The Great Post-Eucharist Stampede

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The parish I go to has this sort of stampede, but the majority wait until the final blessing and leave once the priest passes them.
 
@blackforest,

I noticed you were Episcopalian before Catholic. If you have not done so already, you might want to try an Ordinariate parish. At mine, the only people who leave early are those who have booths to set up in the narthex or the piazza (between the parish school and the church proper) and those in charge of coffee hour. Others, too, but far from the “Great Post-Eucharist Stampede” you sometimes find at other parishes.
 
blackforest said:
What is your parish like near the end of Mass? Do people wait to leave until the end of the closing hymn, or does your parish resemble more of a fire drill? Does anyone stay behind to pray?
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Some people leave after Communion.
Most people will stay at least till the priest has left the altar, though not always to the end of the closing hymn, especially at churches where the musicians have been known to play for a good 2 more minutes after the priest has disappeared.

A handful of people stay after Mass to pray or light candles; some churches also have a scheduled prayer after Mass such as the Divine Mercy, the Rosary or the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help (it’s nice to see that making a pretty big comeback). There are also people who stay behind after Mass to chat with friends they see in the church.
 
> At one parish, can’t remember where now, I tried to leave after the final blessing but was blocked by ushers… told I had to wait for Father to leave! Not a joke.

Now I can see where THAT could get ugly. Encouraging folks to stay is one thing. Physically blocking their exit is quite another.
 
TheOldColonel said:
One pastor we had put up the signs “Judas left early, too” on every exist. This solved the problem.
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Most at my parish would ignore the sign or think it doesn’t pertain to them.

We have a sign outside the adoration chapel not to enter while Mass is taking
place and the Mass times are posted.
It is a big heavy door that has a code which must be punched in to open.
The priests say it never fails when they are in the middle of Mass they hear someone enter the chapel.
 
Oh, I bet that was awkward @twf. When I used to attend the morning Mass I would wait until the priest had walked down the aisle, then I would leave to grab a table for a group who met for coffee and doughnuts. I don’t go to that Mass anymore though. Sometimes I stay for the final song and sometimes I leave after the priest.
 
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Steve4321 said:
> At one parish, can’t remember where now, I tried to leave after the final blessing but was blocked by ushers… told I had to wait for Father to leave! Not a joke.

Now I can see where THAT could get ugly. Encouraging folks to stay is one thing. Physically blocking their exit is quite another.
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Which is tantamount to kidnapping. I would be calling the authorities if the ushers did that.

I am all in favor of staying until the end, but there should be healthier ways of encouraging it, not the least of which is making sure the hymns aren’t rubbish.

Fortunately, in my parish, we don’t have those issues.
 
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Hello.

We have some that go directly out after Communion. And I don’t think all of them are late for work or are having an emergency. I wish this topic was addressed every so often in the homily. Most everybody stays though – I think it’s the doughnuts afterwards.

I’d hate to be at the pearly gates and have them say, nope, sorry, in a hurry, don’t have time to let you in. Also I’d hate to have to explain my behavior to Jesus, who gave up His life for us in such a terrible way, then gives Himself to us in Communion. But then, there are other things I do that I need to work on…

My two cents…
 
Spyridon said:
By my estimation, about 75% stay until the Recessional hymn is over,
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It seems to me that, ideally, the people would also recess singing the hymn . . .

[as opposed to staying in the church until it is over]

And it probably makes a difference whether singing a him, or all fourteen verses of a modern song (“Yahweh and I on the log with my dog” . . .)

I’ve only seen one person, ever, leave an EC liturgy early, and I presume for work by the attire worn.

Late, however, is more common (but then, a half-hour drive is fairly common for these arises).

And to conclude . . .

I’ve driven in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, LA during the shootings, Boston, and–on the day I learned to drive–the aptly named “Blood Alley.” There is only one place I’m scared to drive: a Roman Catholic Parking lot after Mass gets out. I’ve driving my wife nuts by parking a block away over this . . .

hawk
 
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I had never heard of this until now, and just researched it. Thank you!! There are none near me, (yet?), but I’ll keep exploring. 🙂 I love reverent liturgies, complete with incense and old hymns, but I definitely don’t fit in with the Rad-Trad crowd.
 
I think some want to hurry to their cars to beat the mad rush out of the parking lot!
 
I’ll say, to be fair, that it’s occasionally necessary even for an Episcopalian to make the rare but swift departure. And it’s technically none of my business whether people are leaving to catch a college football game or to take care of a sudden bout of diarrhea. I’m just curious as to why I see such a difference between the two churches.
 
The parishes I’ve been to in the past in my current area tend to have multiple Mass times though of course not all Masses are filled to capacity. But when attendees of one Mass are leaving, there can be others arriving for the next Mass and that can cause parking lot backups. So I have seen some leave after receiving Communion and not bothering going back to their seats. Others returning to their seats and leaving once the Mass is pronounced to have ended. And yet others awaiting until the priest has departed and the final hymn has been finished. To do otherwise could cause parking nightmares. Personally when I attended, I’ve done all 3. But usually I waited until the Mass was pronounced to have ended. All of that said however, I’ve been to a Mass when the priest never exited right away but instead for instance called the little children forward to pick a flower for their mothers from the altar flowers. And I don’t think he expected attendees to remain while they were doing that.
 
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