23 Ways To Identify A Faithful Parish

CrisisMagazine.com emal ^ | 01-14-05 | Brian Saint-Paul

[Salvation]

23 Ways To Identify A Faithful Parish

CRISIS Magazine - Special e-Report

January 14, 2005


In my last email, you'll remember that I asked for your advice on a
letter I received from one of our readers. She's a non-Catholic who's
interested in entering the Church, but wants to make sure she gets
involved with a solid parish -- one that follows and promotes
authentic Catholicism.

So, she asked, what kinds of things should she look for when she
walks into a parish church for the first time? Are there any easy,
tell-tale ways to gauge the health and fidelity of that particular
parish?

An excellent question. And since it deserves a good answer, I
thought I'd ask for your input. Thank heavens I did, since you had
several pieces of advice that I'd never considered before. In fact,
there were so many first-rate suggestions, I've grouped them together
and turned them into a short e-Report. Please feel free to send this
to anyone you think would benefit from it. (You might also print it
out and save it in case you move and need to find a new parish
yourself.)

The following compilation comes in no particular order, and owing to
the length, I wasn't able to include every suggestion. Nor,
incidentally, do these 23 items contain the sum total of everything
that makes up a great parish. Since the question centered on a
parish's fidelity, I've tried to remain within those bounds.

Before I give you the list, I need to make an important final note:
In going through the 23 points, it's important to take them as a
whole, rather than focus on this or that specific item. For example,
it is certainly true that it's difficult to worship reverently in an
ugly, pray-barn type church. (You know the kind I mean.) But this
itself doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad parish. It may well be the
case that the current pastor arrived long after the church was built
and is simply stuck with a less-than-glorious structure.

Having said that, taken together, I do think these points can help
you identify a solid parish.

Let me know if you agree.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Brian

[Salvation]

The list will follow:

[Salvation]

Remember to take the items together as he admonished!

23 Ways To Identify a Faithful Parish


1. There is at least one daily Mass. Obviously, if a parish shares a
pastor with other parishes, this may not always be possible. But
barring that, a parish needs to offer daily Mass.

2. Confession is offered for a set time... not just "by appointment
only." The absolute importance of that sacrament must not be
diminished.

3. The tabernacle is inside the main church in a prominent place.
It's always frustrating to have to play "Where's Jesus?" when you
walk into a parish for the first time. I recall once when visiting a
church I'd never been in before, I confusedly genuflected to
everything from the cantor to a statue of St. Therese before I
figured out where the tabernacle was.

4. The church has kneelers. Period.

5. The church doesn't have a sign in the front that describes itself
as a "Catholic Community." I know, this one seems petty at first, but
it tends to be true. If a parish has an objection to the word
"church," that's a good indication that a larger problem exists. And
if that parish magnifies the nonsense with a sign that says something
like, "An Open, Inclusive Community of Catholic Christians Who Care
and Share," stop, turn around, run.

6. As you enter the church, you see people in the pews in prayer or,
at least, reverent silence. If, on the other hand, it looks like
social time down at the bingo parlor, that's a bad sign.

7. The Mass is not intentionally altered through the use of
inclusive language.

8. The Mass is said according to the General Instruction of the
Roman Missal and the instructions of the local bishop. Improvisation
is great in jazz. Mass isn't jazz.

9. The gospel is not being read, nor the homily given, by someone
other than a priest or deacon.

10. Latin has pride of place in the Mass. It's right there in the
documents of the Second Vatican Council. That should be reflected in
the liturgy itself.

11. The bread for the Eucharist isn't made with added ingredients
not allowed by the Church. Honey, for example.

12. The liturgical music focuses on God, not the community. We are
there, after all, to worship Him, not ourselves. And there's never a
good reason to sing songs about bridges over troubled waters. You can
do that at home, Mr. Garfunkel.

13. Extraordinary ministers do not outnumber the parishioners.
There's a reason, after all, that we refer to them as EXTRAORDINARY
ministers. We only use them when there are too many people for the
priest and deacon to handle.

14. If you're able to find the mission statement of the parish (it's
often carried in the bulletin), make sure it says something about
fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church.

15. And while you're thumbing through the bulletin, see if there are
other good groups there, like the Knights of Columbus, Legion of
Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Holy Name Society. A faithful Bible
study group is also a great sign.

16. The parish offers some form of Eucharistic adoration.

17. The parish has an active Pro-Life ministry, as well as a
ministry that cares for the poor.

18. The priest wears his collar. Now, obviously, if you see your
local pastor jogging one morning, he's not going to be wearing his
clericals. But a priest should generally look the part. It's an
important witness to the secular world and a sign that he recognizes
the great value of his own vocation.

19. The pastor isn't afraid to preach on the tough issues: abortion,
divorce, contraception, cloning, etc. That's not to say that every
homily should cover those topics. But a priest should truly believe
the Church's teaching and defend them without pause.

20. The parish's marriage preparation program includes instruction
in Natural Family Planning (NFP). And if someone involved in the
program describes NFP as "the rhythm method," go immediately limp and
drop to the ground. With luck, he'll think you passed out and will
take you to the emergency room, far, far away from that parish.

21. The church has a vibrant religious education program for both
children and adults based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
You might also try to find out who's involved in the program and
where they received their own formation.

22. The church's Website doesn't link to dissident groups like Call
to Action, Voice of the Faithful, or Catholics for a Free Choice.

And finally...

23. If there's a literature rack in the church, look at the
publications the parish is carrying. Dissident magazines or
newspapers tend to go hand in hand with a dissident parish. On the
other hand, should you see a copy of Crisis in the rack, join that
parish. The pastor is clearly a man of great taste and refinement.

[Salvation]

Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

[Mercat]

hmmm, my parish wins on at least 20 of these. I still don't like the assistant pastor though.

[Straight Vermonter]

I don't want to get too off track but #3 about having the Tabernacle in a prominent place. My Church has the parking lot in the rear of the building. Consequently most people enter from a side door adjacent to the sanctuary. The Tabernacle also happens on that side of the sanctuary.

The vast majority of those walking past the tabernacle never look at it much less genuflect to it. I would like to have the Tabernacle moved to the opposite side of the sanctuary (where the choir area is currently). Our previous priest was not at all receptive to this but we happen to be getting a new priest this Sunday.

Do any of you think I am out of line on this?

[sassbox]

as long as the tabernacle is still in the sanctuary and clearly visible to the congregation when they are seated at Mass, I don't see why it would be a problem.

[Straight Vermonter]

The problem is convincing the Priest that there is a problem with the way things are currently.

[Smartass]

All 23 are good points...

THANKS FOR     THE PING!

[VeritatisSplendor]

Excellent list. My parish, St. Paul's in Princeton NJ, scores at least 20 out of 23 (not sure about a couple of others). I live halfway between St. Paul's and a church at the other end of the scale, the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo in Montgomery Township, which might reach a 5 on the scale if I give them the benefit of the doubt on a couple.

Some additional markers: 24) There is a rectory on church property where the pastor lives, and he is regularly seen around town on weekdays.
25) The church has a graveyard.
26) At Sunday morning masses, there are lots of kids and lots of Dads. If most of the kids there are with Mom only that's a bad sign.
27) There are stained-glass windows with recognizable pictures on them.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Our priest not only wears a collar, but a cassock! Lord willing, we are going to be building a new church this summer, and the tabernacle will be behind the altar, in the center where everybody knows where it is, like it ought to be. And then, when we are no longer in this overcrowded chapel with movable chairs, we will have kneelers. We kneel on the floor now. But we do kneel!

[netmilsmom]

We kneel on the floor too! It's worth it just to be there!

Actually, I have taken to throwing my girl's coats on the floor when they have knee socks on. There is only so much one can ask of a seven and four year old with bony knees!

My "Church"!!!!

http://www.saintcyrils.org/

God Bless Fr. Ben and all our priests!

[sinkspur]

The tabernacle is inside the main church in a prominent place.

This guy wants observance of the GIRM, then says this.

The GIRM allows for the tabernacle to placed in a chapel specifically designated for Eucharistic Prayer and adoration.

[sinkspur]

Some additional markers: 24) There is a rectory on church property where the pastor lives, and he is regularly seen around town on weekdays.

Very few rectories are built today. That's just a fact of life.

25) The church has a graveyard.

Another anachronism. I can count on one hand the parishes in the North Texas area that have cemeteries associated with the parish church. Every single one of them are in rural areas. No urban area is going to approve zoning for a parish cemetery.

[gbcdoj]

This guy wants observance of the GIRM, then says this.

314. In accordance with the structure of each church and legitimate local customs, the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer...

315. ... Consequently, it is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop,

a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration (cf. above, no. 303);
b. Or even in some chapel suitable for the faithful's private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful.

[.45MAN]

Thanks for the list

[Diva]

Great post Salvation. My best friend came back to the Church after a 30 year visit in the land of Protestanism, she would have added to the list the Altar rail should be there and be used, but her second "sign" of a good parish is the kneelers! I think she will enjoy reading this list!

[Diva]

Grow up Sinky

[Diva]

Very few rectories are built today. That's just a fact of life.

There are a lot of so-called "facts of life."

[sinkspur]

Thanks for your pea-sized contribution to the thread.

[rogator]

My parish on the coast has twelve and a maybe. It clearly does not have the other ten.