When someone faints

[KarenElissa]

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.

This is basically my thoughts too. One of the LEAST helpful things for someone who has passed out, suddenly becomes sick, whatever, is to have a room full of people staring at them wondering what is wrong. If the priest continues on with Mass it gives everyone something to focus on while allowing a few people to help the person without having to deal with chaos.

 

[LilyM]

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.

This is the opposite end of the spectrum to the OP. People were very obviously distressed and most would have been distracted, and there’s no way a Mass can go on as normal with paramedics blocking pariahioners’ paths at communion time. In such a case I do think Mass should have been stopped temporarily.

 

[nickybr38]

This is the opposite end of the spectrum to the OP. People were very obviously distressed and most would have been distracted, and there’s no way a Mass can go on as normal with paramedics blocking pariahioners’ paths at communion time. In such a case I do think Mass should have been stopped temporarily.

Yeah, in this case, which is FAR more extreme, at the very least things should have been suspended until the paramedics left. LINING UP FOR COMMUNION? While someone is being stretchered out? That’s a bit much…

However, the Priest is only human and so can make mistakes just like everyone. It’s a high stress situation and not one people have a great deal of experience with so you have to give people a bit of leeway as they deal with things as best they can.

I’m curious… did the heart attack victim continue attending Mass?

 

[Rainaldo]

It was the most surreal thing I have every seen.

Did they dispatch an EMHC to chase the ambulance with a host for him?

 

[BettyBoop416]

I’m curious… did the heart attack victim continue attending Mass?

No…last I heard he attends another parish. He was just a bit peeved at Father.

Did they dispatch an EMHC to chase the ambulance with a host for him?

You just caused me to blow a mouthful of Diet Coke all over my keyboard and monitor. Thanks a lot!!!

 

[nickybr38]

No…last I heard he attends another parish. He was just a bit peeved at Father.

You just caused me to blow a mouthful of Diet Coke all over my keyboard and monitor. Thanks a lot!!!

Understandable… on both points.

I’m glad it didn’t chase him away from the Catholic church… the mistakes of one priest or another often push people away from the Church as a whole and it’s unfortunate.

 

[EasternWestern]

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.

OP here. Let me tell you what the priest did. He continued with the reading. Keep in mind that this is a very small byzantine catholic parish and everyone saw what happened, everyone noticed.

I disagree with continuing with the reading and I’ll tell you why. Do you think anyone was paying attention to the reading after the boy fell to the ground in a loud crashing sound? (Should have provided this detail earlier, sorry) No. Everyone was concerned and distracted. What is the purpose of the reading? To hear the word of God. So why read it if no is listening? I say pause for a second, wait until everyone is assured it is under control, then proceed. Say what you want, but the congregation won’t hold it against the priest for being compassionate.

The boy did not have any prior physical ailments (like being prone to seizures, etc.). It was a long gospel and he fainted in plain sight.

Like I said earlier, why read if no one is listening anyway?

I was shocked that there are over 40 posts on this when I logged back on. I’m glad it’s been a great discussion. Lots of points of view. Good.

 

[nickybr38]

OP here. Let me tell you what the priest did. He continued with the reading. Keep in mind that this is a very small byzantine catholic parish and everyone saw what happened, everyone noticed.

I disagree with continuing with the reading and I’ll tell you why. Do you think anyone was paying attention to the reading after the boy fell to the ground in a loud crashing sound? (Should have provided this detail earlier, sorry) No. Everyone was concerned and distracted. What is the purpose of the reading? To hear the word of God. So why read it if no is listening? I say pause for a second, wait until everyone is assured it is under control, then proceed. Say what you want, but the congregation won’t hold it against the priest for being compassionate.

The boy did not have any prior physical ailments (like being prone to seizures, etc.). It was a long gospel and he fainted in plain sight.

Like I said earlier, why read if no one is listening anyway?

I was shocked that there are over 40 posts on this when I logged back on. I’m glad it’s been a great discussion. Lots of points of view. Good.

I have no history of seizures or fainting either. My congregation sounds larger then yours though. I would say 80% of the congregation had no idea anyone had fainted until they were told as much after Mass in my situation.

It might have been wise to pause the reading for a bit and make sure the boy is gone before continuing but even if he HAD paused it wouldn’t have made much difference. People STILL would have been distracted. That pause wouldn’t have helped.

It’s unfortunate this happened but no matter how the priest handled it no one was going to have their mind on Mass after that so one may as well forge on ahead. Just my opinion though.

 

[KarenElissa]

It’s unfortunate this happened but no matter how the priest handled it no one was going to have their mind on Mass after that so one may as well forge on ahead. Just my opinion though.

