My parish is trying to raise a huge amount of money for a reconstruction project to fix the numerous problems with our parish; things from electrical, air conditioning, water damage, and design issues. It is amazing to see the amount of time and effort going into this project. We have all been requested repeatedly to ‘pledge’ a monthly gift for the next 3 years in order to get this problem solved. I just want to say that the word ‘pledge’ is theirs and not mine. For I signed up and pledged a nice amount to this endeavor before I had a change of heart and mind on this. So for reasons of conscience, I have de-pledged my gift which is what I consider it; not a solemn vow or pledge to fulfill. I hate when they use such words for it causes people to think that they are tied into their gift giving under pain of sin should they have a change of heart or mind.
Why did I have this change of heart and mind you might wonder? The reason is simple. A parish is simply a building that has no significance at all without the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in a solemn and respectful ceremony. If that is not happening we have a far more urgent ‘reconstruction project’ that needs restoration far more than the building. These problems need be remedied prior to the work of the masons, carpenters and other workmen needed to fix the brick and mortar. For any Church building should only take second place to the reconstruction of a Mass that has lost its former dignity and solemnity.
As it is, the Mass, as it has evolved over the years that I have been a member of this parish has fallen into great disrepair; novel changes have entered in and each new pastor has ‘grandfathered’ these changes into his own new and novel changes which are, of course, added to the previous novelties. Changes such as the placement of things on the sanctuary, the movement to receive under both kinds, the impossibility of receiving on the tongue while kneeling (altar rails were demolished years before I even came to this parish), the introduction of extraordinary ministers (including women) , girl altar servers, lay lectors (including women), cantors who sing from the sanctuary rather than apart from the holy space, bilingual Masses and sappy, silly music to accompany the Sacrifice of the Mass are just a few of the many things that need immediate attention. Without concern at all for these things then what is the point of a beautiful parish with a Liturgy that leaves one empty after the Rite is over? I often think that I might have gotten the same benefit had I simply stayed at home rather than attend a predominantly happy, clappy, egalitarian get-together which has become the norm.
Now this is not to say that some of the parish priests of the past were not devout men who meant well and were likable on a personal level. But as priests they were rather weak or more appropriately effete in their reluctance to deal with issues that should never have been allowed to remain unchanged. So like our deteriorating building our Mass too has suffered the same and perhaps a more significant deterioration; slowly, just as the building’s deterioration has been a long and steady process.
What can we do about it? I really do not have an answer unless it is the withholding of funds from the parish until such a time that the Mass is fully restored to its majesty; and that is precisely what I am doing even though my small individual protest will amount to no more than a speck of dust which falls lightly to the floor and disappears from view. If I were a super-major financial supporter of the parish then it might not be so easily dismissed but as it is, I fear that I only satisfy my own conscience and rectify nothing.
Not being an activist, nor is my advanced age an asset for such things, there is no way that I can even dream of organizing a sizable protest to fix what needs fixing and then move on to the restoration of the building which does need attention. So mine is but a lonely voice, crying out in the wilderness so-to-speak, which is unlikely to have any effect whatever on those things that I find essential in a Catholic parish. And so my emails to my priest, my few candid remarks to him after Mass have not netted me or the Church any satisfaction or noticeable changes for the better.
I am beginning to feel as though I am a passenger on a long treacherous voyage. On this sea voyage, I have watched, in just a few short years, the sailors being replaced by its passengers to run the ship and set its course; and of course the passengers in these new positions of importance are thrilled and excited and have no intention to give the ship back to the Captain or the trained sailors. In fact the new rank and file of sailors, which are now few, have not even learned basic seamanship it seems, so they are as reluctant to change as are the passengers of this floundering vessel. One can only pray for fair skies, calm seas, a favorable wind and current, as there is nobody on board it seems that cares a bit where we are going or if we are sailing into a typhoon or about to go aground. The vessel is in need of repair but the real appointed crew and their knowledge of seamanship and their leadership are far more important than painting the hull so it looks nice and letting everyone have a turn at the wheel in the spirit of egalitarianism. And all the while we continue to navigate into the unknown darkness of a troubled sea and we sing and dance and make merry.
All Along the Watchtower 
Was that picture of the parish church taken by you?
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It was taken by Reid Buckley’s son, Claude Buckley. I found it online.
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Meanwhile, Trump’s current reconstruction project is world wide.
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Excellent article and quite right.
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You have my sympathy: Catholicism should not give away what makes it special for a mess of potage, which is what I think is happening in the West. They won’t bring people in by imitating the Protestants. Your liturgy is supposed to reflect the throne room of heaven, where the gods, the lesser orders of spirits, and the departed saints praise Yahweh as His priests. Sometimes, I wish I could go back in time and see a Mass celebrated in the medieval period (although I have read historical evidence to suggest there were abuses then, too, such as priests gabbling their way through, but that does not entail that this was the state of affairs in all or even the majority of churches).
