ladybug Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Disturbing article [url="http://news.excite.com/odd/article/id/356088|oddlyenough|09-23-2003::10:13|reuters.html"]http://news.excite.com/odd/article/id/3560...13|reuters.html[/url] Is this true? If so, my church is distributing bread and wine seperately, and people are clapping and laughing and our priests are cracking light jokes during the liturgy. Some people sway to the music and raise their hands in the air. I don't mind if they change it back to just the wafer, and putting it directly on my tongue (I prefer that) but I have found the applause and laughter comforting and the hands in the air thing is nice, even if I don't do it. One thing that has bothered me though is that they took away our cry room to put a projector in there so that they can put the lyrics to songs on a giant big screen on the altar (instead of our hymnal books) and I have no place to go with my baby to nurse him, and I don't feel comfortable doing it around men out in the open. They told me I can just go nurse my baby in the bathroom. But I have a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old, and don't want to leave them alone while I go in the bathroom. And the only place to sit is you know where. This has been so upsetting to me that I have not attended church and have been watching it on TV instead. If the church is gonna go back to the old ways then I'm gonna be so confused because I'm just now trying to learn to accept the new ways, and if I get comfortable with that and they switch everything around on me again I'm gonna go crazy. I'm so worried about doing this or that right that it's distracting me from Jesus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicCrusader Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 If we only could go back to before Vatican II... Ladybug, You must attend Mass on Sunday. If your local parish cannot support your "needs" that you have described, you must go somewhere else. It is not lawful to skip Mass merely for that reason. The church you have described is full of absues anyway. You should find a church in line with what the Vatican prescribes. Watching Mass on TV does not fulfill the obligation, and obligation, if broken, is a mortal sin. God bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flip Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Catholic Crusader... our favorite "Mass State Trooper". Thank you sir for letting her know her sins. Have fun pulling other people over... Seargent Crusader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 There are NONE here in Houston that follow what you are saying. The closest other one that would partially accomodate me pipes the mass on a speaker out to a courtyard and that's where the mom's with kids go...outside. So, either I'm outside in the heat or at home and can see a traditional mass on TV. But even then that this church is too far for me and is abusing the same other stuff. When we baptize children they give us 2 minutes.....and do none of the traditional readings I'm used to, and the whole assemly stands up and holds their hands over the baby and then clap, cheer, and whistle. I'm going back to Louisiana to baptize my new baby so I can get a traditional baptismal service. The bishop says an old prayer of exorcism over us and the godparents. We will have to drive 4 hours to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicCrusader Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 I found the [i]perfect[/i] Mass for you! This Mass I KNOW has no innovations and goes by exactly what the Vatican states: Annunciation Church in Houston. Here is the church's information: 1618 Texas St., Houston, TX 77003-3033. The Priest is Msgr. James Golasinski. The phone number is (713) 222-2289. Mass is listed here to be at 8 a.m. on Sunday; however, I would call to make sure, since sometimes online times are not 100% accurate. This Mass is the Mass provided for by Pope John Paul II to be said according to the Missal of 1962 (pre-Vatican II). If you have come to the conclusion that you must stay at home because the abuses are so bad, that is the perfect church fo you because it will, you can take my word, have no abuses. God bless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicCrusader Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 [quote name='flip' date='Jul 9 2004, 04:55 PM'] Catholic Crusader... our favorite "Mass State Trooper". Thank you sir for letting her know her sins. Have fun pulling other people over... Seargent Crusader. [/quote] I know that catechism has hardly been taught at all since Vatican II, but I thought almost everyone knew the spiritual works of mercy: the first and most important is: "admonish the sinner." The second and second-most important is "instruct the ignorant." God bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quietfire Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Ladybug, If there are abuses at your parish, and if that letter is in fact true, then it is an obligation of charity to show that letter to your priest and bishop as soon as possible. I was in fact upset when I read your cry room was taken away. I would ask (or demand gently) that it be returned for it's original use. The fact that you are now having to use the ladies room to nurse your child, while watching your other children, all the while sitting on a toilet seat to accomodate your childs nursing needs should be a bigger concern to your parish then trying to be all high tech and modern with the big screen. Also, the big screen thing reminds me of tent revivals and smacking it up on the alter should be a big no-no. Same goes for the clapping and hand waving. I know some raise their hands during mass and others who quietly clap their hands(not an applause), but this (what you are describing) sounds, again, like a tent revival or something. If it doesnt fit that, then it would probably be acceptable as long as it was not distracting. Your whole mind and body (your whole being) should be focused on the Mass, if there are ANY distractions from that, then I see a problem. Please contact your bishop if necessary. Even your diocese, if necessary. I will be praying for you. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamalove Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Did anyone notice the date on the letter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quietfire Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Mamalove, Yep. September 23. Probably 2003, not sure. Still, if Ladybug has to resort to watching a traditional Mass on t.v. then she has two choices. 1. She can talk to her priest, bishop, diocese. 2. She can take Catholic Crusaders advice and get in touch with that particular parish to get their schedule. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamalove Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Agreed. I'll be praying for you *leaves to chase Pete who is running around the house with my rosary around his neck* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Why don't you just stay inside the Church for Mass? If they took away the cry room they will just have to put up with crying kids. Its not your problem, its their problem. Unless your children are really misbehaving they have a perfect right to be in Church. Have you tried nursing your baby directly before Mass begins? Is the baby old enough to be offered a cold pacifier during Mass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 [quote name='flip' date='Jul 9 2004, 03:55 PM'] Catholic Crusader... our favorite "Mass State Trooper". Thank you sir for letting her know her sins. Have fun pulling other people over... Seargent Crusader. [/quote] Is that an appropriate thing to say? Are you laughing in your heart? That is not funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 [quote name='Quietfire' date='Jul 9 2004, 04:18 PM'] Ladybug, If there are abuses at your parish, and if that letter is in fact true, then it is an obligation of charity to show that letter to your priest and bishop as soon as possible. I was in fact upset when I read your cry room was taken away. I would ask (or demand gently) that it be returned for it's original use. The fact that you are now having to use the ladies room to nurse your child, while watching your other children, all the while sitting on a toilet seat to accomodate your childs nursing needs should be a bigger concern to your parish then trying to be all high tech and modern with the big screen. Also, the big screen thing reminds me of tent revivals and smacking it up on the alter should be a big no-no. Same goes for the clapping and hand waving. I know some raise their hands during mass and others who quietly clap their hands(not an applause), but this (what you are describing) sounds, again, like a tent revival or something. If it doesnt fit that, then it would probably be acceptable as long as it was not distracting. Your whole mind and body (your whole being) should be focused on the Mass, if there are ANY distractions from that, then I see a problem. Please contact your bishop if necessary. Even your diocese, if necessary. I will be praying for you. Peace. [/quote] I wrote a letter to them asking to please at least put up some sort of partition or curtain in the back of the church, and I sent a couple of letters and got no answer. And so I feel embarrassed as if I made an usual demand and it has broken my heart and I'm too embarassed to ask again. I feel embarassed to show my face because I'm the 'demanding mother' now. I literally have been crying over not having a cry room. They say that the back of the church serves as a cry room, but there is no private place to nurse. It's all still in the open with men all around. This is the church that I help at, and I design art projects for the CCD students, and I helped in the classes even while have preterm labor pains. And they could not give me a place to nurse my baby when he was born. The other option they gave me is sitting in the confessional. I cannot hear mass in the confessional. At least I hear mass at home. I don't want to go back to a pre Vatican II Mass either....I just want to go back to my church across the street from my home. I don't like all of the inconsistencies in our church. It is really upsetting me. As a parent myself I know that if you are inconsistent in your parenting and change the rules all of the time, it exasperates the kids and causes behavior problems. I feel sold out for the big screen TV. I am very upset. How lazy are people that they cannot turn the page in their missal? AND our Fr. was soliciting money at mass saying how expensive electricity was at the church and so I give extra to the diocese fund and they get a giant big screen and projector with it. They should have fixed up the CCD rooms that are FALLING APART and get some catholic material for the students. They are using Protestant material for the Sunday School kids because the director says they cannot find Catholic material. I beg to differ. So I volunteered my artistic services to make them some Catholic material. Why is this happening to our church? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 what church is this? we have some peeps here from houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 9 2004, 05:03 PM'] Why don't you just stay inside the Church for Mass? If they took away the cry room they will just have to put up with crying kids. Its not your problem, its their problem. Unless your children are really misbehaving they have a perfect right to be in Church. Have you tried nursing your baby directly before Mass begins? Is the baby old enough to be offered a cold pacifier during Mass? [/quote] WHOA....my kids REALLY misbehave in church. My 4 year old runs across the chairs and jumps from the chairs to the floor. One of the Fr's had to come catch one of my boys from falling and he sat with me to help me. They are very loud and I have trouble handling them alone. (My husband works Sundays and is not Catholic) My baby will NOT take a pacifier or a bottle. He just screams. That would solve a lot wouldn't it! I look forward to the day! But then again, I'm trying to enjoy every second of him while he is little. When Sunday School is back in session, they will be in the class while I attend mass....in a few months I will make another go at it and just endure nursing in the bathroom. I don't dare ask a third time for the cry room. I'll just go to confession then and tell Fr. what my dillema has been and hope he understands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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