What do you think of greeters?

[Ockham]

How about reading some facts. I’ll even provide a link: tldm.org/News6/statistics.htm

*Priests. After skyrocketing from about 27,000 in 1930 to 58,000 in 1965, the number of priests in the United States dropped to 45,000 in 2002. By 2020, there will be about 31,000 priests–and only 15,000 will be under the age of 70. Right now there are more priests aged 80 to 84 than there are aged 30 to 34.

Ordinations. In 1965 there were 1,575 ordinations to the priesthood, in 2002 there were 450, a decline of 350 percent. Taking into account ordinations, deaths and departures, in 1965 there was a net gain of 725 priests. In 1998, there was a net loss of 810.

Priestless parishes. About 1 percent of parishes, 549, were without a resident priest in 1965. In 2002 there were 2,928 priestless parishes, about 15 percent of U.S. parishes. By 2020, a quarter of all parishes, 4,656, will have no priest.

Seminarians. Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped from 49,000 to 4,700–a 90 percent decrease. Without any students, seminaries across the country have been sold or shuttered. There were 596 seminaries in 1965, and only 200 in 2002.

Sisters. 180,000 sisters were the backbone of the Catholic education and health systems in 1965. In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average age of 68. By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000–and of these, only 21,000 will be aged 70 or under. In 1965, 104,000 sisters were teaching, while in 2002 there were only 8,200 teachers.

Brothers. The number of professed brothers decreased from about 12,000 in 1965 to 5,700 in 2002, with a further drop to 3,100 projected for 2020.

Religious Orders. The religious orders will soon be virtually non-existent in the United States. For example, in 1965 there were 5,277 Jesuit priests and 3,559 seminarians; in 2000 there were 3,172 priests and 38 seminarians. There were 2,534 OFM Franciscan priests and 2,251 seminarians in 1965; in 2000 there were 1,492 priests and 60 seminarians. There were 2,434 Christian Brothers in 1965 and 912 seminarians; in 2000 there were 959 Brothers and 7 seminarians. There were 1,148 Redemptorist priests in 1965 and 1,128 seminarians; in 2000 there were 349 priests and 24 seminarians. Every major religious order in the United States mirrors these statistics.

High Schools. Between 1965 and 2002 the number of diocesan high schools fell from 1,566 to 786. At the same time the number of students dropped from almost 700,000 to 386,000.

Parochial Grade Schools. There were 10,503 parochial grade schools in 1965 and 6,623 in 2002. The number of students went from 4.5 million to 1.9 million.

Sacramental Life. In 1965 there were 1.3 million infant baptisms; in 2002 there were 1 million. (In the same period the number of Catholics in the United States rose from 45 million to 65 million.) In 1965 there were 126,000 adult baptisms-----converts-----in 2002 there were 80,000. In 1965 there were 352,000 Catholic marriages, in 2002 there were 256,000. In 1965 there were 338 annulments, in 2002 there were 50,000.

Mass attendance. A 1958 Gallup poll reported that 74 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1958. A 1994 University of Notre Dame study found that the attendance rate was 26.6 percent. A more recent study by Fordham University professor James Lothian concluded that 65 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1965, while the rate dropped to 25 percent in 2000. *

I guess we need more greeters, maybe with balloons, dancing down the aisle, with giant puppets following.

 

[tcm22]

I was accused of falsehoods first. Shouldn’t the church’s ministry of first impressions have more sincerity than to lash out at those who don’t appreciate them?

Huh? That’s just nonsense. I was responding to some of your statements regarding greeters at Mass. I’m not sure what that has to do with the “ministry of first impressions.” You seem to put too much significance on the whole thing. Does the fact that there’s a specific ministry make the “Good Morning” less sincere somehow? Are you distracted when a non-greeter acknowledges your arrival at Mass?

What’s next, “farewellers”? I suppose the master of ceremonies or whatever that extra lay person in the Sanctuary is called serves a necessary purpose to in the grand plan.

