When To Leave Mass

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AttendeDomine

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With regard to Sunday Mass:

My understanding has been that it’s important to stay until the recessional is over, and then to kneel down and spend some time in thanksgiving for having received Christ.

But is that the standard, or is it merely a pious practice? It seems that a lot of folks (if not the majority of the congregation) leave right after the celebrant has left. Is that just a bad habit, or is it perfectly legitimate?
 
My understanding is that remaining after Mass for silent, private prayer of thanksgiving is indeed a pious custom, but not required. In fact, where I live, it is almost impossible, because after the recessional and socializing, people are already coming into the church for the next Mass. Even if it is not practicable to remain in the church, some prayer of thanksgiving and time for refection should take place. At least, this is what I was taught. I’m sure someone who is more knowledgeable can give a better answer.
 
AttendeDomine said:
With regard to Sunday Mass:

My understanding has been that it’s important to stay until the recessional is over, and then to kneel down and spend some time in thanksgiving for having received Christ.

But is that the standard, or is it merely a pious practice? It seems that a lot of folks (if not the majority of the congregation) leave right after the celebrant has left. Is that just a bad habit, or is it perfectly legitimate?
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From the USCCB website: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/concluding-rites/index.cfm

From the order of the Mass;

Dismissal

Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, says:

Either: Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Or: Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

Or: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

Or: Go in peace.

The people reply:

Thanks be to God.

Notice it says “Go”.

We are not required to wait for the hymn to end, the procession to pass, or to say special prayers. They are all wonderful things to do but in your own words, “pious practices”. No one should interefere with someone who wants to do these things, but we also should be careful not to cast dispersions or judgments about people who don’t.
 
coachdennis said:
We are not required to wait for the hymn to end, the procession to pass, or to say special prayers. They are all wonderful things to do but in your own words, “pious practices”. No one should interefere with someone who wants to do these things, but we also should be careful not to cast dispersions or judgments about people who don’t.
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My mother’s rule was that you should stay at least until the priest leaves the altar.

I try to stay until the end of the final hymn. But I agree; I don’t judge others who leave before I do, not knowing their situation.
 
signit said:
My mother’s rule was that you should stay at least until the priest leaves the altar.

I try to stay until the end of the final hymn. But I agree; I don’t judge others who leave before I do, not knowing their situation.
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I’m glad to hear that. When I take my 90 year old mom to Mass, we do leave before the recessional hymn is over, as she is unsteady on her feet (even leaning on me), and afraid of losing her balance in a moving crowd. Glad to see non-judgmental people such as yourself 👍 The feeling I get at my parish is that it is rude to leave before the song is done. I like Coachdennis’ response, too.
 
AttendeDomine said:
With regard to Sunday Mass:

My understanding has been that it’s important to stay until the recessional is over, and then to kneel down and spend some time in thanksgiving for having received Christ.

But is that the standard, or is it merely a pious practice? It seems that a lot of folks (if not the majority of the congregation) leave right after the celebrant has left. Is that just a bad habit, or is it perfectly legitimate?
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The priest should be the last one in and the first one out.
 
AttendeDomine said:
With regard to Sunday Mass:

My understanding has been that it’s important to stay until the recessional is over, and then to kneel down and spend some time in thanksgiving for having received Christ.

But is that the standard, or is it merely a pious practice? It seems that a lot of folks (if not the majority of the congregation) leave right after the celebrant has left. Is that just a bad habit, or is it perfectly legitimate?
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You may be practicing piety by giving thanks after the recessional. Remember at the end of Mass, the priest gives the dismissal? “The Mass is ended. Go in peace.” Something along those lines. Sometimes the Deacon will dismiss the congregation with “Go proclaim the Good News!” What we’ve heard in Mass we are to spread out into the community. I applaud devoted Catholics for feeling the need to give personal thanks but I’d also like to remind others how important it is that we live the Gospel the other 6 days as well. This is how we spread the Gospel: by showing others the example of Christ in us. God Bless you. 👍
 
christofirst said:
My understanding is that remaining after Mass for silent, private prayer of thanksgiving is indeed a pious custom, but not required. In fact, where I live, it is almost impossible, because after the recessional and socializing, people are already coming into the church for the next Mass. Even if it is not practicable to remain in the church, some prayer of thanksgiving and time for refection should take place. At least, this is what I was taught. I’m sure someone who is more knowledgeable can give a better answer.
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I’m actually wondering if all that socializing is actually sinful. 🤷
 
SuperLuigi said:
I’m actually wondering if all that socializing is actually sinful. 🤷
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We are a communal church; meaning we worship as a community not as individuals. What some may term socializing may just be another form of worship. 😉
 
808Catholic said:
We are a communal church; meaning we worship as a community not as individuals. What some may term socializing may just be another form of worship. 😉
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Yes. Absolutely.
Go in peace, glorifying God by your lives.
That doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Peace.
 
808Catholic said:
We are a communal church; meaning we worship as a community not as individuals. What some may term socializing may just be another form of worship. 😉
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Thanks. I was wondering, though, about being silent before the Eucharist, even after Mass.
 
808Catholic said:
applaud devoted Catholics for feeling the need to give personal thanks but I’d also like to remind others how important it is that we live the Gospel the other 6 days as well.
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I’m not sure that the devoted Catholics who stay a bit to pray are the ones forgetting to be Catholics the rest of the week. 🙂

An interesting theological argument could be made for the Eucharistic presence existing in a communicant for some period of time after they receive Holy Communion. This certainly seems like a fitting time to pray, and I’m not sure that emphasizing the other days of the week is relevant to that. In fact, it may just be an argument to try to go those other days as well …

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to pray a bit after Mass and also to “live the Gospel” when not at Mass. I’m not sure why those two things are being set in opposition; and I certainly don’t see rushing out of Church to be the result of just absolutely itching to go evangelize people. Methinks there’s other things on the plate, so to speak. 😉

But regardless what our personal preferences are, I ask the question simply for information. I wondered if there was some obvious documentation I wasn’t aware of.
 
So is the general consensus that the norm is to leave just after the celebrant?

If so: is anyone aware of any sort of literature that would address that issue and recommend that particular practice?
 
AttendeDomine said:
It seems that a lot of folks (if not the majority of the congregation) leave right after the celebrant has left. Is that just a bad habit, or is it perfectly legitimate?
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What could possibly be wrong with leaving after the celebrant has left? :confused:
 
coachdennis said:
Notice it says “Go”.

We are not required to wait for the hymn to end, the procession to pass, or to say special prayers. T
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Yeah, but “go” doesn’t mean “OK! Everyone start rushing out the doors RIGHT NOW!” 🙂

Regarding requirements: is that your personal opinion, or is it rooted in something official?
 
AttendeDomine said:
I’m not sure that the devoted Catholics who stay a bit to pray are the ones forgetting to be Catholics the rest of the week. 🙂

An interesting theological argument could be made for the Eucharistic presence existing in a communicant for some period of time after they receive Holy Communion. This certainly seems like a fitting time to pray, and I’m not sure that emphasizing the other days of the week is relevant to that. In fact, it may just be an argument to try to go those other days as well …

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to pray a bit after Mass and also to “live the Gospel” when not at Mass. I’m not sure why those two things are being set in opposition; and I certainly don’t see rushing out of Church to be the result of just absolutely itching to go evangelize people. Methinks there’s other things on the plate, so to speak. 😉

But regardless what our personal preferences are, I ask the question simply for information. I wondered if there was some obvious documentation I wasn’t aware of.
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I’m not advocating one over the other; I’m an advocate for both.👍
 
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