That darn C & E folks

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MariaG:
You not only sound uncharitable, you are being uncharitable.

I am truly saddened by this unloving attitude.
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And why exactly am I being uncharitable for wanting to have a Holy Mass for those who are there for the same experience every week? I never said close the doors to them, I said let us have our Holy Mass and let them have their fashion show.
This is extremely charitable for ALL concerned.
Those who are C&E Catholics get what they want and we who are there to venerate the Holy Eucharist get a Holy Mass.
 
Those darn C & E folks. I pity them…

Maybe if they were to come at Christmas and Easter and witness beautiful Liturgy they might stay.

Our Easter Vigil was a mess. Completely unorganised, disjointed and down right messy. I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I was leaving. The young curate who was concelebrating with our PP met me afterwards and he just said “Don’t ask!” No unity between cantor and choir / organist… Lectors reading the wrong readings at the wrong stages, they didn’t even utilise the EMHC properly. There was total confusion about who was ministering the Precious Blood and who was distributing the Sacred Host…😦 Ok. I’ll stop.

Truth is when they do come at C & E they are witnessing the fact that those of us who remain and call our selves committed really don’t care about the sanctity of the Liturgy, the sacredness of Holy Mass. Those of us who do never get a look in.

And if this is the case why should the C & E folk bother to committ themselves?

OK I’m disgruntled. I’ll get over it.
 
posted by AkronPonderer
MariaG: I think most people are glad C&E’ers show up. Many were just taking a light-hearted notice of the phenomenon.
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:hmmm: Light-hearted notice? Not everyone. As you originally said, you are glad they are there but just can’t understand them. That is understandable.

And I even understand poking fun at people. But what if one of those C and E people come to this board and read this?

I did reread those posts and would agree before mine they were meant to be light-hearted. **But would you say the same thing if they could overhear you? Don’t you realize they can? **And after my post? You can see that to some it is not so light-hearted.

We certainly do not have to go and get the hair shirts. But clearly for some on this thread, this is more than light-hearted fun and actually is a real gripe.

I will not post anymore on this, maybe it will return to a more “light-hearted” fun.

God Bless,
Maria
 
I really don’t mind them. Maybe it’s because I’m in the choir section and can’t see/hear what’s “really” going on, but I do have a pretty good view of the congregation and I didn’t see any unruly children or people behaving inappropriately. A lot of the people who show up for Christmas and Easter don’t participate much (largely because they have no idea what’s going on) but at least they’re usually respectful, and don’t forget that a lot of them contribute something to the collection basket, which helps the whole parish.

In general I think they’re more well-behaved than some of our choir members. One of my fellow sopranos (cradle Catholic and lifelong parishoner) was giving running commentary on the Easter Vigil as the deacon brought the Easter candle in. She was reaching very annoying and rude levels until I leaned over and reminded her that the choir was miked, and the microphones were on. It at least got her to hush up for a few minutes. Sigh… 😦
 
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MariaG:
. As you originally said, you are glad they are there but just can’t understand them. That is understandable.
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As a brand-new Catholic who just experienced her first Triduum and Easter in the Church, I have to say that this was how I felt. It was quite literally a madhouse at the church yesterday morning and as I looked around at all the unfamiliar faces, I couldn’t help but wonder “Who ARE all these people and WHY are they here???”

As others have mentioned, it doesn’t make sense to me that they would show up in hordes on Easter in a Church that teaches they have a moral **obligation **to attend every week. A teaching I am sure the vast majority of them are well aware of.

So, like the above poster, I also don’t understand them or their mentality. Nevertheless, I was glad they were there and during Mass I fervently prayed that at least some of them might be inspired by God to start coming every week.

I must admit, though, that I did find it rather disconcerting to be displaced from “my” pew. 😉 Mass just didn’t seem the same from a different viewpoint. 🙂
In His love,
Rhonda
 
Wow, I didn’t know that people were so attached to their pews. I’m in the choir and we don’t sing during the summer, so on those Sundays I sit with the congregation instead of in the choir risers. I have no idea if I’ve displaced anyone, as choir Mass is 10:30 am and during the summer I usually go to 8:30 am Mass, so I don’t know who usually sits where, and I usually just sit where there’s room (I tend to get there 5-10 min. early and the church is already 1/2 full). I always liked that the Catholic church didn’t have assigned family pews, like a lot of Protestant churches do. But I guess it’s an unspoken thing. Now I feel badly about taking someone’s seat. Sorry, all. :o
 
These folk really are trying.

Last Christmas was an excellent example - the congregation did not know the hymns we chose - traditional Christmas carols for the Carol Service at 11.30 , they could not join in the sung responses . They did not know when to stand or kneel or sit. And then complaints came into the Liturgy Group afterwards that the Readings were too difficult for them to understand .

I will admit - when I heard that I kinda saw red and asked if we had to dumb down Mass for those who attended twice a year - it did not go down well.

This year for the Easter Vigil we had 3 children for Baptism - the mother of the wee boy mebbe 6 yrs old ] was seen outside the Church immediately afterwards whilst the 2 slightly older girls were being Confirmed ] holding his lit Baptismal candle standing beside him in his white alb , whilst she smoked a cigarette !!

