Silence Before Mass

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JoeyWarren:
First of all, why are you cavorting with an Ex-priest and an Ex-nun that are married. Obviously Satan stole them away from Christ’s holy Orders! :eek:
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:eek: Cavorting? :eek: I really hope you say this in jest, because if you are serious, then you have not read my post through. In no way do I approve of social chatter before or after Mass, nor do I approve of this ex nun’s rationalle for allowing this chatter to take place.

The reason I posted my conversation with her was to point out what some misguided people believe. And the conversation happened when she walked by the teeny, tiny notice posted on the bulletin board that requests silence before Mass.
 
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jpjd:
Our parish says the Rosary starting a half hour before Mass. There is no talking as people trickle in while the Rosary is being said. Then, when the Rosary is finished, the organist quietly plays music (no singing), until just a couple of minutes before the processional.

So, the atmosphere is very prayerful in our parish. No one talks, unless it’s a quick whispered message to the person next to them.
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The same for my parish!
we also have a large plaza outside for visiting and a pretty large vestibule, and the doors to the church stay closed so the talking in the vestibule isn’t heard inside the church. Unfortunately the prayerful silence doesn’t remain after Mass…the organist is blasting us out and the people joyfully conversing talked louder in order to be heard over the organ. I tend to also like daily Mass because of the quiet and the lack of music…our 7:30 Sunday morning Mass is also musicless… :cool:
 
paramedicgirl said:
:eek: Cavorting? :eek: I really hope you say this in jest, because if you are serious, then you have not read my post through. In no way do I approve of social chatter before or after Mass, nor do I approve of this ex nun’s rationalle for allowing this chatter to take place.

The reason I posted my conversation with her was to point out what some misguided people believe. And the conversation happened when she walked by the teeny, tiny notice posted on the bulletin board that requests silence before Mass.
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LOL :rotfl:

just testing ya! :cool:
 
Silence is golden…I insist on it every Sunday morning till after Mass on the ride home from church. No Sunday morning radio, TV, newspaper, computer or conversations over coffee :nope:
 
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Gearoidin:
We used to have a huge problem with noise before and after Mass. About a year ago our priest asked someone to lead the Rosary, starting about 25 minutes before Mass. When it finishes, somone stands up and gives the hymn numbers, the verse numbers for the readings and Gospel for those using their own Bibles. This solved the probem before Mass but we still have the after Mass noise. At least it is getting better.
Gearoidin
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This works unless someone wants to pray something other than the rosary. Then they are trying to pray inside their heads while the others are praying the rosary.

I wish everyone could just be quiet. It doesn’t happen at our mass either. 😦
 
**You may want to bring this up with your priest again.

Perhaps several small notices at the inner entrances to the church and on the bulletin boards (some people actually do read all of that). And mention it several church bulletins, or ask your priest to write a column on it.

My priest came to me once apologizing for the noise after Mass, while slightly distracting, I let him know it was God’s way of having me concentrate harder on my prayers. He explained that most of those talking were like me once (praying after Mass). He now tries to stand outside of church longer so others can come out to speak with him. Or if inside, he keeps everyone down to a whisper (he’s a very quiet man).

He has also spoken from the pulpit about quiet before and after Mass. It has improved greatly since he has done this.**
 
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Fast_ed75:
The Mass should bring us into contact with God. I know the Novus Ordo loves to focus on man, but I am old fashioned.
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I would say that a significant number of Novus Ordo Masses focus on man (horizontal), but there are those parishes out there, such as mine (Assumption Grotto in Detroit), and another in the area (St. Cyril & Methodius), where people gathering grasp the vertical dimension of worship and spend that time before Mass in sacred silence preparing for it.

I’d challenge anyone to find a more social parish than what I have following the Mass. Not only do the elderly get together for a hot dog, hamburger or sausage, and donuts following the two latest Masses, but so do the young, and big families. The pastor often locks the Church doors around 4:00 with people still in the building (exiting enabled, of course) and it is not uncommon to still see a couple dozen cars in the lot between 3 and 4pm.

Vertical worship is not limited to TLM’s, it is what the priet and the people make it.

Signs need to be posted, continued instruction from the pulpit is needed, and I’d say kudos to that priest who kneels before the Blessed Sacrament before Mass.

St. Cyrils and Assumption both have signs - easily readable and difficult to avoid signs, which as for sacred silence out of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. This is truly a first step.
 
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5-Decades-a-Day:
One word: telephone.
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Exactly! I can remember when I was a kid, God help me or my sisters if we even whispered in church. If we didn’t get punished on the spot, (a dirty look from my mom) we got it after Mass. Of course, this was quite a few years ago. I think if people really believed that Christ was present, they would behave differently.
 
I guess part of the problem with the noise level in our church can be attributed to the fact that the Blessed Sacrament is in the side chapel. People must think that frees them to carry on a social atmosphere before and after Mass. The noise level is at an extreme high after the Mass. We have a sign on the chapel door requesting silence, but that doesn’t stop them from yelling outside the doors!

As well, we pray the Rosary prior to Mass, but it is prayed in the chapel with the doors closed. The attendance is very small, 3 to 6 people. Most people prefer the party atmosphere to the spiritual one, and would rather talk to their neighbour than talk to Jesus. It’s sad, very sad.

So, a lot of the things people have suggested we already do; and our priest even tried the education component without success. I really believe the Blessed Sacrament needs to be front and centre to make all your suggestions work.
 
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paramedicgirl:
I guess part of the problem with the noise level in our church can be attributed to the fact that the Blessed Sacrament is in the side chapel. People must think that frees them to carry on a social atmosphere before and after Mass. The noise level is at an extreme high after the Mass. We have a sign on the chapel door requesting silence, but that doesn’t stop them from yelling outside the doors!

As well, we pray the Rosary prior to Mass, but it is prayed in the chapel with the doors closed. The attendance is very small, 3 to 6 people. Most people prefer the party atmosphere to the spiritual one, and would rather talk to their neighbour than talk to Jesus. It’s sad, very sad.

So, a lot of the things people have suggested we already do; and our priest even tried the education component without success. I really believe the Blessed Sacrament needs to be front and centre to make all your suggestions work.
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Right. I agree. But what about parishes that have no reverence for the Blessed Sacrament in the first place because the mass for them is just a happy clappy birthday party. It’s like a neverending cycle.
 
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