Not everyone endorses the most recent innovation or laity distraction.

Actually, I’ve seen a variation on that very notion in a lot of places. Typically the ushers, or those who were greeters before Mass, position themselves outside the Sanctuary to help collect missalettes and hand out bulletins. Why you feel the need to add all the hyperbole is beyond me. Would it distract you from God if someone handed you a bulletin and wished you a “Good Morning” on the way out of Mass?

You dodged my previous question, so I’ll repeat. Is only that which is necessary somehow without error? By that standard, would you eliminate anything that is somehow (by you?) deemed unnecessary before and after Mass? Sometimes we have donuts and coffee after Mass. Totally unnecessary, and probaly somewhat distracting right after Mass and all. What do you think?

 

[Ockham]

Good grief. In response to the OP’s question, I don’t appreciate greeters. From that you can’t extrapolate I don’t like people, mornings, baby ducks, sunsets, or whatever other absurd conclusion you attempt. Why does it bother you so that some people don’t appreciate your efforts? I prefer less laity participation in the liturgy and more focus on Christ. Now that may offend you but I don’t go to church to appease your agenda. If you read the statistics I posted it seems the majority of Catholics don’t like the “reformed” Church the Age of Aquarius created either.

 

[sckcd]

How about reading some facts. I’ll even provide a link: tldm.org/News6/statistics.htm

*Priests. After skyrocketing from about 27,000 in 1930 to 58,000 in 1965, the number of priests in the United States dropped to 45,000 in 2002. By 2020, there will be about 31,000 priests–and only 15,000 will be under the age of 70. Right now there are more priests aged 80 to 84 than there are aged 30 to 34.

Ordinations. In 1965 there were 1,575 ordinations to the priesthood, in 2002 there were 450, a decline of 350 percent. Taking into account ordinations, deaths and departures, in 1965 there was a net gain of 725 priests. In 1998, there was a net loss of 810.

Priestless parishes. About 1 percent of parishes, 549, were without a resident priest in 1965. In 2002 there were 2,928 priestless parishes, about 15 percent of U.S. parishes. By 2020, a quarter of all parishes, 4,656, will have no priest.

Seminarians. Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped from 49,000 to 4,700–a 90 percent decrease. Without any students, seminaries across the country have been sold or shuttered. There were 596 seminaries in 1965, and only 200 in 2002.

Sisters. 180,000 sisters were the backbone of the Catholic education and health systems in 1965. In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average age of 68. By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000–and of these, only 21,000 will be aged 70 or under. In 1965, 104,000 sisters were teaching, while in 2002 there were only 8,200 teachers.

Brothers. The number of professed brothers decreased from about 12,000 in 1965 to 5,700 in 2002, with a further drop to 3,100 projected for 2020.

Religious Orders. The religious orders will soon be virtually non-existent in the United States. For example, in 1965 there were 5,277 Jesuit priests and 3,559 seminarians; in 2000 there were 3,172 priests and 38 seminarians. There were 2,534 OFM Franciscan priests and 2,251 seminarians in 1965; in 2000 there were 1,492 priests and 60 seminarians. There were 2,434 Christian Brothers in 1965 and 912 seminarians; in 2000 there were 959 Brothers and 7 seminarians. There were 1,148 Redemptorist priests in 1965 and 1,128 seminarians; in 2000 there were 349 priests and 24 seminarians. Every major religious order in the United States mirrors these statistics.

High Schools. Between 1965 and 2002 the number of diocesan high schools fell from 1,566 to 786. At the same time the number of students dropped from almost 700,000 to 386,000.

Parochial Grade Schools. There were 10,503 parochial grade schools in 1965 and 6,623 in 2002. The number of students went from 4.5 million to 1.9 million.