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Even if we could do Protestantism well, the Protestant Churches themselves seem to be a moving target as well. Nobody is immune from the egalitarian ‘leveling’ of religious worship . . . except for the Muslims which aren’t really a religion but an ideology of control and a plan for world domination.
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Indeed. These are tough times, but Christ did say that the gate is narrow and few find the way to salvation. I think you are right not to contribute money to the cause if this is how you feel about the Mass, and I’m guessing you may have some thoughts about other matters too, such as catechism. I think Christians should be free to contribute money where they wish: I view Christian giving as a form of investment: I wouldn’t buy stocks in a company I thought had no chance of being turned around, and I wouldn’t invest in a religious organisation that had significantly different values or approaches from my own.
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Actually, it really doesn’t matter at all how I feel about the Mass. I simply reason that the teachings of the Church, the words of our past popes and saints (when they all seem to agree) lends credibility to what the Mass should be and that novelty is never considered Catholic. So I am speaking merely as one who backs what has been Church teaching when the practices seem to have gone to the novel extreme of contradicting the teaching it should be supporting. So it is really simply a defense of the Faith and my rejection of those things which weaken that Faith and the plain meaning and purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. So my own feeling (though I have those as well) are not sufficient to mount a rejection of what I see going on all over the place. The Church need not bow to my wishes for it to be supported by me but it does have to agree with its constant teachings.
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I sympathize, of course, with all you say. I couldn’t help but wonder though, in all churches that I have been a member of, the monetary amount was not so much, but most of the work, skilled and especially unskilled (loose definition there, I had a couple of farm kids for helpers) was donated by members. Those of us who knew skilled trades ran crews for our specialties (and sometimes each other), and the rest did what they could. And the ladies fed us chicken and coffee. I think the labor bill on our last parsonage remodel was $$0.00. And it meant more to everyone, including the pastor.
The church itself, not quite as good, we didn’t have any steeplejacks! 🙂
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In smaller matters, we sometimes had members who were craftsmen that could do some of the work. This is going to be a 2.5 million dollar re-do. We have rotted wood behind the stucco, terra cotta shingles that are cracked and broken, and underground (catacomb) that has humidity issues, electrical and full plumbing rip-out and redone properly. It has required the services of a major architect as well because they need to remodel the existing Church to add bathrooms where they never had any and add on various arias that we never had before. It is, almost like have the the Church torn down in stages and rebuilt in stages until the final product (the plans of the architect) as complete. Its a first for us and nothing but money is going to help us out of this one.
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Yikes! Sounds like they deferred maintenance way too long. My home church had the same problem with bathrooms, all old churches eventually do, bit before my time (1960) they built an addition and put them there o didn’t have all those other problems though, and yes, that was contracted.
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Indeed. You should see how it is constructed. It is not a simple building on a leveled plot of land . . . not like working on a house at all. That would be child’s play. This place is a maze above and below ground level.
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Actually, I guess the best way to describe the scope of the work is to mention first that this is an historical landmark Church built in a fashion that modern builders (who are nt specialists in such architecture) are not capable of understanding or replicating. It would like having the parishioners of St. Patrick’s Cathedral or the Basilica in DC to come in and start hammering and nailing a structure that wasn’t built in that fashion in the first place. If you get down this way, Steve and i would love to take you out for dinner and the next day I would give you a tour. It is only by seeing this thing in person that one gets an idea of what is required . . . and sadly it isn’t merely workman’s labor.
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If I were a thousand miles closer, I’d take you up on that, not for the dinner but because it sound like a fascinating project.
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It will be, though it will not start until we provide a certain amount of the cost up front and then the diocese will fund the rest and we have some 10 to 20 years to pay them back I’m guessing.
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. . . and you are downplaying the dinner. Steve and I are both rather conservative in things political and religious. It is the conversation that is the highlight of my week. We usually meet on Tuesday nights and now have a third, the young man who wants to become a Catholic priest. Its fun.
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Do you enjoy cooking, Scoop? I have often found it a relaxing change of activity compared with my normal reading and writing tasks, and I get a sense of satisfaction when I produce something I and others enjoy eating. Also, I like the challenge of working out how to do something properly: I made home made ice cream recently, but wasn’t pleased with the outcome – it froze too hard, which suggests to me it needs another ingredient or two to keep it soft – e.g. glycerine, alcohol, more sugar, or honey.
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Yes, certain things, I do: like breads and a good steak or roast etc. But most of the time I leave the kitchen to my wife. Her spaghetti, chilis, and meatloafs are my favorites.
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. . . as for your ice cream. Add some chilled vodka to the recipe. 🙂
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Thanks for the tip. In the UK spirits are very expensive because of the high taxes imposed on them, but I’ll see what I can manage. Might try a limoncello to make lemon sorbet. The taxes annoy me because I feel like they punish reasonable people for the mistakes of others. If I use alcohol responsibly, it shouldn’t cost me more because other people don’t – it’s not my fault if they choose to abuse it. Nor can it be justified as a tax in support of the NHS – people should pay for riotous weekend accidents that are self-induced. By all means let charitable hospitals care for them, but don’t force the taxpayer to.
