Taking Attendance at Mass

[Neofight]

Sounds like the pastors are fed up with people believing that having their children enrolled in Catholic school counts for their Mass attendance.
This is a huge problem among the families that attend private Catholic schools( not parish schools, necessarily) When I taught at the Catholic school, I would routinely ask the kids what they thought about the Sunday Mass readings. Fewer than 2 kids in a class of 25 ever knew. Most readily admitted they didn’t ever go to Mass. The parents felt that since we had weekly Mass, they were done, and Sunday was not necessary. Likewise, now that I’m the DRE across the road at the parish, many drop their kids off at Faith Formation and come back in an hour, and drive away. Many Sunday school kids don’t go to Mass either.
As long as parents see religious ed as a ticket to a Sacrament (First Communion, Confirmation, etc.) there will always be people who will dance around their obligation.
I’ve heard more than one priest upset about this practice.
Not saying it’s right, but I’m sure that’s what’s going on here. It’s sad. The families profess to bring their children up in the faith at Baptism…but then there’s always something “better” that they have to do.
There is a church near to me that takes attendance of the children. They have a Sister posted at the back pew.
What needs to change is the parents perception of what being a Catholic really means.
Does it mean the bare minimum? Does it mean finding a way to skirt the Sacramental prep requirements? Or does it involves living your faith in community and modeling the correct behavior for your children.
Pray for your Parish leadership. It’s frustrating.

Amen!

Parents have the same attitude towards secular education…too many view the school as a day care center and drop the kids off, and never work with them at home…and then blame the public school system or teachers if there is no improvement taking place.

Religious education is like music lessons…a one hour lesson is a waste of time and money if the only time the instrument is picked up is for the lesson.

Religion, music, education, and other worthwhile endeavors need active times to practice what is taught in lessons…and Mass is a good place to start!

 

[Discerning13]

Archdiocese of LA. Every parish here does it, for the most part. Why not?

Why should the Church administer the sacraments to people who are only Catholic in name?

 

[livingwordunity]

Is this for real? I had a dream many years ago that I was at Mass somewhere and the priest was taking attendance. But I never thought it would ever actually happen anywhere.

 

[Gorgias]

Sounds like the pastors are fed up with people believing that having their children enrolled in Catholic school counts for their Mass attendance.

Many Sunday school kids don’t go to Mass either.
As long as parents see religious ed as a ticket to a Sacrament (First Communion, Confirmation, etc.) there will always be people who will dance around their obligation.

pianistclare seems to be the first to have hit upon what’s going on here. Is it about “checking attendance” in a general sense? No, of course not.

But… what about those who want to receive a discounted tuition rate for their children who attend the parish school? The OP’s pastor seems to be saying, “OK, you can receive the parishioners’ rate… as long as you attend Mass here like parishioners do.”

And, what about those who are in CCD – especially those who are approaching a sacramental year? Is it really over-the-top to assert, “you should be at Mass on Sundays if you’re looking forward to receiving confirmation in the spring!”…?

 

[BostonMyrtleBea]

If you don’t have kids in classes then he is certainly being very controlling.

My kids are in CCD voluntarily – by my choice. They are too young for sacraments and my younger is even too young for CCD, so I do not put my little one’s name down even though she is with us.

On the other hand if someone asks if you could be a godparent, then he would know how devout you are.

I’m a godmother to my two nephews before attendance sheets. I guess bean counting = shows devotion to the parish. That could be it.

 

[BostonMyrtleBea]

Is it about “checking attendance” in a general sense? No, of course not.

No. It’s definitely not. As mentioned in the OP, it’s standing room only. My little ones are not getting sacraments for years.

I’ll admit…I forgot to bring my cutouts to the wedding in another state and it stressed me out that I had to remember to bring documentation back in my suitcase for fear of retribution (not that I know what that would be since my little ones are not in the Catholic school, so they can’t threaten me with a tuition hike).

 

[BostonMyrtleBea]

Is this for real? I had a dream many years ago that I was at Mass somewhere and the priest was taking attendance. But I never thought it would ever actually happen anywhere.

Wait until you forget those 2" x 2" squares that you have to bring to another parish and you’re out of state without your sheets that the other parish is supposed to mail back to your regular parish. Then you’ll be having nightmares

 

[BostonMyrtleBea]

What is really WRONG with it?

For me, keeping track of 2x2 inch papers in an out of state trip is too much.

It’s interesting… I was watching to see if others were doing it (it’s a new thing…). I saw one mom in the standing room only area with her son. She looked over at me when I was tearing up my bulletin… I guess it reminded her! Then she started feverishly flipping through the bulletin to find the page with that day’s square, ripped it out (RRRRIIIIIIIIPPPP), started digging for a pen. Had no pen, then got up and got a pen from the back of the church where you can fill out this and that. She filled it out just in time for the collection. WHEW.

They should install swipe cards. No ripping necessary.

 

[ProVobis]

Priest: Anderson family? Rodriguez? O’Brien family? Wozniak family? Smith family?
wow everybody is here this Sunday. Now let us acknowledge our sinfulness.

