Please correct any misunderstandings I may have had. Is this now the norm for celebrating the NO Mass?
Please correct any misunderstandings I may have had. Is this now the norm for celebrating the NO Mass?
A couple of things stand out. Is there another tabernacle in the back? That is the only way these would have been the consecrated Body of Christ. If it was 5pm on Saturday (and the first mass) perhaps. Otherwise the items should have been on the corporal for consecration.
I am sacristan at my parish and the priest prepares the items on the alter, not the alter boy/girl. This sounds like they are trying, but are being very loose with the sacredness of liturgy.
Thankfully in my parish, the celebration of the Eucharist is the priority above all else. Our new pastor has been getting rid of all of the fluff. Yeah!
Very bizarre. Only one of two explanations seems possible? Either those particular hosts were not consecrated, or were previously consecrated but not kept in the tabernacle for some reason, apparently a grave sacrilege. I’ve been to many N.O. parishes, some pretty bad, but never saw anything like you describe. Sorry to say, but the fact of the priest being well-respected in the diocese really doesn’t mean much.
If it were not for sparing your Mom’s feelings, I would encourage you strongly to write to the Bishop, simply describing the situation as you saw it, like you did for us here, for his information and consideration. Ordinarily I would even say you might have a responsibility to do so, but in this case respect for your Mom’s feelings and also her having to get along with people there comes into play. However, I’m glad you posted this, we need to keep raising awareness of what the Holy Father called (and he wasn’t exaggerating!) “deformations.”
For instance, I went to Mass with my sister-in-law who has Altzheimer's and her son who is mentally handicapped and the lector asked everyone to prayerfully prepare for Mass when suddenly Father "Bob" jumped out from the back of the church and shouted,"Or you could turn to your neighbor and introduce yourself." After that he told a few jokes and later in the homily he advised us to never feel that we are less than perfect because "God is in us." Upon leaving the church I shook his hand and was going to say something to him but he looked glassy eyed so I was too shocked to say anything.
Oh yes and there is no kneeling in these churches whatsoever.
I pray and Mom prays.
Thank goodness someone else thinks this church is lacking. My husband are in our late 30’s and just moved to Albany from Europe and before that California. We miss the feel of the traditional church. The one in Albany is catholic light, and since when did Church’s have to entertain?