This happened during mass and I was upset

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April29

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So my parents and I went to a new church trying to find a parish. While we were there I noticed a great number of people wearing red shirts at the very front of the church. They had just returned from a sort of retreat. At some point during the mass one of the men in the red shirts started screaming and shouting. He stared to raise his arms saying “ The Lord is here! I can see him!”. Everyone was a bit perplexed, but the group that was with him seemed to be encouraging him. I really couldn’t hear the priest over him. During the consecration he started to sob out loud and to say “ Look at me! Look at me! I didn’t believe! I doubted now I believe! You are here!”. Then another man in his group started sobbing. My dad was massively upset because he said this behavior was not appropriate for mass. My mom was convinced it was staged. Towards the end of mass the group went up to the altar and stared chanting saying something like “ Hurra! Hurrah!”. They proceeded to offer their retreat towards the end and said “ This is not an invitation from me, but from my Father”. I was so confused. It almost felt like I had stepped into a Protestant Church accidentally. I feel badly because I was upset. I thought it was massively disrespectful to do this, especially during the consecration. I don’t think they meant harm, but I wonder if I was wrong in being angry.
 
This is very disturbing.

The good news, your parish is actually determined by your address. Call the Diocese on Monday and they will tell you what parish you belong to.

At the same time, please tell someone at the Diocese about this shocking outburst.
 
Did you recognize these people from your parish? It sounds like some bizarre infiltration from a radical anti-Catholic Protestant group. Give your parish office a call tomorrow and clarify whether or not this behavior is normal and to be expected. (??)
 
You’re kidding.

That sort of behavior at Mass is unacceptable. I can’t stand people clapping during Mass, and you’re telling me that people are shouting, trying to bring attention to themselves? Someone needs to get the bishop on the phone.
 
If you were really upset, I’d have a word with the priest and let him know. Sometimes priests will decide to just let such disruptions continue because to pay heed to them gives them the attention they are seeking. They then counsel individual parishioners who were upset once the Mass is finished.

If you were upset, chances are other people were as well.

I know the Charismatic movement can have some Pentecostal-like qualities, but that seems extreme even for them.
 
Maybe give the priest a chance to respond first? It’s entirely possible he didn’t know what was going to happen and responded as best he could in the circumstances.
 
It was strange. I mean, to begin I noticed something strange when I noticed they didn’t have the Tabernacle in the Church. They keep the Blessed Sacrament in a separate room. It was odd. I have to mention that the priest did go up to the man several times and said something to him silently, but wards the end of mass, Father ( and I’m hoping it was just shock and that maybe he didn’t know what all else to say) said that “ the Lord can manifest his spirit in many ways, as we have seen today in our brother”. It was odd because they all seemed to call one another brother and sister. I wasn’t sure if Father approved or disapproved.
 
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You and your parents should call the parish office tomorrow and see if they can explain what happened. I would then write a letter to the bishop giving your account. Also if it were me I’d keep looking for a parish.
 
I’m sorry Brittany, I didn’t mean for it to come off that way. I’m truly, truly sorry. What I meant was that I had only seen this behavior in certain Protestant churches, but by all means not all.
 
Did you speak to one of these red shirted guys and ask them what their scene was?

Seems to be strange both on their behavior as well as lack of action by the ushers- if these guys weren’t expected. You’d think if this was a surprise, the ushers would have been out there with the long candles and large cross and drive them from the church.
 
No, they were addressed by Father as having come back from a retreat during the homily. They were also invited to the pulpit at the end of mass to invite us to their retreat. They were also invited to the altar where they stared the singing and chanting. After mass they were going to have some kind of lunch, and they walked out of the church in kind of like line holding one another by the shoulders and screaming “ God is fire!” All the way to the church dining area which was across the parking lot. And we were all invited to attend
 
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Augustinian said:
Seems to be strange both on their behavior as well as lack of action by the ushers- if these guys weren’t expected. You’d think if this was a surprise, the ushers would have been out there with the long candles and large cross and drive them from the church.
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If that parish was like mine, Fr. would have to deal with it or it wouldn’t be dealt with. Ushers are non-existent in our parish.
 
Yeah, it is definitely not appropriate to do such things at the consecration. I would be probably be disturbed in such a situation too.
 
I know it! I was concerned that maybe I was being judgemental and this might have been a genuine thing, but I’m glad to see that I wasn’t overreacting.
 
Lol - what a story - 😛
I’m not one to disparage what takes place in church -
But I loved your Protestant quip.
NO WAY - would I DARE - show such - audacity.

I remember reading “ Angels of God, Our Guardians Dear “
And a few of these stories…had Catholics… seeing angels…,
in church, during mass…
they didn’t - make a show of it…
( maybe for fear of the angel leaving )
But AFTER mass, they made mention of it -
thrilling others by their personal recounting.

Red shirts ?
Sounds like some bad softball team, to me.
 
Perhaps they had been on a Catholic Charismatic retreat and your priest was supportive of them on this? No problem there, not my cup of tea, but a priest is within his rights to be supportive of that.

Perhaps they had asked the priest if they could speak to the parish about it at the end of Mass and invite people for a get together in the parish hall after Mass? Again no real problem there.

Perhaps the priest was supportive of their retreat etc and thought it was all a good thing to share with the parish, but things just got out of hand at Mass and he was just trying to limit the damage and not blow it up into an even bigger scene?
 
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Stick with the priest.
I know CAF people love to tell posters to call the Bishop, but honestly, you wont get to talk to him, and you wont speak to anyone who can truly help. They will just think you are a nut.
It’s the Pastor’s place to deal with it. Let him do his work.
 
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