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Email a FriendMind if a GrandDad comments? People go to mass to be seen, to do what Mom told them to do or to just “watch the show”. Methods of Attendance records are necessary because a lot of folks do not understand the Mass, let alone the Eucharist! Sunday “Homily time” is the only time the priest has the captive audience of those folks sitting right in front of him and the only time they can really be taught. Most of the time, they are not listening to the homily anyway. If the priest would devote time each sunday to explain, in depth, the elements and prayers of the mass and the full glory of the Eucharist, in time, people would want to come to mass and even be reluctant to leave. Eventually, their children would need no “verification” system. We need to speak loudly for this pastoral teaching from the altar.
Verifying Mass Attendance
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Faith on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 10:52 AM
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Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with one of our readers. This mom had just come from a recent First Communion preparation meeting with her First Grader, a Catholic school student who will be receiving his sacraments next Spring.
One of the major topics at the meeting was the importance of the Mass Verification system the parish and school have in place to assure that students are attending Mass. No verification, no sacraments… Their system involves an index card that the student must have signed by the priest each week. A certain number of absences are permitted and beyond those, the boy will not be permitted to receive First Communion.
I know this family personally, and am certain that for them, attendance at Mass will not be an issue. But it made me thing of how wildly these policies vary from parish to parish, even within the same diocese. When my sons received First Communion, they did so with their second grade classes at our parish school. Had the same policy been in place at our school, it’s likely that many of their classmates would not have received their sacraments.
I completely understand and agree with the importance of helping families to comprehend the primacy of the Eucharist and prioritizing Sunday Mass attendance. What I question is a system like this that turns going to Mass on Sunday another thing our families feel like we have to check off of our “to do” lists. Maybe my bristling at this attendance system is misplaced, and maybe this is now the norm around the country.
So help me out here - does your parish, your school or your religious education program require proof of Mass attendance to qualify to receive the sacraments? How do you feel about this topic? If your parish has a good system in place, please share the details with us.
Comments
Denise,
I firmly agree with you. I can see why they want to make sure that these children and parents are attending Mass, but I do not believe sacraments should be denied because of the lack of attendance. You’re right, it is a messy world. I have a child in my CCD class this year who is a 5th grader. Her family belongs to some other Christian church, but she wanted to become Catholic. Her family does not attend Mass. She attends Mass with her aunt. She wanted to be baptized, and received this sacrament at Easter. If her parents’ attendance at Mass had been required for her to be Baptized, she would not have received the sacrament. I too believe that children deserve the Sanctifying grace from the sacraments regardless of how their parents choose to live their own lives. It may be that grace that helps those children to make different choices.
anybody want to cite statistics? In the parish where I do sacrament prep, Sunday Mass attendance is less than 50% for most classes. It has a huge impact on what can & can’t be presented in class, ‘cause so many of the kids are remedial (for lack of a better term).
And plenty of parents, in the town where I live, will change their parish to avoid an obligation of any kind.
I have been preparing young kids for their First Holy Communion in the past ten years. On Sundays, we have our class one hour before 11:00 mass. We teach them the meaning of mass, the holy eucharist, the gospel and right after class the students will stay back and attend the mass. We tell these young kids to observe attentively everything that is going on in the mass so that they can relate to what they are learning from their CCD classes. It has worked out very well.
There are parents who don’t attend mass at all but we don’t use it against these young kids.
” I don’t understand at all why anyone would want to write there name on an envelope, seems like it would be prideful of the people who give a lot and just there to cause shame on the people who don’t.”
As several people have noted, the reason for identifying oneself when making a donation is so that the parish can send a statement to the person who donated at the end of the year, with the total amount donated, so that the person can deduct that amount from his/her taxes. And the purpose of deducting donations from one’s taxes is usually so that one can give money to the Church which otherwise would have gone to the government. If I *don’t* identify our donations and deduct them from our taxes, every $10 to the Church costs us $13 of my DH’s salary with the remaining $3 going to the government in the form of taxes. I’d much rather the the whole $13 go to the Church. Pride has nothing to do with it.
