Posted on 06/27/2005 1:42:52 PM PDT by Coleus
| Parents miss Mass, kids get ax |
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The Rev. Michael Cichon, pastor of St. Joseph/St. Thomas in Pleasant Plains, used each family's bar-coded donation envelope to track attendance. He's tossed about 300 kids from classes and told them not to reapply until next April. Without the classes, children cannot receive the sacraments, meaning some youngsters who thought they'd be making their First Communion next year will have to wait. The suspensions, legal under church doctrine, were a shock to many parents with kids enrolled in the 1,400-child program, which caters to kids who don't attend Catholic schools. "It's hurtful," said Joseph LoPizzo, 38, whose 6-year-old son was booted. "I've been a parishioner at that church for 23 years - longer than he's been the reverend." LoPizzo said he paid the $150 for his son's Thursday afternoon classes last year, but his father-in-law's illness hampered the family's church attendance. "I've just never heard of a church kicking you out," complained Lisa Nicol, 36, who got a letter saying her 7-year-old twin daughters had been barred from classes. "They should be more welcoming and sensitive." The pastor said he suspended kids from the 2005-2006 after-school program because Mass is an "essential" component of the Catholic faith. The affected families were attending church less than once a month, he said. Cichon insisted that the move has nothing to do with the lack of a donation. "There are many families who put absolutely nothing inside the envelopes they submit," he said. |
In fact... Jesus didn't establish any religion. so, why make the fuss...
The article says this program is for kids who DON'T attend Catholic schools. Sounds to me like the message to the kids is "If your parents aren't good Catholics, then we don't want you to be either". Whatever. I'm not Catholic so I can't tell them how to run their church, but most churches are eager to serve children of inactive or non-member parents.
see post 88.
They'll be even less likely to, if they got booted out of CCD for something beyond their control.
Christ is present in the midst of 2 or 3 that are gathered in his name, he is present in the simple faith of a child...we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ in the partaking of the Eucharist, but is in faith in Christ that we enjoy his presence!
Seems pretty unlikely for someone to be drawn at any time to a church that threw them out of CCD because their parents didn't go to church enough. And they won't even have what scraps of knowledge they might have gathered from CCD classes.
I went to Catholic school from seventh grade. In high school, some of the kids brought up with the nun in religion class parents who didn't go to church. The nun told them quite bluntly that it was none of their business what their parents did and it wasn't their place to judge their parents.
..."and a little child shall lead them..."
It's a tough call.
Not a tough call at all. The local church official's are using the parents poor attendance record against their children on the supposed rational of their being a 'bad example' to thier kids. And does one person's 'example' save another? not at all ... this is showing a very shallow teaching by their local church, that the sacraments they are being trained are important for their salvation are not really as important as the example of their parents ... confusing and poorly carried out message to these kids. Presents a very hollow and empty example of Christ.
Was thinking the same thing. We attend every Sunday and put a check in the plate. I know of a lot of people who do this.
We also don't pledge. We put a tithe in each week but don't like getting the statement saying how much we have donated and how much we still owe.
It's ok to disagree, we are all human. a Pastor isn't super human. He is open to mistakes. There is only one who is flawless and he whipped a few in the temple...
Thank God, Jesus doesn't agree with you and offers salvation to all, tax-collectors, prostitutes, and many others that would be judged as already 'lost' ... How tragic that the 'Pharisees' running this particular parish have now grouped the 'children of the not regularily attending' in the same 'lost' category.
It's pretty easy - the reasoning is to get these Catholics to become serious about their faith, otherwise, why do they bother being Catholic?
Initially I was conflicted over this story, but as I think of it, the priest did do the right thing ... how are the kids supposed to learn their faith if they go to class once a week for a few years, but never see their parents attend church? Is one hour a week too much to ask? I think the parents' motivation might be wanting to see the kid in the white dress/veil, have a big party, and then forget about the rest of it .. not unlike many of today's marriages where the only thing that counts is the wedding, reception, gown, etc ... then they're divorced in a year!
Meaning it isn't anyones business how much you give. It is up to you and God. My pastor approached me and asked me if I was tithing. Mainly because I do not give in the envelopes, just cash, no checks...can't trace it to me. I asked him if he thought I was faithful to God, he said "yes", I said, "then you don't have to ask that question"....
Tell me where in the Bible it says you must attend church... then I will tell you that the priest has a leg to stand on. You can have God-fearing/loving people that do not attend regulary
Our religion (Catholic) requires that we attend Mass or suffer a mortal sin. If those "Catholics" do not believe that, then they should not be Catholic. It's as easy as that.
Sounds as if there's a good chance the parents themselves were not effectively taught the faith (given that they were probably born during the worst turmoil in the church, not surprising), though they retain enough to want their children to have some. It doesn't sound like much help to deny the children any instruction (at the same time reducing their chances of making friends who do go to church, one time peer pressure might do some good).
Do you think God probably doesn't want them anyway?
When I was Catholic...There was mass on saturdays for the lazy...It was celebrated by a different priest than on sunday mornings. Perhaps these parents were going on saturdays...
I am not making the arguement for the parents. I think it is wrong to boost kids out of a class, even if it is all the "Jesus" they get.
Like I said in my former Post, I am a Trad. We are overflowing and believe me we have all ages at our Trad Church! Old, young couples with young children and babies. Try looking at the Trad Catholic Church near you. You will probably find out ahere everybody went!!
incidently, we had a fellow in the Hospital. We told our Priest and he said he would be going to see that man as soon as possiable, I believe he said he was going to go yesterday afternoon. A lot different treatment than this poor fellow got.
www.sspx.org
And He does want them...
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