Procession after Mass, mandatory?

[KevinJFUm]

Hi,

I was wondering if the procession after Mass today was mandatory. I left without participating. I felt a bit bad because I think I was the only one, but did I commit a sin?

Thanks!

 

[MarkThompson]

Hi,

I was wondering if the procession after Mass today was mandatory. I left without participating. I felt a bit bad because I think I was the only one, but did I commit a sin?

Thanks!

No, it is not “mandatory,” but it is generally considered bad form to leave before the priest does.

 

[Theophorus]

Hi,

I was wondering if the procession after Mass today was mandatory. I left without participating. I felt a bit bad because I think I was the only one, but did I commit a sin?

Thanks!

My rule of thumb is if you arrive after the priest you’ve arrived late to Mass, if you leave before him you’ve left early from Mass.

Remember the first to leave early was Judas:tsktsk:

 

[Cristiano]

Today I saw another interesting behavior. A guy standing in the first pew started a loud conversation with the person behind him immediately after the Deacon said “The Mass is ended”. This guys started yapping while the priest and the deacon were still bowing to the altar and the altar servers were getting the crucifix and the candles.

 

[malphono]

Hi,

I was wondering if the procession after Mass today was mandatory. I left without participating. I felt a bit bad because I think I was the only one, but did I commit a sin?

Thanks!

I’m a little confused. Two possibilities come to mind:

Does that refer to the normal recessional, which is simply the clergy and servers returning to the sacristy after Mass is completed? In that case, Mark is correct: one is supposed to wait until the clergy have left the church before going out.

Or, does it mean there was a special procession for a particular reason? If so, what was it for? In the case of a particular procession, those assembled are normally encouraged to join it, but there is no “requirement” as such to do so.

 

[Alix1912]

My rule of thumb is if you arrive after the priest you’ve arrived late to Mass, if you leave before him you’ve left early from Mass.

Remember the first to leave early was Judas:tsktsk:

Let’s not compare anyone to Judas.

I’m always surprised at the number of people who arrive late to mass at my husband’s parrish (not like a minute or two, but like 10 minutes or more) and how many leave after communion.

This is something I never have encountered in all my years as a Lutheran. No onw would have DARED leave early with either my childhood pastor or current one. Yet of the masses I occasionally attend with my husband there have been 2 seperate homilies on not arriving late or leaving early.

 

[KevinJFUm]

Hi,

I NEVER leave before the priest does for the normal recessional.

However, today, there was a special procession for the Blessed Virgin after Mass, and … I (sadly) decided not to take part in it.

I feel bad about it now, but I was wondering if my Sunday obligation would have been properly fulfilled regardless of this incident.

Thanks again for your responses! (Except the one that compared me to Judas )

Just kidding.

 

[malphono]

today, there was a special procession for the Blessed Virgin after Mass, and … I (sadly) decided not to take part in it.

I feel bad about it now, but I was wondering if my Sunday obligation would have been properly fulfilled regardless of this incident.

Ah, so my instinct was right …

Anyway, quick answer: since the “obligation” is to assist at Mass, and since you apparently did that, yes, the “obligation” was fulfilled. A procession after Mass, is obviously not part of the Mass.

 

[puzzleannie]

Hi,

I was wondering if the procession after Mass today was mandatory. I left without participating. I felt a bit bad because I think I was the only one, but did I commit a sin?

Thanks!

what procession were you supposed to be in? Mass is over with the proclamation “The Mass is ended”. Common courtesy suggests we wait to rush to the parking lot and risk being longer in line at Luby’s until the priest leaves but every breech of courtesy is not a sin. Obviously in case above a procession took place after Mass, it was therefore not part of Mass, therefore nobody including poster was obliged to take part. Why would you think it might be mandatory?

 

[Cristiano]

what procession were you supposed to be in? Mass is over with the proclamation “The Mass is ended”. Common courtesy suggests we wait to rush to the parking lot and risk being longer in line at Luby’s until the priest leaves but every breech of courtesy is not a sin. Obviously in case above a procession took place after Mass, it was therefore not part of Mass, therefore nobody including poster was obliged to take part. Why would you think it might be mandatory?

Puzzleannie I would stop before accusing people to rush out to go to Luby’s for lunch. The poster is in Vacouver B.C., not everybody is blessed to live in Texas!

I seriously doubt that they have Luby’s in Vancouver!

 

[Theophorus]

Thanks again for your responses! (Except the one that compared me to Judas )

Just kidding.

Glad you realised the Judas fingerwag was a joke. Ya got me worried there for a minute

If its a procession after Mass then your obligation has been fulfilled and you don’t need to worry. There is always next time for the Marian procession.

God Bless