Leaving mass as soon as you receive communion...

Riss91 · May 2013

When I was younger, a large number of parishoners would go up for communion and then walk right out the back door... before the mass has officially ended. Yesterday, we attended a local parish that isn't our normal parish. I noticed a handful of people doing this. I've also noticed a decent number of people that show up really really late - like just before communion. My question is:

Do you still get credit for your Sunday obligation if you leave before the mass has ended or arrive very, very late?

bibliophile2010 · May 2013

My understanding is that the rules are unclear on this. I personally don't think you should leave early unless there are particularly unforeseen circumstances (such as illness). I've heard that lateness should be based on a good-faith effort to arrive on time. For me, the spirit of the rule (come to Mass to worship God, hear His Word and eat at His Banquet) is way more important than the letter of the law.

lalaith50 · May 2013

Just to clarify-

It is NEVER a requirement to take communion. (I strongly believe that the biggest current liturgical abuse that is happening today is that nobody thinks twice about whether they are in a proper state of grace to receive communion, and so "everybody" goes up, and then even those who know that they ought NOT to go up, also do, since "everybody" else is doing it. Further contributing to the downward spiral of Catholic's lack of belief in what the Eucharist IS, since, if it's not a big deal to consider receiving it, then it just must not be a big deal at all.)

I have heard that your obligation is fulfilled by being there at the Gospel, but I don't know for how long you have to stay. (But I have also been told that it is a sin to regularly come late to Mass at all, without good reason.)

professorscience · May 2013

This drives me absolutely bonkers. Before I converted, I would look at these people leaving early en masse (forgive the pun) in horror. Growing up, leaving church early was just NOT something you did. You were there to hear the word of the Lord, to eat at His table, and to fellowship with your fellow Christians. And everywhere I have been, it is completely normal to see TONS of people filing out as soon as they receive communion! I try very hard to focus on the meaning of the mass and especially on the Eucharist during communion, but at the church where we were married, the people who cut out early don't even make efforts to do it quietly. And they even sit in the front rows so that it's NO SECRET that they "got what they needed" and then headed off to whatever was more important.

I get that there are times when you really do have to leave early. We left early once or twice when I was having the worst of my morning sickness, and one time my husband received somewhere close to a billion work calls during mass and finally just had to go handle whatever was happening, but we've ALWAYS waited at least until the closing hymn.

Calypso1977 · May 2013

Do you still get credit for your Sunday obligation if you leave before the mass has ended or arrive very, very late?

yes, as long as you arrive prior to the gospel. In many churches, where there is more than one priest, they often will hear confessions right up until the gospel. so its possible someone could be in line at hte confessional (not always located in the back of the church) and miss Mass up to the gospel.

I rarely leave right after communion - its usually only when we are at a parish while on vacation.

Riss91 · May 2013

I know that in my childhood parish, these were people that habitually only came for the bare minimum.... not sure about those that left yesterday. I think these are things that priests should be speaking about. Our parish has mentioned habitual lateness before, but we rarely see anyone leave right off the communion line. It's one thing for a one-off occassion/special circumstance.

I didn't know that being there in time for the gospel was a "general rule". I guess I always thought that since there is a specific point at the end of mass where the priest/subdeacon says "the mass has ended", you should be staying till that point.

professorscience · May 2013

Our priest has apparently commented, not during mass, on how much it bothers him when people leave early. I don't notice it as much in our parish in Oklahoma, but it was the norm in Dallas.

I get that sometimes if you have kids who are about to have a meltdown, it's best to get them out before the crowds. But the couple of times that I've felt sick (aside from they days where I spent more time in the bathroom than in the pew), I've found it much better to just stay seated while everyone files out and then leave once it's a little clearer.

Edit: I also feel like simply viewing attendance as "fulfulling your obligation" completely eliminates the purpose. Yes, we have obligations to fulfill, but we're also supposed to, you know, get something out of the mass.

