At our former parish in SoCal, the faith formation classes were held during the first half of mass, then the children were returned to their parents prior to the consecration so we could all celebrate the Eucharist together.  Their attendance at those faith formation classes was mandatory and documented. At another parish, the pastor asked that every family put their collection envelope into the basket even if it was empty as a way of showing their attendance.  In both cases: No attendance, no sacrament. 

At our new parish, which is probably 1/16th the size, there is very little formality.  Our pastor knows every family by name, greets us after mass, eats some donuts, scoops up wily children who are trying to kill themselves by running into traffic.  We feel so blessed!  But I digress.  With the small, personal nature of our current parish, no verification system is needed.  If you don’t go to mass, they’re gonna know!

We don’t have it at my parish nor the parish where I work.  It wouldn’t be an issue for me and my children as we do attend every week.  I do know of families that don’t attend regularly that did just make their First Communion with my daughter.  I am torn about the system.  If it makes a non-going family into a going family due to creation of habit, then I am all for it.  But if it is just going to be something for people to complain about and grumble about in the parking lot at pick up… then I am definitely against it.  And… what about the non Sacramental years?  Every Sunday is important.

I work at one parish and worship at another; neither has a mass verification system. We thought about one for the confirmation class a couple of years back, but did not institute it. It just seemed like there were ways to game the system and there were a lot of other issues around it. In the end, kids kept journals about the homilies they heard. It was a mixed bag and after two years it went away.

Somehow I read “mass verification system” and I have a strong (negative) reaction. I am among the first to encourage mass attendance but this just does not set well with me. No verification, no sacraments? Is this punishing the children due to the parents behavior?

Lots to think about before I say another word and anxious to read more replies. Thanks for your always thoughtful posts.

We recently moved into a new town and parish. At our previous parish, children were required to put a small and official card into the collection basket each Sunday. If they didn’t attend Mass at their home parish, then they had to bring to their CCD teacher a bulletin from the parish they visited. At this parish, children who didn’t attend Mass regularly were indeed held back from receiving their sacraments, and the parents were counseled to help them understand just how precious the sacraments are. Our pastor was excellent at helping these parents along.

At our new parish, CCD teachers simply ask the students who attended Mass, and they take note of who didn’t. They then inform the pastor, so he can contact the parents and provide them with instruction and help.

Perhaps parents will approach going to Mass as an item on their “to do” list, but if they are not there in the first place then it is impossible for them to receive the benefits of the Holy Mass in any way. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the requirements of “getting to Mass,” but it was at Mass where my heart began to soften and become open to Our Lord. If I had not gone, I would not have received. I know that for sure!

As a final note: It’s been my experience (as a former second grade CCD teacher) that a Mass attendance system does NOT get wayward parents to attend, yet it helps the Pastor and CCD director see who needs help—with understanding the beauty of the sacraments, or with a problem at home, or with a problem with sports schedules. It’s an excellent way to spot who needs the helping hand, either physically, socially or spiritually.

Interesting!  I agree that weekly mass attendance needs to be encouraged for those that don’t yet make it a priority (and every year, not just a sacramental year as another commenter stated), but I also bristle at the idea of a “mass verification” system especially the index card being signed by the priest.  Even though it sounds like a nice way for the priest(s) to meet and get to know the children, logistically, it sounds almost impossible.  Every child have it signed by the priest each week?  In a large parish?  What if the family has an emergency and they have to leave before they get it signed, b/c there’s a line after mass?  There are so many things that could happen.  And for people who already do go to mass every week, it’s kind of…insulting?  Not sure that’s the word I’m looking for, but, really.  I am currently registered in 2 parishes and also attend a 3rd b/c often the only mass that works for our family is one that is offered by them (and also we really like it there, but it’s further away).  But at the parish where we have thus far made all our sacraments, there’s not a strongly-enforced system for checking attendance.  They probably go by the envelopes, but I haven’t heard of anyone being denied a sacrament for not making them all.  My kids and I don’t miss mass, period (unless everybody’s sick or something like that) but if they’re going to tell me my daughter can’t make her first communion or my son can’t make his confirmation b/c we aren’t regular at any one parish…..although I do realize I probably need to pick one and commit.  Just haven’t been able to do that yet.
I’m also interested to see what other commenters say.

