My homework is to visit three nearby Catholic parishes and discover how "user friendly" or welcoming they are to newcomers. Yesterday I visited my home parish, St. Joseph's, and posted the survey results here. My comments appear in blue italics.
I haven't finalized the scoring, you know, 1 through 10, for each question, but the first tally came to 50 out of 140, or about 36%. My husband says I'm too harsh. I just need to make up my mind whether a general welcome without a specific welcome of newcomers qualifies as a "welcome". Anyway, I'll take this opportunity to attend the parishes of friends who may or may not be regular church-goers, thereby, evangelizing a little bit.
9 comments:
How sad. After reading your questionaire and the answers, I couldn't help but think how sad it would be to attend that church.
We just recently joined Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Even though we had been following CR for over 9 years via television programs and radio, the Church is absolutely the benchmark of how a congregation/church should welcome new visitors and/or new potential members.
I may need to post a blog about my experience because it was just so encouraging and welcoming.
Again, - for me, a Church Congregation should be an extention of your family. That was always my concern in the Catholic Church and I can see that it just hasn't changed. My favorite day of the week is Sunday and I look forward to waking up and attending Church and worshipping. I pray that your parish will try and institute some positive changes to bring the morale back up.
Yes, I appreciate your comment and your prayers.
What would your ideal parish look like? What do you like about the Catholic Mass and what do you like about a Protestant Service?
Now you are engaging me in what I esteem the most: liturgy, the work of the people of God. Maybe you learned from my profile of my predilection for the study of Christian worship. Or maybe my sidebar link to the Liturgy of the Hours website let you know that I value the universal prayer of the Church.
I have limited experience of Protestant worship but anything liturgical appeals to me: the profession of creeds and rote prayers including benediction. And, of course hymn singing, the more traditional, the better. A most memorable experience of hymn-singing for me was at Hawthorne Gospel Church, because I was shouting at the top of my lungs and still couldn't hear myself. At the end, I was lightheaded from the altered breathing necessary to sustain such all-out singing - it was great.
I don't think in terms of "ideal parish" but rather "dream team worship," like might be experienced at a national conference or in a major cathedral. For many years, I attended a conference for religious educators in D. C. sponsored by the NCPL (just missed it this year) and the celebrations of the Mass with hundreds of devoted Catholics in attendance, with professional musicians, are breathtaking and humbling. Names familiar from Catholic hymnals: Rory Cooney, Jaime Cortez, David Haas, Marty Haugen (who is not Catholic), Tom Kendzia, and Donna Peña -- and I think to myself, some lucky parish has this professional in their congregation.
I like the rhythm of Catholic worship. I like kneeling, preferably on the carpet, so my favorite churches lack kneelers. The prayers are uplifting -- I have posted a few below. The first eucharistic prayer, 'though long, is a personal favorite. These particular words from the prayer illuminate the connectedness of earthly worship with the heavenly worship: we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven. Then, as we receive from this altar the sacred body and blood of your Son, let us be filled with every grace and blessing.
If I had to pick an ideal parish, it would be like St. Gregory the Great in Hamilton Square or St. Veronica's in Howell, or St. Joe's in Toms River, or St. Catherine's in Holmdel, or St. Leo the Great in Lincroft. I've heard good things about St. Paul's in Princeton and St. David the King in West Windsor, but I have never been to these parishes. Anyway, St. Greg's is the closest to me, so I attend the significant holy days there: Holy Thursday and the Easter Vigil, in other words, the Triduum.
I recommend the John Michael Talbot CD Table of Plenty if you want a taste of contemporary Catholic hymns; On Eagle's Wings is included. If you shop around, you can get it for a good price.
I too, enjoy singing in Church, especially the Hymns of the Faith ! I am not much of a Contemporary Worshipper. I believe that Christian Music should be 'set apart' from the secular music of today... The Hymns convey this beautifully.
Here is a link to CRPC Morning Worship
Also, - our Evening Worship Service is more Contemporary in the fact that there is more singing and more time for Testimonies CRPC Evening Worship
I'm not a fan of Ritulatistic prayer, but the congregation does partake in the Lord's Prayer, The Apostle's Creed, and the Doxology (sung).
The Pastoral Prayer is a beautiful part of the service.. To bow down and medidate while hearing the power of the Holy Spirit through our pastor is humbling.
I had already looked at the order of the morning service and found it to be similar to that at PPC, just a little fancier. So the "pastoral prayer and choral response" is a form of intercessory prayer? The evening service is more elaborate than I would have expected but how would I know what to expect, having never been to an evening service.
I'm going to try something and it might not work but ...
In Dances with Wolves, Lt. John Dunbar orders Timmons to unload the wagon when they arrive at the deserted outpost, Fort Sedgewick. Timmons balks, "There ain't nothing here, Lieutenant" to which Dunbar says, "This is my post." Incredulous, Timmons asks (of himself mainly), "This is my post?"
"This is my post ... and these are the post provisions."
As you know, because of Dunbar's commitment to duty, he experiences the American Frontier and Native American civilization in a transforming, mystical way. At the end of the story, Dunbar is hardly recognizable as an American soldier; he is American in a broader sense.
God has placed me in this outpost of a parish, on the edge of civilization (socially and perhaps spiritually). The parish lacked a full-time pastor until just recently! If I see it through, just maybe there will be a transformation along the way.
The churches of some are situated in Philippi or Philadelphia and the rest of us are in Corinth or Galatia. Thank God for your Philippi in sunny Florida and I thank God for my Corinth in central NJ.
Capisce?
I see that liturgy is important to you. It should be, I agree. Have you connected with other parishiners? Is this important to you? If not, why? We grow in our faith by witnessing to others and by establishing relationships with like-minded Christians. They hold us accountable and pray for us. Do you believe the Catholic Church will be taking on the fellowship portion of Worship to another level? Again, my experience after Sunday Worship in a Catholic Church is to leave, go home and that would be that. There was no coming together of a body of believers. Again, - I am not putting down your style of worship, I would just like to understand how are you getting fed spiritually in addition to the liturgy.
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