Revert seeks advice on finding faithful parish

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I work in a parish and have been to hundreds. I don’t think the “crisis” is are dire as most people on CAF say it is.
It’s another instance of “wanting things the way you want it”.
But whatever, I’m out. These threads go nowhere. He shoudl go to the nearest church so that he can go OFTEN.
 
Bottom line is that you should realize when something isn’t right at mass. Attending a parish where either the laity or the priest or deacons are celebrating the mass in a way that makes you question if what they are doing is permissible, shouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable for bringing it to light.

Often times they may be in complete compliance with the Church’s teachings on the mass and you may simply have never seen it done that way. But at least you’re learning and you have the proper wherewithal to ask when you don’t understand what is being done.

The worst thing you can do is simply ignore something or put your head in the sand, just so you can keep attending mass at the parish closest to you for the benefit of regular frequency.

Obviously you are concerned about finding a faithful parish, so logically you won’t know what is considered faithful if you don’t know what to look for.
 
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As a matter of principle, I don’t agree that we choose parish because of the way the mass is celebrated, the song or the decor or even the people, because all of these are flimsy ground and would not stand the test of time. People changes and parishes are what they make of them. Only God and His Church do not, and which last.

This would be my advice to the OP. See God in the church, not people. Today they are here and tomorrow will be gone, and there go would be the things that you chase.
 
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I agree with what your implying. If anything, an individual should always reach out to their priest first and make their concerns heard if they believe something is being done in error.

As to what’s faithful, at the end of the day, Mike82ARP, you’ll attend the parish where you feel most comfortable and where you feel you are being properly fed.

Definitely start with the parish in your area. Learn what should be taking place and keep studying the faith. This will open up your heart and your eyes as to what is right and what is wrong.

If you want to kneel for communion while everyone else stands, do it. If you want to take communion on the tongue while everyone else is taking it in the hand, do it. If everyone else is wearing cut off shorts and sports gear to mass and you want to wear a suit, then by all means do it.

In some cases you may be the one to affect positive faithful change to your parish, when it seems like nobody else is.
 
Thanks everyone for the (name removed by moderator)ut. I will try to speak with the parish priests to find out how they view those of us who would take communion on the tongue. As far as kneeling on the floor without a rail goes, the Army took care of that, so I’ll be standing.
 
Crusader13 said:
If you want to kneel for communion while everyone else stands, do it. If you want to take communion on the tongue while everyone else is taking it in the hand, do it.
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I guess the advice of Ambrose of Milan doesn’t hold that much weight with you?

“when in rome”??
 
While Communion in the Hand may be the norm in the U.S., the universal norm is on the tongue. There should be no problem whatsoever of you receiving on the tongue.
 
One thing you can do is visit websites of different parishes and see how often confession is offered and for how long. The more the better.

You can also read the online bulletins to get an idea of what the parish might be like.

Google Latin Mass, TLM, Traditional Latin Mass, or EF, Extraordinary Form to find Latin Masses in your area.

I returned after an absence of 30 years and was also surprised at some of the changes I saw. I spent my first six months in one parish becoming reacquainted with Mass and then I began my search for a decent parish. Took several months of visiting a different parish every Sunday before I found the right parish for me. I have been there ever since and am quite happy.

Some people will advise staying in your geographical parish but I disagree. Go where the Mass feeds your soul.
 
My comments weren’t mean to spread dissension. The original post implied that they were looking for a faithful parish. Faithful to what might be the next question? He seemed to show surprise at the lack of altar rails, the use of Eucharist ministers, the priest facing the congregation… These have become the norm in the mass today, but in all likely hood weren’t in full practice that last time he attended mass. Which was 50 years ago.

The mass has obviously changed since then and he also hinted at being somewhat aware of the possible abuses which have since arrived during those last 50 years. Many of these problems have been discussed on these forums and regardless of which side of the fence one may fall on, these are real concerns for some and it’s caused many members to seek out parishes where these practices aren’t as prevalent.

If I attend mass and see one woman out of a hundred wearing a veil, I’m not going to encourage her to ditch the veil because no other women are wearing one. And if one person out of hundreds chooses to kneel for communion, I’m not going to tell them that their behavior is coming across as ostentatious or boastful.
 
