Non solum: Come and Go When You Want for Mass?

A reader writes:

I recently started serving at a church and I’ve never seen so many in the congregation arrive late and leave early at all five Masses. Any resources, suggestions, articles that encourage a plan of gathering the assembly from beginning to end?

This is a perennial Catholic problem. In my (very limited) experience of Protestant worship, it seems unknown among them. There is a stronger sense among them of community, of being the Body of Christ, and of ones presence being important to the rest of the congregation. Fifty years after Vatican II, all too many Catholics have a rather individualistic view of things, where the liturgy and the sacramental system are a vending machine, and one can get the ‘product’ on ones own terms.

What to do about this?

Anthony Ruff, OSB

Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. He does priestly ministry at the neighboring community of Benedictine sisters in St. Joseph.

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Comments

33 responses to “Non solum: Come and Go When You Want for Mass?”

  1. Claire Mathieu

    Then there are the Orthodox. The one time I went, no one could tell me the start and end times of Mass. They said, if I arrive at 9:30am or maybe 10am to play it safe, then Mass was sure to be started by then. They couldn’t say how long it would last, but guaranteed that it would be over by lunch.

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  2. Brian Palmer

    Father Anthony, I’ve noticed so many, especially older Catholics, seem to do the minimum required. A holdover from the parochial school excessive emphasis upon validism perhaps? Arrive by the offertory and if you’re not going to communion, then you can leave.

    I too have no recollection of this behavior in Anglicanism and it is almost completely unheard of in the reformed churches. While the Greek Orthodox are known to take a break for a cigarette or a cup of coffee (something I’ve observed first hand) , they usually return to church afterwards. This seems more common during the lengthy Saturday or Sunday vigils or during Orthros.

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  3. Jim Pauwels

    The leaving early isn’t as much of a problem for us as the late arrivals. And I think it’s wider/broader than mass attendance. I see the arriving-late habit becoming more common in the business world, too.

    There may be a multicultural aspect to it … I understand some cultures don’t put as much of a premium on punctuality as European-heritage Americans do. Claire’s comment above re: the Orthodox may be a reflection of that.

    I don’t doubt, too, that there is an aspect of, “This is something I attend” rather than “This is something for which I’m responsible.” Perhaps that is not optimal (although it’s not immediately clear that it’s grossly wrong), but it’s surely a reflection of reality.

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  4. Sean Keeler

    Many Catholics seem to think that the final words of the Mass are “For our Communion hymn, please turn to page…” My occupation has me doing a lot of travel and I’ve developed the unconscious hobby of counting bodies at various churches I attend. As a national average, I watch about 15% of the people depart during Communion. I’ve heard a few priests make a comment in their sermons, to which there is generally some polite laughter. But 15% still disappear.

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  5. Jan O'Hara

    Happens in my local church, too: receive Holy Communion–and walk straight out the door. It is part of the answer to: how much of your presence is required to satisfy your Sunday Mass obligation. In by the Offertory and out by Communion. This sense of obligation rather than community was taught and emphasized when I was growing up in the 50s. Maybe this “vending machine” practice will disappear over time.

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  6. Jim Pauwels

    Our pastor recently heard a complaint about the reading of announcements, which we do after the prayer after communion. This parishioner apparently timed how long it took us to get through them, and was angry that it consumed five minutes of his life that he’ll never get back. I’m among those who read the announcements and I’m certain I’m an offender, in that I tend to offer little explanatory nuggets, e.g. when the money in our alms boxes is earmarked for a particular organization that week, I try to offer a couple of sentences explaining who the organization actually is and what they do. So I took his point and am trying to be a bit briefer.

