Why not use patens at Mass

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carmel2013

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Hello:

Our parish has just changed pastors and is going from a very traditional parish to one that is much more contemporary. Our patens have now gone missing, apparently purposely put away so our altar servers won’t use them. When they asked why, among the answers given was, “The Hosts are now made so that there are no particles to fall.” When one of our altar servers pointed out that such was not the case, he had personally seen many particles fall onto the paten, his concerns were brushed aside, absolutely no further comment was given.

Many of us are saddened by discontinued use of the paten (likewise the use of kneelers at the reception of Communion, among many other practices). We would be less so if we could be given a reason they should not be used. What say you? Is there a good reason not to use them?

Thanks in advance for the responses. Please pray for our parish at this difficult time. We are all trying to serve Our Lord as best we can.
 
carmel2013 said:
Many of us are saddened by discontinued use of the paten (likewise the use of kneelers at the reception of Communion, among many other practices)
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I hear you, but are we holding more reverence for the form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass than the function?

Would those who celebrated the Sacred Liturgy in the early days of the Church as prescribed in the Didache have been as unsettled when the form of the Mass was changed?

Change is difficult, but often what we get hung up on is vanity. If our hearts are focused on the intent and meaning of the Mass, the cosmetic changes have far less significance.

Pax et Bonum!
 
Step 1: claim “Vatican II” did away with this or that; note that this or that is “optional” and so it doesn’t matter anyway if we get rid of it

Step 2: assure those who complain that it’s not “essential” and so it doesn’t really matter (as if we were Bauhaus minimalists and not the inheritors of a rich tradition of centuries)
 
Sudden culture shifts are a challenge.

Praying the road will be a little less bumpy in the future.
 
These are the same people who destroyed beautiful churches…arguing all along that it was “required”…and replaced them with edifices that look like airport waiting rooms. “Form follows function” after all.

The level of deceit and mendacity involved in ruining Catholic art for a generation and more in so many locales is breathtaking.
 
Yes prayer but there is nothing wrong with trying to stop this from happening by taking action. If there are enough of you that are concerned then take it to the bishop. I imagine some of the suggestions you are getting would be quite different if the parish was changing to Traditional. There was a story in the news awhile back about a parish that got together and went to the bishop because they didn’t want a Traditional priest. Of course, that was cheered on by the liberals. lol
 
It’s sad when things like this happen. You’ve stated your concerns, which is the best thingyou can do. I will say a prayer for your parish today.
 
KMG said:
Step 1: claim “Vatican II” did away with this or that; note that this or that is “optional” and so it doesn’t matter anyway if we get rid of it

Step 2: assure those who complain that it’s not “essential” and so it doesn’t really matter (as if we were Bauhaus minimalists and not the inheritors of a rich tradition of centuries)
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Step 3: Call those who are saddened by such a change “vain,” as did one member here. (“Change is difficult, but we often get hung up on vanity.”)
 
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carmel2013 said:
Many of us are saddened by discontinued use of the paten (likewise the use of kneelers at the reception of Communion, among many other practices). We would be less so if we could be given a reason they should not be used. What say you? Is there a good reason not to use them?
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You were given a reason. It sounds like you were given multiple reasons (“among the answers given…”). You just don’t like them or disagree with them. You are free to do so, but that doesn’t mean you are right and the priest is wrong. It means you disagree, and ultimately the decision is his.

Parishes change. Sometimes that change is hard. You asked for a reason, you were given an answer, and now your task is to accept the priest’s decision with grace and humility.
 
on_the_hill said:
I haven’t seen patens used since the early 1970s. Are churches still using them?
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Living in three different dioceses during the same time, and visiting many more around the US, I’d say that these days it’s split about fifty-fifty.
 
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Uh no. If a priest was holding ideas that were against the teachings of Jesus we don’t accept them with grace and humility. That is why Jesus gave us the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Priests are human, can be wrong and they can also do things based on personal bias so there is nothing wrong to questioning.
 
One imagines how much money was spent on those patens. The next time Father wants a new polyester vestment, or a new sound system so the cantor’s voice can be blasted all through the nave…maybe he should be turned down.
 
I didn’t say don’t question. We should always feel free to ask questions. The question was asked, the answer given is not inconsistent with the church’s teaching. This is no longer questioning. It’s complaining.
 
“Change” costs money. Catholics are obligated to support the Church…they are not obligated to support progressive liturgical whims. Sometimes allocating money to worthier corners of Catholicism is the most effective response to this kind of thing.
 
Not if the answer was considered insufficient. Other parishes use patens.
 
yankeesouth said:
Not if the answer was considered insufficient. Other parishes use patens.
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So, how does that make the answer in this case insufficient?

Question: Father, why aren’t we using the patens?
Answer: I’ve decided not to use them because A, B, and C. The church rubrics are clear it is an option, not a requirement.

The answer might be unacceptable to an individual, but it is not insufficient.
 
I suspect the reason patens are no longer used is because of the number of EMHCs being used. Too many altar servers would be required. Not that I agree, I don’t, but that is my guess as to the underlying reason.
 
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