Proper Use of the Church

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I am a homeschooling mom and my children and I participate in a Catholic hybrid school. The school is planning a Christmas pageant and will be using the altar area for their play. I feel that this is wrong and voiced my concern to the administrator of our school. She informed me that when she approached the pastor of the church last year, he assured her that it was perfectly acceptable and that the altar was a perfect place to have the children portray the Christmas Nativity. Is it acceptable to use the sanctuary of the church for a Christmas pageant? Thank you so much for your help. God Bless.
 
JoanneMary said:
I am a homeschooling mom and my children and I participate in a Catholic hybrid school. The school is planning a Christmas pageant and will be using the altar area for their play. I feel that this is wrong and voiced my concern to the administrator of our school. She informed me that when she approached the pastor of the church last year, he assured her that it was perfectly acceptable and that the altar was a perfect place to have the children portray the Christmas Nativity. Is it acceptable to use the sanctuary of the church for a Christmas pageant? Thank you so much for your help. God Bless.
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Because of the smallness of our church(which is becoming REALLY big as we speak) we had to have lots of non-liturgical events. The eucharist is removed from the sanctuary until the event was over and then placed back in the Tabernacle- is that what your priest is doing?
 
JoanneMary said:
I am a homeschooling mom and my children and I participate in a Catholic hybrid school. The school is planning a Christmas pageant and will be using the altar area for their play. I feel that this is wrong and voiced my concern to the administrator of our school. She informed me that when she approached the pastor of the church last year, he assured her that it was perfectly acceptable and that the altar was a perfect place to have the children portray the Christmas Nativity. Is it acceptable to use the sanctuary of the church for a Christmas pageant? Thank you so much for your help. God Bless.
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If there is no other place a Nativity play would be acceptable after the Blessed Sacrament is removed to a safe place and someone remains with the blessed Sacrament during the paly until Christ is placed back into the tabernacle.
 
Hi! Thanks for your reply. To my knowledge, they do not plan on removing The Blessed Sacrament. I know they have not done this in passed years. There are alternative places for this play such as the classroom or cafeteria.
 
Does your church have a chapel or other place that the Blessed Sacrament could be moved to until after the play? We just opened an adoration chapel with a 2nd, small tabernacle, so the Sacrament could be removed from the main church and place in repose there.
Does your school have a gym or stage area that could be used instead? Since the parish school has a ‘theater’ area, I am sure that is where a play like you describe would be held in our parish.
 
I don’t understand? Why would Jesus be offended by a play about his birth being preformed by his believers in front of him?
I understand that respect should be shown but how would this be disrespectful?
 
Catherine1959 said:
I don’t understand? Why would Jesus be offended by a play about his birth being preformed by his believers in front of him?
I understand that respect should be shown but how would this be disrespectful?
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These are my thoughts too. I thought most churches had a nativity performed on the altar on the Sunday before Christmas. Our church certainly does and the Mass is called the children’s Mass.
 
OK, this was not a Catholic pageant but it was an Episcopal school with “katholick” leanings.

St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s school used to do an elaborate Christmas pageant in the nave of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City with professional costumes, orchestra, chorus, a real baby, and “angels” blowing trumpets from the clerestory.

The script was written straught out of scripture by Madeleine l’Engle, and the whole thing was the highlight of the year. It was breathtaking and would not have had the same impact if done in the school gym.

A good Christmas pageant (even with elementary school kids), taken seriously, can be a devotional offering equivalent to such popular devotions as the Stations of the Cross.

I see no problem holding this in the Church.
 
JoanneMary said:
Hi! Thanks for your reply. To my knowledge, they do not plan on removing The Blessed Sacrament. I know they have not done this in passed years. There are alternative places for this play such as the classroom or cafeteria.
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In that case then that would be the more appropriate place for the play. If the Blessed Sacrament remains (which it should not) everyone must always remember the Presence of Christ in the tabernacle and remain silent/very quiet within the liturgical space at all times. It may be necessary to post signs at all the entry doors reminding people of the tabernacle. Reminding them to always genuflect towards the tabernacle when entering or leaving a pew or crossing in front of the tabernacle, outside of Mass, including members in the play.
 
Catherine1959 said:
I don’t understand? Why would Jesus be offended by a play about his birth being preformed by his believers in front of him?
I understand that respect should be shown but how would this be disrespectful?
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That is the biggest issue people will not act appropriately in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, including the requirement to genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament. Also remember that the space is dedicated for LITURGY. A play is not a Liturgy of the Church.
 
Linnyo said:
These are my thoughts too. I thought most churches had a nativity performed on the altar on the Sunday before Christmas. Our church certainly does and the Mass is called the children’s Mass.
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If it is a ligament part of the children’s liturgy (Mass) that would be different.
 
I think it’s fine- honestly, people get so offended on behalf of God for some reason… if they were performing Godspell in the sanctuary I would see the issue, but not a Christmas pageant.
 
JoanneMary said:
I am a homeschooling mom and my children and I participate in a Catholic hybrid school. The school is planning a Christmas pageant and will be using the altar area for their play… Is it acceptable to use the sanctuary of the church for a Christmas pageant? Thank you so much for your help. God Bless.
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Ugh. When will the sacrilige end? I know they do all kinds of things in Protestant meetinghouses, but in a Catholic Church?! It makes me sad…
 
Pong said:
I think it’s fine- honestly, people get so offended on behalf of God for some reason… if they were performing Godspell in the sanctuary I would see the issue, but not a Christmas pageant.
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The church grounds have been consecrated to the worship of God; to use it for non-worship reasons would go against the consecration, as it was consecrated for sacred activities.
 
I fail to see how a Christmas pageant could not be seen as an act of worship.
 
Metaron said:
The church grounds have been consecrated to the worship of God; to use it for non-worship reasons would go against the consecration, as it was consecrated for sacred activities.
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What, in heaven’s name, is NOT “sacred” about innocent children giving glory to God through the re-enactment of the night of Jesus’ birth??? Sheesh!!!
 
dixieagle said:
What, in heaven’s name, is NOT “sacred” about innocent children giving glory to God through the re-enactment of the night of Jesus’ birth??? Sheesh!!!
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I’m not an expert on Childrens liturgy. But if you could provide a reference to a Childrens Christmas Pagent in the Liturgical books of the Church I’d love to look at it, Roman Missal, Sacramentary, Book of Rites?
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I’m not an expert on Childrens liturgy. But if you could provide a reference to a Childrens Christmas Pagent in the Liturgical books of the Church I’d love to look at it, Roman Missal, Sacramentary, Book of Rites?
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Well I have done extensive work in liturgies with children and you will not find any reference…except to the opposite.
 
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