    And in general, people tend to lead pretty busy lives – even retirees. Still … I suspect Chronos is infringing on Kairos 🙁

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  7. Ellen Joyce

    According to an article on liturgy that was recently reprinted in our diocesan newspaper, we should do away with the final hymn so that people can start the race to their cars sooner. Wanting to sing one more time is apparently a Protestant custom that does not reflect Catholic values (I had been unaware that wanting to beat the other Christians to the parking lot was a Catholic “value”). I am paraphrasing loosely here, however…

    Reply
    1. Tony Kaiser

      @Ellen Joyce:
      Well, technically, there is no “exitus” in the same way that the Propers of the Mass dictate an “introit.” Practically (though not technically) speaking, the Mass is at it’s end when the priest says or chants “Ite Missa est” (Go, you are sent) or something else in whatever language as is in the Missal. Anything beyond that is practically not, but (in the modern Roman Rite) technically part of the Mass. This is why in places like Germany in their major churches and cathedrals, you will sing a hymn of thanksgiving such as “Grosser Gott wir loben dir” (Holy God we praise Thy Name) immediately after communion, and the recession of the ministers is accompanied by an organ recessional.

      Reply
  8. Steve Woodland

    Well, over all, I’m glad they’re coming at all. It’s not for me to be inspector general of their lives. I, naturally, would prefer that people arrive on time, and depart once Mass is concluded — without the bribe of doughnuts—but beyond encourgement, there is little to be done. Therefore, I don’t let it worry me.
    There is a parish in my archdiocese where the pastor wrote a scathing essay on the subject in the bulletin, complete with graphs and charts. The message communicated was that his parishioners were a bunch of faithless louts. Faithless louts that can’t tell time. His people were not happy. . .

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  9. Karl Liam Saur

    Varia:

    1. Don’t assume congruence of laggards with early departers. There may be overlap, but in my observation, it’s not necessarily as much as is assumed.

    2. Sociological theories about the differences between monochronic and polychronic cultures are the stuff of Teasing Stuff Out Without Being Aware of Our Cognitive Biases; that said, I’ve certainly witnessed a feedback loop where presiders who are chronically late to start Mass incentivize people to be laggard.

    3. Itchiness with ritual tends to exacerbate time-awareness (by which I mean a sense that time is being wasted) instead of time-spaciousness (let alone a restful pause from time). Extemporized homilies that are not thoroughly prepared also do no favors to keeping people out of time-awareness mode (and preachers: being self-deprecating about this habit is worse than no excuse – rather, it screams a lack of respect to the congregation, though you don’t intend it to do so). Announcements ditto.

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  10. Doug O'Neill

    One solution: assuming your church is big enough, go to one Sunday Mass instead of having multiple. If the church isn’t big enough, build a bigger one. Then every Sunday have a luncheon or at least a reception to build community. Get rid of the Saturday anticipation Mass. Yes, people will complain and some will go elsewhere, but the bigger picture might be worth it. We have run into this at my parish, where some want to move the Saturday Mass from 5 to 4, because they like to have evening dinners and activities. When I innocently asked why people busy on Saturday evening couldn’t just go to Mass on Sunday morning, I got no response. Word is that they just like to take it easy on Sunday morning. Funny – the Saturday anticipation Mass was created for people who had trouble getting to Mass on Sunday, but in many places, it’s become the get-in-your-obligation-and-go-home Mass.

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  11. Charles Jordan

    View from the pew:
    Regarding: “I recently started serving at a church and I’ve never seen so many in the congregation arrive late and leave early at all five Masses.”
    – In an urban parish that is diverse and mixed in many ways: when / how one goes to work & where; wide age range from family to family; young families to widowers; healthy to physically or mentally frail; driving or public transport; parking or walking; the reasonable expectation is that the faithful do the best they can for each Sunday or high holy day for each period in the life of each person and his or her domestic church.
    – The alternative is to scold about things in the domestic church which are beyond the control of the parochial church. Indeed, beyond gentle reminders of the importance of being fully present to the larger community, that is, the body of Christ of which the domestic church is an important part, any chiding would tend to be ignored or create a resentment and perhaps an ethos which points to clerics not really understanding the people of faith.
    – It helps when all the ministers, cleric and laic, make themselves available to the congregants, and generally create an atmosphere of welcome.