We tried this system for our Confirmation class this year, under the request of our Confirmation teachers… the kids had to have bulletins signed and turned in to verify their attendance. I’m personally torn on this issue. I don’t want Mass to be something they “have” to do; I’d rather try to inspire them to “want” to be there. That being said, many families attend religious ed classes out of some sort of obligation they feel, but they do not seem to feel that same obligation to attend Mass. It can be so difficult to educate the students when there has been little to no emphasis made at home.
I was worried about getting complaints, but we found that very few had a problem with it. Those that did, seemed to reevaluate their beliefs (we had one family drop out of the program). 
On another note, some families have poor attendance no matter what we “require.”  This year our priest interviewed those that missed too many First Communion classes.  One child could not say the required prayers or communicate what happens at consecration and was not allowed to recieve Communion yet.
In some cases, there seems to be a fine line between meeting a child where they are-allowing the Holy Spirit to help them to grow through the Sacrament-without feeling like the Sacrament is being taken for granted. 
I’m anxious to see what others think and interested to see what they’ve done and found successful.

From Monica - “I am all for mass verification and not just for the second-graders but the whole family.  No mass attendance= no Baptisms, Confirmations or Weddings either.”

Please hear me speak in charity when I say that God is not asking for paperwork, so I have to really wonder how far we have wandered if it is just about stamping passports, so to speak.

This sort of system for one and all implies that *we* do all the work. That is not Catholic theology or spirituality at all. God does all - we simply, clearly not often enough, respond. Yet, that response, not a stamped document, is what God seems to seek, unless I am really missing something.

And while I have nothing to add to it, I love Jessica’s thoughts above. Very well put and pastoral at that.
Peace and good to all.

When I taught faith formation, I always wondered why it was so important to the parents for their children to attend when it was not important to them for the family to attend Mass.  It was almost like a rite of passage rather than a faith journey.  I definitely think family Mass attendance should be encouraged.  But how or whether to enforce it is a tough call.

My parish uses the collection envelopes to do this. (Although, now that they are accepting electronic weekly donations I’m not sure how they will continue.) If a family does not choose to donate, they can simply put their empty envelope in the basket. But like others here, people actively involved in the community wouldn’t ever have an issue because they are known and seen.

I really don’t have any problem with this. In order for a child to be baptized, a parent must promise to raise them in the faith. If the parent does not agree to this, the priest will not baptize the child. It seems harsh to some but there are good reasons. When I taught 8th grade CCD, some of those kids literally had not seen the inside of a church in years and didn’t intend to go again after Confirmation. I think the tracking system has the intended affect of getting those kids into the church. Mass is an obligation… people who don’t want to go already bristle at that idea anyway.

Our former pastor used Mass attendance to evaluate whether or not he would admit a child to his Catholic school. He wanted a school that was Catholic through and through, not just in name. He told us the story of how a family made an appointment with him to enroll their child. He checked the records and the parents hadn’t been to Mass in years. He said that he was sorry but he could not enroll their son in the school. The man became furious but then settled down and pulled out his wallet. “Father, I would like to make a sizable donation to the parish… How much do you need?” Father said, “I don’t want your money, sir. But you’re welcome to come back next year if you’ve reconsidered your commitment to your faith.”

The affect of Father’s requirement is that a lot of families drag themselves to Mass every week because they want a spot in the school. Some of those families remain hardened interiorly. Others have softened over the years and their families have experienced deep conversion. It is beautiful. I am grateful that Father loves us enough to “keep tabs” on us.

Hmmm. I have never heard of this but my kids attend the parish school and I am not sure if the CCD classes have some sort of system or not. I can’t say I like the sound of it. One of the classes at the school (maybe more, I’m not sure) have a marble jar and every Monday morning the kids who went to Mass, either locally or not if they were visiting grandparents or something…they are on the honor system) puts in a marble and then the class gets to do something special when it is full. I like this encouragement technique.