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An article just for you, Nicholas, if I understand your dilemma: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/3931-where-have-all-the-catholics-gone
Of course it is every Catholic’s dilemma at the moment who actually cares about the salvation of their souls as well. Things have gotten way too mushy and ethereal I think.
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I will have a read of it now. I have been revising equity today in advance of my last exam.
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Just read it. I admire the author for not diluting what she believes. I don’t share all her views, but I appreciate the point about vagueness and novelty killing off faith.
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I thought it was good. She does not exclude the fact that there are exceptions and nuances to the plain and simple explanations but she is absolutely right that we seem to have quit the simple explanations that at least made salvation a reality to be believed in and lived for; avoiding sin is hard when if you no longer have a simple idea of what is right and wrong.
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Indeed. We have not only rejected specific uncontroversial (in their time) behaviours and attitudes, but we have struck at the metaphysical underpinning itself. I think Isaiah’s criticism applies today: “Woe to those who call black white and white black”.
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That has already occurred and everything else has been turned into a shade of grey.
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People need clear trumpets and they need people who will honestly tell them the consequences of their choices. For me, a core presentation of the Gospel must involve the message that it requires loyalty to Yahweh, and that loyalty is active and must be given. The default position of humanity is no affiliation, so if you make no choice to seek God and become a Christian in response to revelation, then you will not inherit the Kingdom.
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Free will was given to us for some reason.
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Yes, and I’ve grown sad over the years as it has been sidelined in our moral and political discourse. No one talks about virtue anymore. Why? Because people and the dark spirits don’t want to hear it.
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Because for every vice there is an opposing virtue. If we were to develop the virtues then what becomes of the vices that these people worship.
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O tempora! O mores! inquit M Tullius Cicero…
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. . . and it was repeated ever since he wrote it. Always applicable it seems.
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Yes, a cry of frustration above all. I feel powerless to do anything about the macroeconomic stuff and laws against freedom of speech. I feel like the cards are stacked against us – perhaps that is because I do not pray enough against those powers.
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A common feeling so if you aren’t praying enough none of us are.
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No, but I should be and I need to start thinking about where I really want to go spiritually. I have largely neglected my spiritual life, except to occasionally pray that God will grant my country a true Brexit, tear down our anti-God laws, and establish a government over us with libertarian-style values. I cross myself a lot (partly a nervous habit) and sometimes say the Ave Maria. I am not my old self – but I think sometimes about a word from God a friend gave me a few years back. God told me that the world is a sad place, but not to be disheartened. That was helpful, because it made me feel less like I was a lunatic for thinking the world is not as it should be. There are times when I feel like I’ve gone off my rocker, like I “take things too seriously”, but I keep thinking about that line in Revelation, “then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” – it cannot be God’s will that this current order endure.
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Again, you have taken the right choice. Sadness is proper and vengeful and loveless is not. It is a sad world and love is being extinguished and revenge and hatred are dragging us into their trap; and it almost seems like there is nothing more suited to the times. But sadness and regret are appropriate and in time we look forward with hope to hearing ‘well done my good and faithful servant.’ Its all that is left really and all that there ever really was. We do our best, opposing evil when we meet it, feeling sorry when good is defeated and our efforts come to nothing. But faith, hope and love is all that needs remain and probably is the only thing we ever can carry though this life into the hereafter.
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Yes, faith, hope, and love are what lie beneath. If all we are invested in is the external coverings of things, then when they are burned in the fire of the Parousia, a person will have nothing to show for their life. If they learned love, compassion, and patience, then they have the basis for rebuilding a new world. There is no point in rebuilding a new world if we take all our old inward poisons for us. That is why I believe a kind of purgation in this life and the next is necessary. How God effects it after the death of the body I do not know. I am not a visionary in that sense of the word. I have never had the spiritual sight to see angels or demons and my dreams are usually symbolic rather than accurate portrayals of things. But they do the job of teaching me lessons.
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I guess we try to do the best we can and then we die. 🙂
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the introduction of extraordinary ministers (including women) , girl altar servers, lay lectors (including women),
Females? What the devil is going on around here, letting girls getting involved with worship service. What the hell is wrong with this world (;-C
there is no way that I can even dream of organizing a sizable protest to fix what needs fixing
Say, ive got a great idea. Your church should have an indulgence sale. All the older people will surely drop a bundle to ensure salvation.Time is getting closer to meeting your maker.
And all the while we continue to navigate into the unknown darkness of a troubled sea and we sing and dance and make merry.
Not satisfied with your religion are we? Do what good brother Chalcedon did….go religion shopping. Or, you can do what Jesus recommends, open the door and invite him in.
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Why don’t you write a comment once you become a man Bosco; though I doubt you’d pass the rite of passage necessary to do so.
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I need to do another one of my hard hitting posts again. Every second we are inching closer to Revelations cp 4 vrs 1. Instead of dancing with the devil and religions, it time to look up, for our redemption draweth nigh.
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