Francis Frangipane,

""SPIRITUAL COMBAT “” by Lorenzo Scupoli

or ""WHEN HEAVEN INVADES EARTH "’

The people of the problem Parish are working WITH SATAN-- YOU ARE EITHER WITH SATAN OR WITH GOD–

CHURCH IS CHURCH–IT IS NOT A SOCIAL CLUB

OUR NATION IS IN A TREMENDOUS BATTLE WITH SATAN–AND MOST CATHOLICS DO NOT REALIZE IT–THEY ARE IN DREAM LAND. SATAN HAS MANY STRONGHOLDS OVER CITIES-CHURCHES–NATIONS-- AND WE ALL SUFFER.

WE NEED STRONG PRIESTS–

WE ARE NOT CONSULTANTS TO GOD–WE ARE SERVANTS TO GOD

thank you. rich aanderud

 

[jc-servant]

It is great that these priests are standing up for actual church teaching.

Just an aiside on the alter servers fostering vocations. I think some places rely to heavily on this to foster vocations. (I do agree that the pastor/bishop can choose whomever he wants to serve at mass.) My parish has males and females serving in about the same numbers. We had no vocations to priesthood or religious life for about the first 15 years we were a parish/mission. (We are a young parish.) We had an amazing surge in young people discerning religious vocations after we began Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration dedicated to fostering vocations from our parish.

Last Sunday a different one of our seminarians spoke after each mass to encourage people to attend the vocations weekend coming up in our diocese. These young men all came through our Lifeteen program which is celebrating 10 years this summer. Through that program they were exposed to many orthodox priests and religious because we bring them on every teen retreat, on their summer mission trip and all through the year to work with teens at the parish and on trips. I think that getting to know a variety of priests/religious, especially the young ones in full habits/cassocks who are on fire for God and the church really makes a difference.

The seminarians noted that the common thread among all of our people discerning religious vocations was a faithfulness to orthodoxy and a humble desire to serve. I only report this because many people seem to think that to get orthodox young people you cannot allow girls to serve or Lifeteen to be in a parish. I believe it is all in how things are administered and what is actually taught in a parish that matters.

They said we now have 5 official seminarians studying for the priesthood plus many more in the earlier stages of the process (such as pre-seminary programs) before they can be accepted by the bishop for a specific diocese. The total is now 18 young people in various stages of discernment and seminary (including a few young women becoming nuns and one young male monk). I’m pretty sure that this is the most vocations coming from any parish in our diocese. I think that this is amazing since PEA only started in May 2005, but we are still the only parish with PEA in the area also! It may be attracting more faithful people to join our parish from the area?

I would suggest that as the OP’s parish continues to reform that some form of adoration be considered if it is not already in practice. We had a harder time getting people to sign up for adoration when it was PT than when we went perpetual. We had an amazingly persuasive priest come in to preach at all masses on one weekend who is a specialist in getting PEA started. He really got the parish to rev up and commit by signing cards during mass! We got more than 1500 which covered at least 2 people 24/7.

 

[Ellen_G]

Liked that post on Eucharistic adoration - we started this in our diocese year ago and all of my friends tell me how their lives have changed. Also liked the post that stated we are not a social organization ( We need Bishops and Priests to nourish our spiritual needs and in todays secular world, we have lost our way ). We have lost the true meaning of our purpose in life but I see it coming back again with the John Paul II generation. As far as the Devil goes I read that even the top exorcist in Rome is @ odd with modern day psychiatry ( which is not a science but a philosophy gone astray ). Psychiatry should be an adjunct to our spiritual life, instead our needy people go there to feel good. I have encountered a few great priests in my own life ( psychologists who have integrated their science with the spiritual ) and have helped people turn their life around. St Thomas said that if evil became complex, it would take Divine intervention in a big way to combat it. Mother Therese said that if a mother can destroy a baby in the womb, what’s to keep us from killing each other ! She also said that she could never have survived without her prayer hour. Ecumenism will not come through dialogue ( without prayer ) - eventually we will be on our knees ( Cardinal Suenans - advisor to charismatic movement ). In nursing back in 1987, life was still sacred in the veterans hospital that I worked at - by '97 holistic care was something of the past. We have lost the sense of the sacred and are in danger of losing our soul. Thank God for our great Bishop and these priests who care about our souls.