Sacramental Life. In 1965 there were 1.3 million infant baptisms; in 2002 there were 1 million. (In the same period the number of Catholics in the United States rose from 45 million to 65 million.) In 1965 there were 126,000 adult baptisms-----converts-----in 2002 there were 80,000. In 1965 there were 352,000 Catholic marriages, in 2002 there were 256,000. In 1965 there were 338 annulments, in 2002 there were 50,000.

Mass attendance. A 1958 Gallup poll reported that 74 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1958. A 1994 University of Notre Dame study found that the attendance rate was 26.6 percent. A more recent study by Fordham University professor James Lothian concluded that 65 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1965, while the rate dropped to 25 percent in 2000*.

I guess we need more greeters, maybe with balloons, dancing down the aisle, with giant puppets following.

It sounds like you need something all right. Maybe a friendly face at the door would be welcoming to a maybe-convert. Sure beats a sourpuss.

 

[nancy_dalrymple]

It sounds like you need something all right. Maybe a friendly face at the door would be welcoming to a maybe-convert. Sure beats a sourpuss.

To much information and no love, makes OCK a sad boy:shrug:

 

[otjm]

My Parish started this just a little over a year ago. I may seem like a grouch for disagreeing with this so called (“New Age”) Catholic ministry which was never really Catholic in the first place. Having (“Greeters at the Church doors”) was something something rationalized and borrowed by liberalized Catholic Clergy from Protestant Ecumunism that I am “not” and have never been in full favor of, not because of bias but because of Catholic Tradition.

That is pure, unadulterated, absolute hogwash. When I was a child before Vatican 2, we had them - we called them ushers (which they did) and they also greeted people as they were coming into the church. What a rant - this has nothing to do with the tabernacle, as it is done in the narthex, not the nave. You obviously don’t know much about Catholic tradition (with a small “t”; with a large “T” it refers to something else).

 

[philialeaf]

HI I think i missed you to. Welcome to CAF You are Loved Love of Christ Nancy

Thank you for the welcome, Nancy!

 

[tcm22]

Good grief. In response to the OP’s question, I don’t appreciate greeters. From that you can’t extrapolate I don’t like people, mornings, baby ducks, sunsets, or whatever other absurd conclusion you attempt. Why does it bother you so that some people don’t appreciate your efforts? I prefer less laity participation in the liturgy and more focus on Christ. Now that may offend you but I don’t go to church to appease your agenda. If you read the statistics I posted it seems the majority of Catholics don’t like the “reformed” Church the Age of Aquarius created either.

You’re the one who claimed people saying “good morning” is a “manufactured ministry” in “error” that comes between you and God. That’s not hyperbole, I’m merely repeating back what you’re saying.

I’m also responding to YOUR extrapolation about the insincere motives of those who choose to arrive at Church early to say “good morning” to people like you.

For the record, I’m not a greeter.

Additionally, greeting people at the door to the Church before Mass is not “laity participation in the liturgy.” It’s people saying good morning, extending a greeting in Christian fellowship.

I see the point your trying to make with your statistics, and don’t disagree with you completely. I would probably dispute your notion of the ““reformed” Church the Age of Aquarius created” or what “most” Catholics think, but there’s too many variables in US society to say the reforms of VII are the lone cause of the decline of the Catholic faith. That’s another thread.

What I don’t see anywhere in your statistics is the idea that we are to be obedient to the the Pope and the Bishops. I have no agenda except to be a faithful Catholic. I try to base my understanding of what it means to be a faithful Catholic on what the Church teaches today, not some rose-colored notion of what it used to be.

 

[nancy_dalrymple]

Thank you for the welcome, Nancy!

Noun 1. greeter - a person who greets; “the newcomers were met by smiling greeters”
saluter, welcomer
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; “there was too much for one person to do”

some people will just not get it, no matter what, it is better to let small things go for the sake of peace! You are Loved ! And Welcomed!

 

[Ockham]

It’s amazing how lengthy the threads get when you disagree with liturgical liberals.

