The One Thing That Has Become My Biggest Catholic Pet Peeve (Vanity)

myself | 12/13/2005 | Pyro7480

[samiam1972]

I left the church I grew up in partly due to the noise. I would have to cover my ears to pray so I wouldn't have to listen to what the folks behind me did last night. I found a wonderful QUIET church closer to my home. I didn't want to raise my kids in a noisy church!

[kstewskis]

Very sad.

There is no excuse for rudeness and inconsideration.

EVER.

[fortunecookie]

Wow! Good for you, that took some nerve, especially if they are anything like the talkers in the back of my church. It can be so distracting.

What happened to the respect that is due to others? And more importantly, what happened to the "reverent silence" that is proper in front of the Blessed Sacrament?

I remember reverent silence. The nuns stressed it to us. Jesus was present, we needed to shut out the noise of day to day life to best hear Him, and it seemed at that time everyone did.

My parish, several years ago, assigned 'greeters' and encouraged people, this came right from the top, to chat with each other and greet their pewmates before and after Mass. Quiet reverence was referred to negatively as an oldfashioned notion from people who were too fearful of God, God wanted a 'joyous noise'. This pastor and some of these folks have left, but the idea of quiet, or asking someone to be quiet, is an affront to most here. A neighboring parish has in recent years insisted on the idea of silent reverence and adoration. The talkers and smokers congregate outside, regardless of weather!, and afterward when there is a parish social. It seems much more respectful and reverent. That parish is thriving.

It is so wonderful to go to a parish where that kind of reverence is present.

[MSSC6644]

I wish they would "carry on" in the vestibule in my church. Instead, they show off jewelry, talk football, expound on the latest vacation INSIDE the Church proper. The worst are the ushers! Some of them talk during Mass. I've complained to the associate pastor; but it's still happening. If it doesn't improve very soon, I'll talk to the pastor.

[bornacatholic]

Amen, brother. The Din of Talking is nearly as bad as the Den of Thieves

[Desdemona]

What happened to the respect that is due to others?

There's a great book out called "Talk to the Hand" that discusses this very thing. It's not just you. There isn't much respect for much of anything happening these days.

[k omalley]

This wasn't at St. Mary's was it? I was in town Sunday and attended the Solemn High Tridentine Mass on Sunday evening. It was very quiet in the church before Mass.

The noisiest parish I ever attended was in the DDR. The tabernacle had been moved out of the church and into an open room off the vestibule. Forget quiet prayer anywhere. The priest was the worst offender. He would laugh and bray like a donkey in the vestibule before Mass.

[Pyro7480]

No, this was St. Joseph's on Capitol Hill.

[Lilllabettt]

This reminds me of a certain Fr. Super-Inspiring I had the pleasure of knowing when I was just beginning to embrace the Faith.

I was kneeling in prayer after Mass, and there were people in the back of the church talking rather loudly. Echo-echo-echo, etc. Father noticed me, and told them to buzz off (in a nice way.) As he came back up the aisle, he leaned over and whispered: "I'm sorry."

Such a nice guy ... he was the chaplain of my University's Newman Center. He included a Hail Mary in the general intercessions every time. I know college Newman Centers are often havens of heterodoxy, but my experience was entirely happy.