Venerating Statues in the Middle of Mass

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There is a lady I have seen a number of times who walks into our EF mass, maybe 10 minutes after the mass has started:
  • She walks all the way up to the front no matter what is going on. She does tend to wear heels so sometimes it’s noisy.
  • She goes up the steps that go past the communion rail that leads to the sacristy, but she doesn’t go into the sacristy.
    – There are some statues there including statues of Jesus.
    – She walks to each one and stretches out a hand to touch a part of the statue. She lingers there so I assume she is praying.
  • She moves on to the next statue and so on.
After she has touched and prayed in front of each statue, she walks out of mass.

Has anyone seen this type of behavior? Is that normal in the Latin church?
 
It is a tad unusual, particularly during a Sunday mass.

It would be less unusual for confessions and mass to go on simultaneously during a weekday with others in church engaging in one private devotion or another.
 
Kielbasi said:
It is a tad unusual, particularly during a Sunday mass.

It would be less unusual for confessions and mass to go on simultaneously during a weekday with others in church engaging in one private devotion or another.
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I’ve only seen it during daily mass, I believe. Today it was during a missa cantata.
 
TrueLight said:
Has anyone seen this type of behavior? Is that normal in the Latin church?
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Maybe she’s not Latin? It does seem “Byzantine-ish” behavior. Although I’ve seen such behavior in the Philippines particularly in the major churches that are major shrines in the country. Maybe she came from such a setting and just carried the habit along with her.
 
TrueLight said:
Has anyone seen this type of behavior? Is that normal in the Latin church?
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It is not normal behavior in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. Sounds like a person with mental problems. Unless they come from a church where this is a local, accepted custom.
 
Perhaps she has been considering joining the Church? Asking Our Lord for His help?
Who knows maybe she needs help or guidance? Again asking Our Lord for His help?

I remember when I was younger my sister telling me about a man who walked into Church (before Mass begun), walked up to the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, cried his eyes out, and walked out. ← Who knows why he did that perhaps he lost a loved one, was hurt by a loved one, or was moved by Our Blessed Mother.

We truly don’t know what a person is going through at Mass (unless of course they tell you). The person sitting behind you may have lost his job, the family in the second row/pew may have a family in the hospital dying of cancer, and the person sitting right next to you maybe thankful for coming to Mass while on vacation.

Maybe, you could bring this question of concern to your parish Priest? By the way, is she disrupting Mass while she is doing this?

God bless,
goforgoal
 
Was she maybe a hispanic? That sounds like something I’d see at our parish’s spanish Mass. It seems most likely that she was hispanic or Byzantine or something like that…

But to answer your question, no that’s not really normal for American Catholics during a Sunday Mass.
 
I can remember that once while attending a Dominican Missa Cantata, that a drunk staggered in off the street and stumbled down the aisle. when he reached the communion rail he looked up at the large crucifix and said very loudly, " I love you, man", turned around and stumbled back out side. Everybody, including the priest, was frozen in place.

I stepped outside to see where he went but could not see him anywhere. I have always felt kind of bad that I didn’t try to help him. But none of us made an effort. 😊
 
corsair said:
I can remember that once while attending a Dominican Missa Cantata, that a drunk staggered in off the street and stumbled down the aisle. when he reached the communion rail he looked up at the large crucifix and said very loudly, " I love you, man", turned around and stumbled back out side. Everybody, including the priest, was frozen in place.

I stepped outside to see where he went but could not see him anywhere. I have always felt kind of bad that I didn’t try to help him. But none of us made an effort. 😊
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Lol!
 
vsedriver said:
It is not normal behavior in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. Sounds like a person with mental problems. Unless they come from a church where this is a local, accepted custom.
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Why does it sound like she has mental problems?
 
ConstantineTG said:
Maybe she’s not Latin? It does seem “Byzantine-ish” behavior. Although I’ve seen such behavior in the Philippines particularly in the major churches that are major shrines in the country. Maybe she came from such a setting and just carried the habit along with her.
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You may be right about that. That did cross my mind.
TheMc said:
Was she maybe a hispanic? That sounds like something I’d see at our parish’s spanish Mass. It seems most likely that she was hispanic or Byzantine or something like that…
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It’s hard to tell what her ethnicity is. She could be anywhere from Latina to Greek to Russian.
 
goforgoal said:
Maybe, you could bring this question of concern to your parish Priest? By the way, is she disrupting Mass while she is doing this?