And the penance will be tons of -]junk/-] direct mail in their mailbox from all the charities in the world.

As Clare has noted, if they pay by check, there’s enough information there. They can easily go into some mailing-list after that.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

Sounds like the pastors are fed up with people believing that having their children enrolled in Catholic school counts for their Mass attendance.
This is a huge problem among the families that attend private Catholic schools( not parish schools, necessarily) When I taught at the Catholic school, I would routinely ask the kids what they thought about the Sunday Mass readings. Fewer than 2 kids in a class of 25 ever knew. Most readily admitted they didn’t ever go to Mass. The parents felt that since we had weekly Mass, they were done, and Sunday was not necessary. Likewise, now that I’m the DRE across the road at the parish, many drop their kids off at Faith Formation and come back in an hour, and drive away. Many Sunday school kids don’t go to Mass either.
As long as parents see religious ed as a ticket to a Sacrament (First Communion, Confirmation, etc.) there will always be people who will dance around their obligation.
I’ve heard more than one priest upset about this practice.
Not saying it’s right, but I’m sure that’s what’s going on here. It’s sad. The families profess to bring their children up in the faith at Baptism…but then there’s always something “better” that they have to do.
There is a church near to me that takes attendance of the children. They have a Sister posted at the back pew.
What needs to change is the parents perception of what being a Catholic really means.
Does it mean the bare minimum? Does it mean finding a way to skirt the Sacramental prep requirements? Or does it involves living your faith in community and modeling the correct behavior for your children.
Pray for your Parish leadership. It’s frustrating.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Our parish has an attendance requirement for families with kids in the school and I’m all for it. In fact, I’m all for it being stricter than it is. We’re only required to attend Mass 26 times over the course of the year to keep the parishioner rate. When you factor in Holy Days of Obligation, that’s less than a 50% attendance rate. I’ve talked to our priest about it several times and it’s pretty dismaying to hear how few actually even come close to that. The number who attend every week can be counted on one hand, while the number who have to be tracked down, reminded of their obligation and called in for numerous meetings with the priest and/or principal is overwhelming.

When you consider how easy it is to meet the minimum, it’s hard to believe that so few do, and that so many complain about it. In our diocese, no matter which parish you attend, if you drop your home parish’s envelope in the basket they’ll mail it back. Within a ten mile radius we have over 30 parishes, giving us a total of more than 100 different Masses to choose from each weekend. Regardless, the numbers are still dismal. I’m not sure what would be the most effective way to get families to show up more regularly than they do, but I’ve been told the strict enforcement of the attendance policy has improved things to some degree.

 

[Gorgias]

This is for any family who has students in EITHER the Catholic school or those who are in the CCD classes instead.

I was told they “don’t want children getting the sacraments (First Communion, mostly) without regularly attending Mass.” My kids just turned 4 and 6. We’re not getting any sacraments yet, so we will have to fill these forms out for several **years **before this takes effect.

So… Catherine is 6. Is she in CCD? If so, then that means that she’s in first grade and will be receiving 1st Communion next year. If not, then that means that you don’t have to bother with this stuff this year, since you don’t have children in CCD this year. (But, that would mean you would have to do this next year and her 1HC year, right?)

It sounds overly burdensome, but perhaps – if you know the pastor, other than just to see him at Mass – you might ask him how the new procedure is working out. Sounds like he started it more out of frustration than anything else…

 

[pianistclare]

So… Catherine is 6. Is she in CCD? If so, then that means that she’s in first grade and will be receiving 1st Communion next year. If not, then that means that you don’t have to bother with this stuff this year, since you don’t have children in CCD this year. (But, that would mean you would have to do this next year and her 1HC year, right?)

It sounds overly burdensome, but perhaps – if you know the pastor, other than just to see him at Mass – you might ask him how the new procedure is working out. Sounds like he started it more out of frustration than anything else…

Our Archdiocese has a 2 year prep cycle for all Sacraments. So parents do have to make a commitment for a first grader.

 

[Valdemar]

The reason this whole thing exists is not the Priest, it is the weak commitment and weak faith of the…what shall we call them…“faithful”?

 

[DoGodsBidding]

The reason this whole thing exists is not the Priest, it is the weak commitment and weak faith of the…what shall we call them…“faithful”?

Indeed. How faithful are they if they are being coerced into attending Mass. As I read somewhere on this forum, you have to wonder about their desire to spend eternity in Heaven with God if they don’t want to spend a hour each week with Him in Mass.

DGB

 

[Valdemar]

Indeed. How faithful are they if they are being coerced into attending Mass. As I read somewhere on this forum, you have to wonder about their desire to spend eternity in Heaven with God if they don’t want to spend a hour each week with Him in Mass.

DGB

+1

 

[ProVobis]

Indeed. How faithful are they if they are being coerced into attending Mass. As I read somewhere on this forum, you have to wonder about their desire to spend eternity in Heaven with God if they don’t want to spend a hour each week with Him in Mass.

DGB

OTOH, without the obligation, how many would attend Mass at all?