When someone faints

[mburn16]

It sounds to me like his father had the situation taken care of. As a rule, passing out is not a particularly serious event. In fact, if you read the other thread on Palm Sunday, at least two of us also saw people pass out in church. A little water, a little fresh air, and some time sitting down will usually take care of the problem.

While there might still have been the possibility for a medical situation, I doubt the Priest would have contributed much to the situation. If the child needed water and fresh air, the father can take care of that. If he needed a doctor, the father can come back and ask for help, and call an ambulance.

 

[bcprincess]

On the subject of what Jesus would have done…

Firstly he would have known what was wrong and if it was a simple faint and be ok in a few minutes thing…

So no need to stop and go to the boy

Secondly if it was a serious deathly situation he still would not have had to move as he could have resolved the situation with a miracle cure form where he was…

So no need to stop and go to the boy

Thirdly if it was the Father’s will that it was time to take the little boy home to be with him, then he would have said “Thy will not mine”…

So no need to stop and go to the boy

 

[GEddie]

Ok, I know that I brought up our LORD, but none of us is Him.

I still think that Fr. Should at least have determined that there was no need for an Anointing before going on.

However, it was a public situation with him in charge, and if he was familiar with the child, there was no need to distract everybody.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Godfollower]

The priest should have kept reading, for four reasons:

{Snip}.

1. This is an object lesson on why we don’t have women priests.

{Snip}.

In a split second, no less than half a dozen men scampered over to him with faces darkened with motherly concern. The resulting scene bordered on comical, for it was physically impossible for six men to cooperate in picking him up, since he had fallen sideways between pews and was lying on the floor. So they stood by helplessly as he pulled himself up by clinging to the back of the pew in front of him.

I have to say it was one of the most egregious displays of male effeminacy I have seen apart from footage of skirmishes in the Holy Land: a group of men babbling among themselves over someone lying on the ground in their midst.

What should they have done? Five of them should have assessed the situation, noticed that one of them was bound to reach Father first, and should have paid attention but stayed put. It doesn’t take six men, and under the circumstances even one would have been unable to do much anyway. Sadly most people think that the right thing to do when someone has fallen is to get that person upright immediately - usually in the clumsiest manner possible. But I think that stems from an uninformed desire to “do something”. (Admittedly there was a slim possibility that Father had broken his hip and then fallen; had that been the case, it would have become obvious in a couple seconds, and the right thing to do would have been to just let him lie there until the paramedics come.)

{Snip}.

I’m trying to understand your gender-based comments. Are you saying that women are incompetent to evaluate first aid emergencies, or men are? Women can’t figure out what to do when a child faints? Men don’t know how to handle medical problems? Women can’t figure out the importance of Mass? Men can’t act in emergencies?

Honestly, I can’t figure out which sex you’re insulting more. And I don’t know why you felt the need to go there.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Are you serious? The answer is a resounding B. The priest should have made sure the child was okay. The gospel is important but so is God’s command to rendering aid to someone who needs it. What if the child need to have an ambulance called and the delay cost him his life or caused him impairment.

Only the priest can call for an ambulance?

I highly doubt father celebrates the Liturgy with a cellphone in his pocket while many parishioners are sure to have one handy.

This is an extreme case of “let father do it”.

What can the priest do that others can not do? That is not already being done by the parent of the child in question?

 

[maryjk]

Only the priest can call for an ambulance?

I highly doubt father celebrates the Liturgy with a cellphone in his pocket while many parishioners are sure to have one handy.

This is an extreme case of “let father do it”.

What can the priest do that others can not do? That is not already being done by the parent of the child in question?

My first thought was “what, your priest is also a doctor?”

If there was something wrong with me, I would want a doctor in the house. And I would want the doctor to leave the Mass to help me.

 

[Leegal]

Today in Church there was a young boy (perhaps 6 or 7 years old) who fainted during the reading of the Gospel. The boy was only a few feet away from the priest reading the gospel, and he clunked down on the floor rather loudly. It’s an Eastern Catholic parish, so it’s a very small community. His father quickly scooped him up off the floor and took him outside. I won’t tell you what the priest did (just yet), but what should the pastor have done:

a. finish the gospel reading (he was about 75% into the reading);
b. stop suddenly, thereby interrupting the gospel reading,walk over to the boy and make sure he is okay. Then finish the reading.

I can see it both ways, but I definitely feel strongly about what I believe is the correct choice.

He should have asked someone to call 911 if the father had not already, and checked on the boy. An unusual situation will not invalidate the Mass or inconvenience the parishoners when the boy’s fainting was of immediate concern.