I’m sorry Monica, but I have to disagree with you. You said, “The Church denies Protestants and Jews and nonbelievers access to the sacraments. We deny minor children of non-Catholics access to Catholic sacraments.” If a person openly admits that do not believe in what the church teaches but they want the sacrament, “just in case”, then I could possibly see not allowing them to receive the sacraments. For us to judge someone and say that they can’t recieve a sacrament because we don’t “feel like” they are going to raise them accordingly, is wrong. Before the priest says the words “This is My Body” as he is giving you communion does he ask you whether or not you’ve been to confession recently? Does he ask you if you’ve followed all of the laws of Catholicism prior to partaking in the most holy part of the Mass? No, he has to have faith that the one receiving Jesus has done what they should in order to receive the true grace. Now, if you waltz up there pasted with atheist signs all over you could he deny you communion…of course. But unless you have an outward sign of Catholic hatred or lack of faith, the priest, (and no one for that matter) has the right to judge you and tell you no you are not allowed. That is between that person and God. So, as for children, if the parents have the notion that their children need to receive their sacraments we should not turn them away because they don’t have faithful parents. In fact, we should be much more giving to those children as they could be the ones who bring their parents back to church.
I am really torn on this issue. I am the Sacrament Coordinator for First Penance and First Eucharist for our parish. Currently, we do not have a Mass attendance system. We did try once, but sadly it was implemented badly and suddenly (without including or warning the catechists, the Confirmation coordinator, or myself). It was specific envelopes, which of course led to the assumption (sadly) that it was all about money. I think about 6 families left the parish over it.
I think it can be done badly, awkwardly, and heavy handedly—absolutely.
BUT—after 6 years of teaching/leading children through First Penance and First Communion, I can tell you how really hard it is to prepare children who do not attend Mass. At a certain point, there is only so much a child CAN be properly disposed and prepared for Communion (or Confirmation) if they are not attending Mass. I’ve had First Communion children (not in my class) that I’d nearly swear were in there first Mass ever—AT First Communion.
This weekend, we celebrated First Communion with 99 children. It was wonderful to bring them to the Eucharist, but sad to see how hard it is to keep any level of reverence, quiet, or proper decorum—not from the children, but from their families. Far too many of them do not attend ever, or just very rarely.
Yes, it is very, very hard to teach the parts of the Mass to children who have no experience of it. They don’t know what a Procession is, never heard Alleluia, no idea of the Gospels or even how Communion is distributed. Then to teach them about the Consecration…. How can we explain the obligation to attend Mass or the grace of the sacraments, if they are constantly reinforced at home as Mass being unimportant, or a waste of time, or too much bother???
But, as I said at the start, I’m torn. I understand the reactions of people who ask how we can withhold grace. Sacraments are hoops to jump through. BUT, it is the pastor’s responsibility to determine that children (and adults) are properly disposed and prepared. Adults in RCIA and those preparing for a sacramental Matrimony are required to attend Mass. So, while it’s true that children can’t get themselves to Mass, is it really that different to let the parents know it’s required?
Sadly, there are far too many families who enroll their children in religious education just to “get” the sacraments—to complete the checklist. Or because it’s what you do (cultural Catholics), or because of the photo ops, or because Grandma wants it (I’ve had a mother tell me that). I think it’s fairly unique to Catholics because of the “milestone” nature of the sacraments. Most other denominations don’t have children in Sunday School or in Hebrew school if their parents don’t practice themselves.
Sorry this is long, but this is something I struggle with. There has to be a balance between not overdoing it, but doing more than constantly reminding parents how important it is to come to Mass. Too many of them can get to 8 am sports games every weekend (or all day), but “don’t have time” to get to Mass.
