Today was annoying!

[FredM]

Today at the 11am mass in our parish:

1. There was so much talking before mass that the last place it felt like was a church.
2. The 4th graders were processing and leaned their cardboard cutouts against the altar. I thought the 9am mass was for the kiddies?
3. The two servers were in tennis shoes and were completely clueless.
4. Two candlesticks at each side of the altar but only one of each was lit. It mass is not important enough to light all the candles could we at least remove the candlesticks?
5. Cross not veiled, statues not veiled, etc.
6. Two rounds of clapping for the 4th graders.
7. Two big red banners from Fridays nights confirmation on the fence behind the altar. (Fence = the fence between the altar and the area behind it where the tabernacle is.) Maybe it is meant as some kind of memorial to those kids since we will never see them again.
8. No veil for the tabernacle either.
9. Today was psalm 3 day. We alternate between three psalms regardless of what the missalette has as the psalm for the day.
10. Lots of announcements but nothing about us participating in the archdiocesan day of confessions. I guess we aren’t. We’ve got the communal thing happening though.
11. No votive candle either real or battery operated - they left when the altar rail left.

At least there was still holy water and not sand and plenty of EMHC!
Fred

 

[puzzleannie]

annoying possibly
no abuses
count yourself lucky

would you be happier if those kiddies were not in church at all?

 

[Padraig1972]

Kids are not the problem, the problem is that in average 5 of 10 them show no respect, make too much noise and do not really want to be there.
Some parents have to do a better job with their kids and i will pray the rosary daily for those it may be to do so.

Do not make your kid a prince or princess, but a servant to God.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

The Crucifix, the Tabernacle and Statues are not supposed to be veiled any longer. That went out a LONG time ago. You CAN veil them on Good Friday, but you are not supposed to do it all during Lent.

The requirement is for 2 candles to be lit. There is no requirement that any others EVER be lit.

There should NOT be any Holy Water out during Lent. That was also true before Vatican II.

Votive Candles are also NOT a requirement, and they never were. I know of many small parishes that never had them. Because of fire regulations, in many areas they can no longer be used. I have NEVER heard of any “battery operated” votives in any church.

I would strongly recommend that you sit down with your pastor, and address your concerns. I am certain that you simply are not aware of what Canon Law has to say about many of the things that you are complaining about.

 

[DaveBj]

The Crucifix, the Tabernacle and Statues are not supposed to be veiled any longer. That went out a LONG time ago. You CAN veil them on Good Friday, but you are not supposed to do it all during Lent.

Source? (So I can pass that information to our parish–ours are veiled too)

DaveBj

 

[TheMc]

1. There was so much talking before mass that the last place it felt like was a church.

Bad.

1. The 4th graders were processing and leaned their cardboard cutouts against the altar. I thought the 9am mass was for the kiddies?

This sort of thing should not be happening at the 9am or the 11am Mass! A Mass is a Mass.

1. The two servers were in tennis shoes and were completely clueless.

Unfortunate.

1. Two candlesticks at each side of the altar but only one of each was lit. It mass is not important enough to light all the candles could we at least remove the candlesticks?

Nothing wrong with this.

1. Cross not veiled, statues not veiled, etc.

Unfortunate, but not required.

1. Two rounds of clapping for the 4th graders.

Sickening.

1. Two big red banners from Fridays nights confirmation on the fence behind the altar. (Fence = the fence between the altar and the area behind it where the tabernacle is.) Maybe it is meant as some kind of memorial to those kids since we will never see them again.

Even more sickening.

1. No veil for the tabernacle either.

Not required in the OF.

1. Today was psalm 3 day. We alternate between three psalms regardless of what the missalette has as the psalm for the day.

1. Lots of announcements but nothing about us participating in the archdiocesan day of confessions. I guess we aren’t. We’ve got the communal thing happening though.

??

1. No votive candle either real or battery operated - they left when the altar rail left.

Unfortunate.

 

[laszlo]

If you complain to us, this make you feel good, but has no good effect at all.

