Venting thread: Horrified at disrespect shown

[StJudePray4Me]

Hi guys

I am venting to you folks because I know that you will understand my absolute horror at the following thing I witnessed at Mass…

I went to a neighboring Parish for the Saturday vigil Mass, for scheduling reasons mostly, I had a lot going on last weekend and knew it might be my only opportunity to get to Mass. This other Parish is near work. I had never been there for a Sunday Mass.

The Mass itself was well attended, mostly older folks. Now, the Church is very old and undergoing some renovations, so the front doors were blocked off with scaffolding, and the side doors were being used to enter and exit the Church. These doors are practically RIGHT NEXT to the altar. Like, step down the two steps from the altar, and the doors are directly to the right and left of you.

So the end of Mass comes, the priest celebrating says “The Mass is ended…” and before he could even finish his sentence…people were out of their pews and out the doors…practically RIGHT NEXT to the priest! In the front, where everyone could see! He wasn’t even off the altar yet, and probably 15-20% of the people were out the door!!! Then even more left the minute his feet hit the aisle!

I think it’s disrespectful enough to leave before the priest is off the altar, but to do it in FULL VIEW of the entire congregation, and the priest???

I was mortified!

 

[maryjk]

I think it happens at every parish, you just don’t see it. That doesn’t it make it any less disrespectful, just more common.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Hi guys

I am venting to you folks because I know that you will understand my absolute horror at the following thing I witnessed at Mass…

I went to a neighboring Parish for the Saturday vigil Mass, for scheduling reasons mostly, I had a lot going on last weekend and knew it might be my only opportunity to get to Mass. This other Parish is near work. I had never been there for a Sunday Mass.

The Mass itself was well attended, mostly older folks. Now, the Church is very old and undergoing some renovations, so the front doors were blocked off with scaffolding, and the side doors were being used to enter and exit the Church. These doors are practically RIGHT NEXT to the altar. Like, step down the two steps from the altar, and the doors are directly to the right and left of you.

So the end of Mass comes, the priest celebrating says “The Mass is ended…” and before he could even finish his sentence…people were out of their pews and out the doors…practically RIGHT NEXT to the priest! In the front, where everyone could see! He wasn’t even off the altar yet, and probably 15-20% of the people were out the door!!! Then even more left the minute his feet hit the aisle!

I think it’s disrespectful enough to leave before the priest is off the altar, but to do it in FULL VIEW of the entire congregation, and the priest???

I was mortified!

To be sure, I thought you were going to come up with something new This does not surprise me one bit. There are people in my church that walk out before the priest leaves and they sit in the front of the church and have to walk all the way to the back in front of everybody because we don’t have side entrances. And there are others who go straight from the Communion line to the door. Now I am not talking about emergency leavings–this goes on every week.

We just have to pray for them. I’m used to it now, but it saddens me.

 

[GloriousOrder]

Some people like to get out quickly so they can hit the bars as fast as possible on a Saturday night. We mustn’t be indignant at the vices of others, dear me!

It’s nice to see at least 50% of the congregation remain for the recession. What do you expect, though? Most people go to Mass out of a sense of obligation, not any love for the sacraments. This is a simple fact attested by all the saints through history.

 

[StJudePray4Me]

Some people like to get out quickly so they can hit the bars as fast as possible on a Saturday night. We mustn’t be indignant at the vices of others, dear me!

It’s nice to see at least 50% of the congregation remain for the recession. What do you expect, though? Most people go to Mass out of a sense of obligation, not any love for the sacraments. This is a simple fact attested by all the saints through history.

LOL.

I figured it was to make it before the Early Bird Specials were over!

I suppose I was just astonished, not at the fact that people leave, but that they would be SO BOLD about it. I can actually get behind the Communion line ----> out the door people because at least they try to be subtle!!!

I just felt like these people were practically walking over the toes of Father’s shoes to get out the door 5 nanoseconds earlier than everyone else.

(sigh) I guess I’m still naive.

 

[Robertanthony]

I just felt like these people were practically walking over the toes of Father’s shoes to get out the door 5 nanoseconds earlier than everyone else.

Time is money. Every (nano)second counts! Seriously, that’s basic courtesy that you’d expect people in a church to have. When I’m at mass, after the blessing at the very end, I’ll wait until the priest has walked past my pew to get out of it. Again, to me that’s basic respect and courtesy.

 

[Mumbles140]

I remember the priest in charge of the youth group in high school giving us a session on mass etiquette. Leaving before the priest was obviously one of the biggest things, and he told us about a priest who hung a banner above the main exit that said ‘Judas was the first to leave the Last Supper.’ Apparently, that helped curb the problem!

 

[Stylites]

I think it’s disrespectful enough to leave before the priest is off the altar, but to do it in FULL VIEW of the entire congregation, and the priest???

I was mortified!

You gotta figure at least they were being honest. How many more wouldn’t come to Mass at all if they were invisible to others, or couldn’t look at anyone else for whatever inordinate reason?