Sadly, I can see why some pastors and DREs are having to push it and really reinforce that Mass is an essential part of being Catholic. As our pastor says, it is really the LEAST you can do and actually be Catholic. In that case, it’s really not too much to ask for parents who should be preparing their children for sacraments—as the first teachers.
But again, I know it’s hard on those of us who DO attend. And I certainly forgot my daughter’s envelopes that year sometimes. One other year we had a sign-in book, and we saw parents run in, sign, and leave—never setting foot in the church itself. People, sadly, will “work” any system they can.
I pray a lot—for the children and for their families. But I can see the weight of requirements on the pastors.
We belong to a huge parish, where the envelope system is very carefully followed for all sacraments as well as regular membership (if you do not turn in your envelopes regularly you are dropped from membership lists after a warning). One year two couples were told they could not marry at our church as they had planned because they did not follow the rules (yes, they were warned, but really, with such a huge parish it is a shock to me at how few marriages we actually have there—or is it sad that so few couples want to follow all the rules?). For awhile, not only did we have the envelope requirement, but for religion class at the parish school, my kids had to also bring in Sunday’s bulletin (whether from our parish or another we were visiting). My son would take three for fear of losing it before Monday morning rolled around! It counted as a grade.
In my opinion, the people who are “forced” to go to weekly mass usually stop as soon as the sacrament is complete. On our front, when both my kids were confirmed I felt guilty that I was so relieved that I had managed to “check-off” all the requirements and I felt free (someone else mentioned numerous retreats, tests, meetings, etc., for each sacrament—our parish has more than any other parish in the area). In fact, lately, we have been attending mass at a different Catholic church because ours changed it’s mass times and this other church offers us better times with my work schedule. If my kids were still needing to attend our old church we would be going to different churches/masses for sure.
This was a very interesting forum to read!
For the past 2 years, I’ve had the same sad experience on the first day of class. “How many of you know the Our Father?” A couple hands went up, but the faces held mostly blank stares. Most of the kids hardly attended Mass on a regular basis. It just breaks my heart to see how little the faith is getting imparted to the next generation.
I agree with all those who wrote against the verification system. I have been at the same parish for almost 20yrs and I can’t imagine having to sign into Mass every week. During the year there are 4 different parishes we go to and we love to see what God is doing in other parishes.
My home parish does have the parents sign a contract of sorts when they sign up for CCD that states they will go to weekly Mass. I think their approach is balanced—acknowledging the importance of Mass but not having cards ech week that need to be signed. I think they are gentle and graceful and I think it is more likely to open hearts to God which is our ultimate goal.
It would be interesting if we could do a scientific studt to see how many hearts were changed by a forced verification system versus a different appraoch.
When my child made his First Holy Communion, they handed out something like a My Weekly Mass sheet that the child was to fill out, parent was to sign and then it got turned in at CCD the following week. It had them write various things like what parish did you go to for mass, at what time, who was the priest, what was the gospel, what did you learn from the homily and the like. Just one page, brief answers were fine. I thought this helped the children recognize that they were to be paying attention at mass, that they were getting older and preparing to receive a sacrament, much less than that they were being checked up on for merely attending. In other words, attending mass was a ‘given,’ it was the child (with parental assist as needed, but it had to be in child’s handwriting) who needed to try to participate more fully in it. So, the Pastor’s expectation was high, and yet it was done in the light of encouraging learning, not just ‘checking a box’ that you were physically present at mass.
This is what I’m going to propose if (or when) it comes up again. I’ve seen our pastor sign bulletins for children visiting from other parishes and he’s said something about getting back to it ourselves.
I do understand the concerns with the “verification” system, but if somehow there has to be a way to really make clear how essential it is to attend Mass - not just because we ALL should, but especially for children who need to learn about our faith and how we practice it.
I think some basic card or sheet that has children answer questions helps them to pay attention finds a much better balance.
Yes, some parents will gripe about being “forced” to go to Mass. But as our pastor reminds them (in a positive way, at First Communion Masses), they promised to raise their children in our faith at their baptism. So this reinforces their commitment AND helps the pastor emphasize how important it is to attend Mass to be “properly prepared” for the sacraments.
