The Parish

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
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Um... the point of discussing...

I'm just curious to hear more of what Sanctus has to say. I've been educated as a Catholic and went to mass every Sunday until at least 16 years old. I then personally stopped going to mass because I never saw the point of the Catholic rituals... I always saw them as being completely secondary to what religion should be. Being Christian is about following the teachings of Christ; the rest is secondary.
I have a very hard time seeing beyond the symbolic value of the rituals but totally respect those who do.
es.

And part of those teachings, as you are probably aware, are the rituals we enjoy as Christians, chiefly the Mass and the other Sacraments.
 

canadarocks

Electoral Member
Dec 26, 2006
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I totally agree with Sanctus. Being Christian is about following Christ, not simply about going to mass on Sunday.

I will ask you this Sanctus. What would you say to a bunch young people my age (25) who would want to contribute to the humanitarian work of your parish but who would openly admit they have no interest whatsoever with Mass or any form of Catholic rituals?


Probably shouldn't be in this thread, since I'm not particulalry religious. I do believe in god, and I guess Jesus too, but I am soooooooooo far from being a follower.

Anyway, you didn't ask me, but I can't help but think that you and your friends would be hypocrites. If you go to any church and offer help you should go all the way and become a member. Otherwise, there are allot of secular charity groups you can go to instead.
 
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AndyF

Electoral Member
Jan 5, 2007
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sanctus:

On the other hand generally the character of the priest has also changed. I sense a certain reservation in the priest these days that differs from the 50's era. Then it wasn't uncommon for the priest to teach at mass and bring to the forefront his concerns. Sometimes this was given in an air of displeasure, and the congregation knew it. One particular late Irish priest I recall from my teen years, bless his soul, would be downright scolding in his methods, turning red as a beet in his displeasure. But you can see the congregation's love there all the same, and this character simply reassured us that he was just like us. The parish would have considered it a loss if he were to be reassigned, and his funeral brought a huge crowd from all over. I think the coffee thing would have been handled in a sarcastic/humour like manner unique to him, sprinkled with a dash of irritation, and on-the-spot correction was entirely possible.

The priest of the 50's would have stated that he didn't want anyone at communion who was in a state of mortal sin. At the same time I think there were more devout followers in the 50's. I recall children in that era would have spoken of sin in his daily conversations with his playmates and on occasion would remind so-and-so that he just sinned, or that he needed to urgently go to confession. All these similar cases point to a forgetfullness of what the adults have learned, and of inadequate teaching of the young. Not to bring sole responsibility of this on the priest, I think it doesn't hurt on occasion to remind people of why something is being done, and what is expected of people.

We need to ask ourselves, if we are indeed a collective family, how would we act in our "home". We would not be reserved and we would speak our mind when it was necessary.

AndyF
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
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sanctus:

On the other hand generally the character of the priest has also changed. I sense a certain reservation in the priest these days that differs from the 50's era. Then it wasn't uncommon for the priest to teach at mass and bring to the forefront his concerns. Sometimes this was given in an air of displeasure, and the congregation knew it.
AndyF


True, but the times have changed. In the 1950's, morality was the norm. Priests held sway over their congregations because society as a whole supported the morality taught by the Church.

Now, we face being attacked for our views as being homophobic, regressive and bigotted. It is, actually, more difficult now to proclaim the truth of our doctrines and the Scriptures then ever before.
 

sanctus

The Padre
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We need to ask ourselves, if we are indeed a collective family, how would we act in our "home". We would not be reserved and we would speak our mind when it was necessary.

AndyF

True, and be involved! Mass is not a social activity. It is not only the reception of the Sacrament and hearing the Mass, it is being a collective part of the community which gathers together for worship and teaching.

One of the reasons the Vatican is taking measures to bring the Liturgical abuses into line is that since the age of V2 the N. American church has swung too far to the extreme in its liturgics. Eucharistic ministers, for example, is something long seen as potentially dangerous by the Vatican. this admonition has been largely ignored by the Canadian Bishops. In fact, our former Pope called for the N. American Church to stop using Eucharistic Ministers as the norm at regular Sunday Masses.

Another abuse against our tradition is the way communion is distributed in 99% of the parishes. Line-ups and in the hand, most dis-respectful. I have never allowed this. If you attend my Mass you will be expected to kneel at the altar rail and receive the Lord's Body on the tongue.

In short, we need to both embrace our traditions as Catholics and to advance with the world carefully preserving that which is good and holy.
 

AndyF

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True, but the times have changed. In the 1950's, morality was the norm. Priests held sway over their congregations because society as a whole supported the morality taught by the Church.

Agree

Now, we face being attacked for our views as being homophobic, regressive and bigotted. It is, actually, more difficult now to proclaim the truth of our doctrines and the Scriptures then ever before.

There are risks, but with the founder of the Church taking an active interest in it's well being I doubt they present a real problem. I'm sure he would like it restored to it's former state. The Church advocates that it's people should dare to change in the face of adversity, and the advice still applies. After all, we are still talking about Faith and Hope.

AndyF
 

marygaspe

Electoral Member
Jan 19, 2007
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There are risks, but with the founder of the Church taking an active interest in it's well being I doubt they present a real problem. I'm sure he would like it restored to it's former state. The Church advocates that it's people should dare to change in the face of adversity, and the advice still applies. After all, we are still talking about Faith and Hope.

AndyF


after reading through this thread, which I started, I want to thank
Sanctus for making me think. I get what you mean now Sanctus.

