where do you worship?

[Belle10]

Belle10, thanks for your response. I think what I was feeling like was that the closest church doesn’t really have a ‘faith community’ feel, and that was what was making me uncomfortable. I do think we’ll try another church or two, as I know there was one we went to nearby that we really enjoyed (long before we moved, when we were in town for something and went to the local Mass), so now that we’re closer perhaps we’ll go there.

In trawling around the forum last night, I immediately felt again how right I am to stay with my Catholic faith. I should be able to find the kind of faith community I want within the Church. The hard thing will be finding one that suits both my husband and myself!

It is so true that thinking of not having Mass more than once or twice a month reminds us to pray for vocations! Thanks for the reminder, Phemie!

You got it. We all need a boost sometimes.

In the church I usually go to, which I love, I know exactly two people. (Not counting the priest.) I’ve been going there for 8 years and I still know no one. There aren’t many people my age (I’m 30) and haven’t been over the years I’ve been there. My kids are young, not in school or religious ed classes yet…it seems like all the families have older kids or they people are older and their kids are grown. Oh well, it’s OK. I know it’ll be different in a few years when my kids are older, but sometimes it does get lonely.

That’s one of the great things about CAF – I can “get together” with people and share stories and our faith here. Let the warm fuzzies abound…

 

[LynnNH]

Well, gosh, if you were at my church I’d introduce myself! lol. I hope that you’ll make a new friend or two there. One of my best friends I met at church, when my eldest (now 10) was a baby and my girlfriend was pregnant with her first. We are such good friends now, and she is one of the few with whom I can talk about my faith, prayer, etc.

She and her husband and kids moved to the West Coast for two years, and I know she is having a hard time adjusting. I am so excited that she is coming to see us this weekend! So you never know what will happen from just saying hello to someone before or after church! But it is true that once your children are a bit older, you’ll begin to meet more people. It’s tough when they are that young - it does get lonely!

 

[baltobetsy]

I don’t even know which is my actual geographical parish. We live very close to three parishes. When we were first married, we attended the parish where our wedding was held and where I was a cantor and sang in the choir. We stayed there until our DD was in her early teens and got involved in the theatre group at one of the other nearby parishes. At the same time, the original parish had some personnel changes that really made the place take a nosedive, and DD was pushing to go where her friends were. So we switched. That was about 12 years ago. We’re very happy in the new place. I’m a cantor there now, and the pastor was really funny when I started - he was pretty smug to have stolen a cantor from the other parish!

We often attend Mass in other parishes. I used to have a confessor at the Cathedral, and would go there on many Saturdays for confession and Mass. The Cathedral is also near the Episcopal parish where I have a job in the choir, so I often go over to the Cathedral after I finish at work. And I go to daily Mass at the Cathedral because it’s at 5:30 pm, which works well for me. I guess that’s my unofficial adopted parish.

Sometimes when DH and I actually get to go to Mass together (not often), we’ll go to one of several entirely different parishes where the pastors are old friends.

Betsy

 

[Bob4BVM]

After some personal information was shared between the parish staff and parishioners about my husband, his job hunt, and our desire to move, I stopped going to our local parish. We have been very hurt by the lack of discretion on the part of the pastor and the staff. Also, the parish has an interim sanctuary without kneelers…just stackable chairs, and it’s been that way for several years now. Aside from the personal info situation, I find it very hard to find peace in this environment. It’s like worshiping in a gymnasium.

Since my husband took an assignment away from home for a few months, I have gone to three other parishes in rotation. I have very much enjoyed attending them, even though I have not officially moved our registration or taken part in activities.

Now that my husband is returning, he wants to resume going to the local church. I’m not so sure, but I don’t want to be disagreeable.

What to do, what to do…

Sometimes there is a mission in our personal suffering and injustices. Remember that wherever you are it is still THE MASS. And however human the pastor may be, God has still granted him the incredible grace of Consecration. That gets me past all my personal issues with whatever parish I find myself in.

How should we respect our priests ? Maybe as much as Our Lady does. The following paragraph is from a revelation to Catalina Rivas, when the BVM was instructing her during the Mass:​

They all knelt down as well, at the singing of the “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord…” Our Lady said: “These are all the Saints and the Blessed in Heaven, and among them are also the souls of your relatives and family members who already enjoy the Presence of God.” Then I saw Her. She was there, exactly to the right of His Excellency, the Archbishop… a step behind the celebrant. She was suspended a little off the floor, kneeling on some very fine fabrics, transparent but luminous at the same time, like crystalline waters. The Holy Virgin, Her hands joined together, was looking attentively and respectfully at the celebrant. And She was speaking to me from there, but silently, directly to my heart, without looking at me:
“It seems strange to you seeing Me a little behind Monsignor, does it not? This is how it should be… Notwithstanding how much My Son loves Me, He has not given Me the dignity that He gives a priest, of being able to bring My Son in My hands daily, as the priestly hands do. Because of this I feel such profound respect for a priest and for the whole miracle that God carries out through a priest, that I am compelled to kneel here.”​

Blessings on you.

