Rubric for collections?

[ljprevo]

Is there any rubric for the mass how collections are to be done?

The reason I ask is I visited the parish I grew up in today and while I love going there, for the past 6 years I have been going to a more traditional church. Altar rails, communion by tongue (served by intinction), we don’t offer sign of peace as it is optional in the GIRM.

For the most part the church I grew up in is moderate, with a slight liberal lean, not totally, but every time I go there I am noticing it getting more and more out of control.

This time when we got to the offering one of the servers put this basket out at the front of the altar, it was cute and all decorated with “little people” on it and there were kids walking up and putting money in.

While this was cute, I question if this should be appropriate at mass.

1. It takes away the focus of the mass again, people are looking at “Oh how cute that is” and not focusing of what is coming next, the consecration of our Lord.
2. It allows the kids to learn “Focus is on me, focus on me” They loose sight that the focus should be on our Lord Jesus Christ. All the “Awwws, and oooos, they are so cutes sounds I heard, uuugh”

When I was a kid at this church, they did have “kids” envelopes, which I think it is ok, a kid can donate a quarter or two in their own envelope and put it in the offering. It was and should be discreet.

I just felt that this “kid” basket made a spectacle of the kids and took the attention off our Lord.

I am curious if there is any rubric on the collection before I contact my old priest, and his bishop to voice my displeasure.

The whole problem “adding” things like this to the mass causes confusion. It is each individual church doing what they want and is losing the unity of what the mass should be.

My wife and I did talk about ideas they could do to not make it a spectacle, have the kid evelopes, not anything with bright flashy colors, a simple small kid one. If it is the cost that effects the church, then how about a small basket for kids to donate, same color as the regular one. (they pass the basket from one end of the pew to the other)

OR Not do anything like that and get the parishioners focused back on our Lord.

 

[MarkThompson]

No, there is not.

Just to be clear, your problem is that the basket was decorated? You’re expecting an actual rubric somewhere in the missal that says, “The basket must be plain”?

 

[ljprevo]

No, I just don’t agree adding something to the mass that is distracting and/or takes the focus off where it should be, our Lord Jesus Christ.

What kind of message does it send the kids? “I am special, I get to go up and put money, everyone is ooo’ing and awww’ing over me!!” We teach our kids that it is a time to prepare and get ready to witness the miracle, we are for our Lord, not ourselves.

Why would they need to single out the kids, have a “pretty” basket?

 

[MarkThompson]

No, I just don’t agree adding something to the mass that is distracting and/or takes the focus off where it should be, our Lord Jesus Christ.

What kind of message does it send the kids? “I am special, I get to go up and put money, everyone is ooo’ing and awww’ing over me!!” We teach our kids that it is a time to prepare and get ready to witness the miracle, we are for our Lord, not ourselves.

Why would they need to single out the kids, have a “pretty” basket?

When did they say they needed to?

And since you ask, I suppose there are a few different messages it could be teaching the children, such as “Bringing my own contribution for the Church every week is important” and “Meager though it may be, my contribution is still highly valued.” Anyway, the collection is not the time to prepare to witness a miracle, it is a time to get out your wallet and fork over some cash to support the needs of the Church. That is why there are people sticking baskets in your face instead of keeping out of your way and letting you pray. Did you ever hear of someone saying, “Get that collection basket out of here, this is Mass, for crying out loud!”

I have to say, of all the theoretical abuses I have seen people ask about on this forum, a children’s collection basket really takes the cake.

 

[thistle]

No, I just don’t agree adding something to the mass that is distracting and/or takes the focus off where it should be, our Lord Jesus Christ.

What kind of message does it send the kids? **“I am special, I get to go up and put money, everyone is ooo’ing and awww’ing over me!!” **We teach our kids that it is a time to prepare and get ready to witness the miracle, we are for our Lord, not ourselves.

Why would they need to single out the kids, have a “pretty” basket?

If you really think that’s what kids are thinking then you don’t know kids. The problem seems to lie with you and not the basket!

 

[ljprevo]

Ok, good grief, rake me over a bed of coals here.

I am just concerned by all the “extra” things that are being added to the mass, that honestly don’t need to be “added”

What next, should the ushers dance in the isles and scream “COME ON EVERYONE, GET OUT YOUR WALLETS, GIVE IT UP FOR THE LORD, AMEN!!!”

I know that sounds extreme, but add one thing here and another thing there and before you know it what else gets changed or added to the mass?

I have reviewed the GIRM and in many places it talks about being silent.

