What do you think of greeters?

[ac_claire]

Greeting people is not part of the Mass. It happens before and sometimes after the Mass.

So let me understand what you and several others on this thread are trying to explain, and please remember that I spent 47 years in the evangelical tradition, so I honestly can’t envision what you are seeing as the best way.

You would like to see a parish where there are no official “greeters” in the narthex or nave and there is no formal greeting ministry. Ushers to take up the collection, run the sound system, etc. are OK, but they should not talk to people in the nave other than the simplest of whispered greetings.

You want people to enter the church building, including the narthex or lobby portion of the church, without speaking, other than the simplest “hey” or “hi” or “good morning.” No further talking, and certainly no “chatter.”

um, no. I’m not sure where you’re getting all these conclusions you’re jumping to. With the exception of the sentence I’ve bolded above, this is all conjecture. I mean exactly what I said in my last couple of posts about greeters.

You want silence in the nave as much as is possible for humans. No talking at all between Masses, other than prayers (e.g., the Rosary).

If people wish to talk and chatter, they should go outside the church building, or into a fellowship hall set aside for loud chatter and talking.

You want silence between Masses in the narthex, too, since any chatter or greetings will carry over into the nave where people are praying.

No, Cat. I don’t want artificial, superstore-esque canned greetings and chatter by people who consider it their “job” to do so. How about taking that and what others have said at face value instead of jumping to made-up conclusions and judgements about it?

You want a time of Coffee and Donuts in a separate hall or room in the church building for anyone who wishes to talk. Visitors will learn about this…how? A sign prominently posted in the narthex? And the visitors will feel invited and welcomed because of the message/graphic on the sign? Is that an accurate way for me to describe the way visitors are welcomed?

You believe that strangers and visitors should not be greeted formally, but only by those parishioners, perhaps the ones sitting near them, or standing near them in the narthex, who happen to notice them and feel convicted to smile and whisper a simple “Hello” or “Good morning.”

People in the parish should be encouraged by the priests to greet people that they don’t know, but with a simple smile and sotto voce word of greeting.

A visitor or stranger who attempts to talk or ask questions should be responded to in a whisper or a very soft voice, and if they continue to talk out loud, they should be told that we must keep silence in the church.

Outside the Mass, the parishioners should be involved in loving acts throughout the week, namely the giving of alms for the poor, and doing hands-on acts that demonstrate love–e.g., making meals and delivering them to those in need, spending time with those who are lonely, helping those who are depressed to seek appropriate treatment both cognitive and medical, visiting and spending time with the elderly and the forgotten, etc.

Is this the picture that you are trying to get across of the “Perfect Church?”

No it’s not, but I hope you’ve at least entertained yourself when you were typing all this up. Of course I want visitors to feel welcome. An artificial “greeting” ministry isn’t going to make this happen across the board.

Is this how Catholic churches have always been? Again, please keep in mind that I only started attending Catholic churches in 2001. I don’t have the history and tradition and frame of reference that you do.

Were Catholic churches really silent in the narthexes in the past? If so, how long ago was this?

Is this what you do? Is this how your parish works? People like it this way? Is the parish “close” i.e., are people friends and is the fellowship sweet and frequent? Are the people there for each other?

Does it work? Do you have a lot of visitors? Do you get a good number of converts to Catholicism from Protestantism (not due to marriage), and from other non-Christian religions? Do you get a lot of reverts?

Yes. I’m not sure but I believe you’re trying to make a point that official Greeters stationed at the door = welcoming, loving church that people want to join? If so…then I do understand your sentiments (and that’s exactly what they are) but it just doesn’t follow logically.