I have never seen as many folk leave early in my 13 plus years in that Parish
 
Saturday night our first twelve pews in the center were reserveed for those receiving the sacraments and their families. I am sure a lot of folks were displaced and watching from a new point of view.
 
I call them Christian Alumni 😃 . I also try to remember that in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the older, faithful son has to be gently reproved by the merciful father when he get’s ticked off about the party for the wayward younger son. It’s a great antidote for a bad attitude.
 
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SeekerJen:
Wow, I didn’t know that people were so attached to their pews. I’m in the choir and we don’t sing during the summer, so on those Sundays I sit with the congregation instead of in the choir risers. I have no idea if I’ve displaced anyone, as choir Mass is 10:30 am and during the summer I usually go to 8:30 am Mass, so I don’t know who usually sits where, and I usually just sit where there’s room (I tend to get there 5-10 min. early and the church is already 1/2 full). I always liked that the Catholic church didn’t have assigned family pews, like a lot of Protestant churches do. But I guess it’s an unspoken thing. Now I feel badly about taking someone’s seat. Sorry, all. :o
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LOL - I never sat in the same pew when I attended Protestant churches and the Fundamentalist churches I attended most certainly did not have “assigned family pews.” I don’t know about all Catholic churches since I have only attended Mass in my home parish but in my parish many people (including myself) always sit in the same pew. Even my RCIA class quickly developed unspoken “assigned seating” and everyone always sat in the same place every week. 🙂 I honestly thought it was a Catholic thing.

Personally I like it that way. Our parish is huge, over 3300 registered families (most of which apparently showed up last Sunday 😉 ), and as a newcomer to the parish, I like sitting and worshipping with the same familiar faces every week. Makes me feel more at home and not simply lost in the crowd (like I felt last Sunday…)

The funny thing is it took me almost six months before I even began to learn any of their names. I’d exchange a handshake and a smile at the sign of peace but never spoke to any of them otherwise (or vice versa.) Then a strange thing happened after I received my first Holy Communion in February. Suddenly I developed an overwhelming urge to introduce myself to them and to learn their names. (Ya think maybe I actually felt more “in communion” with them? 🙂 )

So I don’t know. I do know that if one of those “C & E” folks decided that it would be a good idea to start coming to Mass regularly again, I would gladly give them “my” pew. :clapping:
In His love,
Rhonda (inside aisle seat, fifth row, right side)
 
I love seeing new faces on Sunday, I feel bad for the little kids that are used to playing and being noisy and twice a year are supposed to sit and be quiet.

I do wish that some of the ones who come once or twice a year would skip the communion line. It takes 4 times as long and I hear people cussing about why the f it takes so long and why they are expected to be there twice a year, but they all trudge up that line.
And so many people leave right after that, and I didn’t think the line led them back to their cars.
 
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Livnlove55:
LOL - I never sat in the same pew when I attended Protestant churches and the Fundamentalist churches I attended most certainly did not have “assigned family pews.” I don’t know about all Catholic churches since I have only attended Mass in my home parish but in my parish many people (including myself) always sit in the same pew. Even my RCIA class quickly developed unspoken “assigned seating” and everyone always sat in the same place every week. 🙂 I honestly thought it was a Catholic thing.
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In many parish churches in the 18-19th century, even up to the early 20th century, it was not uncommon for a family to ‘purchase’ a pew. They gave so much additional per month and could ‘lay claim to a particualr pew’. The closer to the front the greater the expected donation.

This was generally how the church paid it’s mortgage or the cost of construction. The practice would generally stop after the mortgage was paid, but many families would continue to use the same pew.

This was true with both Protestant and Catholic churches.

The modern equivilent is now plaques with donors names on them often found in the narthex.
 
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KittyKat:
And so many people leave right after that, and I didn’t think the line led them back to their cars.
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My priest mentioned at the end of Mass Saturday night that only one disciple of the twelve left early that first Eucharist.
 
Having attended the Triduum for the first time in my life last week, I just want to say that I have never been so moved in my life.

On Saturday evening, two older women were sitting in front of me to my right. Occasionally, they would lean over and whisper something to each other, sometimes they would laugh, sometimes a disapproving look at something, whatever it was.

Several times, I found myself becoming a bit disapproving of them. That judgemental streak began to show - and I would stop myself, pray, and go back to paying attention to what was going on.

As a child, my family wasn’t even Christmas and Easter, yet I was baptized, received first communion, attended Catholic school for five years and was confirmed. As a young adult, I attended a couple of masses for special occasions for my grandparents - and my sister and I would lean over, make jokes, and giggle. I’m sure more than one person was annoyed by our antics.

And I hope they were praying for us too.

Because now that I’ve returned to the Church, I hope I am reminded of my own history every time I even come close to judging someone for what they do or don’t do.