I’m on the fence about the verification system. I see the need but in the years we have had it in our parish (Father or deacon signs a sheet), I’ve seen our FHC class go from 30 children to five. Yes, only five children made first holy communion last week. Our confirmation class was around the same size. I asked Father what has happened and he said that families just aren’t attending and that he expects not to see most of the five children again until it comes time for confirmation. How sad!
Someone above quoted this from canon law in an argument _against_ requiring Mass attendance to receive the Sacraments: “It is also the duty of the parish priest to see that children who have not reached the use of reason, or whom he has judged to be insufficiently disposed, do not come to holy communion. “
To me, though, that canon lends huge weight in the argument _for_ requiring Mass attendance. There can be legitimate debate over how to verify attendance of those preparing for the Sacraments of Baptism, Communion, Confirmation and Matrimony, but it is ABSURD to think that these Sacraments should be received by people who are not even willing to make the minimal commitment to the Faith. Sacraments are not a right. They are a privilege. And the Church is quite clear that it is gravely wrong to receive a Sacrament without being properly disposed. All the special cases that people have mentioned would of course be considered by the priest. I can’t imagine any priest denying a practicing Catholic family the Sacraments because of circumstances beyond their control. That is what dispensations are for.
When we went to the Baptism class shortly before our first son was born, the booklet we were given had wise words for these kinds of situations. “Q. What if we doing regularly go to Church? A. It often happens that those who do not regularly attend Holy Mass wish to have their child baptized in the Catholic Faith. Parents and Godparents must be fully aware of what they are promising before God in the Rite of Baptism: their assent to the teachings of the Church, their willingness to live their lives in accordance with those teachings, and their firm intent to raise their children in the Catholic Faith. The priest will ask the parents repeatedly if this is their intent, and the parents must repeatedly answer that it is. This is a solemn answer to God and is not to be taken lightly. For many, their child’s Baptism is a time of conversion and rededication to the practice of the Faith. If, however, the parents feel uncomfortable making those solemn promises before God, they should re-examine the reasons they desire Baptism for their child. If the parents cannot make the promises asked of them in the Rite of Baptism, the pastor may refuse to baptize the child.”
The Sacraments are a big deal. It is false charity to allow children to receive Communion if they are not sufficiently prepared.
My ccd teachers and I were in a catechist class with our pastor last Saturday and we had this exact conversation. Our confirmation students need to put an index card with their name on it into the collection basket to verify that they were at mass. (Of course, we have seen parents and grandparents put the cards in for the child - without the child in attendance!) If a confirmation student attends mass at another parish, a bulletin must be signed by the priest after mass and handed in the following week. Our question was whether this should be done for 1st communion also. We all have very mixed feelings. We want the children to attend mass but we also don’t want to punish them for something that they have no control over. (ie - “Mom and dad won’t take me to church.”) We are trying to come up with some ideas for positive reinforcement, not a punishment. One idea was to have families of 1st commnicants take up the gifts at our 9:30 mass (the mass immediately following ccd) throughout the year. This would get the families to at least attend a few times. Our concern is that the children do not have the respect or understanding of the importance of the Eucharist if they are not attending mass and seeing their families participating. Instead, some families send their children to ccd because that’s “just what we do” and when the children are confirmed, they seem to disappear. I would love to hear what other parishes do. Thank you for bringing up this important topic, Lisa. It’s amazing how many times I have a “hot topic” with ccd or the Catholic faith and you seem to address that exact topic soon after. I believe that God has sent me in your direction in order to fill a need in my life as I strive to help our ccd program grow and to become the leader that He wants me to be.
Well, I’m sympathetic to the role of the pastor as a guardian of the sacraments, but I’m horrible about keeping up with paperwork. Half of the Sundays that we attend our own parish, I’m using collection envelopes from last month (or earlier) among several of our children, and the other half they’re dropping in naked dollars. I would not look kindly on a system that penalizes my children (or alienates me from sacramental graces) just because I’m a scatterbrain.