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  12. Chuck Middendorf

    From my experience (apologies for repeating others):
    * Showing up late is a bigger challenge for us. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is life in a big city where traffic is bad 7 days a week. Plus circling for parking. Plus then walking 10 blocks.
    * The folks who tend to leave early are visitors and non-parishioners… people who seem to be coming for Sunday obligation only. It’s rare that I see a parishioner leave early (unless they are in charge of coffee & donuts or wine & cheese after Mass). Folks who are invested in the community and community life don’t want to miss a minute of prayer, processions, announcements, guest speakers, songs.

    On a more practical note to answer your question: I find a variety of ways to mention whenever possible that “Mass will be 1 hour and 15 minutes.” Even at Triduum, e.g. at the Easter Vigil. Not to scare people away, but to arm them with information. Even when I go to a movie, I want to know if I’m going to the 3-hour holiday blockbuster, or the 90-minute summer no-brainer. I find it helpful for people to realize (especially with the new Missal) that in a urban parish with a “lot of stuff going on” and standing-room only assemblies, that our Eucharistic celebrations are going to take more than 55 minutes.

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  13. Mark Thomas

    Perhaps our brothers and sisters who arrive late then depart Mass early are unaware as to the significance of their actions in question.

    A pastor could, for what…three consecutive Sundays (and Saturday vigil Masses)?… devote a couple of minutes to instruct his flock as to the importance of arriving to Mass on time…and remaining throughout Mass.

    He could reinforce his teaching in question via the parish bulletin.

    He could ask the children of his parish to create/illustrate some posters and/or slogans that address the issue at hand. He could display the above around the Church and in the parish bulletin.

    He could also ask the children to compose brief papers as to why they think it important to arrive on time and remain at Mass. Display some of the children’s papers throughout the church and in the bulletin.

    I bet that many adults who arrive late and depart Mass early would be moved and edified by the children’s slogans, posters, and papers in question.

    Finally, a pastor could being his instruction for the adults with CCC #2178 (and proceed from there), which, in part, reads:

    “Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer…. Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal…”

    Pax.

    Mark Thomas

    Reply
  14. John Hillas

    If many Catholics have a “vending machine” attitude toward the sacraments, then I think it’s a symptom of the Western rationalism and legalism which developed long ago and is thriving in the post-Vatican II church. The excessive focus on external uniformity seems to be a centuries-old problem in the Roman Rite.

    The problem is when liturgical participation is judged solely by the externals. So, if someone arrives late, doesn’t join in the singing, or isn’t keen on this or that liturgical gesture, his liturgical participation and devotion is automatically judged to be deficient. It’s problematic to compare Western and Eastern liturgical participation because the Eastern sacraments are expressed as mysteries rather than discreet actions.

    When I attend the Eastern Liturgy it seems fitting that I may enter the church with a service in progress (orthros) and leave with the chanting still going on after the final blessing. It’s an expression that the earthly liturgy is part of the heavenly liturgy which is infinite. The eastern rites are complex with many overlapping elements and complex rituals, and yet they don’t have the same rigid feeling of the EF, nor is there the dictatorial communalism of every action that is widespread in the OF. Individuals might come and go during liturgy, and there isn’t rigid uniformity of posture and participation. Both the communal and individual devotional aspects of public worship are accommodated without severe judgement.

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  15. Frank Ferrone

    So long as attendance is required this problem will persist. I teach at a University. When I have quizzes in class students regularly will leave after the quiz. Or, if they know the quiz is at the end, will arrive late. When I do not have quizzes there is no early departure. Simply there are fewer students present Those are the ones who want to be there.

