Talking after mass

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Mperea75

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I needs some help with a situation. I am helping a friend to help him educate his parish about people respecting the presence of the blessed sacrament and staying quiet after mass. His church sounds like a gathering hall or parish picnic after the mass is over and no one can kneel down and give thier thanksgiving in a respectful low tone. Any help is appriciated!!:confused:
 
Maybe the priest could make an announcement in a nice way and explain to people that there are some who like to pray after Mass and could they keep silent until they are outside the church. He could also maybe mention about the presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
 
parishioners of that parish who feel strongly about this issue must speak to the pastor, because he is the only one who can take action. All they can do is conduct themselves as they wish others would.
 
Our priest brought this up at the pulpit. Many responded favorably and took their after-Mass conversations into the narthex. Some still stayed and chatted. That’s when I mentioned to the organist that it’s customary to play an instrumental piece after the recessional so people praying in the pews are not distracted by the hustle and bustle of leaving parishioners. Sure enough, he plays a nice, loud song every Sunday after Mass that muffles all the conversations. People usually can’t chat over the music, so they leave the nave (where the people sit).
 
At the Episcopal church where I sing, the rector just recently wrote a piece for the monthly newsletter about the organist and how hard he works to prepare his preludes and postludes, and how these are actually part of the morning worship. He invited the people to come into the church and listen or move beyond the doors for their conversations.

I would like to say that this has made a tremendous difference in the noise level, but it hasn’t.

Betsy
 
well we have talked to the pastor and the pastor is going with the side of being “pastoral” and using at that end. However, people are using it as a conference room instead of place of worship.
 
I guess I’m the odd woman out here.

I think that we need to cultivate “inner quiet” so that we can pray anywhere, with any level of noise or disturbance. I think we need to stop expecting everyone else to make it easier for us to “worship.”

I mentioned this on another thread–I doubt that Saint Maximillian Kolbe found Auschwitz quiet, but I’m sure he prayed.

I can kind of agree that the sanctuary is probably not the best place to let out a rowdy cheer for the results of “the game” or engage in a debate with friends and relatives about “So where are we gonna go eat now, huh?”

But I see nothing that the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament would disapprove of when His children ask each other questions like “How are you recovering from your surgery?” or “Congratulations, your new baby is beautiful!” or “I’ve been praying for you this week, are you doing OK?” or “Hey, piano player, thanks for the beautiful music!” (I especially like that last one!)

I believe that “fellowship of the saints” helps us to understand “the communion of the saints.”

I think in an ideal world, the “fellowship” should happen out in the narthex, but many old churches don’t have narthex, or if they do, it’s not “temperature controlled.” (In one hundred-year old church where I play piano, the Narthex is FREEZING in the winter and BOILING in the summer. This is tough on the elderly. For goodness sakes, let the poor old souls say hi to each other. The time will come quickly enough when they’re no longer with us on this earth. Let’s enjoy each other while we’re with each other here.
 
Windmill said:
That’s when I mentioned to the organist that it’s customary to play an instrumental piece after the recessional so people praying in the pews are not distracted by the hustle and bustle of leaving parishioners. Sure enough, he plays a nice, loud song every Sunday after Mass that muffles all the conversations. People usually can’t chat over the music, so they leave the nave (where the people sit).
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In one former parish where I was the organist, the pastor asked me to play a loud postlude for this very reason, and it worked nicely. I also played soft preludes before Mass started, and this also helped to silence chatter.
 
CC,

My hat is off to you for playing pipes in a Catholic parish. We are notorious for being horrible patrons of the arts. Jews and Anglicans have us beat when it comes to paying for good music. My only prayer is that you do not get disenchanted with this as your muscial career continues. Hang in there.

I’m in a men’s gregorian schola, and we’ve tripled in size since our inception three years ago. People are starting to re-discover the riches of the musical treasury of the church. Scholas, believe it or not, are popping up all over the country because it is not too hard to learn. Pipes, on the otherhand, take years of practice. We would kill for an organ accompaniment (well, not kill, but you know…), but it is hard to drag the few organists away from the parishes they play for.

Bottom line, there will come a point where people will be clamoring for what has always been a part of Catholic worship and what Vatican II said should have “pride of place”: Latin gregorian chant and pipe organ.

Get excited people, because there is a liturgical renewal happening all over the place!
 
Cat said:
I guess I’m the odd woman out here.

I think that we need to cultivate “inner quiet” so that we can pray anywhere, with any level of noise or disturbance. I think we need to stop expecting everyone else to make it easier for us to “worship.”
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You are not the only one. 😃 I am learning to pray at any place, and I can say that it helps me a lot.
 