I think withholding a sacrament from a child because his parents don’t have their act together is a sad idea.  Don’t we all need graces?  Couldn’t the gift of even one Holy Communion make a permanent difference in a person’s soul that could benefit them in the future?

My biggest complaint with the ‘Mass verification’ required for Confirmation at our parish is that like the ‘service hours, saint report, retreat, letter to Father, interview and dress requirements, it seems they are all optional in the end. Inevitably there are Confirmandi that none of the other students has met or seen before. The bar appears high, but the message, year after year, to the hard-working young people who are eager to learn and live their faith is that none of the requirements really matter. In the end I hope they see how much they’ve matured in the faith through the completion of all of these requirements, and pray for their “classmates” who’ve missed every opportunity along the way. I know the sacramental graces still flow!!

Our parish has holy cards with the childs’ name on them.  Each Sunday they must pick up their card.  My husband is a DRE at another parish where the CCD classes are held on Sunday morning.  Many parents drop off their children for CCD, attend Mass, and pick up their child to bring them home after.  The children don’t attend Mass for the school year while they are in CCD!!  Makes you wonder why they are in CCD at all??

I am also for getting people to attend church as a family, but a system like this could hurt some families who truly cannot go every week. In a large family there is often likely to be somebody sick or hurt. What of those parents who work in healthcare, not everyone is able to be off on the weekends.

While it’s a requirement at our church to attend Mass regularly to get 1st Comm, it’s not really monitored.  Also when we moved here, they said the boys had to have attended at least on full year of CCD before being allowed in the 1st Comm class, but to my knowledge, they never verified it with our old church.  However, we never gave them a reason to doubt it.
Our church has the older classes (3rd grade and up) CCD only at a time that does not conflict with the Masses.  The younger classes meet during the early Mass (1st Comm/2nd grade is often split to both times).  It works pretty well for our family that I can attend Mass with the older ones who can focus while younger ones color Jesus pictures and learn about God in a classroom.  Between vacations and holidays, the small ones attend Mass half the time, which, as a military wife (aka playing single mom 90% of the time) with 5 kids under 10, makes things much easier.  If Mass attendence cards were thrown in the mix, they would be forgotten half time anyway.
  In any case, I’m not about the attendance gestapo.  I’d prefer a close-knit parish that everyone already knows enough people to have at least some idea of who is regular and who is not.  In our church, people know us well enough to know if we aren’t there (which, between road trips and sicknesses is fairly common), we aren’t judged too harshly.  Besides, a good way for the kids to get something out of Mass is make it part of the CCD lesson.  Then the teacher can get a good idea of whether the child is actually going to Mass and can talk to parents privately.

My opinion is that unless the parish is extremely huge, the pastor or DRE should know the families in the program, especially those preparing for the sacraments.  Our DRE has been very flexible, and I appreciate that.  We often go to mass at the local University instead of our parish, but we do try to attend the workshops and retreats associated with the CCD program.

Our DRE is also very subtle.  At the monthly CCD family workshop, she has a raffle for a pizza certificate.  No formal attendance is taken, but I assume that she uses the raffle slips to keep track of who is there.

I think that having the children do a narration of the Sunday gospel is a nice compromise, it does not require mass attendance, but it does focus the family’s attention on Sunday participation.

Not to hijack the comments, but does anyone have anything to say about small group assignments?  Lots of other Christian churches do this, and I think some Catholic parishes are beginning to—I would love to be assigned to a family or two, to have a monthly dinner together, to know what is up with them, so that outreach during difficult times would be more natural, etc.

At our parish’s religious ed program, we are asked to sign a family commitment in which, among other things, we promise to attend Sunday mass every week. We are reminded of this commitment throughout the year, but it’s really on the honor system. I think this is a great approach, since it formally raises the issue without subjecting everyone to a tracking system.

I also agree with those that have pointed out that the Sacraments give much needed grace for us sinners. I don’t think we should be in the business of erecting unnecessary barriers to that grace.

What an interesting debate!  I am the Director of Faith Formation at my parish and have struggled with many of the same questions, thoughts, challenges.  I appreciate reading all of your insights and look forward to continuing to find the best practice for our parish families!

