Roamin Catholics

[ConfusedLucy]

I think these days with faster, easier and more affordable transport people think nothing of travelling further to get to something better, eg. a supermarket with more choice or cheaper food, a better school, a library with more books, a gym with more equipment etc. I don’t think many are even aware that your parish is the one you live in.

 

[Loud-living-dogma]

I think most people have a consumer mindset. Personal preference has more importance any feeling of obligation. Not sure if most Catholics today would know that they are “supposed” to belong to their nearest parish?

 

[Loud-living-dogma]

One of the problems we’re facing in the current day is precisely what you mention: we’re not establishing a relationship with our parish church. Historically, one’s parish was a matter of geography: your church was the church where you lived. And so, along with friends and neighbors, you worshiped, built community, and lived in your parish.

We’re seeing a sort of ‘consumer’ Catholicism these days. In a certain way – perhaps precisely because we were being told “go where you are being fed” – a parish isn’t a home, but just a local McDonald’s. Any one will do; none is ‘ours’. We’re being told that parish registrations and support for parishes is down – the youngest generation of adults and young adults no longer feel a connection to their parish.

Clearly, something is wrong. Jesus reminds us that our parishes are meant to be “houses of prayer”, but we’re turning them into convenient drive-thru pickup lanes…

When do you think this changed? Did it have anything to do with the Big Conference Thing in the 1960s? Or just American culture and our Love Affair with cars?

 

[Gorgias]

When do you think this changed? Did it have anything to do with the Big Conference Thing in the 1960s? Or just American culture and our Love Affair with cars?

I think that that the effects of widespread auto ownership enabled it, but didn’t cause it. Instead, the whole “go where you’re being fed” thing is at the heart of it. Ideally, “go where you’re fed” should mean what @ConfusedLucy was getting at – if you’re “being fed” at the parish 20 minutes away, go there – but belong there, and go there always; make that parish your home.

Instead, I think, people have taken it to mean that it doesn’t matter where you go: it’s become “go anywhere, at any time, based on convenience.” It’s also, I think, a by-product of a certain type of Catholicism that thinks that the extent of the expression of one’s Catholic faith is merely showing up somewhere that Mass is being held… period.

Put those together, then, and we get a “fast food drive thru” approach to Catholicism.

p.s., “Big Conference Thing”…

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I imagine unless you are enquiring about a baptism or wedding it would never come up.

 

[lilypadrees]

What about attending Mass at a Catholic hospital?

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I think committing to an institution (whether a church or a supermarket chain) is also a bit of an alien concept to many.

 

[tad]

The irony is that my parish is what you call a destination parish. It’s geographically too small to support itself so it’s staffed with a charismatic preacher with a positive Gospel message to draw people from outside it’s borders. True enough, we had a survey a number of years back and 60% of our parishioners came from outside our parish’s boundaries.

Now that my pastor is ill and a retired priest is fulfilling most of the sacramental duties, there has been large exodus away from the parish. It was really odd seeing my faith community dwindle down like that.

At any rate, I got a call from the office today to see if I could serve a funeral on Saturday. I returned the call saying I’d be happy too. I’t still my parish.

 

[tad]

Even at my own parish, over the weekend, they offer three ‘flavors’ of mass. Two of them are ‘folk’ and ‘contemporary’ and the one I go to has a traditional choir. So, even at the parish level, I have a choice of what type of mass I’ll attend.

In the case of my wife, if the environment of even the ‘traditional’ mass is causing her to have panic attacks, I can’t fault her if she seeks out a larger, quieter more reverent church. I feel much the same way. I’m much less distracted at masses which are more faithful to the GIRM.

I wonder if the Catholic faithful have a right to a well said mass.

We visited a parish during a camping trip last summer. It was a late mass at a large parish with a school. The priest came out about 10 minutes before mass was supposed to begin to pep up the crowd and us visitors were asked to stand up and introduce ourselves (we didn’t).

The liturgy was accompanied by a rock band.

Driving away afterwards my wife mused out loud, “I wonder what I would do if that was the only mass available to me?”

I wonder as well.

 

[tad]

I served mass at a funeral at my parish last Saturday. There were a lot of people there. It was pretty amazing to see everyone especially in the light that the deceased passed away last Wednesday. But, that’s my parish. The people are really something.

We also got a letter from our pastor, at 88 years old and after 62 years of ministry he’s finally retiring. Change is coming to my parish.

 

[Isca]

It’s good to feel you belong somewhere. When we moved across town (not far, I live in a smallish town in England), I moved parish (with some trepidation at first, because the priest at my old parish was fantastic). I felt I wanted to support the church which was nearest to my home - only 5 minutes’ walk.

I’ve stayed there, although we’ve had a lot of changes with our (one) priest moving on, another coming from a big city parish and then various “stand-in” priests every weekend due to illness. I feel quite strongly that it’s my church, my parish and that’s that - I would feel like a deserter if I went somewhere else now!

 

[dochawk]

“What’s the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist.”

Answer: “You can negotiate with a terrorist.”

Fr. Serge Keheler of blessed memory, a liturgist himself, used to say this too.

(And he used to celebrate the Ukranian Catholic liturgy in Dublin in Irish!)

hawk

 

[Gorgias]

I wonder if the Catholic faithful have a right to a well said mass.

Sometimes, Catholics use this to mean “a Mass according to the style I like best.” We have the right to a properly celebrated Mass… but not necessarily, one that fits our personal idiom.

Not trying to reject your whole post… just commenting on this particular meme.

 

[dochawk]

Sometimes, Catholics use this to mean “a Mass according to the style I like best.”

For EO and EC, “traditionally” tends to mean “the way it was when my grandfather was Chrismated” . . .

hawk

 

[tad]

That’s actually not a problem around here. We’ve got four Catholic churches within a 10 minute drive. The sister parish that we visit most often have five masses through out the day. All of them faithful to the GIRM. I don’t believe we’re asking for that much.

 

[PianomanD]

I think that would be liturgical abuse. If I’m not mistaken, the Precious Blood should never be poured. It should always, whenever possible, be consecrated in the chalice. I don’t know if that is a law, but I think I recall a priest telling me this.

 

[tad]

It is liturgical abuse. That’s been verified in this thread. I only see it at my parish.

 

[tad]

Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done at my parish before. Last night at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the Precious Blood was not consecrated in the flagon but in chalices. I don’t know if this is yet another sign of how much God really loves me or if someone saw me complaining on the internet.

Either way, I’m happy it was done correctly.

 

[FrDavid96]

Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done at my parish before. Last night at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the Precious Blood was not consecrated in the flagon but in chalices. I don’t know if this is yet another sign of how much God really loves me or if someone saw me complaining on the internet.

Either way, I’m happy it was done correctly.

Glad to hear that!