***“Talking in Church is a denial of the Real Presence” ***
  • Blessed Mother Teresa
I’ve read this sign in my Church, and thank God for it as people believe they can turn the Church into a town hall and ignore the people who pray (or try to at least through the loud talking) and the need for respect for our Lord Jesus in the Tabernacle. I’ve looked for the quote on the web but have yet to find it. Has anyone else seen this quote before or know a source. Thanks in advance -

God love you
 
catholic2dacore said:
***“Talking in Church is a denial of the Real Presence” ***
  • Blessed Mother Teresa
I’ve read this sign in my Church, and thank God for it as people believe they can turn the Church into a town hall and ignore the people who pray (or try to at least through the loud talking) and the need for respect for our Lord Jesus in the Tabernacle. I’ve looked for the quote on the web but have yet to find it. Has anyone else seen this quote before or know a source. Thanks in advance -

God love you
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While I don’t like people talking in Church I certainly don’t agree with that quote even if its a real one. How could that be denying the Real Presence? That doesn’t make sense.
 
thistle said:
While I don’t like people talking in Church I certainly don’t agree with that quote even if its a real one. How could that be denying the Real Presence? That doesn’t make sense.
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Agreed. How is shaking hands with someone before Mass and saying in a hushed tone, “Hey, Georgie, how are you doin’?” a denial of the Real Presence? I have said this before; if we could truly understand the Real Presence of Christ in the Tabernacle, then how could we ever lift our heads in Church, much less even dare walk through the front door?
 
thistle said:
While I don’t like people talking in Church I certainly don’t agree with that quote even if its a real one. How could that be denying the Real Presence? That doesn’t make sense.
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Well I’d consider it at least disrespectful to Jesus when instead of speaking to Him in prayer, you’d rather interrupt others who want to pray so you can chatter to them while ignoring Our Lord. I can see Mother Teresa’s point - if someone did really believe in the Real Presence; if they actually believed that Jesus is right there in the Tabernacle - why would they go against the Church’s teaching for some sacred silence; for some restraint of one’s tongue until they leave the Church - unless they internally (< because externally it sure looks like it) deny that truth?

“If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave” - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (Servant of God)

God love you
 
Also another great quote, from Fr. Benedict Groeschel (CFR): “I want to mention the genuflection, St Augustine says to come before the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist without a profound sign of reverence is a sin, he even says its a serious sin, and please, do me a favor, start telling people to shut up in Church don’t say “please be quiet,” say “shut up” ok practise it in front of the mirror shut up and they’ll say “why did you say it like that?” “because Fr. Benedict said so” when I was growing up you never spoke in Church and when you go to a Catholic Church all kinds of nice people including my relatives blah blah blah blah blah you’re there to pray and other people are there to pray”
link to all talk]

Fr. Benedict is great! 👍

God love you
 
catholic2dacore said:
Well I’d consider it at least disrespectful to Jesus when instead of speaking to Him in prayer, you’d rather interrupt others who want to pray so you can chatter to them while ignoring Our Lord. I can see Mother Teresa’s point - if someone did really believe in the Real Presence; if they actually believed that Jesus is right there in the Tabernacle - why would they go against the Church’s teaching for some sacred silence; for some restraint of one’s tongue until they leave the Church - unless they internally (< because externally it sure looks like it) deny that truth?

“If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave” - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (Servant of God)

God love you
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You may consider it disrespectful and you will get no argument from me on that but that is totally different to saying such a person does not believe in the real presence because he has talked in Church. That is simply a ludicrous claim.
 
I think it’s a good thing for Catholics to talk to one another; to ask how another is doing; greet the other parishioners and say hello, in fact I think it’s a great thing - the Communion of the Saints communicating.

But never inside a Church, they have all day; all week to do this - why inside the house of God when people are trying to pray to God right there in the Tabernacle? For some Sunday Mass is the only time they’ll darken the door of the Church, so why of all the 24hrs of the day (bar that one) of the 7 days of the week can’t they not just please wait until they exit His house before they start chattering???

Talking in the Church

I think we should make a card or leaflet about the need for silence inside Churches and hand them to the noisy people who might not realise that they are being disrespectful and distractive. Something like:

Why There Should Be Silence In Church

*1. The Church says so. Paragraph 45 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states:

“Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.”
  1. Talking in Church is disrespectful of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We are in the House of God, in the Presence of God Himself in the Tabernacle, not in a coffee shop. All our thoughts should be directed to Him.
  2. It teaches disrespect. When children see adults talking, giggling, and laughing in Church, especially before, during, and after the Holy Mass, instead of in prayer or silent meditation it teaches them that its O.K., thus further eroding respect for the Blessed Sacrament in the next generation. And its hypocritical for parents to “shush” their children while they themselves continue to talk.
  3. It is the Lord’s House, which Jesus taught was “a house of prayer” (Mt 21:13) and thus should be used according to its purpose. It is unholy to turn the Holy House of God into a man-made place of socializing or gossiping. The House of God, where dwells the Real Presence of God, must be treated with ongoing reverence. Talking in Church is a violation of justice against God, for whom we should have reverence.
  4. Talking in Church is selfish and a violation of justice against actual neighbors who are trying to pray.
  5. Talking in Church is a violation of charity, since as Christians we should be going “out of ourselves” to look after others first. Unnecessary talk in the Church is a total disrespect for one’s brothers and sisters in Christ who are trying to pray, and against the faithful who seek to grow in their spiritual lives. Talking in the Church falls short of manifesting love, charity, kindness, and self-control, which are fruits of the Holy Spirit. [Gal. 5:22] If a person crassly and knowingly disregards others trying to pray, or worst of all does so with malice or contempt, it could even be a mortal sin against charity. *
Hopefully they might get the message or else a shout of ‘shut up’ might even work 😃

God love you
 
thistle said:
While I don’t like people talking in Church I certainly don’t agree with that quote even if its a real one. How could that be denying the Real Presence? That doesn’t make sense.
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Mother Teresa said a lot of things I don’t understand either. 🤷
 
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