In our church, we have recently been asked during the Mass to take surveys and have been given PowerPoint presentations. Are we wrong to feel that this is an invasion of sacred time?
I recommend getting together a group of those congregants who are concerned and asking the priest to show you where the Church’s liturgical documents allow for the option of taking a break during the Mass to give a business presentation on the state of the parish (which is essentially what he is doing). If he does not think it worthwhile to give these presentations at another time – on the assumption that no one will show up – then perhaps he could put the material on a parish web site or into a mailing to be sent to registered families.
You might also point out, as politely as possible, that, by doing this during Mass and thus treating congregants as a captive audience for a State of the Parish address, this is likely to cause resentment and be counterproductive to the spirit of cooperation he needs to be building to take care of the material needs of the parish.
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