If you are obedient to the Pope why do we have CITH? Agreed, that’s another thread, but it serves as an example to disprove your argument that everything post V2 is just groovy.

My point is all these superflous ministries are not required and when their chatter spills into the nave, can actually take away from worship. In one church in my area they stand in the nave, back to Christ, and initiate frivolous chatter about banalities unsuitable to God’s House causing a distraction to those who prefer to pray before Mass.

The OP asked a question, I answered. Personally, I don’t care if you stand at the door of your church welcoming people, the nearest Walmart, or the highschool football game. I prefer to attend Mass at a church where such acts of charity aren’t regulated into a mini-ministry. Any chatter prior to Mass is conducted outside the nave, in hushed voices, about the feastday, updates on seminarians, and such. The subject is Christ. The focus is Christ. There’s no one blocking your view.

 

[ac_claire]

Wow…just…wow. I guess “manufactured ministry” could include pretty much everything that doesn’t directly involve the priest. You must be a real joy to your Parish.

Yes, “manufactured ministry” could accurately describe a great many of the different and new ministries that have popped up in the modern church. It’s just a fact…various duties and responsibilites that have always been taken care of in some way or another (but weren’t officially codified) are now official “ministries.” But really, it’s just about being an adult Catholic in the Church. Greeting people is politeness, and not something that is always necessary at a church. Herding people to their seats and making sure they don’t come in late, etc. isn’t really necessary.

It sounds like you need something all right. Maybe a friendly face at the door would be welcoming to a maybe-convert. Sure beats a sourpuss.

Are you saying that the only two alternatives are a.) having official Greeters meet you at the door or b.) be resigned to being a parish of sourpusses?

 

[sckcd]

Yes, “manufactured ministry” could accurately describe a great many of the different and new ministries that have popped up in the modern church. It’s just a fact…various duties and responsibilites that have always been taken care of in some way or another (but weren’t officially codified) are now official “ministries.” But really, it’s just about being an adult Catholic in the Church. Greeting people is politeness, and not something that is always necessary at a church. Herding people to their seats and making sure they don’t come in late, etc. isn’t really necessary.

Are you saying that the only two alternatives are a.) having official Greeters meet you at the door or b.) be resigned to being a parish of sourpusses?

Nope, not at all. I am saying that if numbers are in such a decline, what would it hurt to have someone welcoming people at the door? Having a welcoming face at the door might make it seem less intimidating to a new person. I know, I’ve been there.

Honestly, I don’t care if your church has greeters or not, but I do think it’s a nice idea for new people. I think it probably helps more people than it hurts. I certainly don’t think it’s anything to get offended by or all in a fuss over.

The greeter at my church is the priest, btw, would that offend you?

 

[Tepeyac]

I think that nowadays it’s important to have greeters in some way to make strangers feel welcome. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an elaborate ministry, and maybe it can ovelap with an already existing one, like having the ushers also act as greeters for instance. I don’t think the only alternatives are either having greeters or being sourpusses, but I think it’s really important we not be sourpusses. To strangers we are the face of the Church and how we act towards them might influence the way they see the Church.

 

[nancy_dalrymple]

You know a few times as i was reading through here I thought of what was being said and i felt two differnt times that manufactured ministry ment to me the tv set. All the differnt churches on it, and all the differnt beliefs. i had to shut mine off and when i did put it on it was to watch SCI_FI. Or the news. No one wants to go to church any moer because they get to watch it on tv. Do you ever think of that? To me tv feels more like Wally World then the church and ushers or greeters ever could. You are loved Nancy

 

[Joan_M]

Do you mean that when you come home, if there’s someone else there, you would rather them not talk to you? I love coming home and being greeted by my spouse and family! We say hello to each other; we don’t just reserve that hospitality and consideration for guests!

Your analogy is off. I am talking about greeters in Church - all the ones I have seen are right inside the Church door, welcoming you as if you were a stranger.