Jimmy Akin had a post a couple of years ago regarding one parish that denied either First Holy Communion or First Reconciliation (or maybe both?) to a child whose family, using the envelope system, could not verify mass attendance. From what I recall of his post, it’s not clear if certain systems like that are canonically legal and certain ones, depending on how they are set up, may be a violation of the child’s right to the sacraments.

Our parish doesn’t require a verification system…and it is a large parish.  On the surface it makes sense because how else can you make sure these families understand the importance of attending Mass.  How else will a child be able to firmly grasp what it is they are participating in?

Having been a cradle Catholic from a family who did the bare minimum so that we were able to receive our sacraments, I can say that you aren’t going to change a family into appreciating the importance of attending Mass if it isn’t where their heart is.  You can’t MAKE someone want to be there, especially if their heart isn’t open to it.  When I was growing up my parents attended Mass with us because we HAD to, not because they wanted to.  After all the sacraments were finished, my parents went when they felt like it.  It was never impressed upon us as something that was important and in fact did exactly the opposite.  We always saw it as an inconvenience that HAD to be done. 

Knowing what I know now, I can’t imagine a week gone by without my husband and I bringing our 6 young children to Mass.  The only time we miss is if more than half of us are sick.  Otherwise one of us and those that are healthy attend.  My heart changed.  Having said that, I don’t think it us up to us to force people into doing what we know is right just because we know it is in their best interests.  You can strongly urge them, and give them the information they need to make an accountable choice.  But in the end, it is ultimately between them and God.  They will be held accountable for the choices they made.  It isn’t up to us to demand it of them and then judge them for it.  It also isn’t up to us to deny the young an opportunity to receive God’s grace because their family makes poor choices.  Who knows how that grace will affect that child.

Our parish doesn’t require a verification system…and it is a large parish.  On the surface it makes sense because how else can you make sure these families understand the importance of attending Mass.  How else will a child be able to firmly grasp what it is they are participating in?

Having been a cradle Catholic from a family who did the bare minimum so that we were able to receive our sacraments, I can say that you aren’t going to change a family into appreciating the importance of attending Mass if it isn’t where their heart is.  You can’t MAKE someone want to be there, especially if their heart isn’t open to it.  When I was growing up my parents attended Mass with us because we HAD to, not because they wanted to.  After all the sacraments were finished, my parents went when they felt like it.  It was never impressed upon us as something that was important and in fact did exactly the opposite.  We always saw it as an inconvenience that HAD to be done. 

Knowing what I know now, I can’t imagine a week gone by without my husband and I bringing our 6 young children to Mass.  The only time we miss is if more than half of us are sick.  Otherwise one of us and those that are healthy attend.  My heart changed.  Having said that, I don’t think it us up to us to force people into doing what we know is right just because we know it is in their best interests.  You can strongly urge them, and give them the information they need to make an accountable choice.  But in the end, it is ultimately between them and God.  They will be held accountable for the choices they made.  It isn’t up to us to demand it of them and then judge them for it.  It also isn’t up to us to deny the young an opportunity to receive God’s grace because their family makes poor choices.  Who knows how that grace will affect that child.

Why not have the RE teacher ask the child each week if they went to Mass?  Then begin each class explaining why it is so important to attend Mass each week.  Most kids are honest.  If they consistently say that they are not attending Mass then the RE teacher or coordinator or pastor can speak with those specific parents about the importance of attendance.  They are “required” to attend meetings regarding their childs sacraments why should they not be required to take their child (whom they are asking the Church to confer a sacrament upon) to Mass?

A child whose parents take them to mass, learns about the faith, and is more ready for their First Holy Communion than a child whose parents sit on the couch on Sunday.  Unfortunately a child’s faith formation is dependent on their parent’s committment to their faith.  I taught RE for 7 years (grades 1 through 5)...I knew exactly who went to mass and who didn’t, just by how they answered questions and participated in class. The Eucharist is not a right.  It is uncharitable for someone (adult or child) to receive the Eucharist without having a basic but good understanding of what they are actually receiving.  I have told my students to ask their parents to take them to mass…they can take some responsibility, it’s their soul, but ultimately it’s the parents job to get ready and out the door to mass.  We belonged to a progressive, liberal parish for 14 years…we now belong to a traditional/orthodox parish (thank God!!) 