I asked if there is anything regulating the offering. It seems that because the GIRM does not say you can’t do it, then it is ok to add to the mass,

I agree this is not a major issue, it was just something that I was curious about. I did not sit and fret at mass and bite my fingers thinking we were going to hell in a hand basket. I just get concerned about seeing things sneek in to the mass that shouldn’t.

This is the church that I grew up in, I love my priest VERY much.

Years ago he used to call all the kids up to the altar to stand around him while he was doing the consecration, that I hear was stopped by the bishop because of a distraction.

 

[puzzleannie]

I am unaware that other than the rubrics for preparation of the gifts, that the GIRM covers the collection at all. The best I hope for is that it is unobtrusive, does not take place after the Eucharistic prayer has already started, and I wish all parishes would do what my last one did, tell everyone before Mass begins: there is a second collection today for [whatever] so put your envelope for that purpose in the basket with the general collection, and all loose money will go to that collection. The collection after communion is a most obtrusive and annoying practice.

 

[dixieagle]

I am unaware that other than the rubrics for preparation of the gifts, that the GIRM covers the collection at all. The best I hope for is that it is unobtrusive, does not take place after the Eucharistic prayer has already started, and I wish all parishes would do what my last one did, tell everyone before Mass begins: there is a second collection today for [whatever] so put your envelope for that purpose in the basket with the general collection, and all loose money will go to that collection. The collection after communion is a most obtrusive and annoying practice.

A parish we sometimes attend announces that there is a basket at the doors of the church for any second collection offerings. No disruption post - Communion.

 

[John_Lilburne]

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“105. The following also exercise a liturgical function: …
c. Those who take up the collection in the church.”

“73. … The offerings are then brought forward. It is praiseworthy for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. They are then accepted at an appropriate place by the priest or the deacon and carried to the altar. Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as in the past, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still retains its force and its spiritual significance.
It is well also that money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, should be received. These are to be put in a suitable place but away from the eucharistic table.
74. The procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory chant (cf. above, no. 37b), which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The norms on the manner of singing are the same as for the Entrance chant (cf. above, no. 48). Singing may always accompany the rite at the offertory, even when there is no procession with the gifts.”

“140. It is appropriate for the faithful’s participation to be expressed by an offering, whether of the bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist or of other gifts for the relief of the needs of the Church and of the poor.
The offerings of the faithful are received by the priest, assisted by the acolyte or other minister. The bread and wine for the Eucharist are carried to the celebrant, who places them upon the altar, while other gifts are put in another appropriate place (cf. above, no. 73).”

From the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“[70.] The offerings that Christ’s faithful are accustomed to present for the Liturgy of the Eucharist in Holy Mass are not necessarily limited to bread and wine for the eucharistic celebration, but may also include gifts given by the faithful in the form of money or other things for the sake of charity toward the poor. Moreover, external gifts must always be a visible expression of that true gift that God expects from us: a contrite heart, the love of God and neighbour by which we are conformed to the sacrifice of Christ, who offered
himself for us. For in the Eucharist, there shines forth most brilliantly that mystery of charity that Jesus brought forth at the Last Supper by washing the feet of the disciples. In order to preserve the dignity of the Sacred Liturgy, in any event, the external offerings should be brought forward in an appropriate manner. Money, therefore, just as other contributions for the poor, should be placed in an appropriate place which should be away from the eucharistic table.[footnote 150: Cf. Missale Romanum, Institutio Generalis, n. 73.] Except for money and occasionally a minimal symbolic portion of other gifts, it is preferable that such offerings be made outside the celebration of Mass.”

 

[Digitonomy]

The take-home points I saw in John Lilburne’s post were from Redemptionis Sacramentum:

In order to preserve the dignity of the Sacred Liturgy, in any event, the external offerings should be brought forward in an appropriate manner.

and the GIRM:

These are to be put in a suitable place but away from the eucharistic table.

The OP states the offerings were put in a basket “at the front of the altar.” If it is in fact directly next to the altar, that could violate the GIRM.

I’ll admit that with one exception, I’ve never seen any method of collection offerings other than passing baskets or trays, or use of baskets on poles shoved at you by the ushers.

The one exception was when an African priest and deacon celebrated a mass in the manner of their home country. In this case, the congregation went up the aisle to place their contributions in a basket or similar bucket-shaped receptacle. While the local congregation formed a rather quiet and orderly line a la communion for this part, I got the idea from the priest’s description and music that in his country it was a considerably less formal part of mass than communion.