Women on one side, men on the other

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Back in my home town - a small one- on the other side of the planet, when we went to mass, women would be sitting on left side, and men on the right side.

I don’t know about little baby, but I remember when I was about 4 years ago, I had to sit with bunch of other kids and my mom was way on the other side of the church. The church was very small, but to me my mother was about 1 mile away from me. 😃

I was wondering where the idea comes from. Did it ever be like this at another country’s church?

Thanks!
 
That’s how it is done in the Syro-Malabar Church, which is from India.
 
This was observed in a small parish in the Archdiocese of Los Ángeles, too.
In México’s small village chapels this custom is beginning to fall by the wayside, but the older people still do it.
 
This is a very ancient custom of the church that was very common in the early days of Christianity. “Seating” (there weren’t pews, so that’s a bit of a misnomer) was far more highly structured than we would imagine today, with men, women, children, widows, virgins, penitents, and catechumens all occupying different places in the church.

One example of legislation on this is in the ancient church order the *Apostolic Constitutions, *the relevant section of which can be read here: ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.ix.iii.vii.html
 
I see that here in our local Hutterite colonies, not just in their church but also in their dining hall: women on one side, men on the other, seated according to age and importance in the colony. Interestingly, visitors to the colony are given as much respect as the elders, preacher and “bosses” and are seated with them at mealtimes - still men visitors sit with the men, women visitors with the women (haven’t been to any church services there, but have seen their church; the women all have their own custom-made pew seat cushions that indicate where each one is to sit).

Haven’t seen this at all in other churches, though.
 
What a blessing this link is! and thank you for posting this information 🙂 I’m going to share this with a few posters that will certainly appreciate it. God Bless you for taking the time to help your brothers and sisters continue their earnest quest for learning more and more about the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 🙂

Quote:"… In like manner, let the deacon oversee the people, that nobody may whisper, nor slumber, nor laugh, nor nod; ***for all ought in the church to stand wisely, and soberly, and attentively, having their attention fixed upon the word of the Lord. *** (my emphasis)
Let the bishop pray for the people, and say: “Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance, which Thou hast obtained with the precious blood of Thy Christ, and hast called a royal priesthood, and an holy nation.”28362836 Ps. xxviii. 9; Acts xx. 28; 1 Pet. i. 19, ii. 9. After this let the sacrifice follow, the people standing, and praying silently; and when the oblation has been made, let every rank by itself partake of the Lord’s body and precious blood in order, and approach with reverence and holy fear, as to the body of their king." my emphasis
 
anniemart said:
What a blessing this link is! and thank you for posting this information 🙂 I’m going to share this with a few posters that will certainly appreciate it. God Bless you for taking the time to help your brothers and sisters continue their earnest quest for learning more and more about the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 🙂

Quote:"… In like manner, let the deacon oversee the people, that nobody may whisper, nor slumber, nor laugh, nor nod; ***for all ought in the church to stand wisely, and soberly, and attentively, having their attention fixed upon the word of the Lord. *** (my emphasis)
Let the bishop pray for the people, and say: “Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance, which Thou hast obtained with the precious blood of Thy Christ, and hast called a royal priesthood, and an holy nation.”28362836 Ps. xxviii. 9; Acts xx. 28; 1 Pet. i. 19, ii. 9. After this let the sacrifice follow, the people standing, and praying silently; and when the oblation has been made, let every rank by itself partake of the Lord’s body and precious blood in order, and approach with reverence and holy fear, as to the body of their king." my emphasis
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Wise–wise words. If only we would hear this in our churches and take them to heart.
 
Amen! 🙂 I absolutely love that our ancestors in the ancient Church knew that a King was truly present there at mass. Honoring Him as such was nothing to joke about or to take lightly.

I’m going to share this link with the DRE at my parish today. I know he’ll appreciate it and use it in class this year. 🙂
 
water said:
I don’t know about little baby, but I remember when I was about 4 years ago, I had to sit with bunch of other kids and my mom was way on the other side of the church. The church was very small, but to me my mother was about 1 mile away from me. 😃

Thanks!
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I meant to say 4 years old.
We kids were good - if we talked or sat improperly, a religious brother or sister there would come a tab on our shoulder or head. 😃 That’s how they kept us from being the main attention from the mass.
 