 

[StJudePray4Me]

You gotta figure at least they were being honest. How many more wouldn’t come to Mass at all if they were invisible to others, or couldn’t look at anyone else for whatever inordinate reason?

Very interesting comment… how many WOULD attend if no one knew whether you were there or not?

However, this brand of “honesty”, to me at least, is akin to attending a dinner party and telling the hostess the food sucked.

 

[TheMc]

However, this brand of “honesty”, to me at least, is akin to attending a dinner party and telling the hostess the food sucked.

Agreed.

 

[MissRose73]

That’s a good idea, and maybe the church the OP went to could use it.

I remember the priest in charge of the youth group in high school giving us a session on mass etiquette. Leaving before the priest was obviously one of the biggest things, and he told us about a priest who hung a banner above the main exit that said ‘Judas was the first to leave the Last Supper.’ Apparently, that helped curb the problem!

 

[Dorothy]

I remember the priest in charge of the youth group in high school giving us a session on mass etiquette. Leaving before the priest was obviously one of the biggest things, and he told us about a priest who hung a banner above the main exit that said ‘Judas was the first to leave the Last Supper.’ Apparently, that helped curb the problem!

All pastors should give a similar instruction to their flock. They need to hear it from the pulpit every so often, or nothing will change.

 

[paperwight66]

I remember the priest in charge of the youth group in high school giving us a session on mass etiquette. Leaving before the priest was obviously one of the biggest things, and he told us about a priest who hung a banner above the main exit that said ‘Judas was the first to leave the Last Supper.’ Apparently, that helped curb the problem!

Hmmm - well, logically, if this was taken seriously, nobody would dare to be the first to leave the church, and they’d be there 24/7.

Better wording would be ‘Judas left before the first Mass was over’.

 

[Newbie2]

Very interesting comment… how many WOULD attend if no one knew whether you were there or not?

However, this brand of “honesty”, to me at least, is akin to attending a dinner party and telling the hostess the food sucked.

LOL. Yes, true.

All pastors should give a similar instruction to their flock. They need to hear it from the pulpit every so often, or nothing will change.

Exactomundo. It falls on the priest to lead. We can try to lead by example, but this problem needs “clerical (name removed by moderator)ut”.

 

[puzzleannie]

Some people like to get out quickly so they can hit the bars as fast as possible on a Saturday night. We mustn’t be indignant at the vices of others, dear me!

and many of the older parishioners leave early because they also have someplace they think they need to be, can’t drive at night or other reason that seems good to them, so don’t jump to conclusions. The disrespect is always there, but just more noticeable at this parish because of the location of the door. At our residential parish the door closest to the parking lot is also the door closest to the sacristy so the priest usually has to try not to collide with the rush to get out early.

 

[Newbie2]

and many of the older parishioners leave early because they also have someplace they think they need to be, can’t drive at night or other reason that seems good to them, so don’t jump to conclusions. The disrespect is always there, but just more noticeable at this parish because of the location of the door. At our residential parish the door closest to the parking lot is also the door closest to the sacristy so the priest usually has to try not to collide with the rush to get out early.

Exactly. Where they THINK they need to be, where staying an extra two minutes will make them late. OK, yes, it make take them longer to get to their car than younger folks, but you make a good point that some seniors have a different sense of…things, let’s say.

We have a door in the back-side of the church that slams when it closes, so it’s very noticible when people leave right after communion. Our pastor nixed the idea of posting ushers near the doors (not to prevent people from leaving), but to give them “the look”, lol, when they leave early.

 

[Stylites]

I’ve seen the “Recessional Rush” happen even in the cathedral before the bishop. Are the bishops and priests as mortified and horrified as the OP, I have to wonder? Certainly they don’t take it all personally, as they are acting in the Person of Jesus, who looks upon people with love and mercy, Who advises that we seek out the lowliest of seats, Who emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave.

Respect has to come from the heart, and they are patiently leading by loving example rather than by icey-stare edicts.

 

[Mumbles140]

Hmmm - well, logically, if this was taken seriously, nobody would dare to be the first to leave the church, and they’d be there 24/7.

Better wording would be ‘Judas left before the first Mass was over’.

Well, logically, no one would leave until the Priest (acting as the person of Jesus) had dismissed them, and himself (Himself) processed out/retired to the sacristy as it should be…

 

[laszlo]

The traditional view was that the Sunday and Holy Days of obligation is fulfilled if someone arrives just before the Offertory ring and do not leaves before the communion of the priest. Practically 20-30% of the people arrived during the sermon, left immediately after the priest received the Holy Sacrament, and many men went out to smoke during the sermon.

The (good) spirit of the XXI Ecumenical council redefined the mass, making every part (gathering, learning, offering; Sacrifice, meal, mission) equally important, but still many people arrive late and leave early. It is human, not horrifying.

 

[Bluegoat]

Apparently back in the old daysthere used to be morning Masses before work where people would drop in just long enough to recieve, and this was encouraged. There seems to have been an idea that the rest of the Mass was really just for the priest and superfolous for the rest.

I wonder if this modern thing comes out of that attitude? Because I have only ever encountered it in Catholic parishes.