Does Anyone Else Struggle With Their Parish?

[Groo the Wanderer]

Biggist gripe I have with my parish is why oh why with 8000 families, we cannot get 200 adult volunteers for youth ministry?!?!?

[Anastasia13]

My church has nice people, but the sermon is in a different language, so I get like 5 words of it.

[BG45]

Sorry to hear it's not going that well. I know I've never felt too welcome in a parish unless I started doing small group stuff with it, but in your case I doubt it would help. You've got my prayers though!

[Yaatee]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1306021747' post='2244327']
Im sorry to hear that. Before this time, I have always felt very welcome.
[/quote]

I see that there are ten churches on the island. --any chance of attending another? I realize that public transport may not be great and that not all might be open every Sunday, etc.

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='Yaatee' timestamp='1306192884' post='2245107']
I see that there are ten churches on the island. --any chance of attending another? I realize that public transport may not be great and that not all might be open every Sunday, etc.
[/quote]

2 of them are Latin, and I specifically want English, another 2 share our priest and don't have Sunday masses. To get to the others costs £10 a time and takes a long time to get there - the island is only 26miles at its widest point, but it takes over 2hrs to travel by bus! But as I said, all being well I wont be here much longer so I'll grin and bear it.

[OnlySunshine]

I guess I'm fortunate to have belonged to two parishes (my current and former) that have been very welcoming of visitors. My current parish has a greeter ministry where everyone is greeted as they walk into the Church. We have a very friendly parish, too. Everyone cares about each other, and that showed this past weekend when one of our friends passed out in the pew during the consecration of the Eucharist. Apparently, she had low blood sugar and there was a nurse and doctor in the Mass that ran to her aid. The priest was genuinely concerned as well. Fortunately, she was OK, but it was very nice to see how everyone cared about her.

At both the Churches I have belonged to, they have the coffee and donuts social in the parish hall after each morning Mass. It's a good way to converse with fellow parishioners and promotes a unity between believers.

Also, at my old parish, they would request the visitors to please introduce themselves and then everyone would welcome them.

I don't think I would leave if the Church I belonged to didn't do this sort of thing since we are there for God, not for the sake of friendship. However, I can see how it can be disconcerting, especially if you have received such hostility at the hands of fellow parishioners. If you really don't feel welcome there anymore, maybe it is time to find a new Church.

[organwerke]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1306237543' post='2245325']
I don't think I would leave if the Church I belonged to didn't do this sort of thing since we are there for God, not for the sake of friendship. However, I can see how it can be disconcerting, especially if you have received such hostility at the hands of fellow parishioners. If you really don't feel welcome there anymore, maybe it is time to find a new Church.
[/quote]

It is true that we go to church for God, but it is also true that Jesus said that they will understand we are his disciples if we have love for each other.
When christians have not true love for other christians I think this is a matter of scandal for non-believers.