And I'm jealous, prayers in Latin! My soul aches to hear again the words of the Mass in Latin. Where in Ontario do you live? I'm in Leamington. I'd love the chance to attend a Mass you said if it was not too far from me. PM me if you don't want to say here out in the open.
 

marygaspe

Electoral Member
Jan 19, 2007
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True, and be involved! Mass is not a social activity. It is not only the reception of the Sacrament and hearing the Mass, it is being a collective part of the community which gathers together for worship and teaching.


As I was thinking about my own parish, and the way we behave as parishioners, I wonder at how liberal our church has gotten since Vatican Two. I mean, I bet I could count on one hand the number of Catholics I know who say a daily Rosary. When't the last time most of us have said a Novena? We need to remember our traditions before we lose them altogether.Sanctus, do you say a rosary?
 
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mapleleafgirl

Electoral Member
Dec 13, 2006
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so what exactly does the word parish mean anyway? is it a latin word or what? and explain this, there is the church, and the parish, whats the diff?
 

mapleleafgirl

Electoral Member
Dec 13, 2006
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As I was thinking about my own parish, and the way we behave as parishioners, I wonder at how liberal our church has gotten since Vatican Two. I mean, I bet I could count on one hand the number of Catholics I know who say a daily Rosary. When't the last time most of us have said a Novena? We need to remember our traditions before we lose them altogether.Sanctus, do you say a rosary?


are we supposed to say a rosary?whats the point of it?
 

AndyF

Electoral Member
Jan 5, 2007
384
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My soul aches to hear again the words of the Mass in Latin

Agree. I'd love to hear it said again, and I recall that my sisters as teens at the time were attending Catholic high schools, and they would complain that they had to learn Latin. I couldn't understand why as it always held a fascination for me even at that young age.

Bring back Christmas midnite mass also while we're at it.!

AndyF
 

mapleleafgirl

Electoral Member
Dec 13, 2006
864
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Agree. I'd love to hear it said again, and I recall that my sisters as teens at the time were attending Catholic high schools, and they would complain that they had to learn Latin. I couldn't understand why as it always held a fascination for me even at that young age.

Bring back Christmas midnite mass also while we're at it.!

AndyF


dont they have midnight mass anymore? the parish i joined does. and whats the big deal about this latin mass. how different is it from the mass i go to?
 

china

Time Out
Jul 30, 2006
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csanopal:
That's not very practical. We live in the real world. You cannot expect people to go around talking about Jesus all the time!


Why not ?Is love based on practicality?
 
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RomSpaceKnight

Council Member
Oct 30, 2006
1,384
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Some RC parishes don't have midnight mass at Christmas? Wow, that's news to me. The Delaware parish still has it but then they have always been a bit traditionalist, I think. Been many many years since I was in that particular church. They always had the best socials and dances in the church basement.
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
4,558
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so what exactly does the word parish mean anyway? is it a latin word or what? and explain this, there is the church, and the parish, whats the diff?

The Church is the whole, the Catholic Church...A parish is a portion of a diocese under the authority of a priest legitimately appointed to secure in virtue of his office for the faithful dwelling therein, the helps of religion. The faithful are called parishioners, the priest parochus, curate, parish priest, pastor (q.v.). To form a parish there must be (1) a certain body of the faithful over whom pastoral authority is exercised; the ordinary manner of determining them is by assigning a territory subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the parish priest.
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
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are we supposed to say a rosary?whats the point of it?

"The Rosary", says the Roman Breviary, "is a certain form of prayer wherein we say fifteen decades or tens of Hail Marys with an Our Father between each ten, while at each of these fifteen decades we recall successively in pious meditation one of the mysteries of our Redemption." The same lesson for the Feast of the Holy Rosary informs us that when the Albigensian heresy was devastating the country of Toulouse, St. Dominic earnestly besought the help of Our Lady and was instructed by her, so tradition asserts, to preach the Rosary among the people as an antidote to heresy and sin
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
4,558
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Agree. I'd love to hear it said again, and I recall that my sisters as teens at the time were attending Catholic high schools, and they would complain that they had to learn Latin. I couldn't understand why as it always held a fascination for me even at that young age.

Bring back Christmas midnite mass also while we're at it.!

AndyF

It's back, many parishes offer the TLM on a regular basis. I say it twice a month as a matter of fact.

What do you mean "bring back Christmas Midnight Mass"? I've been a priest since 1996 and I always hold a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
4,558
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Ontario
www.poetrypoem.com
As I was thinking about my own parish, and the way we behave as parishioners, I wonder at how liberal our church has gotten since Vatican Two. I mean, I bet I could count on one hand the number of Catholics I know who say a daily Rosary. When't the last time most of us have said a Novena? We need to remember our traditions before we lose them altogether.Sanctus, do you say a rosary?


Yes. I am a strong devotee of our Blessed Mother.
 

sanctus

The Padre
Oct 27, 2006
4,558
48
48
Ontario
www.poetrypoem.com
after reading through this thread, which I started, I want to thank
Sanctus for making me think. I get what you mean now Sanctus.

And I'm jealous, prayers in Latin! My soul aches to hear again the words of the Mass in Latin. Where in Ontario do you live? I'm in Leamington. I'd love the chance to attend a Mass you said if it was not too far from me. PM me if you don't want to say here out in the open.

I'm actually not that far from you. I'll PM you directions::)
 

mapleleafgirl

Electoral Member
Dec 13, 2006
864
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windsor,ontario
Yes. I am a strong devotee of our Blessed Mother.

hey, this is sort of off your topic. but like if you get online at all(i can wait knowing youre into personal stuff) can you help me understand fatima. have you heard of fatima? my priest lent me a book on it and its about mary appearing to three children. is it true? does the church believe in this sort of stuff?