That darn C & E folks

[ABalch]

I only read the first ten or so post before responding, so I will direct this in general to the idea of C & E’ers.

I started atteding my parish a couple years ago, and entered the Church in 2004. Initially there was a lot of the ceremony of Mass that I was not well versed in. I thank God, and all of the great people I met at my parish, that when I was unsure of what I was to do, or I was doing something incorrectly, I had helpful people in the pews next to me that would charitably explain to me what I should be doing.

It does sadden me that I don’t see some of these people on a regular basis, but then again, I can’t count the number of times that I spoke to someone, assuming that they were just C&E’ers, only to find out that they always attend an opposite mass from the one I go to, or are visiting, or aren’t Catholic, but are there for family members. Basically, I am saying that we regulars should try to be more charitable to the person that doesn’t seem to know the proper times to sit and stand, etc. In my parish, I know, there have been some ongoing correcting of what we are supposed to do at certain times, because of the new GIRM.

My roomate, which is Mormon by the way, almost always attends Ash Wednesday, all of Holy Week masses, Christmas Vigil, and a few of the other major days of obligation with me. He has learned enough to “fit in”, without either doing anything that he should not do as a noncatholic (such as take communion), or draw undue attention to his inability to practice or unbelief in some of the mass. He carries things off well enough, that many of the people he has met at my parish believed him to be a C & E’er, but a well-versed C&E’er. He, like a person or two I noticed in previous posts, likes to come the these masses with me, because He enjoys the masses, and he doesn’t see a similar service on those occasions in his Ward. Yes, I do pray that he might come to accept the truths of the Catholic Church, and decide to come into communion with the Catholic Faith, but I don’t try to pressure him, but only try to show him through my actions that he is welcomed.

 

[Exporter]

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.

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HUMANS ARE VERY TERITORIAL. Yes people do get upset when a stranger takes “:their”: place in church. Some anchor themsleves to the end of a pew as if their lives counted on it.

In grad school I was part of an experiment to determine levels of teritoriality. Of 32 subjects tested only 3 showed minimal teritoriality. We recorded (tape) comments, some were scathing. People are teritorial !

 

[Livnlove55]

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Some anchor themsleves to the end of a pew as if their lives counted on it.

I admit I’m usually one of those people. I think I may have a touch of claustrophobia and feel very uncomfortable crammed in the middle of a crowded pew. I still remember the first time that happened. It was at the Christmas Midnight Mass and one of the ushers made an announcement asking all of us to move over to make room for others. A teenage girl behind me laughed and said “Yes, let’s all make room for the less fortunate.” That made me smile and I did as he asked but I noticed that many did not. No doubt they did believe their lives counted on remaining where they were.
In His love,
Rhonda

 

[Livnlove55]

ABalch:

I started attending my parish a couple years ago, and entered the Church in 2004. Initially there was a lot of the ceremony of Mass that I was not well versed in. I thank God, and all of the great people I met at my parish, that when I was unsure of what I was to do, or I was doing something incorrectly, I had helpful people in the pews next to me that would charitably explain to me what I should be doing.

And to think, I had to figure it all out on my own. Actually, the truth is it didn’t take long for me to learn the rubics, songs and responses but it took a month or so before I was **willing **to do it all. In the beginning I was purposely doing more observing and learning than worshipping. I had never experienced liturgical worship before and couldn’t quite decide whether I liked it or not.

It grew on me, though, in a big way, and it wasn’t long before I was actively participating and behaving just like a cradle Catholic. I had to smile when I finally got to know some of the people who had seen me week after week in Mass and they told me they had no idea I** wasn’t** a cradle Catholic. Makes me wonder what kind of sin they must have thought I was in since I never went forward to receive Holy Communion.

Personally, I like it when I notice people who obviously don’t know what to do and I always say a special prayer for them. I imagine it might be their very first Mass ever and I pray that they will experience Christ’s Presence and want to come back for more.
In His love,
Rhonda

 

[Kielbasi]

**Not everyone is able to attend on a regular basis, **for one reason or another. Work requirements, transportation problems, illnesses both physical and psychological. Some others feel that Christmas and Easter is often enough, they just don’t believe that attending weekly is needed or particularly desirable. Some of those folks are Catholic, others aren’t.

I don’t think there is any real profit in condemning folks with only Christmas/easter attendance, as it does show some faith on their part. Although if someone is in attendance only sporadically, they should be especially careful as to etiquette so the mass remains orderly particularly in regards to keeping quiet and holding their children’s questions about the murals or stained glass or candles or whatever until they are back in their cars.