People Leaving Early

[dspen2005]

it is a problem... but sometimes people have certain situations that require them to leave early -- for example, a doctor may have an appointment with a patient, but he wanted to fulfill his obligation... i think, however, that the faithful should at least remain until after the postcommunion prayer.... or after the final blessing, and then just slip out before the priest processes out.

[photosynthesis]

i hate it when people leave early... i went to christmas mass at the parish i grew up in, and it was standing room only during the Mass... but after the communion the place was practically empty. Father said the blessing, and afterwards he said "you can tell who the real parishioners are because they stick it out for the whole thing"

[Ora et Labora]

Ah! That drives me bonkers when people leave after communion!!!!!!


Fortunatly, know one does that at the mass I go to.

~Kristina

[dspen2005]

maybe someone can correct me, if i am wrong.... arent the faithful only required to be in attendance from the offertory through the reception of Communion by the priest??? Or is this an old-school rule? I heard this somewhere; i think it was from Fr Pacwa on EWTN Live..

[mamalove]

It drives me nuts too! When we know that all three of the kids are going to act up during mass (a.k.a no naps/late night) we will go to the cry room. There will often be someone else in there with one child that you never hear a peep out of, so the need to be in the cry room at all. . .I don't know. Whenever we get back from communion, its a 100% guarantee that the cry room will now be empty. So sad. The cry room is even on the opposite side of the exit, so to leave you have to walk all the way across the back of the church.

Edited September 13, 2005 by mamalove

[Theoketos]

How was this thread on the first page?

[MissScripture]

One weekend, our priest decided to make an announcement about it, because so many people were leaving early...and he told us afterwards that during communion a little boy came up and said something to him, but he didn't understand what he said. After Mass the little boy's father, red-faced, went to apologize to Father...apparently, the little boy had said, "Daddy said we're going to stay the whole time, today!"

[angels111]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Jan 12 2004, 08:23 PM']darn you and your wife with your lovey-dovey stuff and smoochiness!
*pouts cuz I'm just jealous my hubby's not on here and I can't smooch with him!*
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I used to leave early as we always left early groing up, all of the announcements and all. Someone else said that to shame people was the way to go. I think if you educate people they would respond. Either way the church, as a whole, needs to address it.

[ofpheritup]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' date='Jan 11 2004, 02:51 PM']
We had a priest really ding people about coming to mass on time...
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He needs to go to my ex-parish and talk to them.

On one Sunday this all happened, I promise. I am in the side chapel (not a cry room). Mass starts at 5 and is over at 6. Fifteen minutes before the Mass is over people are still coming in.

Now along with that two people behind me on the right are talking. The family in front of me is 'interesting." The mom is braiding the girl's hair. Dad is talking to his son, the son eight or nine years old is eating a cookie, crumbs falling on the floor..

The man behind me on the left cell phone rings, SO OF COURSE HE ANSWERS IT and talks thru the Mass.

The person beside me is commenting on the priest's accent. The priest is from Africa his accent is a little thick until you get used to it. The man beside me said, "if the N word can't learn to speak English why don't he go back where he came from?" I am sitting there thinking if he goes I'll happily pay him to take you with him.

I emailed the senior priest telling him what happened. Still waiting for a response.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='dspen2005' date='Sep 13 2005, 01:24 PM']maybe someone can correct me, if i am wrong.... arent the faithful only required to be in attendance from the offertory through the reception of Communion by the priest??? Or is this an old-school rule?  I heard this somewhere; i think it was from Fr Pacwa on EWTN Live..
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That is an old excuse, but certainly not a rule.
If you make it to church after the Gospel, you need to go to a whole Mass again, because you missed too much to count it as an attended Mass.

[Soccer 15 SWC]

I find it to be annoying since the door in my church creaks. Im kneeling praying and i start to hear distracting noises. its just not good.

[Norseman82]

The priest yesterday managed to work this into the homily and how it related to the gospel.