When did priests stop doing Stations of the Cross?

[WavyGravy]

In my parish, three priests, during Lent: three daily Masses, once in awhile a funeral, and no Baptisms. As far as visiting the homebound- nope, Ordinary Ministers here do that. No hospitals under the jurisdiction of this parish, so only hospital visits when a parishioner needs last rites. Never see any of them in the school. Confessions during Lent on Wednesday evening, just before the Vigil on Saturday and Saturday morning. RCIA is run by a lovely married couple, no pre canna here, couples are sent to a neighboring parish. There is a funeral committee who meets with families. The priests have a cook, maid and laundress.
On this topic I would have to say it is Lent, I make time to go to stations, maybe the priest can too.

Bishops, Priest and Deacons are the only Ordinary Ministers I know of…

You make a good point though. I see some incredibly busy people who attend the Stations. Unless the pastor is making an emergency hospital call, leading the Stations in another parish or ill in bed, where better for him to be?

 

[agapewolf]

In my parish, three priests, during Lent: three daily Masses, once in awhile a funeral, and no Baptisms. As far as visiting the homebound- nope, Ordinary Ministers here do that. No hospitals under the jurisdiction of this parish, so only hospital visits when a parishioner needs last rites. Never see any of them in the school. Confessions during Lent on Wednesday evening, just before the Vigil on Saturday and Saturday morning. RCIA is run by a lovely married couple, no pre canna here, couples are sent to a neighboring parish. There is a funeral committee who meets with families. The priests have a cook, maid and laundress.
On this topic I would have to say it is Lent, I make time to go to stations, maybe the priest can too.

I have no idea about your priests, perhaps they are shirking responsibility. But again, I say follow them around for a month to find out what is really going on.

Do you really know what he does with his days? or are you just assumming because you don’t see him at the school. No baptisms during lent, but maybe they are doing preparrations with parents for it? Priests often have diocesan duties as well. There is so much we don’t know about their lives.

Just because there are lay people doing ministries does not mean that the priests aren’t also.

 

[stbruno]

We have stations done on subsequent days in 3 languages. Our priest speaks 2 of the 3 but usually our deacon or lay ministers will lead the stations. The sad fact is the attendance at stations is pitiful. Our English stations draws only 25 people in a parish of 1400 families. I don’t get it. What are people doing for Lent? Or don’t they even care? More reasons to pray

 

[Lovemyfaith]

Bishops, Priest and Deacons are the only Ordinary Ministers I know of…

Now see, in this parish, I meant what I said, QUITE Ordinary Ministers. Come count them at Mass1 next to the Celebrant two to the side, two in the back, while the pastor sits in the Sacristy and the other guy is off getting coffee. The Ordinary Ministers visit the homebound and nursing homes. In fact at our Parish Mission Mass with no less than 5 priests on the Altar, only the Celebrant distributed Communion, the rest sat. Don’t worry, he had some help from the Ordinaries.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

I have no idea about your priests, perhaps they are shirking responsibility. But again, I say follow them around for a month to find out what is really going on.
Do you really know what he does with his days? or are you just assumming because you don’t see him at the school. No baptisms during lent, but maybe they are doing preparrations with parents for it? Priests often have diocesan duties as well. There is so much we don’t know about their lives. Just because there are lay people doing ministries does not mean that the priests aren’t also.

Our church is across the parking lot from the rectory, no more than 50 yards. Two of them drive it to Celebrate Mass. I am afraid I can’t move slow enough to follow them around.
As for helping the parents with Baptism, no that doesn’t happen here. Lay people do that. They do meet with engaged couples twice before the wedding, but again, no pre canna here. And they are not at rehersal. As for diocesan duties, none teach at the high school, or work at the diocese office. They try to alternate one week on one off between them. They actually tell people that. One Sunday my husband asked one if he would be there after Mass and that priest told him “No, I’m trying to get out of here.” This was at noon.

 

[Phemie]

Then you’ve got our pastor who is also the administrator for a Mission. He wanted to be pastor for the Mission and made it clear that he didn’t want to be our pastor but there you go, he’s here.