I certainly don’t think it’s my place to admonish anyone for their attitudes, but please - at the next event where you see more than the usual number of attendees - rejoice - pray for all who haven’t been to Church in a while - for some, maybe it’s the judgemental looks they are getting that prevent them from returning until the next holiday.

Ease up - give some love - and maybe welcome those you don’t recognize. Let God use you to encourage - not judge.

Thanks

:o
Fiz
 
I really don’t understand the “C&E” Catholics, either. However, I must also report that this phenomenon exists to some extent in Protestant churches, too. I remember even during periods where I didn’t go to church much that I found it prudent to attend on Easter.

Now that I’m a Catholic, I’m glad to see all these folks, but I wish they’d come more often. I think those people feel almost as if the Church “owes” them something.

In any case, I avoided most of those people because I attended the Easter Vigil. The huge, new church wasn’t but maybe 60% full, and a good portion of those people were visitors to see those being baptized. What really bugged me then (and in every mass) are the screaming children who are allowed to continue their screaming. Most parishes in the big city offer babysitting and every one I’ve ever seen offers a cry room. I wish people would use one or the other.

Here’s some pics from the Easter Vigil that I attended at a neighboring parish (because a friend was being baptized):







-Michaelhttp://www.networkit.org/grendal/livejournal/vigil3.jpg
 
My pet peeve is not with the C&E folks, but rather the poor way the church reacts to these people. Many times on council, we would talk about the issue about the number of enveloped sent out vs. the number of envelopes used and how we need to address this issue…YADA YADA YADA. These people are more than just envelopes that never get used. They have pastoral needs just as anyone else and it is our responsibility to address how we can meet those needs.

The way I see it, these people are prodigal sons and daughters who come back home on Christmas and Easter. The thing that I see missing is that we are too often not like the Father who throws a celebration when they return.
 
While one expects this type of behavior on Christmas and Easter, when we arrived for Good Friday Services – there were a couple of women behind us who kept snickering, making irreverent comments all the way through the service! I gritted my teeth and offered it up – instead of turning around and glaring 😦

As the Good Friday service ended, while most were leaving in silence, the two behind me began talking about “see you tomorrow night” “the big night” and “being nervous about tomorrow night” – low and behold, they were RCIAers!

I pray that they continue for the mystagogy – cause I’m gonna be helping teach that group :dancing:
 
Two years ago, although it wasn’t C or E, I just walked in to my church, and within a month, I began attending daily Mass and still do. So whenever I see a large crowd of non-regular attendees, I hope that maybe just one will have happen to them what happened to me.

This Lent, the confession hours were extended and they always went over the allotted time, with plenty of people whom I’ve never seen attend confession. Although it was inconvenient to be stuck waiting behind them, I prayed maybe one of them would have happen to them what happened to me.

Sunday Mass is always a bit trying for me. For two years now, there are people who attend Sunday Mass (and have probably done so their entire life) and talk, laugh, flick their heads left and right to see who is there, and I think that but for the grace of God, go I (and hope I don’t have that happen to me).

So just because there are regulars at Sunday Mass doesn’t make them any “holier” than the C&E’ers, and maybe one of those C&E’ers will experience that awesome call to conversion.

(But I do get a kick out of our pastor who said, with a charming, boyish grin, “We are here every week if you’d like to come back.”)

Penitent
 
Ahhh, the Chreaster Catholics. Yes, it is good that they show up at least once a year, although it is bad that many receive Communion without first going to Confession. That’s what bugs me. Haha, I make sure to get there super early to get “my pew.” Hey, it makes pray more!
 
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Fizendell:
Having attended the Triduum for the first time in my life last week, I just want to say that I have never been so moved in my life.
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Oh! I thought we were talking about** Easter**, not the Triduum! What you say goes double for me. I took vacation for all of Holy Week so I wouldn’t miss anything and if I could, I would do it all over again this week. It was the most incredible three days of my life and I can’t remember the last time I cried so many tears of pure joy (and sorrow on Good Friday…)

My parish was not packed with unfamiliar faces on either Holy Thursday or Good Friday and most of the unfamiliar faces at the Easter Vigil were family and friends of those receiving the Sacraments for the first time. I myself received Confirmation on Saturday and am now** finally** a fully initiated member of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. .

But Easter Sunday was nothing like the Triduum. And I’m afraid all those prodigal sons and daughters weren’t coming home to stay or to seek forgiveness. To me it was more sad than anything to discover we have so many in the parish who don’t attend regularly and I really didn’t see any reason to celebrate. (Other than the fact that we were celebrating Christ’s Resurrection. 🙂 )

BTW, as I mentioned in my last post, I was a newcomer to the parish for over six months before I knew anyone except our priests and the RCIA team members. And when I finally did get to know some other people, I was the one who had to take the initiative to introduce myself. So this lack of welcoming certainly isn’t limited to Christmas and Easter…

(P.S. - I easily sat in “my” pew on Holy Thursday and Good Friday and could have sat in it at the Vigil if I hadn’t had to sit in my “reserved” seat.)
In His love,
Rhonda (thrilled to be Catholic and completely amazed that any Catholic would **not **want to attend Mass as often as they could!)
 
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