You may complain to your pastor, to your archbishop, to the Apostolic See, (in this order, they can make something) or better search for a church were masses are celebrated according to your taste.

 

[TheMc]

The Crucifix, the Tabernacle and Statues are not supposed to be veiled any longer. That went out a LONG time ago.

I’m sorry, but this is incorrect. The tabernacle may always be veiled if the pastor wishes. A priest friend of mine always veils his tabernacle. In fact, it’s required for the forma extraordinaria.

And statues can be veiled for the 5th Sunday of Lent (but it’s not obligatory). It says right in the Missal on the page for the 5th Sunday of lent.

The requirement is for 2 candles to be lit. There is no requirement that any others EVER be lit.

Actually, this is also incorrect. Here’s some cases where more candles are required to be lit.

• A Mass at which the Ordinary celebrates in his own diocese (7 candles always required)
• Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (4 candles required, more recommended)

There should NOT be any Holy Water out during Lent. That was also true before Vatican II.

Again, the truth is the exact opposite. The holy water is only to be removed after Mass on Holy Thursday, to be put back during the Easter Vigil.
Holy water is never to be removed during lent (except during the tridiuum) Here is a letter from Rome backing me up.

Here is what they said, word for word:

The removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted

 

[Alix1912]

1. The 4th graders were processing and leaned their cardboard cutouts against the altar. I thought the 9am mass was for the kiddies?

I thought God welcomed kids in his house at all services. Granted the 8:00pm service on Good Friday or a Midnight mass might not be the best place for them, but 11:00am on a Sunday. Be happy they are learning to serve in God’s house.

If they are banished to one mass they learn they are only wlecome when it’s convient…is that the lesson you want them to learn.

As for Tennis shoes on servers…that is a HUGE pet peeeve of mine as a former accolyte. When I was running the program at my old church I made it dress shoes and calm cloths underneath your robe manditory. You are there to assist in the servie not make a fashion statement.

 

[TheMc]

Source? (So I can pass that information to our parish–ours are veiled too)

DaveBj

The above poster was incorrect. They may be veiled, and here is my source:

The Roman Missal
In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from [The 5th Sunday of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

 

[TheMc]

I thought God welcomed kids in his house at all services. Granted the 8:00pm service on Good Friday or a Midnight mass might not be the best place for them, but 11:00am on a Sunday. Be happy they are learning to serve in God’s house.

If they are banished to one mass they learn they are only wlecome when it’s convient…is that the lesson you want them to learn.

As for Tennis shoes on servers…that is a HUGE pet peeeve of mine as a former accolyte. When I was running the program at my old church I made it dress shoes and calm cloths underneath your robe manditory. You are there to assist in the servie not make a fashion statement.

They are always welcome in Churches! Even at Midnight Mass and easter vigil, we have a large number of kids.

The problem is when they violate the sanctuary by processing in for no good reason and “lean their cardboard cutouts against the altar”. That is terrible. We should show our kids how to act in church, and that is not an acceptable way to act. I’ve also never understood the concept of a “children’s Mass”. There is simply no reason for it.

 

[PattiDay]

Dear Fred,

When I first became a member of my parish I was offended constantly by the kind of thing you’re talking about here. I went to speak to my pastor. He listened attentively, nodded in assent at several of them, smiled, and asked me which of my complaints I felt was most in need of correction and when could I start. God bless

 

[jmcrae]

1. Cross not veiled, statues not veiled, etc.

This isn’t actually required until after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. (In some places they have the custom of veiling everything during the whole season of Lent, but to me, that seems excessive. Jesus was only in the tomb for three days, which is what the veiling represents; not for 40 days.)

There should also be no emptying of the holy water fonts before that time, either.

 

[coco2]

The Crucifix, the Tabernacle and Statues are not supposed to be veiled any longer. That went out a LONG time ago. You CAN veil them on Good Friday, but you are not supposed to do it all during Lent.

The requirement is for 2 candles to be lit. There is no requirement that any others EVER be lit.

