Sunday Manners

Sunday Eucharist is the most frequent and important gathering of our parish community. Each weekend we have seven celebrations, where we express our faith as God’s People, the Church. On any given weekend we have about four thousand people coming through our church.

With so many diverse people from many families there are some normative ways of acting so that the Eucharist can be celebrated, prayerfully and with reverence. Most often people remark how hospitable and active Christ the Redeemer is as a celebrating community. To offer hospitality, members of the community agree upon some ways of showing respect to each other and praying together.

Over time the priests and staff receive many suggestions and complaints about the worshiping community. Some are valid, some are preferences, and others are good suggestions. Some points are offered below to make our worship a better experience of the “full and active participation” which the Constitution on Liturgy envisages.

1. The Church is the dwelling place of God among us and also where the community gathers.
Traditionally, in Catholic Churches, the Eucharist is reserved. Here the Lord is present for our prayer. The sanctuary light before the tabernacle is a reminder of Christ’s presence among us.

Ordinarily, people either genuflect or bow profoundly as a recognition of Christ among us. After entering their pew, people usually spend some time in prayer.

The Church is also the gathering place of the community. In reverence for Christ’s presence among us, we greet one another. At the same time we respect other people entering or already at prayer. Disruptive conversation or noise distracts from prayer, while a holy silence can invite all to deeper prayer.

2. The Church is primarily for hearing God’s Word and for gathering at the Lord’s Table.
To hear God’s Word, the community must be able to listen attentively. To assure hearing the Word, silent listening is the atmosphere of prayer.

Children should be monitored so that the adults may hear God’s Word. Parents should feel free to take children outside if they have a difficult time. A co-operative nursery is available at some Masses.

Cell phones should be shut off before entering the Church. This would include the Church itself and

the hallways leading into the building. Limiting worldly distractions opens us to greater conversation with God.

Communion should be reverently received either in the hand or in the mouth. The host is consumed immediately. The Eucharistic cup is the choice of the communicant.

The normative gesture for receiving communion is standing. A slight bow of the head is given as a sign of respect before receiving both the Eucharistic bread and cup. Genuflecting or kneeling are not required. They may, in fact, occasion a fall by someone behind you.

3. As God’s People, we are made holy by God’s Word and Eucharist.
All believers should respect the People of God and the House in which they worship. Parents should be aware that others without children are praying. Others without children should remember the holiness of family life.

Ordinarily, no food or drink should be brought into the Church. Infants would be an exception. The Church is a holy place and only the Eucharist is shared as food.

The Commons outside the Church is not a “cry room.” It is primarily an area of preparation before Mass and a gathering place afterwards. It is part of the Church and parents should be aware that it also is a place of prayer. Children should not be permitted to run or play in this area.

For the safety and well-being of the children, they should be monitored at all times. This would include accompanying them to the rest rooms and for water. Playing and walking on the rocks around the church is dangerous and where injuries are possible. Children should be with parents at all times near the rocks and in the garden. The rocks when thrown can injure both children and our windows.

4. The liturgical Assembly is a human community, where visible signs and gestures share in the mystery of God.
The priest and other liturgical ministers wear vestments to signify their ministry or role at worship. Everyone within the Assembly is a minister to other believers as we testify to what we believe. While we have no dress code, some thought should be given to the importance of the Eucharist in our lives. Our clothes speak of how we see ourselves as we prayerfully encounter the Lord and how we show respect to other believers as they come to share prayer with us.

Our worshiping community needs the co-operation of all when we gather together.

CDH