St. Patrick Parish Listening Sessions November 2021
Worship
Traditions: Traditional gestures of reverence, offerings of devotion, and incorporating the youth into worship are important aspects of parish life. (9)
Eucharist-centered: Believing in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the foundational principle in our Catholic way of life. (4)
When Catholics gather and discuss matters of faith with one another, treasured acts of worship are invariably shared. That is because these acts are not restricted to the world in which we live, but rather are very much connected in a real way to our Creator and Father in heaven. Through the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are confident through faith that our gestures of love and praise reach into the life of God. The United States Bishops recently expressed this sentiment in their document, The Mystery of the Eucharist In the Life of the Church:
"Unlike any other sacrament, the mystery [of the Eucharist] is so perfect that it brings us to the heights of every good thing: here is the ultimate goal of every human desire, because here we attain God and God joins himself to us in the most perfect union.’ Through this sacrament, the pilgrim Church is nourished, deepening her communion with the Triune God and consequently with one another" (USCCB, 2021).
Traditional gestures of reverence and offerings of devotion, therefore, are about something far greater than ourselves. They remind us, and put us in touch with, who and what we are called to be. Awareness of the depth of their effect places on our hearts an eagerness to pass them on to the next generation and to celebrate their meaning in the sharing of Eucharist.
Listed below are the various comments from the Listening Sessions on “worship.” Some comments will be repeated and appear under multiple themes.
More parent participation in the sacraments
A return to more traditional Catholicism and values. People who truly live by Christ’s example.
Our church looks like a real church.
A more solidified reverence, especially in the mass and offerings of devotion which we could institute more of
More reverence.
St. John Bosco had a dream of how the Barque of Peter would stay afloat in the most turbulent times. Our Lady and the Eucharist – we need nothing else.
We need to add some of the small but critically important traditional gestures of reverence and belief in the real presence to our PSR and to our parents who need guidance to help and encourage our children.
Let’s add an adoration chapel or area for devoted time with Christ in/through the Eucharist
Pulpit was not used to request for money
We appreciate a more engaged sermon – maybe for a later question
We want to see an increase in adoration times
We need to offer families a place to wroship - somehow bring teens back to the church
Youth involved in Mass! They should be able to lector, responsorial psalms, give out bulletins