[Coleus]

Years ago, most parents and their children attended mass every Sunday, no excuses.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

This is not the way to handle the issue of the decline of Mass attendance. First of all, children should NEVER be punished for errors of their parents. In fact, NO ONE should ever be punished for someone else's errors, derelictions, or sins. It sounds like the cleric is a kook and a control freak. There are BETTER ways to get people back to Mass.

[from occupied ga]

Cichon insisted that the move has nothing to do with the lack of a donation.

Of course it doesn't < /sarcasm>

[old and tired]

I think the idea of requiring Mass attendance is a good one. I hope however, there is some sort of appeal available to parishioners who just weren't using envelopes. I know when our kids were small we sometimes had a tough time finding the envelope before rushing out to Mass. (We always did, however, because it was required back then). Today, I'm not so sure we'd bother, unless it was once again made very clear we needed to be using the envelope.

[justshutupandtakeit]

I'm sure this will help the church grow.

[ghitma]

Just because there is no envelope that does not mean the parents were not at mass.

[marty60]

This is no different than parents abandoning their children to the public school system. Family worship is suppose to be just that.

[Protagoras]

Hmmm, "YOU don't go to Mass, so I refuse to teach your children the gospel."

Makes sense,,,,, maybe he can explain it to Christ at his judgement and see if he was right.

[SuziQ]

"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."

Apparently only sporadically.

If you want your kids raised in the Church, then RAISE THEM IN THE CHURCH. Attend Mass as a family, and LIVE your faith!

[moog]

Years ago, most parents and their children attended mass every Sunday, no excuses

Too many excuses for a lot of thing nowadays.

[7thson]

As a Catholic, I wish the Church - across this nation - would publicbly kick out the politicians who do not support Church Doctrine and yet always go to Mass. Kick out guys like Kerry, Kennedy, Pelosi, etc.

[TAdams8591]

Father should have warned them first that he would kick them out of the program if they didn't attend mass. If mass attendance still didn't improve then he should have suspended them. Or had a point system: three missed masses within six months or some reasonable period of time and the children are out of the program.

What's the point of teaching children something and then having it all undone by parents who are doing the opposite .

[Coleus]

St. John Vianney, the holy Cure' D Ars, patron saint of parish priests said, "that if we could see with the vision of the angels who it is that is present to us here, who it is we are receiving in Holy Communion, we would die not of shock, not of fear, but of love!"

 

St. John Vianney said, "All good works taken together cannot have the value of one Holy Mass, because they are the works of men, whereas the holy mass is the work of God."

 

"Do not be afraid of people saying that going to Mass on a week day is only for those who have nothing to do ... Are you ashamed to serve God for fear of being despised?"

 

"When you hear Mass, do you come in the same frame of mind as the Blessed Virgin Mary at Calvary? Because it is the same God and the same Sacrifice."

 

"Those who go often to Mass during the week, do their work very much better than those who, for want of faith, think they have no time for it."

 

St. James the Apostle said this about his Mass, "When the moment of Consecration is arriving, every one should be silent, and trembling with reverential awe; he should forget everything earthly, remembering that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is coming down upon the altar as a victim to be offered to God the Father, and as food to be given to the Faithful; He is preceded by the Angelic choirs, in full splendor, with their faces veiled, singing hymns of praise with great joy."

 

Our Blessed Mother once told Blessed Alain, "My Son so loves those who assist at the Holy sacrifice of the Mass that if it were necessary He would die for them as many times as they have heard Masses."

 

Our Lord once said to St. Matilda:

 

"At the moment of Consecration I come down first in such deep HUMILITY, that there is no one at Mass, no matter how despicable and vile he may be, towards whom I do not humbly incline and approach, if he desires Me to do so and prays for it;

SECONDLY- I come down with such great PATIENCE that I suffer even my greatest enemies to be present and grant them the full pardon of all their sins, if they wish to be reconciled with Me;

THIRDLY - I come with such IMMENSE LOVE that no one of those present can be so hardened that I do not soften his heart and enkindle it with my love if he wishes Me to do so;

FOURTHLY - I come with such inconceivable LIBERALITY, that none of those present can be so poor that I would not enrich him abundantly;

FIFTHLY - I come with such sweet FOOD that no one ever so hungry should not be refreshed and fully satiated by ME.

SIXTHLY - I come with such GREAT LIGHT and SPLENDOR that no heart, how blinded soever it may be, will not be enlightened and purified by My presence.

SEVENTHLY - I come with such great sanctity and TREASURES of GRACE, that on one, however inert and indevout he may be, should not be roused from this State."

[Salvation]

Part of the promises made by a couple during a Catholic marriage is to bring their children up in the Catholic Church. That means setting a good example too.

I pray for parents all the time. It's difficult these days to teach children values with all the crap on TV.

But in this case it sounds like the parents need some basic values and virtues!

Gifts of the Holy Spirit, fall down on these marriages and families.