Friday, February 19, 2010

The Sunday Mass Experience

Goal: Immaculate Conception will plan and celebrate Sunday mass as the source and summit of our lives through the full, active, and conscious participation of our people.
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2 comments:

  1. Amber McGuiganFebruary 19, 2010 at 7:51 PM

    Thanks for separating the posts! Three thoughts on this one:

    1) One thing that struck me when we started coming to IC was that I always see all three friars at every mass I attend, greeting in the lobby or hanging around. I think that sends a strong message about the mass being important, since everyone knows priests are busy.

    2) Perhaps the friars could make it widely known that they are available to hear confessions before mass. There are still some people who have trouble fully participating in the mass if they haven't gone to reconciliation. Saturday mornings can be tough, and while you can always make an appointment, most people I know are hesitant to bother busy priests about their sins. If Sundays wouldn't work, maybe just designate some office hours during the week as times that the friars would expect the interruption.

    3) I have really appreciated how generally welcoming and tolerant other parishioners are toward my toddler during mass. It is very important to me that she learn to love the mass and feel at home in it, and she can't do that if she's forced to sit still and be silent. I feel our family has been blessed, but I know of others who don't bring their rambunctious children to mass, or aren't able to teach them how to behave during mass because they feel pressured to bring them to the lobby whenever they make noise (which, of course, encourages the behavior by rewarding it). So, I think reminding parents (and everyone else) that Jesus welcomed the noisy little children, and also supporting parents in their efforts to teach them are important.

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  2. IC DurhamFebruary 19, 2010 at 8:34 PM

    "Meeting and greeting" before and after Mass is an important way of being available to people in the parish we friars might otherwise not see during the week. It's a time to simply touch base and an occasion to make a time to get together during the week. Sunday Mass is the heart and soul, the "source and summit" of our parish life. I hope our presence helps to convey that.

    Hearing confessions between Sunday Masses can be difficult given the press of time. I'm sure I speak for Frs. Bill and Steve when I say that we will make every effort to accommodate request for confession at other times during the week.

    And the kids! One Sunday Fr. Steve turned from the homily to find a little guy sitting in the Presider's chair. And on more than one occasion, I've been joined at the ambo by a curious tot who escaped from mom.

    The ordinary noise of kids squirming and talking to their parents during Mass is a very welcome price we pay for being a parish that welcomes children. The only time I think parents should adjourn to the Gathering Space is when it's obvious that a child has "had it" and can't be soothed in the pew.

    As I see it, kids will best learn how to pray the Mass by watching and imitating their parents. I'd encurage parents to take their kids on a "tour" of the church from time to time: bring them into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, take them to stain glass windows, to the Guadalupe shrine; walk them round the stations; linger at the baptismal font and tell them about the day they were baptized - what happened, who was there ....

    Fr. Dan

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