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  16. Fritz Bauerschmidt

    John Hillas : The eastern rites are complex with many overlapping elements and complex rituals, and yet they don’t have the same rigid feeling of the EF, nor is there the dictatorial communalism of every action that is widespread in the OF.

    This expresses well something that was lurking in the back of my mind. Lauren Pristis once said to me that she thought one of the weaknesses of the OF was that it was “too much like school”: everyone is expected to be seated in their desks and focused solely on what the person up front is saying. Though I am fully supportive of the OF, I do think that some of the changes represent a triumph of modern western linear sensibility over a more archaic ritual sensibility that revels to multiple things going on at the same time.

    I like it when people arrive on time and stay to the end and participate actively throughout, but over the years I’ve also come to think that those who show up at the Gospel Acclamation and leave after communion and who sit in the back and never open their hymnal (or even their mouth) have their own reasons for being there and their own ways of participating and I’m less and less willing to say that it is merely to get their card punched or avoid going to hell. After all, what Catholic in the US or Western Europe who is under 60 years old is going to go to Mass merely out of a sense of obligation? If they come at all, I presume it is because they want to worship with their fellow Christians.

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    1. Charles Day

      @Fritz Bauerschmidt:
      “I like it when people arrive on time and stay to the end and participate actively throughout, but over the years I’ve also come to think that those who show up at the Gospel Acclamation and leave after communion and who sit in the back and never open their hymnal (or even their mouth) have their own reasons for being there and their own ways of participating and I’m less and less willing to say that it is merely to get their card punched or avoid going to hell.”

      Amen. And in my observation, the ones who come late are not necessarily the same ones leaving early. And I often see a couple of people at the vigil Mass dressed in medical scrubs who are almost certainly on a break from a shift at the ER. They are doing the best they can. Full attendance is ideal, and is worth encouraging, but let’s stop short of condemning those who don’t meet that goal.

      Reply
  17. Jay Edward

    Put up a sign in the back of the Church reminding folks the only one to leave the Last Supper early was Judas. 🙂

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  18. Therese D Butler

    There is so much that this “Senior” pastoral musician/liturgist would like to say to all of you in response to what I am reading, which, by the way I have read numerous times over the past 40 plus years. I have even made the same complaints.

    Instead, I am going to start with a question. Do we believe in God’s unconditional love and mercy? Do we believe that Jesus is truly present in Word and Scarament? If we say “yes”, to these questions, then how do we come into God’s Presence, week after week, and not be changed? Might I suggest that our focus on the behaviors of other church goers has the secondary gain of not taking responsibility for what belongs to each of us? Might I suggest that when we focus on bringing the best version of ourselves in our personal relationship with God truly present, that we will become the change that God wants of all of us? When we change, the environment in the worship space will change.

    I truly believe that if we strive to live our lives as we proclaim to believe, then, our liturgies will change and people will come back because they will want what we have when we say “yes” to being in a love relationship with our God.

    Finally, I am a very big advocate for the persons in the pew. I know their stories and their struggles and the effort it takes for them to come to church, especially families with children. I also know what it is like to prefer to sit in the back row because my family and I know the experience of being not welcomed at Mass.

    The desire of my heart is that each person, regardless of their station of life or sin condition, will experience God’s unconditional love and mercy in meeting Christ truly present in Word and Sacrament when they enter into the church.

    Before Mass, I pray to God for the Grace to look at the people in the pews through His eyes of love and mercy. Seeing people this way allows me to be a more effective minister of the Gospel. Maybe it’s time for us to get our eyes and our hearts “examined”. Blessings.

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  19. Mark Thomas

    The Church teaches that we should be on time for Mass (even early) as well as to remain throughout Mass. P]It is important that pastors instruct us on that teaching.

    As a parish is a community of brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, proper fraternal correction is in order for our brothers and sisters who do not obey the teaching in question.

    There is one aspect to the problem of early departure from Mass that I have observed. Whenever I’ve assisted at a Mass that included a second collection, said collection had been taken at the end of Mass.