Resa77 · May 2013

Arrive by the gospel and stay until communion -- that's always the rule I heard. However, like PP have said, it's missing the point if you're just trying to do the bare minimum.

I once heard a homily that I thought really explained this well -- you wouldn't go to someone's house for dinner, and then leave while people were still eating. You stay until dinner is done, and make sure you say your thanks and goodbyes. At Mass, we come for the meal of the Eucharist. We should stay until everyone has received. We should say a prayer of thanksgiving. And we should wait until we have received the final blessing (the goodbye).

monkeysip · May 2013

When I was protestant, sunday service was always around 2 hours.

Whenever I started going to Catholic mass, I was at a parish where mass was like 55 minutes. I was shocked to see how many people were so impatient, itching to leave, and leaving early.

I know some masses are a little longer, but goodness. I just feel like if you can't spare an hour and 15 minutes plus travel time once a week for God, you have a problem of priorities in your life. I think "being in a hurry" is just one of those big problems of modernity.

I went to an Eastern Catholic parish about a year ago, and it was a really small, tight-knit community. Divine liturgy was at least 1.5 hours, and NO ONE left early. It would've been really apparent if they had. Instead, after the liturgy, almost everyone filed into the small community center together and talked. Then they ate lunch one of the parishioners had brought (apparently someone always brings lunch there). You could tell that sunday worship and communion was a big, long celebration every sunday, not a run in and out of a church for an hour every sunday.

I'm not trying to say anything about East vs. Western rites, but I'm just saying that the loss of a sense of parish community has helped contribute to this "fast food mass" mentality.

I also wish every parish had one of othose "Judas left the mass early, too" signs.

Riss91 · May 2013

In Response to Re: Leaving mass as soon as you receive communion...:
[QUOTE]I just feel like if you can't spare an hour and 15 minutes plus travel time once a week for God, you have a problem of priorities in your life. I think "being in a hurry" is just one of those big problems of modernity.
Posted by monkeysip[/QUOTE]

I completely agree. I also think that fostering a better sense of community would help with this, as well as better faith instruction.

monkeysip · May 2013

In Response to Re:Leaving mass as soon as you receive communion...:
[QUOTE]when I was a child, I remember a priest commenting during the announcements about people leaving before the final blessing. He said that, as a reward for those who stayed, he'd let them in on the secret that the second coming was at 2:00 that afternoon. I was so lost and I asked my mom what that meant, and then I got so excited that Jesus was coming back!!!
Posted by TXKristan[/QUOTE]

LOL....

agapecarrie · May 2013

I heard of a priest that sent severs out with candles to accompany people who left early because they are still living tabernacles and Christ hasn't been digested yet. There is a parish I've been to that has a sign on the back that says: judas was the first to leave mass early.

lalaith50 · May 2013

[QUOTE]I heard of a priest that sent severs out with candles to accompany people who left early because they are still living tabernacles and Christ hasn't been digested yet. There is a parish I've been to that has a sign on the back that says: judas was the first to leave mass early.
Posted by agapecarrie[/QUOTE]
Ha. That's awesome.

My previous pastor would occasionally stop after communion and have the whole church pray like a Hail Mary or something "for the souls of those who have left early and don't understand the sacredness of what they have just received" or something like that. (It was a very small parish, and there was a particular couple that did this EVERY week.)

I always thought it would be a lot more effective if he stopped and had everyone pray while they were still there, ("for those who are going to leave before Mass is done...") like right after the homily or something. (I don't know if the priest knew they had friends in the parish and it would get back to them, or if he really didn't care if they found out he was making a big deal about it - he just really did want to pray for them.)

Chloeagh · May 2013

I've never seen this at my church. Most people stay until after the closing hymn. At the very least until the final blessing! It's more common to see people show up late (usually families with small kids). For me, it's not about fulfilling my obligation. Last weekend we were really late (showed up towards the end of the Gloria). There was nothing we could have done, but I felt awful about it. I felt like I was being rude walking in so late, and sad that I had missed the opening hymn and the welcome.

banana468 · May 2013

lalaith50 said:

[QUOTE]I heard of a priest that sent severs out with candles to accompany people who left early because they are still living tabernacles and Christ hasn't been digested yet. There is a parish I've been to that has a sign on the back that says: judas was the first to leave mass early.
Posted by agapecarrie[/QUOTE]
Ha. That's awesome.