God bless,
goforgoal
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She’s disruptive only in the sense that she walks up to the front and her shoes make noise. Unfortunately her phone went off twice yesterday, but that was an exception. And occasionally, she will wear a short skirt.

The priests all see her so there is no need for me to bring it up.

Also, although I find it strange, I don’t know anything about her life and what she is going through. Maybe she is hanging on by a thread.
 
corsair said:
I can remember that once while attending a Dominican Missa Cantata, that a drunk staggered in off the street and stumbled down the aisle. when he reached the communion rail he looked up at the large crucifix and said very loudly, " I love you, man", turned around and stumbled back out side. Everybody, including the priest, was frozen in place.

I stepped outside to see where he went but could not see him anywhere. I have always felt kind of bad that I didn’t try to help him. But none of us made an effort. 😊
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Lol!

That’s so weird!
 
TrueLight said:
She’s disruptive only in the sense that she walks up to the front and her shoes make noise. Unfortunately her phone went off twice yesterday, but that was an exception. And occasionally, she will wear a short skirt.

The priests all see her so there is no need for me to bring it up.

Also, although I find it strange, I don’t know anything about her life and what she is going through. Maybe she is hanging on by a thread.
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It may be that she doesn’t have time then to stay for the whole Mass (she’s coming in after it starts and leaving before it ends, yes?) So she’s does what she can when she can. It doesn’t sound like she is trying to be disruptive, only to pray. As others have said, prayer like that is common in other rites and ethnic traditions. Your church is likely close to her home or work, has the types of statues she is used to, and is open when she can come by to pray.

Say a pray for her when she comes in and let it go. Since the priests known, they will do whatever else is necessary.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
It may be that she doesn’t have time then to stay for the whole Mass (she’s coming in after it starts and leaving before it ends, yes?) So she’s does what she can when she can. It doesn’t sound like she is trying to be disruptive, only to pray. As others have said, prayer like that is common in other rites and ethnic traditions. Your church is likely close to her home or work, has the types of statues she is used to, and is open when she can come by to pray.

Say a pray for her when she comes in and let it go. Since the priests known, they will do whatever else is necessary.
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Good advice.
 
I, too, have seen behavior like what you’ve described:
TrueLight said:
There is a lady I have seen a number of times who walks into our EF mass, maybe 10 minutes after the mass has started:
  • She walks all the way up to the front no matter what is going on. She does tend to wear heels so sometimes it’s noisy.
  • She goes up the steps that go past the communion rail that leads to the sacristy, but she doesn’t go into the sacristy.
    – There are some statues there including statues of Jesus.
    – She walks to each one and stretches out a hand to touch a part of the statue. She lingers there so I assume she is praying.
  • She moves on to the next statue and so on.
After she has touched and prayed in front of each statue, she walks out of mass.
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particularly at the time you’ve mentioned:
TrueLight said:
I’ve only seen it during daily mass…
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and my mind went immediately to this:
ConstantineTG said:
Although I’ve seen such behavior in the Philippines particularly in the major churches that are major shrines in the country. Maybe she came from such a setting and just carried the habit along with her.
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Like Constantine I’ve seen this behavior when I’ve attended Mass in Manilla; moreover, my home parish in California has a large and vibrant Filipino commuity, and I’ve seen Filipino parishioners praying to various statues during Mass, particularly weekday Masses.
 
Luna_Lovecraft said:
I, too, have seen behavior like what you’ve described:

particularly at the time you’ve mentioned:

and my mind went immediately to this:

Like Constantine I’ve seen this behavior when I’ve attended Mass in Manilla; moreover, my home parish in California has a large and vibrant Filipino commuity, and I’ve seen Filipino parishioners praying to various statues during Mass, particularly weekday Masses.
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They don’t pray to the statues, they pray to the saints! :eek:
 
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