How involved are you in your parish/chapel?

[Cupertino]

I was talking to a former-Catholic turned Evangelical and he said that, in his experience, most Catholics are not involved in the life of their parishes and one reason he left the Catholic Church was because every parish he went to had very little of substance to offer outside of the sacraments. At his Protestant church almost the entire congregation are members of a 'small group' that meets weekly to study the bible and have a meal in someone's home. In addition to that there's a youth group, men's group, and women's group that meet regularly.

In my parish there's lots of opportunities to volunteer (cleaning, serving, etc) and just one bible study with 6-10 members. Admittedly I am not very involved.

Is this the case with other people and their parishes?

[Greg]

I don't have a Catholic Parish.

Therefore I cannot be involved in one.

[CaptCrunch73]

I have a couple responses to, and I say this as a Catholic revert.

1. Perhaps the person missed an opportunity to start a service group at their parish, rather than taking his ball and leaving they should've stuck it out and started a rosary group or holy name group.

2. Many Non Catholics go to church for different reasons than Catholics.they go to church because of the charismatic pastor, the sermons, the service opportunities. Catholics are expected to learn on their own and go to Mass because it is a commandment and to render worship to God.

[Tales]

Back in the good ol' days (centuries ago), the numerous feasts of the Church would be celebrated by the whole village.  Our infrequent secular "holidays" like Independence Day and Memorial Day do not function as well as a mass followed by village feast and merriment.

The Protestants / Evangelicals / Mormons / JW attract many people by supplying the community that is essentially dead in our modern "enlightened" times.  We've enlightened and modernized ourselves into isolation and tedium without the relief of frequent communal religious feasts.

I am new to my parish, hardly active in it, but hope to do more with time.

[Gerard]

I was talking to a former-Catholic turned Evangelical and he said that, in his experience, most Catholics are not involved in the life of their parishes and one reason he left the Catholic Church was because every parish he went to had very little of substance to offer outside of the sacraments. At his Protestant church almost the entire congregation are members of a 'small group' that meets weekly to study the bible and have a meal in someone's home. In addition to that there's a youth group, men's group, and women's group that meet regularly.

In my parish there's lots of opportunities to volunteer (cleaning, serving, etc) and just one bible study with 6-10 members. Admittedly I am not very involved.

Is this the case with other people and their parishes?

I'm non-plussed at reading the easy dismissal of the sacraments.  Everything outside of the sacraments has very little substance by comparison.

"Yes, I love you God, but I love the idea about you more than the actual you."   It's a false idol.  It's like fans who love a pop star or actor but they really don't know the person and when given the opportunity, they decide to keep the fantasy and just stay in the fan club instead of actually meeting the person.  In other words, they just waste their time in the end.

They have all of these little clubs because they have no real intimacy with God.  They look to the community for a perception of communion with God. 

Malachi Martin used to say, "If I want communion with you, I don't need to go to Mass.  I can play football with you, we can have a boxing match, I can marry your daughter.  I don't want any of that in my Church.  In Church I want communion with Jesus Christ my savior."

[John Lamb]

I have a friend who complains often about this predicament.
Satan tries to make heretics zealous, and Catholics lukewarm.
Catholics also tend to follow the lead of their pastors, and our pastors especially are under a great "diabolical disorientation" which prevents them from keeping their flocks together. It's simply the work of the devil.

[maryslittlegarden]

I was talking to a former-Catholic turned Evangelical and he said that, in his experience, most Catholics are not involved in the life of their parishes and one reason he left the Catholic Church was because every parish he went to had very little of substance to offer outside of the sacraments. At his Protestant church almost the entire congregation are members of a 'small group' that meets weekly to study the bible and have a meal in someone's home. In addition to that there's a youth group, men's group, and women's group that meet regularly.

In my parish there's lots of opportunities to volunteer (cleaning, serving, etc) and just one bible study with 6-10 members. Admittedly I am not very involved.

Is this the case with other people and their parishes?