I am a Confirmation instructor and a military spouse. I have lived in at least 12 parishes in the last 25 years and never heard of “mass verification” until this email. I think it is a terrible idea. Yes, mass attendance is incredibly important for the child receiving the sacrament and for the family, however, the decision to allow or not allow a sacrament needs to be much more personal and based on much more than record keeping. The priest, with input from the instructor who knows the child and the family best, should meet with them and then decide what the best course for that family is. Ideally, the priest should meet with every candidate whether or not there is an apparent problem. The church needs to spend much more time being a welcoming, loving community and put much less emphasis on its bureaucratic tendencies. We are a devout and faithful family and our daughter who often attends daily mass as well as weekly mass almost had her wedding derailed because of diocesan red-tape. In the end it took the involvement of three parishes and two diocese and ridiculous amounts time, effort, and stress to allow her to be married in the church—more love less statistics, please!
I assume that some sort of verification is necessary. But , as been said, its really reflects the parents attitude - and the depth of their understanding of thier faith.
Mass is often attended as a matter of habit and like going to a “show”. Often their is the opening act, the homily a central theme, some physical participatiuon and -go home.
If these folks understood every part of the mass and truly participated, they would not need any “verification” system. Sunday homily time maybe the ONLY time the priest has a captured audience to whom he could take the time to explain the mass in detail. tThe only time those people in the pews will ever really listen to the teaching. Perhaps this would require several “class"masses to accomplish properly. Perhaps not every priest is capable of converying the real depth of the mass, but surely this is needed. Until we all REALLY understand the Mass we will never appreciate the Eucahrist and we will be like the Pharisee’s who love the Law more then Christ’s real message. We must lean heavily on our pastors to teach the elements of the Mass for true understanding of the sacraments. Then we will WANT to go to Mass and no “verification” system will be required.
Young children can not attend Mass on their own. I believe they should be entitled to receive their First Holy Communion despite what their parents do to support this. Without receiving this special sacrament, I do not believe they will ever continue with their religious education.
When it is time for Confirmation, then I think they should be held accountable for their Mass attendance, as they can certainly get to Mass on their own.
Please do not deprive our 7 year olds of this very precious gift of the Holy Eucharist due to the negligence of their parents.
a few years ago I started working in a Parish as the DRE. The biggest challenge I had was managing how we accounted for the 1400 students attendance at Mass. I agree that when children are 7 or 8 years old it is up to the parents to get their children to mass. it is not fair to penalize the young Catholic and hold their FHC hostage. But, for their Confirmation it is extrememly inportant that young people preparing to receive this Sacrament under an adapted order - meaning in their middle to high school age - understand their responsabiility as practicing Catholic and how Mystagogia can only come about by their active participation in their faith.
With 225 students preparing for Confirmation that year I decided to come up with a Mass journal. It was simple and easy to maintain with questions that were specific to the Mass - colors, songs, readings. Other questions asked for a summation of the homily, describe what Jesus said or did in the gospel and how certain songs related to the different readings. This gave them an opportunity to observe the Mass. I collected them only twice - once in January and again at the end of April.
While is was met with some resistence in the beginning, one parent thanked me after the Confirmation Mass. She said that the journal not only served as an accountability but it allowed their family to discuss the mass on the way home from church.
The journal also had 10 search challenge projects - simple and easy yet again. These projects were meant to show the Confirmand that we are always learning and have to be actively seeking out the beauty and richness of our faith.
Following this first year I sent a copy to 23rd Publications and I am happy to say that “My Weekly Mass Journal: Preparing for Confirmation” is now available for DRE/CRE’s to use with their Confirmation class.
Already there are a few parishes using it and they too agree that this is a great way to encourage Mass attendance.
Here’s Hoping!
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