Women as..well..assistants during mass?

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mburn16

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Hello all (from a first-timer)!

Well, I’m currently a Catholic without a home. I’m a college student, and was attending mass in the Newman center until we got a new priest who, well, seems incapable of delivering an inspiring or terribly relevant homily. Being where I am, a major city, I’ve decided to start looking at new churches around the campus.

My first attempt at this was last weekend, and one thing I found highly unusual was the role played by two women. I would normally have thought them Deacons (they wore stoles), yet obviously women are not deacons in the RCC (at least as far as I know).

These women processed with the priest, sprinkled the water over the congregation, and assisted with the elevation (though not the blessing) of the extra chalices.

My first thought would have been a fairly blatant liturgical abuse, but I defer to some of the more knowledgeable Catholics here.

side note - tomorrow will be my first experience in-person with the latin tridentine mass. Jumping from one extreme to the other…
 
mburn16 said:
Hello all (from a first-timer)!

Well, I’m currently a Catholic without a home. I’m a college student, and was attending mass in the Newman center until we got a new priest who, well, seems incapable of delivering an inspiring or terribly relevant homily. Being where I am, a major city, I’ve decided to start looking at new churches around the campus.

My first attempt at this was last weekend, and one thing I found highly unusual was the role played by two women. I would normally have thought them Deacons (they wore stoles), yet obviously women are not deacons in the RCC (at least as far as I know).

These women processed with the priest, sprinkled the water over the congregation, and assisted with the elevation (though not the blessing) of the extra chalices.

My first thought would have been a fairly blatant liturgical abuse, but I defer to some of the more knowledgeable Catholics here.

side note - tomorrow will be my first experience in-person with the latin tridentine mass. Jumping from one extreme to the other…
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Are you sure it was a Roman Catholic Church?
 
Yes, I’m sure.

I’ve accidentally wandered into an Episcopal church before, I assure you, this was a Catholic church.
 
From some quick research, it seems that it is possible that Eastern Churches may have female deacons. Not being from an Eastern rite I can’t be sure but that could be a possible explanation. If not, I am not sure.
 
Seatuck said:
Are you sure it was a Roman Catholic Church?
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Same though here.

First only clergy should be wearing the stole. I’m not sure I understood you, but if the women were the ones actually doing the asperges (sprinkling w/ holy water) then that is also an abuse.
 
No idea. I have never seen such a thing.

Some parishes have EMHCs wear albs (long white robes) when they are assiting at Mass, but that doesn’t involve holy water or being at the altar for the elevation.

You should probably check on the diocese website to be absolutely certain that it was a Catholic church. I would probably never go back there. You might love the EF Mass, but there also be absolutely sure that it is a parish in full communion with Rome and not SSPX or any other ‘irregular’ group.

The diocese website or masstimes.org will be very helpful to you as you look inot other parishes by the campus. However, remember that the Mass is much more than the homily and if the Newman center Mass is orthodox and convenient, you might want to stick with it. You don’t want to be in a situation where you miss Mass because of transportaion issues, when you could have so easily walked over to the Newman Center.
 
" but if the women were the ones actually doing the asperges (sprinkling w/ holy water) then that is also an abuse."

Well, that answers that. It was something of Catholicism with a twist, as I said…actually the part that had made me suspicious was [the women’s] elevation of the extra chalices, but since they weren’t actually reciting the mass (this was still done by the Priest), I couldn’t be sure.

The search continues.
 
The webpage of the church in question (on the AD of Detroit website):

aodonline.org/nr/aod/customapplications/parish/parish.asp?InstitutionID=235&FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID=%7b2FF92941-2657-4A86-A99A-0010DE364035%7d

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However, remember that the Mass is much more than the homily and if the Newman center Mass is orthodox and convenient, you might want to stick with it. You don’t want to be in a situation where you miss Mass because of transportaion issues, when you could have so easily walked over to the Newman Center.
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Well, fortunately, I have a car - and the Newman actually has mass on Sunday evenings. So, should there ever be a day that I sleep in or my car doesn’t start, the Newman will remain a convenient alternaitve.
 
It’s possible that it was an Old Catholic Church. They ordain women and are most certainly not in communion with the Holy See. Best bet is to check the diocesan web site for a list of parishes. They should not include non-RCC parishes.

For the TLM if you are concerned with going to a mass in a community that is in full communion, make sure it’s not an SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) community. They are still not in communion with Rome, though we can pray for the day that they are.
 
Enjoy the Traditional Mass tomorrow. I looked at the website that you listed. Looks to me like the progressives run the place. And what is the “Coordinator of Christian services”?

Sounds awfully “modern” to me. I’d avoid that like the plague.
 
mburn16 said:
The webpage of the church in question (on the AD of Detroit website):

aodonline.org/nr/aod/customapplications/parish/parish.asp?InstitutionID=235&FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID=%7b2FF92941-2657-4A86-A99A-0010DE364035%7d

=====

Well, fortunately, I have a car - and the Newman actually has mass on Sunday evenings. So, should there ever be a day that I sleep in or my car doesn’t start, the Newman will remain a convenient alternaitve.
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Please make the Diocese aware of these abnormalities.
 
corsair said:
And what is the “Coordinator of Christian services”?

Sounds awfully “modern” to me.
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It actually says “Christian Service Coordinator,” which sounds to me like a person in charge of coordinating service projects, outreach, the soup kitchen, etc. As modern as it is ancient, I suppose. I notice you changed it around and pluralized it into “Coordinator of Christian services,” to make it sound like it’s somebody in charge of the “services,” i.e. the liturgy, at the church. Hmm.
 
Mburn, when we travel far from home and do not have access to a great deal of information, we usually find that, if a church has an Adoration Chapel open 24/7 ~ it is usually a Catholic Church which practices all the Roman rites. Usually.
 
The link to the group of parishes has lists of rosary groups, pro life groups, Bible studies and the like.

Before you go to the bishop, I’d call the parish and speak to the priest. Ask him about it and see what his explanation is.
 
mburn16 said:
" but if the women were the ones actually doing the asperges (sprinkling w/ holy water) then that is also an abuse."

Well, that answers that. It was something of Catholicism with a twist, as I said…actually the part that had made me suspicious was [the women’s] elevation of the extra chalices, but since they weren’t actually reciting the mass (this was still done by the Priest), I couldn’t be sure.

The search continues.
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Write a letter to the Bishop. Don’t let others stop you. From what I see this is blatant liturgical abuse that needs to be sorted out immediately.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
The link to the group of parishes has lists of rosary groups, pro life groups, Bible studies and the like.

Before you go to the bishop, I’d call the parish and speak to the priest. Ask him about it and see what his explanation is.
Click to expand...
The priest would know that that is a big liturgical abuse. If he doesn’t, then there are bigger problems in question…

Don’t you think so?
 
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