Ya, I think this is one of those times when the priest just can’t win, so it is best to just trust that they did the best they could at the spur of the moment and did it with the best intentions.

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

I’ve seen three similar scenarios at two different churches. At the first, someone had a seizure (close to the front row) and collapsed. There was an audible thump and it was a small church, so no doubt about it, everyone knew. In this case, two men helped the person out of the church and someone called an ambulance. The priest continued on with Mass without batting an eyelash - well, at least as far as I could tell since it was a TLM and his back was to us. It actually went pretty much how I expected it to.

The second episode was at an NO. It was a very hot day and someone fainted. The priest asked for “Dr. Insert Name” to attend to the person and then continued with Mass after pausing for maybe ten seconds to say that and see that people actually were helping.

The third episode was at the same church but a different priest. The person fainted, the priest stepped into the sacristy and called an ambulance, some people helped the person out the door, and then Mass went on. I’d say the pause was about a minute and a half that time.

Now personally, I feel that the priest’s duty is to say Mass. There are plenty of people around to help out the ill person. In two of the three cases above, there was at least one doctor in the congregation (I think two in one case). Almost everybody these days carries cell phones, so I don’t think that the priest needed to be the one to call (although, admittedly, he seemed to act faster than anybody else).

And in case anybody is interested, all three episodes had happy endings.

 

[Rainaldo]

“Dr. Insert Name”

I could never have a physician whose first name is “Insert”.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I could never have a physician whose first name is “Insert”.

Hopefully he’s not a proctologist.

 

[Irishgal49]

And it is every bit as much sheer speculation on your part for you to assert that He did in fact interrupt His prayer, or more particularly worship, to attend to someone. Offhand, in fact, I cannot think of a single instance where He was at prayer or in worship and cut it short to do so - if you could cite any examples from scripture it would be much appreciated.

And the priest continuing Mass may also be by design to prove a point - that worship and prayer are vitally important, every bit as much so as practical help, and that the very best help a priest can give is oftentimes just that - to worship and pray.

I know one place Jesus stopped dead in His tracks. He was on His way to heal the daughter and the woman touched the hem of His garment. He stopped, acknowledged what happened so the woman could be restored to her faith community. She had been ritually unclean for over a decade and Jesus made sure that she was restored to her community and then moved on. Interruptions WERE his ministry. The blind man calling out to Him and He stops and asks him what he wants…the man lying by the pool of Bethsaida, the woman drawing water from the well, the man lowered through the roof, the demoniac running up to Jesus on the shore, Jesus asked to intervene at a wedding where the couple risked community ridicule. He was at a wedding, He was interrupted, Jesus did stop teaching and ordered the Disciples to feed the crowd and miraculously multiplied their offering. Jesus sleeping, exhausted, his sleep interrupted, “Master don’t you care that we perish?” and he stills the storm. Jesus is on His way and yet the interruptions ARE His ministry. His life was one big interruption. He’s my inspiration as a social worker when someone “interrupts” my “planned” day. Interrupts were His ministry and they are mine in my service to Him.

This is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. What if the boy died right there?

How would YOU feel if you were ignored in a medical emergency?! Or your child was? That’s rude and inconsiderate. Ask for help, ask if there’s a nurse or a doctor present? Put someone in charge and have him/her call 911 and ask them to return word of how the child is, THEN return and read on. That’s Jesus to me, that’s how He did things.

Lorrie

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

Ideally, there should be people instructed on how to react BEFORE the situations ever occur so the priest isn’t the one who’s expected to take action. It’s called planning!

 

[Rainaldo]

How would YOU feel if you were ignored in a medical emergency?!

Depends on what you consider a “MEDICAL EMERGENCY” IN ALL-CAPS. Apparently a routine fainting in a totally typical setting is an all-caps emergency.

I inhaled a flake of french bread crust straight down into my windpipe one night at a dinner, and while I was in the process of violently coughing it back out again the ***idiot ***next to me smacked me with all his might in the middle of my back and then tried to put his arms around me from behind. I elbowed him in the mouth so hard that I split his lip. He laid off; the crumb popped up into my nasal passages, I snorted it into the back of my throat, hacked it into my mouth, and swallowed it properly.

Then … I turned to him with my jaw slack, my lips dripping with mucus, glared at him from under my eyebrows, and growled in my lowest, most threatening voice, “Don’t you ever do that to someone who can breathe.”

*If only he had ignored me *- like every other informed, experienced, and nonhysterical person at our table.

(That said, if someone is actually choking, and the blockage gets popped out, you do need to get him immediate follow-up medical attention - ambulance - even if he says he feels just fine, because the irritation can make his airway swell shut after the fact.)

 

[Barbra67]

a. finish the gospel reading (he was about 75% into the reading);

The child needs praying so the priest should continue the mass & people in church will help the child.

