Comments on: Where do I belong in church today? https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2017/01/18/belong-church-today/ The New Zealand National Catholic Newspaper Fri, 02 Feb 2018 02:48:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.5 By: John Whittaker https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2017/01/18/belong-church-today/#comment-17579 Wed, 24 May 2017 22:00:38 +0000 https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/?p=14405#comment-17579 As an 82 year old who doesn’t feel old, Carmel Carter.s comments about older peoples’ place in the church today got me thinking.
As an 82 year old who doesn’t feel old, Carmel Carter’s comments about older peoples’ place in the church today got me thinking.
Growing up in St. Heliers Bay we had a wonderful childhood in the 1940’s. We went to daily Mass nearly every day and were never made to, nor told we should – we wanted to.
Some time ago I was standing during Mass and realised I was really just a spectator, I wasn’t participating as we used to with the Roman Missal which had the complete Mass for every day of the year. OK. Maybe it was all my fault, but I also know that others my age have the same opinion. Is it because I can’t change? I don’t think so. i embrace new technology with gusto, even to the point of teaching myself some computer programming. And for nearly twenty years I have published the parish bulletin
If there were a Latin Mass in the district (Wairoa) I would go.
In my opinion what Vatican ll did was to destroy the Mystery, the Solemnity and most of all the Reverence of the Mass.
I suspect not too many have read the encyclical Quo Primum of Pope St. Pius V – July 14, 1570.
It is worth a look, for its reason of uniting a fractured church by making the Latin Mass universal, save for those entities that had there own Liturgy continuously for 200 years.
This struck me forcibly when in Singapore. The church of Our Lady of Lourdes was within walking distance of our hotel and on Sunday there were no less than 7 Masses in 7 different languages. English, Chinese(Traditional), Malay, Sri Lankin, Arabic, Portugese and Chinese (Mandarin).
This seemed ridiculous! We were late for the early English Mass so waited for the next one, Chinese.
Well after 15 minutes we walked out not knowing what was going on
In the 1950’s and 60’s if you weren’t on time for Mass at our little church you wouldn’t get in. Now, it is usual to get around 30 people.
The USA statistics in 1960 showed 85% of Catholics went to Mass. Now 27% go.
Don’t the fellows at the Vatican Care? The decline started after Vatican ll.
Surely it has something to do with the changes.

John Whittaker
Wairoa 4108

]]> By: Bob Gill https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2017/01/18/belong-church-today/#comment-16980 Sat, 11 Feb 2017 18:34:17 +0000 https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/?p=14405#comment-16980 I think the Church would be lost without the old ones in attendance at Mass. Look around at Sunday Mass; how many really young adults do you see? I know from my own experience at daily Mass too that most of the attendees don’t include those in, say, their 30s. It’s those in their 50s plus who keep things going.

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