Crusader13 said:
The mass has obviously changed since then and he also hinted at being somewhat aware of the possible abuses which have since arrived during those last 50 years
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Fair enough, but standing for communion in the hand isn’t an “abuse”, and neither is woman without a veil.

I wouldn’t call anyone’s behavior in this regard ostentatious or boastful, but there is a lot to be said with conforming with your fellow Catholics. The few times I was in an greek catholic church, I tried to cross myself like the Greeks. Show a little unity.

If we are all one, let’s show we’re all one.
 
Mike, you have been away for 50 years, yes some things are different. However, That is no excuse not to got to those Masses. Your first concern should be Reconcilliation, not altar rails.

You have 50 years of sin to reconcile with God. And just remember
Jesus is at every Mass, all types, rails or not, Latin or Native language
 
Is reconciliation even practiced anymore and how? On a service I attended, there were at least 500 people in attendance. I was the only one who did not receive the Eucharist, yet the bulletin had no specific time for confession. The bulletin merely said “See the Pastor”. Has there been a change in how the sacrament of Reconciliation is practiced?
 
there have been about 7 changes since early Christian times.

ring the diocese office and get times and days reconcilliation is offered.

yes the Mass is different. its in the vernacular. Jesus is the same.

you go
, you confess, you ask forgiveness, Jesus forgives. Get that mortal sin off your soul…,till you sin again. then back to reconcilliation
 
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First of all, I’d like to welcome you back Mike! I know a lot may be different from what you have remembered before. 30 years is quite a lot of catching up but the most important is that you’re back!

Just keep coming back to your parish and God will do the rest.😉
 
I think I worded my last reply poorly. I didn’t mean to imply that standing for communion, receiving on the hand or even not wearing veils were abuses. Those are preferences, based upon the reverence that an individual deems is appropriate.

Mike82ARP, you mentioned being familiar with some well known problems that have plagued the Church. And visiting sites like Church militant and others have probably also made you aware that what you may hear on Sundays isn’t authentic Catholicism, but more like the “watered down church of nice” Catholicism. If that is also what concerns you, don’t get discouraged. Chances are your parish will be faithful to the Church’s teachings and her Traditions. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to start visiting your parish and keep learning the faith.

God Bless.
 
You may want to try attending the Adult Faith Formation courses, (if a Parish close to you offers them), as well as RCIA. RCIA is not just for those seeking conversion or to receive the Sacraments after Baptism. It is an excellent course for any Catholic wanting to learn more about their faith. The Mass is the Mass regardless of what form. Try attending Mass in your Parish, become familiar with what they offer as well as involvement in Church activities. God bless.
 
I would start with asking about different masses at your local parish. My local parish does have 5-6 Sunday masses and they all kind of have a “theme” if that makes sense. The earlier masses are more traditional - with the most traditional being the earliest. The later masses tend to be filled with younger people with more “modernized” music and such. Your parish may do something similar, though I know not all do.

I recommend going to a parish where you feel comfortable and welcomed, personally, if you are blessed with many options. I think this will make it easier for you to transition back into the faith and become involved in the community. Admittedly, i am jealous of my local Protestant churches for these reasons as there seems to be so much more spiritual support there.
 
Most parishes do still have confession times on Saturday afternoons. Often for an hour or two. In some parishes there is regular time for confession before or after Mass, but not many in my area offer that.

In some parishes you are encouraged to call the office and make an appointment with the priest for confession. If you make an appointment with a priest he may hear your confession in his office or the reconciliation room.

The biggest change is that face-to-face confession is now an option in most parishes. The old style confessionals with a screen and a kneeler have been replaced in many parishes with a reconciliation room.

In the room there is usually some sort of screen and a kneeler but one has the option to walk around the screen and sit in a chair facing the priest.

The formula for confession has not changed except that the priest will give absolution in English vs. Latin.

Most people receive Communion every Sunday and fewer people go to confession than in the past. During Communion it is also permitted in many parishes to approach the priest with your arms crossed, which is a signal to him that you cannot receive Communion but would like a blessing instead.
 
Two signs of a faith-filled parish are 1.) a strong pro-life sentiment from the priest and the parishioners and 2.) frequent Rosary devotions (someone a leads a Rosary before or after Masses). There are more signs, but this is a start. Sorry if I kicked a hornet’s nest. Actually not sorry.
 
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