    Each time in question, I estimated that at least 20…perhaps 25 percent of the people had departed Mass as soon as they had received Holy Communion.

    Said folks were not present during the second collection.

    At one Mass, a second collection was initiated about two minutes after the first collection started. People in the front pews had been handed special collection bags as people in the back pews continued to participate in the first collection.

    Parishes have said that they lose many donations during second collections as the result of people who have departed Mass early.

    Immediate back-to-back collections have resulted in people having actually donated fewer dollars…therefore, most parishes with which I’m familiar continue to place special second collects at the end of Mass as they figure…”we just have to take whatever we get.”

    Therefore, leaving Mass early sometimes includes two unfortunate consequences.

    1. It always (except during an emergency, for example) constitutes poor etiquette, particularly toward God.

    2. It deprives parishes of charitable contributions during second collections…at least when second collections are initiated at the end of Mass.

    There are reasons as to why Holy Mother Church teaches (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2178) that we should remain (as well as to arrive early) throughout Mass.

    Pax.

    Mark Thomas

    Reply
    1. Jordan Zarembo

      @Mark Thomas [#20]:

      Therefore, leaving Mass early sometimes includes two unfortunate consequences.

      […]

      2. It deprives parishes of charitable contributions during second collections…at least when second collections are initiated at the end of Mass.

      I’m finishing up my dissertation. I’m not teaching right now. When I’ve got enough to drop a fiver in for the first collection, I’m donating a fourth of my gas ration for the next two weeks.

      Maybe people leave early to avoid the embarrassment of not having two bits to place in the plate. A solution might be to move towards online donations. If someone is well heeled enough to give a good bit of coin, they’ve got broadband. A move to online donations, including recurring donation should one prefer this method, could reduce the traditional collection to one. Then, the unwaged and those with less means could put in a few dollar bills to spare and not feel out of place.

      Many people of different financial circumstances want to donate. They want to participate in the upkeep of their parish. Maybe they just can’t give more than just a little bit or even nothing at all that Sunday. Please don’t interpret leaving early as lassitude. Sometimes it’s just a way to save face.

      Reply
  20. Scott Pluff

    Fr. Michael White of Rebuilt advises, “Quit trying to make people go to church and make church better.” If your worship engages people’s hearts and minds, they will be more likely to stick around. But if it’s more of the same every week, boring homilies, bad music, and no hospitality, it’s no wonder they’d rather hit the road after Communion.

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  21. Ben Yanke

    It seems the issue is less about a lack of community and more about people simply not caring enough to make it a priority. And more importantly, a sense of importance, conviction, and sacrality from the front.

    If all we tell people is that God loves them how they are and there’s no need to change, then they won’t…

    Reply
    1. Anthony Ruff, OSB Avatar
      Anthony Ruff, OSB

      @Ben Yanke:
      But people coming late and leaving early is an inherited pre-conciliar problem, from when there was supposedly more “sacrality.”

      The long history of Catholics coming late and leaving early probably wasn’t because there were centuries of too much telling people that God loves them and they don’t need to change. It was centuries of Catholic sacramental piety that distanced lay people from the liturgy, and taught them to think about the bare minimum needed for validity, the bare minimum required by the rules.

      awr

      Reply
  22. Mollie O'Reilly

    Our bulletin just started running an “Ask the Pastor” feature (though I don’t know whether our pastor actually writes it), and the question this week was “When am I too late for Mass to receive Holy Communion?” The response starts off well enough: “This is an odd question because you should never be late for Mass…” But then it goes on to make up an answer anyway, which is basically “Just get there before the Gospel starts.” And of course it concludes by reminding the reader “NEVER” to leave early because “that is a sacrilege.”

    I don’t think this sort of response will do at all. It’s childish even where it’s backed up by the Catechism: Come early to pray before Mass starts; stay till the end out of “respect.” But no reference to our part in what goes on in between. And it’s all framed as obligation: Do it because the Church says so. Does that kind of scolding really change adults’ minds?

