Letters

Talking in Church

Judith McRae

Contents - Apr 2005 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Pope's suffering a potent Easter witness - Michael Gilchrist Australia prepares for World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne - AD2000 Report News: The Church Around the World 'Flying bishops' consecrated for orthodox Anglicans - Fr Nigel Zimmerman Exploding myths about the 'pre-Vatican II' Church - John Young Vocations: Why some new religious orders are attracting recruits - Fr John Hogan Events: Carnivale Christi returning to Sydney with an Easter theme - Liz Arblaster and Anthony McCarthy Cardinal Ratzinger: Liturgy should be God-centred - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Letters: Dissent - Fr John Speekman Scripture: So, what else did Jesus say? - Gavan O'Farrell Adore 05: Sydney's successful Eucharistic Youth Congress - Nicole Osmak Letters: ACU - Sabina Sannen Letters: Chavagnes International College - Raymond De Souza Letters: Teaching the faith - Rosanna Sherman Letters: Stations of the Cross - D.T.S. Moorhouse Letters: Religious habit - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Practice of faith - Br Con Moloney CFC Letters: Confession - J.G. Wilson Letters: Talking in Church - Judith McRae Letters: Christ the Creator - Gerard J. Keane Letters: Good news - Geoff Storey Letters: Pregnancy Assistance - Brian A. Peachey Books: The Path to Rome: Modern Journeys to the Catholic Church - Michael Casanova (reviewer) Books: Love Alone Is Credible, by Hans urs von Balthasar - Kerrie Allen (reviewer) Books: Mass Without a Congregation: A Sign of Unity or Division? - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Poetry: A Centurion Reflects - Bruce Dawe Books: Religious resources for 2005 Reflection: Pope John Paul II: 'In the risen Christ all creation rises to new life' - Pope John Paul II Marian Valley Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians, Canungra

I am prompted to write after reading Michael Gilchrist's article (February AD2000) on the Church in Australia. I have just returned to Sydney after ten days in Victoria and having attended Mass in a regional city parish not understand why the readings and Gospel were not as in my Missal. It seemed to be someone's personal interpretation of these into common language

Admittedly it is something I would take particular notice of as almost everyone at my regular parish has a Mass book. In fact this parish of South Mount Druitt - which is a small one with just one priest - from observation is pretty rare as we do not have other than our priest to distribute Communion. He walks back and forth along the foot of the altar and one has time to consume the sacred host before returning to one's seat.

Also there is confession several times during each week, with visiting priests on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons. On Friday nights during Lent there is an extra Mass, and during November a special Friday night Mass when parishioners are invited to bring forth the names of loved ones to be read out for whom the Mass is being said.

Some places I have attended are like three ring circuses, with too many people on the altar and no semblance of reverence at Communion. The talking in church in many cases is disgraceful - I'm waiting for Our Lord to appear and "toss out the money- changers"!

Priests should clamp down on this practice. Most of the conversations have nothing to do with church and should occur outside the building. The church is the place we enter to pray before the tabernacle, the home of our God.

JUDITH McRAE
Glenmore Park, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 18 No 3 (April 2005), p. 15