You’d think that with that much on his plate he’d be at work all the time, wouldn’t you? Well, no, he likes to spend money so he substitute teaches as much as he can, sometimes for a month at a time.

But even when he’s not teaching he:
-won’t celebrate the Eucharist in our parish on Mondays (his day off), Wednesdays (he celebrates Mass at noon at the Mission, at least he does if someone shows up but if they don’t he just comes back home without celebrating), Fridays (same as Wed.);

• wouldn’t consider organizing the Stations for Lent;
• finds a reason to be away on the one night that a Holy Hour of Adoration is scheduled so the congregation goes without;
• won’t schedule regular confessions;
• won’t meet with parents presenting children for baptism and refuses to interview the kids preparing for the sacraments;
• rolls as many marriage prep sessions into one as he can so he doesn’t have to meet with couples too often.

Yeah, poor dear is overworked.

 

[WavyGravy]

There also the issue of simply not allowing things. For example if no clergy are available, the laity can expose/repose the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic Adoration (No they cannot do the Benediction.) We asked two pastors in a row for adoration on first Fridays and were told “no” time and time again. We offered to do it all ourselves as we already legitimately have keys to the church. Again, no way.

During the few weeks between the leaving of our last pastor and the arrival of our current one we planned and implemented first Friday adoration on our own. We were expecting a show-down with the new pastor but he was delighted. I’m still not sure he isn’t aware that it’s not a long-held tradition at the parish. It worked out well, which is not a surprise given our new pastor easily works 3-4x more than the last two combined.

 

[WavyGravy]

Now see, in this parish, I meant what I said, QUITE Ordinary Ministers. Come count them at Mass1 next to the Celebrant two to the side, two in the back, while the pastor sits in the Sacristy and the other guy is off getting coffee. The Ordinary Ministers visit the homebound and nursing homes. In fact at our Parish Mission Mass with no less than 5 priests on the Altar, only the Celebrant distributed Communion, the rest sat. Don’t worry, he had some help from the Ordinaries.

So some of your PRIEST(S) [maybe you are only speaking of your pastor and/or parochial vicar(s)?] don’t do a whole lot because other PRIESTS and DEACONS carry the load? Is that what you are trying to communicate?

 

[WavyGravy]

We have stations done on subsequent days in 3 languages. Our priest speaks 2 of the 3 but usually our deacon or lay ministers will lead the stations. The sad fact is the attendance at stations is pitiful. Our English stations draws only 25 people in a parish of 1400 families. I don’t get it. What are people doing for Lent? Or don’t they even care? More reasons to pray

I went to stations last Friday night. 30-40 people in attendance including the pastor. I silently gave thanks. Vespers during Christmas often drew less than half a dozen.

This low attendance is directly related to either no such celebrations or the absence of the pastor at such celebrations for years.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

Now see, in this parish, I meant what I said, QUITE Ordinary Ministers. Come count them at Mass1 next to the Celebrant two to the side, two in the back, while the pastor sits in the Sacristy and the other guy is off getting coffee. The Ordinary Ministers visit the homebound and nursing homes. In fact at our Parish Mission Mass with no less than 5 priests on the Altar, only the Celebrant distributed Communion, the rest sat. Don’t worry, he had some help from the Ordinaries.

So some of your PRIEST(S) [maybe you are only speaking of your pastor and/or parochial vicar(s)?] don’t do a whole lot because other PRIESTS and DEACONS carry the load? Is that what you are trying to communicate

I am sorry, I guess my sarcasm isn’t working, serves me right. I meant the 3 priests use the EMHC’s of the parish to do most jobs, that is why I call the EMCH’s ordinary. It doesn’t bother me that much unless it is something Liturgically wrong, like letting the EMHC’s give out Communion when the priest are around. This past Christmas at the 8 pm Mass it happened that all three priest were in attendance, the pastor was the Celebrant. Neither of the parochial vicars distributed Communion. One sat down, the other went up on the Altar to start clearing it. Maybe he was in a hurry. The pastor and about 8 EMHC gave out Communion.
Not to hijack the thread, because I know priest who do work hard, and still make time during Lent to be at Stations every week. Lent should be about making sacrifices of our time, moreso for devotions.