When I come home, of course I want to talk to my spouse and son, but I certainly do not expect them to be right inside the front door telling me “Welcome to xxx house”!

As I said, when I enter a Catholic Church I am home. The family I speak to there is the Trinity, Mary and the saints. I do not want to be greeted. I would not like Walmart greeters, either. So, I’m different from you - no big deal. We were asked our opinions. We shouldn’t have to defend them.

 

[jmcrae]

Are you saying that the only two alternatives are a.) having official Greeters meet you at the door or b.) be resigned to being a parish of sourpusses?

By nature, most people are shy - they don’t speak to strangers. This goes double for Catholics. If people are not specifically instructed to welcome the strangers, they won’t - they’ll just stick to their own crowd. So, if there is no instruction to greet strangers in a parish, then, because of human nature, no one is going to speak to you when you go to Mass. They will totally ignore you and look past or through you, to talk to their friends. It won’t be on purpose to make you feel unwelcome - it’s only because you are a stranger - and yet, you will nevertheless feel that they don’t really want you there - that you are in the way of their important conversations with their friends, and that there is no place for you at their parish. But, if people have been instructed to greet strangers, then someone will say hello to you and make you feel welcome, and you will consider attending that parish again some day.

 

[CatholicZ09]

Well, my church is starting this ministry and this is what I found in a description they gave in a new “Ministries and Organizations of our Parish” booklet:

“Greet those who love us in the faith.” Titus 3:15

 

[nancy_dalrymple]

By nature, most people are shy - they don’t speak to strangers. This goes double for Catholics. If people are not specifically instructed to welcome the strangers, they won’t - they’ll just stick to their own crowd. So, if there is no instruction to greet strangers in a parish, then, because of human nature, no one is going to speak to you when you go to Mass. They will totally ignore you and look past or through you, to talk to their friends. It won’t be on purpose to make you feel unwelcome - it’s only because you are a stranger - and yet, you will nevertheless feel that they don’t really want you there - that you are in the way of their important conversations with their friends, and that there is no place for you at their parish. But, if people have been instructed to greet strangers, then someone will say hello to you and make you feel welcome, and you will consider attending that parish again some day.

You know snobs are about the worst thing for any church people who don’t feel welcomed proberly wont come back expecially if it is their first time. I have had that happen before in churches, during my searches (When i was a Cory Tan Boom) i had a feeling of not belonging in differnt curches and it was because people just stared at me and didn’t talk to me, even a nod was nice to know they recognized someone else was attending their church, and YA! ALL Come Back! that’s kina nice to!

 

[mpjw2]

hi all,

i can understand those of you that when you go to church your total focus is on Jesus and you do not want to be interrupted. I have encountered of friend of mine that fits that description.

when she is focused on Him she has walked by me and not even noticed my presence.

having said that, I do believe the greeter is there to offer a welcome and possibly introduce themself and a simple “may God bless you in church today” may break the “ice” and ease any tension that especially a visitor, unbeliever may have.

I have been a greeter and been first hand witness to how people react.

my experience says people for the most part appreciate being greeted at the door.

This was evident when our pastor would read in church letters from 1st time visitor’s.

The common theme the love of God they felt by our greeters at the door

 

[CatholicZ09]

Well, I’ve been reading some of these posts, and my church only has ushers so far, no one to greet at the door, but they are starting a greeters ministry within the next couple of months - we’re still getting names. When I walk to the church, there is no one to greet, so you just enter in. Then, you go into a little area and then there is another door leading into the sanctuary, and then you open it and you’re in the sanctuary. The ushers are usually hanging out like a little group and mostly are huddled together and don’t normally even say a word, not even a simple “hello.” This makes newcomers feel a little unwelcomed at first, but if you know the church, you get used to it. So, this is mainly why the church is getting greeters because the ushers don’t greet you. It would make me feel a little more welcome if someone would say “Good morning” or “Hello” when entering the Lord’s house. It makes you feel more welcome and makes the people seem nicer.