I have seen the sexes segregated in many Orthodox churches, but never in a Western one. (I’m not saying it hasn’t happened there.)

It is an ancient and venerable custom (like women covering their heads) but there are things more important. I’ve seen people boasting of such separation and covered female heads as if that’s the entire content of the faith.
 
This seems to be a hold-over from the practice of segragating the women in the synogogue behind a screen. Since there should be no distractions while we are at prayer, the women are hidden so that they do not distract. Since only the men (after bar Mitzvah) are required to observe the Torah, the children, including the boys sit with the women.
Perhaps the Christian churches should all take this Jewish wisdom to heart and separate the women behind a screen during worship services.

Matthew
 
By way of historical background then . . .

The separation of the sexes was recommended in canon 1262 §1 of the former code of 1917: “Optandum ut, congruenter antiquae disciplinae [in keeping with ancient discipline or practice], mulieres in ecclesia separatae sint a viris.” It was thus practiced in some places and not in others.

Matters of attire were addressed in the second paragraph of the same canon.
 
cameron_lansing said:
The separation of the sexes was recommended in canon 1262 §1 of the former code of 1917: “Optandum ut, congruenter antiquae disciplinae [in keeping with ancient discipline or practice], mulieres in ecclesia separatae sint a viris.”

Matters of attire were addressed in the second paragraph of the same canon.
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wow, that is way back.
Thanks!
 
water said:
wow, that is way back.
Thanks!
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I love old books. One that I found recently is

CABINET of CATHOLIC INFORMATION

A collection of Lectures and writing of Eminent {relate and Priests of the Catholic Church in America nd Europe

copyrighted Dec. 22, 1903
Signed by Atchbishop Farley

also signed by the library censor T. L. Kinkead

It is falling apart and has lots of wonderful historical information on why Catholics Believe What we do.😃

It explains the Mass and the traditions that we follow and in what I have read most of them hold true even today 104 years after this book was published. But, so far no women on one side and men on the other. It does mention that families should worship together with the small children.😃
 
KathleenElsie said:
I love old books. One that I found recently is

CABINET of CATHOLIC INFORMATION

A collection of Lectures and writing of Eminent {relate and Priests of the Catholic Church in America nd Europe

copyrighted Dec. 22, 1903
Signed by Atchbishop Farley

also signed by the library censor T. L. Kinkead

It is falling apart and has lots of wonderful historical information on why Catholics Believe What we do.😃

It explains the Mass and the traditions that we follow and in what I have read most of them hold true even today 104 years after this book was published. But, so far no women on one side and men on the other. It does mention that families should worship together with the small children.😃
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What the old book smells like? 🙂
Nowdays, especially in the US, you don’t want to leave your kids out of your sight or far away. We can’t trust anyone. Therefore, having family all together on the same pew is better.

In my country when I was younger, 6 years old, I could walk to school, church, super market myself.
 
water said:
What the old book smells like? 🙂
Now days, especially in the US, you don’t want to leave your kids out of your sight or far away. We can’t trust anyone. Therefore, having family all together on the same pew is better.

In my country when I was younger, 6 years old, I could walk to school, church, super market myself.
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As a child I could go all most anyplace the same way. The memories make me sad for my children and now even sadder for my grandchildren. Memories are wonderful things, and I believe a gift from God, even for those of us with much “baggage” to carry around. The book smells old and musty but the wonderful pictures and tin-plates are from past times that I can only pray that future generations get so see and cherish.

One memory of mine from when I was a little girl was of the smell of an elderly woman in our neighborhood. She always smelled so good and about a year ago I ordered some “antique” soap not anti-bacterial or chemical just soap. When I open the wrapper the smell of that old lady came rushing back to me. It was Life Boy soap 😃 . I pray that everyone has good memories like this one.👍
 
I encountered this phenomenon in southern Germany (Bavaria) around 2002. I arrived pretty early, and didn’t notice the pattern until after Mass had started. As it turns out, I was on the womens’ side!

So anyway, this is not something that is unique to the Eastern church.
 
It used to be a fairly common practice in many ethnic parishes in the United States. It would certainly eliminate any problem with couples “cuddling” which is being discussed in another thread!
 
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