 

[Jan_Bolbot]

It is something to keep in mind, picking up on a previous comment, that there are people even in the USA who do not have a priest. There are communities of Catholics who do not even have a church. So to have two or three to choose from as some of us do is a real blessing. I used to live in a large urban area, now in much smaller community and the reality is that someday we could lose our parish unless we give of our time, treasure and talent. Our parishes are precious things.

jb

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Good discussions all, but remember, it is not about our feelings, or any of the people here or there, or any of the rest of the worldy trapings that go on at one parish or another.
It is about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, when Heaven touches Earth so that we may receive the grace of the Son. In that respect all parishes are united and equal.
No matter what parish we are in, If we could see what is really going on on the altar at the Consecration, we would die out of love.

Even those that preach that abortion and homosexual ‘marriage’ is okay?

 

[Bob4BVM]

Even those that preach that abortion and homosexual ‘marriage’ is okay?

Yes, I retract nothing because of that. It is still the Mass that matters.
If you are referring to a priest in this statement, you should address it with him first and if you get nowhere you should take it up with your Bishop. Both those sins are openly counter to what the RCC teaches

 

[xixxvmcm85]

I live in San Francisco, CA. Finding a parish that is orthodox in teaching and refrains from liturgical abuse would be a true miracle.

For this reason, I travel across the bay to Oakland to St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic Church, where the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is offered every day in the low form, and every Sunday in the most solemn manner.

If you haven’t yet attended the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form, I strongly encourage that you do. Nothing beats hearing the Mass sung in its entirety, with the entire congregation (priest included) facing the liturgical east, offering up our supplications to God.

 

[JRPO]

I go to my local Parish but I’m also involved in the Schoenstatt Movement wich is a Marian movement. My kids get a little involved there too they have a youth group wich my parish doesn’t have and it helped get them to world youth day last year and that was very good for them.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I live in San Francisco, CA. Finding a parish that is orthodox in teaching and refrains from liturgical abuse would be a true miracle.

For this reason, I travel across the bay to Oakland to St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic Church, where the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is offered every day in the low form, and every Sunday in the most solemn manner.

If you haven’t yet attended the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form, I strongly encourage that you do. Nothing beats hearing the Mass sung in its entirety, with the entire congregation (priest included) facing the liturgical east, offering up our supplications to God.

I would love to someday.

 

[stayathomemommy]

I had to respond when i saw JRPO’s signature! I was so excited to see the MTA! I just made my Covenant of Love on Oct. 18th, i am a month into it and am feeling our dear Mothers Graces flow abundantly!!!

sorry for the off topic.

When it comes to parishes we have always been extremely fortunately and lived in towns with many options. we usually attended our geographical church. it was the one my husband liked best anyway. but we moved accross town and he went off to war. i “tried” out a different church that was our new geographical church and just loved it. not that we used it but it did have a cry room. sometimes its comforting knowing that it is there even if you dont go in there. when my husband came back he agreed to attend at the new church. the layout of the church wasnt as traditional as my husband liked but we got involved and it felt like home. after a couple of years and some pastor changes it got a liberal feel. we were not happy with it and there was another parish a little out of town that was very traditional. we longed for that setting, but my husband insisted that if all the traditional families left this parish it would go way liberal without anyone to keep it grounded. in the end i am happy we stayed. he was right. we cant just leave and go parish hopping all the time, sometimes you have to stick it out and work on making things better where you are.

 

[Bob4BVM]

I go to my local Parish but I’m also involved in the Schoenstatt Movement wich is a Marian movement. My kids get a little involved there too they have a youth group wich my parish doesn’t have and it helped get them to world youth day last year and that was very good for them.

Very neat. A new one on me.
Schoenstatt , where is that ? What is the story behind it.?

 

[JRPO]

Very neat. A new one on me.
Schoenstatt , where is that ? What is the story behind it.?

Hi Bob

Schoenstatt is a place in Germany. In the German Language it means beautiful place.
The Schoenstatt movement is all around the world. It is established in several places in the USA and a few here in Australia. Rather than me go on about it take a look at the link below.

schoenstatt-texas.org