    It’s appropriate for pastors and ministers to be worried about people coming late and leaving early — even if those of us in the pews are well advised to try to ignore it — not because they should be lecturing us on “respect” but because it means those people are not entering fully into the prayer of the Mass. And it always seems to me their tardiness, or early departure, is a symptom of a larger problem. I wouldn’t be late or leave early because it doesn’t make sense to me to stop doing something important before I’ve finished it — and I’ve learned to view the Mass as one long prayer, opening blessing to concluding blessing. Far from blaming the conciliar reforms, I’d say the trouble is not enough of a postconciliar perspective. To fix this problem (and a lot of related ones) you need to help people to see Sunday Mass as something that they are there to do and enact rather than something they are there to witness or consume. I don’t know how to accomplish that, but I do know the Q&A in our bulletin this week only reinforces the notion that Catholics should focus on doing the “bare minimum required by the rules.”

    Reply
  23. Paul Fell

    @Scott Pluff and @Ben Yanke

    Scott – The logical counter-question is “better by whose standards, and what standards are those?” If the standard of “engaging hearts and minds” is read as “an emotional experience”, then we run the risk of making Mass into an addictive drug that requires higher dosages to achieve the same effect each week. I don’t think that’s what you were proposing. However, many people do push for this type of approach to compete with mega-churches that sometimes drain away Catholics (and their collection money). I’ve seen examples and it’s not pretty, so I try to vigilant about going to far with that approach.

    Ben – When I read your comment, a recent talk came to mind in which a priest referred to “banners-and-balloons Catholicism.” He was saying that he grew up in that era of “God loves you, you love God, so we’re all good” and how that attitude destroyed the catechism of many young Catholics. If I’m reading you correctly, you are making a related point about how people view church attendance and the importance of the Sunday obligation.

    Many years ago, one of our parish priests made a comment that seemed insightful given some parish events at the time. His comment was similar to this: “Some people feel that reverence is paramount at Mass and that if people are not being reverent, then they should be corrected. Other people feel that charity is paramount at Mass and that those who are not charitable should be admonished. It seems to me that if the people who emphasize reverence would show more charity and the people who emphasize charity would show more reverence, then we would be much closer to the parish we all desire.”

    Based on what I have seen myself and heard from fellow ministers, I think a happy medium exists. Finding it (and then demonstrating it) is the hard part.

    Reply
    1. Scott Pluff

      @Paul Fell:
      “Many people do push for this type of approach.” But many more parishes have been on autopilot for a long time. Just last weekend we had a family baptism after Mass at a large suburban parish. I wasn’t able to attend the Mass due to my own church schedule. But back at the house, everyone was joking about how boring, pointless, and terrible the homily was. The priest rambled on for a 20 minutes about nothing in particular. At one point he even said, “Where was I going with this? … Well, anyway…” They seemed to enjoy the instruments, but apparently the cantor was so bad they were joking about unplugging her microphone to save everyone the torture! This is what passes for worship in many, or perhaps most, Catholic churches.

      High church, low church, formal, casual, whatever you do, just do it consistently well. If you can’t do it well, do the hard work and make the hard decisions to improve. It shouldn’t be on par with karaoke night in the local dive bar.

      Reply
      1. Paul Fell

        @Scott Pluff:

        Point made, and I wouldn’t argue with any of that assessment. Sounds like that particular experience was more of a Mess rather than a Mass!

        I also agree that constant autopilot can be at least as big of a problem in some parishes. I’ve seen and experienced those situations as well. However, one person’s autopilot can be another person’s “parish tradition”. By the same token, one person’s fresh and engaging can be another person’s distracting novelty. So the river is wide and the current is strong, as the saying goes.