 

[Smber2c]

Before sharing my thought, I want to share my thankgiving for priests standing up in this way. I’d say that just as secular media tells 90% bad in the news, I hear 90% bad when hearing about Catholic goings on around the country (heck I probably only heard about these men b/c of the bad - though they used it as a spring board for greater good ). So, thanks be to God for giving us good leaders. I love of such bright places in the USA (like the little mission parish with the PEA and youth so open to vocations).

To, my comment:

The problem with this concept is you will not get many people to participate. Think about the reality of these classes, they appeal to the people who are curious and want to learn. They do not appeal to the type of Catholic who complains about the Priest and consequently I don’t believe those people will ever show up for one of those classes.

I can definantly relate with the difficulty of getting people to come to anything extra. Many Catholics do what the “general Catholic culture” says they must. So they come to mass, they recieve the Eucharist (even if “informed Catholic Culture” would teach them confession may be necessary), and they go home.
Through my extended family (nearly all catholic born and raised) I’d estimate that only 20% have been to confession in the last 3 years. Several went in 2nd grade and have only gone again on manditory retreats like confirmation and marriage.

So, if I got people to do one “extra” (meaning one thing above and beyond mass), it would be confession.

To get this drilled in though? To teach we need people to live their Catholic faith on weekdays too? For many that will have to be said at the mass or they’ll never hear it. Maybe that means 5 minutes on “Why Catholic do that” at the end of mass as one poster suggested. Maybe that’s Father getting more of it in his homily. I’m not sure, but I do agree that adult religious ed will likely only have in attendance those who already have a desire to live the faith more than Sunday mass.

 

[ausomm4]

Look, we need priests to tell it like it is. a little ‘hellfire and brimstone’ preaching like back in the day ain’t gonna hurt anyone. people who don’t want to hear the truth can just leave. the church is supposed to spread the gosple truth and not pander to what people want to hear just to get their ears tickled and to feel all warm and fuzzy about themselves. we need to encourage the priests and bishops to call a spade a spade and if it separates the wheat from the tares…well… all the better. We need catechised and and exhorted to live our lives in christian way in this modern world. no more sugar cookie homilies. yes the truth can hurt. I’m sure in the beginning you’d have some folk get upset and leave, but in the long run i bet attendance to mass would increase exponentially.

 

[mirandajb]

Pray! Pray! Pray! And let these priests know that you support them!!! I am glad you said that the bishop is supporting them too; unfortunately, that is not always the case.

I think it’s our responsibility to back up those faithful priests, bishops, etc. who stand up for the Truth! They get hammered for it, so those of us who agree with them should let them know that there are just as many of us who support them as there are who don’t. Maybe that will help give them courage to continue down a road that is not easy, and will maybe lead others to do the same.

Yep. Nothing like Pray, Pray, Pray

 

[Ellen_G]

These priests know they are being supported by a goodly number of their parish - they also know that the lay segment of our church has strayed far from what Vatican ll intended. This dissension has been ongoing for many years and the problem is becoming more complex. The secular world has confused so many and they have bought into what the devil has to offer. As far as allowing the dissenters to walk away, it may come to that but would hate to see that happen - they are all our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are seeing great things happening with Eucharistic Adoration and the John Paul ll generation. Just read that our Spiritual Father is announcing the year to ST Paul – good things will be happening. On the down side, I read that 70% of our nurses surveyed would allow kevorkian type Euthenasia. We must pray and know that our Lord is with us. ad jesum per Mariam ! Pope John Paul stated that we need a personal relationship with Jesus and a sense of HUMOR - must keep that in mind.