Weird, very weird

[WH1988]

Hello brothers and sisters,

I am still saddened by what I saw last afternoon. I went, with and adviced by my dear girlfriend to a Mass on a centre of the Jesuits, usually meant for young people. What I saw was unbelievable:

• The “Chapel” is in fact a small room. The altar is a common school table. The Body of Christ was stored on a box of plastic.
• The Priest has been sick, so he doesn’t stand up. He is always sitting behind the “altar”.
• The people NEVER stand up.
• The Word of God was read by people sitting on their chairs, with their back turned to the other people.
• There was no acclamation of the Word of God (the Hallelujah was forgotten).
• The Body and Blood of Christ was then presented on some wood recipients.

and etc. etc.

I felt very very very angry, and when I realized the Body of Christ was on a plastic box, I decided to “leave” the Mass by sitting on the end of the room (I was the only one which refused to sit at all, and thus had been standing for half an hour), and waiting for the first opportunity to leave unnoticed, which I did during the distribution of the bread (that was certainly no communion).

Did I behave well? What can I do about this situation? This seems to happen everyday. Was the Mass valid at all?

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

How can you be sure the ‘bread’ was just bread and not the Sacrament ?

 

[Phemie]

Hello brothers and sisters,

I am still saddened by what I saw last afternoon. I went, with and adviced by my dear girlfriend to a Mass on a centre of the Jesuits, usually meant for young people. What I saw was unbelievable:

• The “Chapel” is in fact a small room. The altar is a common school table. The Body of Christ was stored on a box of plastic.

I’m not sure what you mean by this. If this is NOT a chapel, surely the Blessed Sacrament isn’t reserved there.

• The Priest has been sick, so he doesn’t stand up. He is always sitting behind the “altar”.

That’s acceptable if the priest is weak or ill.

• The people NEVER stand up.

Were THEY sick too?

• The Word of God was read by people sitting on their chairs, with their back turned to the other people.
• There was no acclamation of the Word of God (the Hallelujah was forgotten).

**Not necessarily forgotten, if there was nobody to sing it it’s supposed to be omitted.
**

• The Body and Blood of Christ was then presented on some wood recipients.

and etc. etc.

I felt very very very angry, and when I realized the Body of Christ was on a plastic box, I decided to “leave” the Mass by sitting on the end of the room (I was the only one which refused to sit at all, and thus had been standing for half an hour), and waiting for the first opportunity to leave unnoticed, which I did during the distribution of the bread (that was certainly no communion).

Did I behave well? What can I do about this situation? This seems to happen everyday. Was the Mass valid at all?

Some of the things you list were abuses but nothing you list here made the Mass invalid that I can see. Did the priest use the proper form & matter for consecration? Real wheat bread & real wine with the proper words?

 

[benedictgal]

Hello brothers and sisters,

I am still saddened by what I saw last afternoon. I went, with and adviced by my dear girlfriend to a Mass on a centre of the Jesuits, usually meant for young people. What I saw was unbelievable:

• The “Chapel” is in fact a small room. The altar is a common school table. The Body of Christ was stored on a box of plastic.
• The Priest has been sick, so he doesn’t stand up. He is always sitting behind the “altar”.
• The people NEVER stand up.
• The Word of God was read by people sitting on their chairs, with their back turned to the other people.
• There was no acclamation of the Word of God (the Hallelujah was forgotten).
• The Body and Blood of Christ was then presented on some wood recipients.

and etc. etc.

I felt very very very angry, and when I realized the Body of Christ was on a plastic box, I decided to “leave” the Mass by sitting on the end of the room (I was the only one which refused to sit at all, and thus had been standing for half an hour), and waiting for the first opportunity to leave unnoticed, which I did during the distribution of the bread (that was certainly no communion).

Did I behave well? What can I do about this situation? This seems to happen everyday. Was the Mass valid at all?

First of all, do you know if the hosts were consecrated prior to being placed in the plastic container? If not, then, one can transport unconsecrated hosts in a plastic container if Mass is going to be celebrated away from Church (in the “chapel” you indicated). According to the GIRM, enough hosts should be consecrated at the Mass so that the people may receive Holy Communion. At my parish, during daily Mass, we have a container from which the communicant places the host into a ciborrium. This is then taken to the priest at the moment of preparation (along with the wine). Whatever Sacred Species is left over is either consumed by the priest or taken to the Tabernacle.

The wood vessels are not supposed to be used, unless they are lined with gold.

If the priest is elderly or infirmed, then, he may sit. Remember that towards the end of his life, special allowances were made for Pope John Paul II.

Regarding the Gospel Acclamation, if it’s not sung, it’s not done. In other words, it must be sung or it is omitted.

Now, was the consecration valid? Did the priest use the correct form or did he make up the words as he went along? Lastly, was the Blessed Sacrament replaced in the plastic box? Did the priest use those hosts in the plastic box for Holy Communion, or, were the hosts consecrated at the Mass?

The people are supposed to stand, sit and kneel at the prescribed times, unless they are elderily or infirmed.

What you described was rather disturbing; however, there are some blanks that you need to fill.