Agreed. We sometimes end up at the Saturday evening Mass and often seem to be one of the only families there. Our parish doesn’t even offer nursery for evening Masses. So I’d try a different time, OP. And if you still don’t see a lot of large families, you can always try a different parish.
Saturday evening Mass tends to be more popular for elderly folks and retirees, in my experience. The ones where I see the most kids with their parents are those in the range of 9-11AM Mass times. Also, parishes that offer the traditional Latin Mass on Sundays also tend to have more large families for all Mass times on Sundays, not just the Latin Mass time.OP here: thank you to all the posters who have been so gracious in their responses. You have enlightened me! We went both times to a Saturday night Mass. This parish has 5 Masses each weekend. I know the kids weren’t in the nursery, because there were only six kids in the nursery, and 3 of them were mine! I suppose maybe Saturday night is not the popular Mass to bring your children.
My heart goes out to those who experience infertility. I myself lost a little one to miscarriage 4 years ago, on my birthday.
Maybe we will try a different Mass time. It would be an encouragement for my children to see that there are other large families there to make friends with. It’s so rare to find large families in the regular world who can relate to the unique family dynamics of having lots of kids. We are leaving a very small (about ten families) Protestant church where most of the families are large, homeschooling families (like us). My older children feel a little like we are ripping them away from their normal.
Basically–Happy the man with many full-grown sons, for he shall put the hurt on his enemies.
OP here: thank you to all the posters who have been so gracious in their responses. You have enlightened me! We went both times to a Saturday night Mass. This parish has 5 Masses each weekend. I know the kids weren’t in the nursery, because there were only six kids in the nursery, and 3 of them were mine! I suppose maybe Saturday night is not the popular Mass to bring your children.
My heart goes out to those who experience infertility. I myself lost a little one to miscarriage 4 years ago, on my birthday.
Maybe we will try a different Mass time. It would be an encouragement for my children to see that there are other large families there to make friends with. It’s so rare to find large families in the regular world who can relate to the unique family dynamics of having lots of kids. We are leaving a very small (about ten families) Protestant church where most of the families are large, homeschooling families (like us). My older children feel a little like we are ripping them away from their normal.
We have 9 living at home, one has moved out on his own and 4 in heaven When it’s less muddy I’ll go and visit my little baby who is at our church cemetery. He’s our youngest. He was still born, but still loved 
emphasis mineNice.
I’d give just about anything to have more kids, especially the kind that end up in my house rather than the grave. But people just look at me and think exactly what you just said. Unless you KNOW that a family contracepts, and I’m guessing you won’t know this about many people, I suggest keeping your mouth shut.
I hate taking my kids to that Mass. I have to get them up from their nap early to make it and they’re hungry for dinner. It’s the worst Mass time ever!
On a recent Sunday, I had two children serving, one sitting with my parents on the other side of the church, one sitting in the back and two sitting with my husband and me.
I can say whatever I want, but when everyone went from having a good number and now everyone has two you know something is going on just because one person can’t have kids whatever I’m obviously not talking about you and your husband.
We can’t go by personal interpretation? Be fruitful and multiply, women are saved thru childbirth, Catholics traditionally have had big families. But Della says that’s wrong, but she isn’t changing the words. Ok great Della!
That’s actually a very good observation women who are not saved by childbirth are saved through virginity which is why we honor virgins along the line of the same class as martyrs, and priests.
Look all the women that can’t have kids obviously have some extra time on their hands and are getting fussy tonight. If someone can’t get to mass is it a sin? No, so maybe you aren’t so smart and can’t figure out two cockamamie sentences someone writes. But you are not the problem here it’s the people committing mortal sin by contracepting which is many of these new so-called devout Catholics.Nice.
I’d give just about anything to have more kids, especially the kind that end up in my house rather than the grave. But people just look at me and think exactly what you just said. Unless you KNOW that a family contracepts, and I’m guessing you won’t know this about many people, I suggest keeping your mouth shut.
Tell your Jesuit priest I said hello. I’m sure he has a great joke planned for the homily this Sunday!
No the rhythm method is really wonderful I misspoke. I mean Planned Parenthood. I mean Natural Family Planning…
The poster was quoting the Apostle Paul who does say, in Scripture, that women are saved through childbirth. Obviously the Church doesn’t teach that women must give birth to be saved… consecrated life is a higher vocation than married life and nuns / sisters / consecrated virgins deliberately choose NOT to be biological mothers. I know some theologians would say that Our Lady, who gave birth to the Saviour, mystically fulfills this requirement for our entire race. The act of giving birth was itself sanctified and united to the work of redemption.
How many of those polls split out by people who actually go to Mass - which is what the question in the OP is about? I’m genuinely curious. Because I’m suspicious that the statistics may be different if that is taken into account.
CAF has rules on civility and you are sailing very close to the wind.
Reported for rudeness.
I’m reporting that remark, also.
Of course you can’t tell just by looking at the pews, but according to the women that make up the mom groups at three of my former parishes, most of the families I know that are sitting in the pews at Mass are contracepting. Four seems to be the absolute cutoff in many people’s minds before having one spouse or the other sterilized. I am from a family of 16 kids. About 8 either one spouse or the other is sterilized, on the pill, using conforms, etc. Yet all of us and our children are at Mass each and every Sunday. It really is naive to believe only Catholics that aren’t attending Mass are using contraception.How many of those polls split out by people who actually go to Mass - which is what the question in the OP is about? I’m genuinely curious. Because I’m suspicious that the statistics may be different if that is taken into account.
That said, the long and short of it is that you can’t many large families there are at a parish or how many families contracept at a parish just by looking at the pews.
ETA - The last comment is a general one and not directed at the poster I quoted or any one in particular. Just my general thoughts on the subject.
