the "unwelcome Mass" was FSSP

[on_the_hill]

I apologize for bringing this up again, considering my previous thread was locked. But I found out more about my wife’s experience while she was out-of-town.

It turns out that the congregants of the church she attended actually did get up and move to a new pew when she, my daughter, and mother-in-law sat down. They were isolated by a buffer zone around them.

I looked it up on the 'net and the parish is part of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

I don’t know if the FSSP Mass is like other Tridentine Masses, or if it is somewhat different yet again.

 

[ProVobis]

Is that significant? I move from pew to pew for different reasons, but not to offend.

The FSSP is a legitimate Mass so no problem there.

 

[on_the_hill]

I agree, it’s legit.

Anyway, just to bring this whole thing to closure, my wife spoke to our director of religious ed, who is familiar with that particular diocese, and the director of religious ed wrote a letter to the church’s pastor to basically inform (complain?) about how my family was received there.

Alls well that ends well, as far as I’m concerned.

 

[jeannetherese]

I apologize for bringing this up again, considering my previous thread was locked. But I found out more about my wife’s experience while she was out-of-town.

It turns out that the congregants of the church she attended actually did get up and move to a new pew when she, my daughter, and mother-in-law sat down. They were isolated by a buffer zone around them.

QUOTE]

Greetings,

Having assisted at a FSSP parish the past few weeks (I shift back and forth between my local parish and the nearest FSSP parish,) I followed your previous thread and then saw this one, before wondering if i might be the souce of the discomfort incurred by your wife.
I shifted to another pew during one of the masses rather than risk crowding some women.
There was no harm or disrespect intended.
Pleaase convyey my apologies to your family for the concerns engendered; my intentions were good and I am so sorry that they were interpreted as hostile.

May God bless you and your family and all who assist at His Holy Masses.

jeannetherese

(If your family assisted at another FSSP parish, perhaps in charity they might give the benefit of the doubt as to motives. Pew shifting is a regular occurrence at my FSSP parish as people leave tehir pews to go to Confession which is held in the confessional throughout the liturgy of the Word and up until Communion is presented, or to go to the choir loft, or to take shifts with babies and small children in the lobby.
Pews are not staked out, and there is no guarantee that having exited, one might feel compelled to return tothe same space; especially if in doing so, this might disrupt the focus of fellow Mass attendees.
Perhaps, because I am so used to these practices, they do not strike me as odd and lead to personal discomfort when someone near me exits the area in which I am praying.)

 

[aTraditionalist]

I attend a FSSP parish full-time and we shift seating depending on the view and how the kids are behaving. I see new folks just about every week. Nobody really focuses on their fellow parishioners or guests during the Mass. All that happens afterwards.

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