 

[SMHW]

I vote that the priest should have continued with the Gospel unless and until such time as another parishioner indicated that his assistance was needed.

In the case of most Masses I’ve attended where someone has a medical “incident”, the priest has continued with the Mass while others attended the victim. Occasionally, the priest has interrupted the Mass to ask for prayers or to request someone with medical training to come forward. But this was always done during a natural transition time between two actions.

Unless the priest is the only able-bodied person at Mass he should NOT be the “first responder”. If necessary -or even by choice- he can be the second, third, forth, fifth, six, seventh… responder who takes action once he is apprised of the situation by those who are primary responders.

Most observers who see such things happen at Mass don’t consider themselves to be the appropriate person to come to the immediate aid of the victim. That role belongs to companions/family members of victim, those sitting near the victim, persons with medical training, ushers/MCs/deacons not currently engaged in a liturgical activity, etc. And I have never seen a priest who was not watching the events out of the corner of his eye so as to be ready to help if/when necessary.

And I am quite sure most priests --and hopefully all in attendance at Mass who notice what is happening-- immediately add the ailing person to their list of Mass intentions.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

The little boy probably had locked his knees and cut off circulation to his brain - Soldiers on parade are specifically taught NOT to do this, because if you do, you will faint eventually. No harm is done, the faint takes care of the problem.

I vote the priest carry on with the reading.

Program is 75% downloaded, please do not interrupt.

 

[englishredrose]

Today in Church there was a young boy (perhaps 6 or 7 years old) who fainted during the reading of the Gospel. The boy was only a few feet away from the priest reading the gospel, and he clunked down on the floor rather loudly. It’s an Eastern Catholic parish, so it’s a very small community. His father quickly scooped him up off the floor and took him outside. I won’t tell you what the priest did (just yet), but what should the pastor have done:

a. finish the gospel reading (he was about 75% into the reading);
b. stop suddenly, thereby interrupting the gospel reading,walk over to the boy and make sure he is okay. Then finish the reading.

I can see it both ways, but I definitely feel strongly about what I believe is the correct choice.

May be the priest new that the boy’s father/family was there and was able to deal with him and so continued with the reading and found out later about the boy. People will faint if they have not had breakfast at such a long standing time. Its common and happens often. The Priest will know the situation enough and do what he chooses to do what he thinks right at the time whichever option. There is no right or wrong about this kind of thing by the way. Its a church service, not a performance.

I sit down and last year I was on the Altar and stood the Sunday but asked permission of the priest if I could sit for that on the thursday and He gave it easily enough. This year I am in the choir though alternate each sunday but er wisely chose to be in the choir over this period for numerous reasons and been an even wiser choice since being ill and incense does not always mix with phelmy stuff.

 

[TheDoctor]

It depends.

If there were other people in the Church who could render aid (family, ushers, fellow parishoners) and if they knew what was happening then you continue with the Mass. We once had someone pass out in the front row and only Father could see her. He stopped the reading and said “we need some help in the front row” and then continued on with Mass as help mobilized.

If there were other people in Church who could render aid and they told you the person was dying I think you stop Mass, give last rites and go on with Mass.

If there were no other people in the Church that were able to help then you stop and render first aid/call for help and then go on with Mass.

I’m sorry, is the point of this thread to argue hypothetical situations or to critize the actions of Father for a situation none of us were at?

 

[garn9173]

I vote that the priest should have continued with the Gospel unless and until such time as another parishioner indicated that his assistance was needed.

In the case of most Masses I’ve attended where someone has a medical “incident”, the priest has continued with the Mass while others attended the victim. **Occasionally, the priest has interrupted the Mass to ask for prayers **or to request someone with medical training to come forward. But this was always done during a natural transition time between two actions.

Unless the priest is the only able-bodied person at Mass he should NOT be the “first responder”. If necessary -or even by choice- he can be the second, third, forth, fifth, six, seventh… responder who takes action once he is apprised of the situation by those who are primary responders.

Most observers who see such things happen at Mass don’t consider themselves to be the appropriate person to come to the immediate aid of the victim. That role belongs to companions/family members of victim, those sitting near the victim, persons with medical training, ushers/MCs/deacons not currently engaged in a liturgical activity, etc. And I have never seen a priest who was not watching the events out of the corner of his eye so as to be ready to help if/when necessary.

And I am quite sure most priests --and hopefully all in attendance at Mass who notice what is happening-- immediately add the ailing person to their list of Mass intentions.