        In a recent homily, I heard a priest talk about how a variety of Christian churches are trying to get people in the doors by saying, “Oh, you like X?! Well, we have X all the time, so come here!” with X being any number of different items–worship style, music, social groups, sports, etc. At the same time, these churches sometimes de-emphasize the central point of church attendance in the first place (actual worship), becoming a sort of big-box store playing at being a church (I’m paraphrasing). This priest was obviously disturbed by the commodification and commercialization of our church experience. I worry about that as well, especially when the wording of the feedback I receive regularly puts the Mass and other parish activities into the context of “what are you doing to keep me, the consumer, happy?”

        Again, Scott, I agree with your comments–quality should and must be of paramount concern. No argument. I simply worry that our parishioners are learning to approach Mass the same way that they approach watching TV or ordering fast food.

  24. Halbert Weidner

    culture trumps theology all the time. The pre-vatican II culture prevails with people responding in whispers at Mass but with full voice during the Rosary.
    My take on leaving Mass early is that this was the acceptable minimum before the Council. And that is part of the culture.
    I have wanted to tell people from the ppulpit but EVERYONE SAYS DONT DO IT….”leaving after Communion” is a spiritual equivalent of coitus interruptus. When I was a babtist we never left early. Communion might have been a cracker and a shot glass of grape juice, and the theology of Christ’s presence a bit murky, but no one left early. I had to become a Catholic to be part of a Church with a high theology and a low church practice. 55 years of being a Catholic and the practice remains.

    Reply
  25. Fr. Dave Riley

    How often are people welcomed and thanked for getting to Mass on time? Are visitors ever thanked for honoring us with their presence?

    Never refer to those who are late! There may be a reason- sick child, phone call about a dying family member, etc.

    Do we work at getting people to learn the names of those sitting near them. Catholics tend to go to the same Mass and sit in the same part of the church each week.

    Are the homilies truely Jesus, God’s challange and God’s invitation?

    How many of those who leave at Communion time are among the divorced and remaried that are to be discussed at the upcoming synod? This may be especially true if everyone files out of the pew in an orderly fashion to process forward to receive the Eucharist as is done in many, if not most parishes. If I can’t or shouldn’t receive the Eucharist, it makes sense to head for the exit.

    Are people thanked for staying to the end and joining in the singing?

    Finally, are many or most of the announcements already in the bulletin? I think most of our people can read.

    Father Dave Riley

    Reply
  26. Fr. Jack Feehily

    Our late arrivals are fewer than years ago. What did we do? We started beginning Mass on time. By the end of the gathering song, about 99% of the folks are in place. The few stragglers include families running behind because of “stuff”, the folks who are late to everything, and those who got a bum steer on the time of the Mass. Early departures is another matter. There are a number of folks who gauge their time in church like metered parking. At a certain point, their time is up and they just leave. Our celebration takes an hour and fifteen (we sing everything and there’s a 15 minute homily). For 80% or more this does not pose a problem because many of them are engaged, their needs are being met. Among the early leavers are folks setting up for coffee and donuts, catechists and their children, and the folks rushing back to continue their caregiving of a spouse, child, or parent. Every year or so, I ask people during the homily if we should renew our agreement that it is a good idea to come to Mass on time and not to leave early. Nearly all raise their hands in agreement, but they don’t all mean it.

    Reply
  27. Doug Cowling

    Anglicans had their own version: “The Judas Walk”. As frequency of the celebration of the eucharist increased from Christmas & Easter to quarterly to monthly to bi-weekly, evangelical Anglicans opposed to burgeoning sacramentalism reaffirmed their commitment to Ante-Communion (Matins, Litany and Ante-communion was the norm from the late 16th to late 19th centuries). In order, to accommodate them, parishes allowed them to leave during the Offertory hymn. Anglo-Catholics nicknamed this “The Judas Walk”. I remember seeing it once in the 1960’s, but the weekly eucharist is almost universally observed now.

    Reply

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