Progressive parish = no mass requirement, “try to get to mass at least 3 times per month”, loose catechesis program.

Traditional parish = requirement #1 for parents “take your children to mass every Sunday”, serious and committed catechesis program. The traditional parish gets my vote….that’s why we switched. 

If catechists are seeing the effects of parents not taking their kids to mass, then a check system is warranted.

As far as I know, our parish does not have a “Mass verification” of any kind.  I do know that to get the parishioners discount at the parochial school the parish must see the familiy’s envelope in th collection basket, even if it is empty.  I think that children receive grace when they receive their First Holy Communion.  I don’t think it is right to with hold that grace if they are not at Mass every week.  It is beyond the control of the child.  We then also run into the sticky issue of families who cannot get to Mass because of a disability in a parent or child.  Is it appropriate to penalize the child in those cases?
Yes, every child should be brought to Mass.  Yes, I want those families who are not usually at Mass to return home to the Eucharist.  Invite them, remind them of the importance for the children to be at Mass and see appropriate Mass behavior.  Don’t demand.  That creates resentment and down the line may decrease attendance in those families.
My take on the issue, and I am one of those who does not like to attend First Communion Masses because of all the people who show up and turn it into a party centered around the child instead of a sacrifice centered around Christ.  We must lovingly invite those who have fallen away, not coerce.

I know many Catholics who already see the Church as one big bureaucracy of nit-picky rules.  I worry that a system like this is just going to further that impression and make them feel that Catholicism is more about dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s than it is about developing a personal relationship with Christ. 

The irony is that, as a regular Mass-goer, I know that Mass attendance IS one way to develop that relationship.  But I am with those who don’t feel that it can be legislated by a parish.  Let’s face it, lots of Catholics—yes, even those who are seeking sacraments for their kids—already have an image of the Church an entity that cares more about image than about truth (the sex abuse scandals and coverups did a lot to promulgate that impression.)  Having people turn in proof of attendance to their parish is not going to help there. 

And it sounds like the attendance system is specifically envisioned FOR the parents who don’t already go regularly, right?  In that case, I don’t see how this will change the minds of the target group. 

I’m all for helping parents develop a rich relationship with Christ, so that they can in turn model it to their kids.  But this doesn’t seem like the right way to go about it.

My kids have received sacraments in several different parishes.  One of these, where my older son was confirmed, not only required Mass attendance but required attendance at a CERTAIN Mass.  Now that made me nuts, because he was an altar server at a different Mass, and my daughter and I were in the choir.  So during that year, our family wound up going to church separately, and the altar servers were short-handed.  Not good for the family—and not good for the ministry in which my son was participating!  All so he could check in with his teacher at the end of Mass to prove he’d been there.
Ridiculous.

I too don’t believe it’s right to deny a child a sacrament because his parents don’t take him to church.  That is not something he can control.

I am the DRE of our parish’s religious education program.  I was approached to do mass verification for our sacrament kids.  I decided for administrative and sanity reasons to not implement it.  What I decided to do instead is to begin parental programs that will help educate parents on the importance of mass and the impact it will have on them and their families.  I believe that educating the parents is a better solution.

I am not in favour of Mass verification, but…

I currently attend a parish in Ireland, and here are some approximate stats.
200+ children baptised each year
Church ceremonies this month:
45 girls first Holy Communion (parish school)
45 boys first Holy Communion (parish school)
80 twelve year olds confirmed
30 kids from non Catholic school receive first Holy Communion

Very few of these children or their families will be back, after the big day. A handful of these children attend each week. (Maybe 20, probably 10, and I am erring on the side of generosity with those figures).  Parents get their children baptised, they do not attend before the baptism, and surprise they do not attend after. My church requires nothing from them, and that is exactly what it gets!

As I say I am not in favour of Mass attendance verification, but…..

I remember reading about a church in Poland that scanned fingerprints. I know that sounds mad, but it was fast, and efficient, but probably very expensive, and not to mention somewhat weird!