 

[Joan_M]

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.

Yes, Father did the right thing. Regardless of what he could or might have done prior to starting the Eucharistic Prayer, once the Eucharistic Prayer was started, he is bound to continue. In fact, if Father should collapse during the Eucharistic Prayer and cannot continue Mass, another priest must be found to continue and complete the Eucharistic Sacrifice. That is how important it is.

Regarding the OP’s question, no the priest should not have stopped reading the Gospel. Why must any of us think that the priest must attend to anyone displaying a medical problem at Mass? There is one priest there, usually, and many lay people, perhaps hundreds! It is for us to attend to those in need, whether at Mass or otherwise.

And, most of the time, a person collapsing at Mass only causes a distraction for those close by. Last Sunday a woman sitting about 2 pews ahead of me and my husband felt weak - although she was sitting at the time, her head fell back against the back of the pew and it was clear that she was not well. The man at the end of the pew in which I was sitting got up and went to her (she was also at that end of her pew) and attended to her. Everything was handled very quietly and without incident and I am sure very few people were badly distracted by it. I have been present many times when someone falls ill at Mass and most times it is not noisy - unless the person was standing up when they fell ill, and even then, most of the time the person manages to sit down before they fall over! Most times, there seems to be a doctor or a nurse in the congregation who comes to help.

 

[EasternWestern]

I’ve seen three similar scenarios at two different churches. At the first, someone had a seizure (close to the front row) and collapsed. There was an audible thump and it was a small church, so no doubt about it, everyone knew. In this case, two men helped the person out of the church and someone called an ambulance. The priest continued on with Mass without batting an eyelash - well, at least as far as I could tell since it was a TLM and his back was to us. It actually went pretty much how I expected it to.

The second episode was at an NO. It was a very hot day and someone fainted. The priest asked for “Dr. Insert Name” to attend to the person and then continued with Mass after pausing for maybe ten seconds to say that and see that people actually were helping.

The third episode was at the same church but a different priest. The person fainted, the priest stepped into the sacristy and called an ambulance, some people helped the person out the door, and then Mass went on. I’d say the pause was about a minute and a half that time.

Now personally, I feel that the priest’s duty is to say Mass. There are plenty of people around to help out the ill person. In two of the three cases above, there was at least one doctor in the congregation (I think two in one case). Almost everybody these days carries cell phones, so I don’t think that the priest needed to be the one to call (although, admittedly, he seemed to act faster than anybody else).

And in case anybody is interested, all three episodes had happy endings.

I’m not suggesting that the priest should make the phone call. I’m just saying, pause during the reading at least a little (say ten seconds) to show that you care, then continue.

 

[englishredrose]

There is neither right or wrong and we won’t all agree to this and we just have to accept what happened did happen.

the priest did not need to stop because he knew enough people were about. He knew the gospel was longer than normal. Knew the child probably did not have breakfast? Knew that once outside the child be okay again. What is there for him to do but check later with the child himself. No need for anyone else to get involved.

 

[nickybr38]

I know one place Jesus stopped dead in His tracks. He was on His way to heal the daughter and the woman touched the hem of His garment. He stopped, acknowledged what happened so the woman could be restored to her faith community. She had been ritually unclean for over a decade and Jesus made sure that she was restored to her community and then moved on. Interruptions WERE his ministry. The blind man calling out to Him and He stops and asks him what he wants…the man lying by the pool of Bethsaida, the woman drawing water from the well, the man lowered through the roof, the demoniac running up to Jesus on the shore, Jesus asked to intervene at a wedding where the couple risked community ridicule. He was at a wedding, He was interrupted, Jesus did stop teaching and ordered the Disciples to feed the crowd and miraculously multiplied their offering. Jesus sleeping, exhausted, his sleep interrupted, “Master don’t you care that we perish?” and he stills the storm. Jesus is on His way and yet the interruptions ARE His ministry. His life was one big interruption. He’s my inspiration as a social worker when someone “interrupts” my “planned” day. Interrupts were His ministry and they are mine in my service to Him.

This is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. What if the boy died right there?

How would YOU feel if you were ignored in a medical emergency?! Or your child was? That’s rude and inconsiderate. Ask for help, ask if there’s a nurse or a doctor present? Put someone in charge and have him/her call 911 and ask them to return word of how the child is, THEN return and read on. That’s Jesus to me, that’s how He did things.

Lorrie

I WAS ignored. I had a full blown seizure in Mass.

It didn’t bother me. As I stated earlier, I was relieved that the Father ignored me and allowed Mass to continue as normal.

Seriously… I’d prefer the world NOT stop just because I’m having a medical emergency.