I'm non-plussed at reading the easy dismissal of the sacraments.  Everything outside of the sacraments has very little substance by comparison.

"Yes, I love you God, but I love the idea about you more than the actual you."   It's a false idol.  It's like fans who love a pop star or actor but they really don't know the person and when given the opportunity, they decide to keep the fantasy and just stay in the fan club instead of actually meeting the person.  In other words, they just waste their time in the end.

They have all of these little clubs because they have no real intimacy with God.  They look to the community for a perception of communion with God. 

Malachi Martin used to say, "If I want communion with you, I don't need to go to Mass.  I can play football with you, we can have a boxing match, I can marry your daughter.  I don't want any of that in my Church.  In Church I want communion with Jesus Christ my savior."

It's the "I'm not getting "fed" at the catholic church" theory.  I've never understood that concept.... .

[Older Salt]

How can one have a parish life when there is no Catholic Mass there?
It would be like hanging out at Starbucks.

[Gardener]

How can one have a parish life when there is no Catholic Mass there?
It would be like hanging out at Starbucks.

Starbucks allows open carry of firearms, which is cooler than effete "security" policies.

[Prayerful]

Dunno, in respect of the diocesan church, Monday has the Miraculous Medal Novena and Benediction, there's a young men's sodality each month, tea after Mass each first Sunday, a cleaning guild and this or that outing. I go to the tea, might go to the sodality.

Another is the first Sunday High Mass in Waterford Cathedral, which I've gone to on occasion, offered either by a diocesan priest, Fr Buckley who has to drive across the country from his Kerry parish or an FSSP priest. After that they have a tea in a coffee shops across the road, which I go to. One of the LMSI involved families publishes a very high quality missalette (a good idea to win people for the true Mass, for missals are rarely cheap and for unknown reasons, there's no small missals apart from those leaflet ones which only have the ordinary of the Mass), which saves on further wear to a seventy year old missal.  The nearest SSPX priory has short catechism lessons and tea after Sunday High Mass, also more frequent outings, which I never go on ('le weekend' is almost never free, just more time for work). I might sit in on the lessons, which a Fermanagh priest delivers with great humour, after that getting the tea. Should do more, I suppose.

[Lynne]

How can one have a parish life when there is no Catholic Mass there?
It would be like hanging out at Starbucks.

The priests succeeded in destroying reverence for the Real Presence so it's not surprising that people leave the sacraments for fellowship. I'm not saying it's right and everyone is responsible for learning the faith, even if it's self-taught.

[John Lamb]

It's the "I'm not getting "fed" at the catholic church" theory.  I've never understood that concept.... .

St. Paul talks about how those stronger in the faith need to support those weaker in the faith. The people that make this complaint are generally those of weaker faith, who don't fully understand yet that there is more grace and benefit in Holy Communion that can be found in any human fellowship. However, as Lynne notes, a lot of this can be due to the wide abandonment of reverence for the Real Presence.

[mikemac]

There's lots of reverence for the Real Presence in our little community.  We haven't had a pot luck in a while; I kind of miss them.  I have taken my priest for breakfast occasionally after Saturday morning Latin Mass.  I have often ask him his thoughts about a controversial forum thread.  Sometimes we treat the priest and brothers to lunch after Sunday Mass, either here or in Campbellford.  Conversation with the priests are always interesting.  The priest here in Hastings has invited me over for breakfast a couple of times after Saturday morning Latin Mass.  And once for supper after Adoration and Mass on a feast day.  His twin brother and family were there.  His brother cooked up a huge pot of clams.  Yum.  Apparently my priest reads this forum occasionally, cause he said he appreciates what I have said about him. 

[Older Salt]

How can one have a parish life when there is no Catholic Mass there?
It would be like hanging out at Starbucks.

Starbucks allows open carry of firearms, which is cooler than effete "security" policies.

I carry a snub nose 38 to the Mass.

[Bonaventure]

Not involved whatsoever.