I’ve had something similar happen numerous times growing up as the Church was located right across from City Hall with a Fire Whistle/Tornado whistle on it that would go off whenever the volunteer fire fighters needed to report to the station. When that happened, the Priest would say something along the lines of “let’s pray it’s nothing serious” and resume with whatever part of the Mass we were in.

To answer the OP, if the boy’s father quickly came to the aid of his son, I think it would be proper for the Priest to keep on keeping on. However, if the boy and his father returned to their pew, I think would’ve been the right thing for the Priest to do after Mass to approch the boy & his Dad to make sure everything was okay.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I’m sorry, is the point of this thread to argue hypothetical situations or to critize the actions of Father for a situation none of us were at?

Unfortunately this seems to be a trend here.

No wonder there are not many of us religious or priests around here.

 

[happymommy]

One time an elderly man collapsed at the back of the church. Someone yelled out for a doctor or a nurse. A couple of people hopped up and took off running! They took the man outside and waited for the ambulance to come. Mass never stopped, even with all the sirens!

 

[Cristiano]

My idea is that the reading of the Gospel can be delayed, the Liturgy was not cancelled. If the priest believed that it was his pastoral duty to stop and take care of the child then I would submit to his authority. I do not know why the priest did what he did and so I accept his action as the right one. We could also have a reductio ad absurdum and ask what would the priest would have done if 20 people dropped dead in the pews.

 

[DECatholic617]

I fainted in church once during Communion when I was 12 years old. (I have low blood pressure and fainting was a somewhat common occurrence growing up.) My family was on vacation and we were in an unfamiliar parish. Like the OP’s situation, my dad simply scooped me up and carried me outside. A few parishioners followed him outside to make sure I was okay and get me some water. After Mass, the priest came over to check and see if I was okay, and cracked a couple of jokes to cheer me up. I think that was the ideal way for him to handle the situation. If something had been seriously wrong, I’m sure one of the other parishioners would have notified him before Mass was over. I was mortified—fainting in a public place is HIGHLY embarrassing—and I would have been even more upset if I’d learned that the priest had stopped Mass for me.

 

[nickybr38]

I not only fainted in church - I had a seizure.

The priest continued the Gospel. I was in the front row so he saw the whole thing go down.

I TRULY believe he did the right thing. Because he continued HALF THE CONGREGATION did not realize what happened. The only ones who knew were those DIRECTLY around me, the priest and the altar servers who were horrified. Haha.

So… there you have it. Having lived through this myself I am thankful the Father continued Mass as if nothing had happened.

 

[BettyBoop416]

A few years ago a gentleman at my parish had a heart attack during the Eucharistic Prayer. He was just a few rows back from the front and his wife let out a terrified scream. Everyone in the church knew something was bad wrong. Father paused for a few seconds then continued with the mass. There were two doctors in attendance who attended to the man, and the paramedics arrived about five minutes later. Through all of this commotion - yelling, sirens, CPR, etc, Father, though visibly shaken, continued on with the mass. As they were wheeling the gurney down the center aisle, the firemen were yelling at parishioners who were lining up for communion the “get the hell out of the way.” It was the most surreal thing I have every seen.

Did Father do the right thing by continuing the mass? If not, what should he have done? These are questions I struggled with back then, and this thread has made me think of them again. However, one thing I’ll never forget is the last fireman out the door as they left. He stopped, turned around, and gave us all a withering look of disgust.

BTW…the heart attack victim survived and, the last time I heard, is leading a normal life.

 

[Corki]

I used to faint all the time at mass when we had the longer fast. An usher and a nun would just carry me outside and when I came around would make me put my head down between my knees and give me some water (not at the same time). The priests never even knew I was being carried out because their back was to the assembly.

My daughter fainted once while altar serving and the priest just continued and someone helped me get her into the sanctuary. Acutally kids fainting at mass happens more often than you would think, especially at masses where there is insense. I remember two Vigils at which the servers vomited in the sanctuary and another fainted and rolled down the steps (good thing he was kneeling at the time) The priests never stopped but others came to their aid.

Happened all the time when I was in school and we had Mass. We had a girl who was diabetic and would sometimes swoon (don’t remember her actually losing consciousness) as well as silly teenage girls who didn’t eat. I remember one altar boy who got too big of a lungful of incense who went down too. There were plenty of people to attend to them and the priest went on with Mass.

 

[Cristiano]

I am just glad that in our parish we have more than one priest. When we have an occurrence like that the celebrant continues with Mass while the ushers call the ambulance and the other priest, who comes immediately ready for the anointment of the sick. Things are easier when you have a scenario like ours, sadly not all parishes have that possibility.