Your pew "communities"

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I read something a long time ago (this forum, perhaps 🙂 ) about the places you sit in Church every week, and how the same people around you become a sort of “community”. I’ve loved that, and ever since then have enjoyed being around my “pew community” every time I’m at Mass.

In my back-pew community:

There’s a very elderly woman, whom I call Gramma, who just turned 90 and is as spry and sharp as the day is long! She sits to my left. Then there’s Earl, another elderly gentleman who’s on my right and gives me grief if I get up to leave the pew for whatever reason. 🙂 The gentlemen who sit near the far back wall I affectionately call my Grey Beards–during the sign of peace they always wave at me really big. A younger gal and her husband (I think) always sit in the pew in front of me, and though they never go up to receive, they’re at every Saturday Evening Mass without fail. Then the usher who’s the sweetest senior citizen, I’ve dubbed him Papa and he always asks about twosweetgirls. I could go on.

Thanks for letting me share about my pew community. Yours?
 
This is such a cute idea! Sadly, we no longer have a pew community, but hopefully when our schedule settles down and we get to go to one Mass consistently we’ll find one again. 🙂
 
well I surely messed up the communities entirely by reserving pews for first communions, and will continue to do so until Lent begins, so I hope the regular denizens get over it
 
I find great inspiration on a reguar basis from a man - perhaps in his late 30s – who sits in the same area I typically sit. He apparently, based on his repetitive physical movements and voice intonation, has some mental and/or social handicaps and does not interact with others around him. But he is there every week, and I see him walking to and from church to Mass regardless of the weather, and not a short distance. His devotion is a model for me.
 
We alternate between Saturday evening Mass and Sunday morning Mass on a regular basis, so it’s hard to have an established community there.

With daily Mass, it is a little better. In the front row on my side are a couple of ladies - perhaps in their 50’s or 60’s. One walks with the aid of a cane. I know her from the back, but when I met her at a bible study (face-to-face) I didn’t really recognize her. Sometimes sitting in the front row are an older couple who would sometimes bring a teenager who I’m guessing is their grandson. He seemed to have some kind of mental handicap. Haven’t seen them lately. To the right - in the second or third row sit a couple of men - probably 50’s or so. Behind them sits and older gentleman. 60’s or 70’s. He doesn’t kneel. A few pews in front of me is Rhonda- late 40’s or so. She works for a funeral home and almost always has on a black business suit. Every hair in place. An older couple used to sit in front of me. Then they stopped coming. Then occasionally the man would come and said his wife was sick. Then one day he said his wife had passed away a few weeks earlier. He still comes now and then.

With our bible study last fall, I was able to put names with a few faces. Obviously, I still have a few more to learn.
 
Our pew community includes a mother and her two grown children. Her daughter is a single Mom with 3 beautiful young daughters. My daughters love to have hers sit with us. Recently, the young mother asked me if we would be Godparents or her youngest baby!!

We also have a young man we sit near who gets around in a wheelchair. We see him all over the neighborhood in his motorized chair and he tries to go to Mass often. I am not sure what he has, but he can walk and stand with assistance. When he comes to church, he sits in the front and moves from his chair into the pew. He tries to participate physically in the Mass, standing and sitting when the rest of us do. We have seen him fall – I almost had a heart attack! But he won’t give up! He should be an inspiration to those who find it “inconvenient” to attend Mass on a regular basis.

There is an older couple who we see often, even though now they are both not getting around too well. She is always dressed to a tee, with hats and everything. He coordinates the color of his clothes with hers, so they match. Very cute!

Mass would just not be the same without these friends!
 
well you see in my community ( redneckville ) there is barney who likes to say AHMEN! real loud. Then there is Crutch ( he is a one armed dwarf with a speech impediment) he sits right in front of me with his neatly combed hair and his daughter who is about 8 or so.
Then there is a 50 year old woman who has a lot of gas 😦 . ( this gas is not good on barney). Crutch dont seem to mind one bit. Then to my back left there is a nice tall African American man. Hes pretty nice to talk to. Hes shy at first. But really social once he knows you.
Then ,last but not least, there is a man who comes in and out. He says he goes to another church that he grew up with. Hes nice. he doesnt get along well with Crutch though. Had a big fight one time. they took it outside and never seen him agian. Crutch says nothing happend:shrug:
 
Neat stories. We have assigned seats in Chapel. My fellow seminarians aren’t nearly as colorful as your communities. 😃
 
