Talking After Mass #1

[AtourDOMAN]

Hello friends

I have a question

Is it okay to talk to fellow parishioners after the mass has concluded and the priest has left the church hall ?

What is considered as proper conduct in this manner ?
Please let me know
Many thanks

Atour

 

[praytell]

I would say that it depends on the Mass/Parish you are attending. At my Parish, we have Masses that are geared toward certain demographics. One Mass is youth oriented and many people talk after the priest has left the Sanctuary. It is sometimes very gregarious and a little loud. Not obnoxious or irreverant conversation, just people catching up with each other. People don’t mind because that is kind of what they expect after that Mass.

Another Mass is geared towards a more traditional crowd. There is a high participation rate in the Mass but afterwards, many will kneel down and pray more (silently). This would be an inappropriate time to engage in conversation.

If you are unsure of the culture/protocol for such activity in your Parish, you should probably gather outside the worship space for conversation. It is probably the more respectful thing to do for those who wish to spend a little extra time in prayer.

 

[AtourDOMAN]

Okay thank you

I do know that after communion we are called to thanksgiving for at least 15minutes

And some do say “talk outside “ church after mass

Like you say the nature of the conversation is usually to catch up

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You are allowed to talk after Mass, but it’s best if you do it outside the church.

I realize in some situations, like where there isn’t any vestibule or the vestibule is tiny, it’s not feasible to talk outside church. However, there are usually a number of folks who want to pray in the church worship space after Mass, and standing in the aisles having some loud conversation is disturbing to them and sometimes disrespectful to Jesus. I unfortunately heard some parishioner who was apparently the personal friend of the visiting priest given how they interacted, having some loud conversation with other people after Mass during which he removed his COVID mask and proceeded to complain loudly about masks and use the Lord’s name in vain several times, all this while standing within view of the tabernacle, and on top of that he was a large man and him and his buddies blocked the exit aisle of the church and I could not get past and had to tell them to please move so I could get out of the church. I realize that’s an extreme case but it’s the type of thing that can happen when everybody decides it’s okay to talk in church after Mass.

 

[AtourDOMAN]

Many thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut friend

 

[ChuckB]

I do know that after communion we are called to thanksgiving for at least 15minutes

Says who? Although 15 minutes of thanksgiving sounds like a worthy practice, I’ve never heard of this 15 minutes being a requirement.

At my parish there is a lot of talking and socializing taking place in the sanctuary right after Mass. The priest can often be found participating. Those who wish to pray typically move to the chapel.

 

[otjm]

I do know that after communion we are called to thanksgiving for at least 15minutes

I have no idea who told you that, and I have no intention of being dismissive of the individual; but in nearly 75 years of being a Catholic, I have never heard such a statement. One can spend 15 minutes; half an hour, or 5 minutes. It is a worthy act to dwell on whom we have received and converse with him, but what you were told was a pious comment lacking any backup that I have ever heard from anything official by the Church.

What I was taught a number of decades ago is that we owe respect to Christ by spending some time in thanksgiving; the example used was being invited to a nice dinner, and then after eating, abruptly getting up and leaving without even some much as a “thank you” - the point being that if we would not treat a host that way, why would we do that to Our Lord?

The GIRM calls for a period of silence after Communion; it is usually short, but the point is to spend some time meditating on what has occurred. 15 minutes? Nope. Which does not preclude 15 minutes; only that even the Church does not pause that long.

And as to talking in church after the Mass is over, common sense would seem to indicate that it should be carried out beyond the nave, but as Voltaire said, the problem with common sense is that it is not all that common.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The OP is likely getting the “15 minutes” from the general Catholic assumption that Jesus is physically present within us for 15 minutes after the Eucharist is consumed. It may be that some catechist taught that because Jesus is with us for 15 minutes then we should be praying and giving thanks for 15 minutes. However, this is not an official teaching of the Church. The result is that I have seen Catholics who receive and then leave right after Communion (and some churches are forcing people to do this as a COVID procedure), others who receive, stay for the final blessing, and then leave as quickly as possible, and still others who will stay after Mass for some length of time ranging from a couple minutes to 15 minutes to thank God, pray in their pew or in front of the statues/ shrines in the church, light candles, etc.

It is okay to pray for 15 minutes after Mass but it is not required, and in some churches (particularly in COVID times) they might not even want you in there after Mass because they need to sanitize the pews or they don’t want people gathering indoors.

I have also seen the case in some churches where a priest will come into the worship space to talk to parishioners after Mass. Other times they want you to go out to the vestibule or down to the church hall to talk. It’s kind of a “when in Rome, do what the Romans do” situation. But if you are talking in church then at least move away from anyone who is trying to pray. I don’t think people realize how distracting it can be to be carrying on some loud conversation right at the elbow of someone who is in prayer.

As someone else said, churches differ in what they encourage in their worship space after the Mass.

 

[MtnDwellar]

Knowing that I am in God’s house and have just participated in the most significant event to have occurred in the history of mankind, small talk seems inappropriate.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

AtourDOMAN:

I do know that after communion we are called to thanksgiving for at least 15minutes

Says who? Although 15 minutes of thanksgiving sounds like a worthy practice, I’ve never heard of this 15 minutes being a requirement.

In My Divine Friend, it says that if we want to really profit spiritually from Holy Communion, we should spend at least 15 minutes in thanksgiving.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Knowing that I am in God’s house and have just participated in the most significant event to have occurred in the history of mankind, small talk seems inappropriate.

Oh I could hug you right now… :hugs: