Our church kept up the social distancing of 6 feet between chairs for over a year, and of course the stupid masks. I marveled at how people could arrive for church together in one vehicle, but sit 6’ apart during Mass because of stupid dictates. You can gather that my husband and I didn’t attend in person again until we were allowed to sit next to each other. I didn’t wear and refuse to wear a mask. I shake people’s hands if they stretch theirs out also.
The Church has let me down a few times in my life, but I began to realize that Jesus is the One for whom I am there, not the Popes or the Bishops. Jesus is the One I rely on, and He is Present there. So I go, and we go. I would be utterly lost without Him.
I recently went to Confession. Priest literally kicked me out after I reached the 60 second mark as “there was a line.” He actually directed me to make my contrition after I left the confessional. He wasn’t interested in hearing all that I had to say, or that he interrupted me. It was demeaning. I am definitely not going back to that parish again. A lot of the priests that are left are old and crotchety in many parishes. He’s no the only one who has treated us with a less than fair amount of respect. I can’t imagine doing this to parishioners when your Church is suffering through an image problem which is it at the moment.
I, too, though, am there for Jesus and that’s it. I don’t hold it against the Church — I blame the institution of the Church for all the nonsense.
Our old parish did the tracking part overboard - we weren’t going to beg to walk into church with a mask on. We couldn’t stand all the chit-chat on Facebook during the live stream Mass - we got up early and watched EWTN Mass for MOST of the time.
Then, during a zoom meeting, we heard that a neighboring parish “wasn’t being too careful” - HOORAY! we could walk in without mask and sit where we wanted. they took the tape off every other pew at Mother’s day 2021. We might have been back to the old place twice since.
Then, we moved east to a diocese with a WONDERFUL Bishop - were surprised how close the new church was to the new house. Have not looked back. NOBODY has asked what our “status” with anything related to Covid is.
We always sat together as a family. As for the masks I wore one into church and as soon as I sat down I pulled it down to my chin. The priest nor anyone else ever said a thing.