Mini_gerbel said:
well you see in my community ( redneckville ) there is barney who likes to say AHMEN! real loud. Then there is Crutch ( he is a one armed dwarf with a speech impediment) he sits right in front of me with his neatly combed hair and his daughter who is about 8 or so.
Then there is a 50 year old woman who has a lot of gas 😦 . ( this gas is not good on barney). Crutch dont seem to mind one bit. Then to my back left there is a nice tall African American man. Hes pretty nice to talk to. Hes shy at first. But really social once he knows you.
Then ,last but not least, there is a man who comes in and out. He says he goes to another church that he grew up with. Hes nice. he doesnt get along well with Crutch though. Had a big fight one time. they took it outside and never seen him agian. Crutch says nothing happend:shrug:
Click to expand...
oh this was joke.
 
Aw, I love this! What a wonderful post! My mother and I, sit in the very back row. Mother suffers from Alzheimer’s… and our special “pew community” consists largely of the ushers, who are aware of her illness. They treat her like a queen… making sure, that each Sunday… she has the same seat… on the very corner. They make sure that no one climbs over her (because she wears a brace on her leg, and is quite disabled). They bring her a parish bulletin… and give her hugs and kisses during the sign of peace.

When the time arrives for Holy Communion… they escort the Blessed Sacrament to her (and the other elderly and disabled)… and one of these very special men… even moved his own car OUT of the disabled parking… (though he, himself is disabled) to make a place for our car, so my dear mother wouldn’t have to walk too far!

She lovingly calls them… her “Guardian Angels”. And I praise God for their goodness, their kindness and their Christian charity.:getholy:
 
My “pew community” is up front in the corner on the “Mary” side – it’s myself (the flutist), the cantor, the pianist, and occasionally a guitarist and a couple of other singers. 🙂
 
In my pew community there are three older women who sit directly behind me. I have gotten to know all three of them pretty well. On most Sundays a nice couple and their two children sit beside me. I happened to mention to them one day that I was going to be confirmed the next Sunday, and they came to the later Mass just to see me get confirmed. That really meant a lot to me. There is a woman who sits at the end of my pew, who can’t bend one leg. An older woman sits in front of me who always wears a mantilla or hat. Across the aisle is “large hat woman.” I’m glad I don’t sit behind her as her hats are very distracting. I love my pew community.
 
Mine community has a family with 3 kids behind me. 2 Chinese folks in front of me. A bald headed man to the left of them and a Spanish family to their right. To my left is “generally” a family with a young son. ALl kinda nice I must say.
When I go to morning Mass, there are nuns all around me and a 90 y/o gentleman to my left across the aisle.

Kathy
 
Many years ago, I used to go to evening Mass after work each day at the downtown church. There were two characters who made an appearance each day. One was the “Holy Lady,” who always wore a long black coat and a big black scarf on her head, regardless of the weather. She had a huge crucifix around her neck and was a devotee of the Bayside apparitions. She acted as if she could read hearts. The other lady was a bag lady. She had gray hair in unkempt wisps, and disheveled clothes. She did not genuflect, for whatever reason - she may not have been able to. The Holy Lady thoroughly disapproved of the Bag Lady. Every day she would either hold up her crucifix at her or sprinkle her with holy water, depending on how egregious she thought the behavior of the Bag Lady. Now, the Bag Lady, although a little spacey, was perfectly fine as far as behavior at Mass, but she didn’t meet the Holy Lady’s standards, ever. That was pretty much fun to watch every day.

These days at daily Mass, I see Barbara, an older lady who has adopted a bunch of young teenage Russian children, Don (who hasn’t been there lately - that’s worrisome), an older gentleman who has befriended the oldest of the Russian children, the Snappy Older Couple (the lady has more shoes than anyone I’ve ever seen), the Snappy Older Lady who often comes right from the gym, the former Nice Young Man (I remember him from 30 years ago, when he and I were both young), Norman, the desperate 50-year-old single guy, The Girl With the Long Curly Hair, who is a member of the Lay Missionaries of Charity, often wears pink shoes and has been seen sitting with Norman once or twice, and Maggie, the girl with the Pantene Hair. I’ve never seen shinier hair outside of a commercial. Then there are a couple of nice young men who seem to be discerning a call to priesthood. And Lori, the teacher and EMHC, very pious, and out of synch with the rest of us making the responses. And another Barbara, 80 years old and quite vivacious and friendly to everyone.

And quite a bunch more. I’ll spare you! 😉

Betsy
 
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