There should NOT be any Holy Water out during Lent. That was also true before Vatican II.

Votive Candles are also NOT a requirement, and they never were. I know of many small parishes that never had them. Because of fire regulations, in many areas they can no longer be used. I have NEVER heard of any “battery operated” votives in any church.

I would strongly recommend that you sit down with your pastor, and address your concerns. I am certain that you simply are not aware of what Canon Law has to say about many of the things that you are complaining about.

There ARE battery operated candles at a parish in my town. OY.

 

[Love_Divine]

There should NOT be any Holy Water out during Lent. That was also true before Vatican II.

.

That is False with a capital F. Holy Water is a sacramental, a form a spiritual warfare. It is especially necessary during Lent.

According to the Congregation for Divine Worship:

Prot. N. 569/00/L

March 14, 2000

Dear Father:

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

1. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The “fast” and “abstinence” which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
[signed]
Mons. Mario Marini [Later, the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, now with God.]
Undersecretary

Taken from the ever-so-informative and helpful blog by Fr. Zuhlsdorf, specifically, wdtprs.com/blog/2011/03/dumb-liberal-idea-3464-reason-583739-for-summorum-pontificum-removing-holy-water-during-lent/http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/03/dumb-liberal-idea-3464-reason-583739-for-summorum-pontificum-removing-holy-water-during-lent/

 

[TheMc]

Dear Fred,

When I first became a member of my parish I was offended constantly by the kind of thing you’re talking about here. I went to speak to my pastor. He listened attentively, nodded in assent at several of them, smiled, and asked me which of my complaints I felt was most in need of correction and when could I start. God bless

Too bad he didn’t say that to me. I would have taken him up on it!

The only problem: it is the priest’s (and bishop’s) job to correct abuses. That prevailant attitude is why there are abuses in the first place.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Oh no! We’re in trouble! We just put purple veils over all our statues, the crucifix, the processional cross, and the little statue on top of the baptismal. There are six candles on the altar and the fonts are full of holy water. We even have (cough, hack!) incense ready to use!

We have no “children’s Mass” but we have lots of kids whose parents teach them to be quiet and respectful in church. They should see the Mass in all its beauty, not a watered-down, Barney-fied version. I don’t mind baby noises at Mass; it is yakking adults that drive me nuts, and nearly everyone in our little parish is very quiet and prayerful before and after Mass. They are a very close community and don’t need to hold each others’ hands to show it.

The altar bells (both sets of them) will disappear for Holy Thursday, when a clapper will be used. The altar cloths will be stripped after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The organ and tower bell will be silenced after the Gloria of Holy Thursday until the Gloria of the Easter Vigil, when we’ll wake the town up. We’ll even start ringing the tower bell at the Consecration starting at Easter (when we started ringing the bell again, the Methodists decided to repair their own and the elementary school now rings their old tower bell to start class!) Votive candles (removed years ago) are forthcoming, pending funding, but a lovely set of processional torches from the 1940’s that was gathering dust in the attic has just been put back into service.

AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM!!!

 

[DaveBj]

The above poster was incorrect. They may be veiled, and here is my source:

The Roman Missal
In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from [The 5th Sunday of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

Thanks.

DaveBj

 

[Padraig1972]

I had a kind of episode like this in my parish on saturday too. But it is the day of cathecese classes with kids from 9 to 16 so i guess it has to be expected.

My issue is their lack of respect for the churchroom, it`s holyness and some of the kids lack of manners in such a holy place.

But kids are kids and i was loud and noisy too as a kid. The job is not done, but i pray they have good+patient parents that guides them well too adulthood in its given time.

God bless them.

 

[PattiDay]

Too bad he didn’t say that to me. I would have taken him up on it!

As a matter of fact I did.

The only problem: it is the priest’s (and bishop’s) job to correct abuses. That prevailant attitude is why there are abuses in the first place.

I disagree that everything can simply be dumped in the lap of the parish priest. If you are annoyed and want change within your parish church, you cannot step back and blame it solely on the priest/bishop.