My previous pastor would occasionally stop after communion and have the whole church pray like a Hail Mary or something "for the souls of those who have left early and don't understand the sacredness of what they have just received" or something like that. (It was a very small parish, and there was a particular couple that did this EVERY week.)
I always thought it would be a lot more effective if he stopped and had everyone pray while they were still there, ("for those who are going to leave before Mass is done...") like right after the homily or something. (I don't know if the priest knew they had friends in the parish and it would get back to them, or if he really didn't care if they found out he was making a big deal about it - he just really did want to pray for them.)

I feel the same way about doing this while the parishioners are there. We have a priest in the parish who has recently said he would stop saying mass due to his age. Prior to that, 90% of his homilies involved a lecture saying that he is so disappointed hearing children say that they only go to Mass on Christmas and Easter. He makes a great point but those of us attending regular Sunday Mass already know that we should be there!

I feel guilty when I leave before the last verse of the concluding song! By that point, the 2 yo has often had enough and she tries to dance in the pews. She can also be a cause of tardiness but I don't think we've ever arrived post-Gospel.

Ajuliana · May 2013

FI and I call these folks "Dine & Dash Catholics". Maybe not the holiest phrase, but it makes us giggle. And since we're made in the image of God, he must also think our joke is funny ; )

maryjohnson610 · May 2013

I've heard it call the "Judas Shuffle"! haha! But yeah, not ok, unless you have a reason. It's just 5 extra minutes. I actually love staying until after the music ends and praying for a minute or two in thanksgiving. By then, most people are out anyway and it's fairly quiet.

gjlader · June 2013

I wonder if people think I'm leaving mass early when I take my fussy child out to the vestibule immediately after mass. I am part of a very large parish and many people do rush out to avoid the traffic jam. I wait for my family and walk out with them, greet the priest, and usually linger in the courtyard while the children play for a few minutes (waiting for the people who are in a rush to leave lest we get run down in the parking lot, lol).

I am a new Catholic, and in my catechism class, we were taught that it's proper to arrive on time, and leave after the priest has exited the building, but you get credit as long as you are there before they read the Gospel and stay until after communion.

ootmother3 · June 2013

Recently, I have been leaving "before the crowd" because I'm on crutches and don't want to be the hold up for everyone else. It also allows me to get to the cab line while there are still cabs available.

Ordinarily, I would wait and file out with everyone else.

Also, it;s extremely rude to leave, or even start to leave, before the officiant has left. This is true in ANY church.

professorscience · June 2013

gjlader said:

I wonder if people think I'm leaving mass early when I take my fussy child out to the vestibule immediately after mass. I am part of a very large parish and many people do rush out to avoid the traffic jam. I wait for my family and walk out with them, greet the priest, and usually linger in the courtyard while the children play for a few minutes (waiting for the people who are in a rush to leave lest we get run down in the parking lot, lol).

I am a new Catholic, and in my catechism class, we were taught that it's proper to arrive on time, and leave after the priest has exited the building, but you get credit as long as you are there before they read the Gospel and stay until after communion.

To the first part, I can't imagine anyone seeing a parent carry out a crying child at any point and think anything other than, "Oh, they're removing that child because s/he's crying." And even if someone side-eyed, who cares what they think? The point is that you AREN'T leaving. Heck, lately I haven't been able to make it through a mass without needing desperately to go to the bathroom, and sometimes right after communion is the first chance I have. I always come back, though.

To the second part, I really dislike the idea of teaching anyone that it's about "getting credit." It's not like punching a timecard for a job.

Leaving mass as soon as you receive communion...

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