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JSchaaf
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How should I go about finding a new church here in San Antonio? Am I obligated to go to the parish closest to home? Anyone familar with churches in San Antonio? We are looking for something traditional (not in the SSPX sense of traditional, though), maybe with some Latin in the Mass, where everyone sings and participates. Tall order?
Jennifer
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Rachel May
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We always start closest to home. So far we have been fortunate and have found the closest church to be excellent.
In Hawaii if we didn't go to the military chapel (where the priest taught us parts of the Mass in Latin and Greek), we went to the youth mass at the local parish which was really upbeat. Even though it was an hour and a half (and kept them up after their bedtime), our kids never complained. It was a normal mass with great upbeat music. So maybe try different times at one parish if you can before you look any further.
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Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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Karen E.
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Jennifer,
As of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, you aren't required to belong to the parish that is geographically closest to you.
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God bless,
Karen E.
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Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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LLMom
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I live near SA and attend the indult Traditional Latin Mass. It is near down town and the zoo. There is also Atonment, which is an Anglican rite parish. It is similar to a new Mass but the priest faces towards the tabernacle, everyone kneels at the altar rail for communion, etc. PM me if you need more info.
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Lisa
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JSchaaf
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What is indult? And can we attend an Anglican rite church? Does it "count"? I'll pm you for names of the churches, etc.
Thanks!
Jennifer
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MacBeth
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JSchaaf wrote:
What is indult? And can we attend an Anglican rite church? Does it "count"? I'll pm you for names of the churches, etc.
Thanks!
Jennifer |
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Indult is a Tridentine (Latin) Mass approved by the Ordinary (Bishop). I know nothing about any Anglican rite churches except for the Anglican ones  , and they are not Catholic...
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Kathryn UK
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In the US there are a small number of churches in communion with Rome that are permitted to say Mass using the "Anglican" rite, which is a slightly adapted version of the liturgy used in the Anglican Church. I presume the church Lisa recommended is one of those. I may be a little muddled on the detail, but I think the Anglican rite is based on Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer, which was largely a translation of the medieval English Catholic liturgy (the Sarum rite) so needed very little adaptation for Catholic use. The Anglican rite is never permitted by Rome in the UK.
As an adult convert who doesn't remember the Tridentine rite, but who attended the Church of England on occasions as a child, I always tend to assume that the priest facing the altar and kneeling at an altar rail during communion is an Anglican thing .
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MacBeth
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Kathryn UK wrote:
| In the US there are a small number of churches in communion with Rome that are permitted to say Mass using the "Anglican" rite, which is a slightly adapted version of the liturgy used in the Anglican Church. I presume the church Lisa recommended is one of those. |
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Yeah, I should have realized that...and I did, after my dh jogged my brains.  He even knew the name of the church and where it is. Duh, MacB. It was one of those Anglican churches where the whole congregation converted, I think?
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Elizabeth
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JSchaaf wrote:
| How should I go about finding a new church here in San Antonio? |
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It probably is a tall order...
It might seem so obvious that it doesn't merit mentioning but I think you need to pray and pray hard. Visit the church when it's not a scheduled Mass time and just sit and listen.Can you hear God there?
Be sure to pay attention to liturgy and also to homilies. I've found that churches with weak liturgies have weak (and sometimes erroneous) homilies.
Read the bulletin.
Go to confession. Confess in one parish one week and another the next. Are there lines for confession and frequent confession times? Frequent confession on the part of parishioners is a sign of a healthy parish.
Even if you won't use CCD, take a look at the book series they use; you will be able to tell a great deal about orthodoxy and their approach to children.
Finally, remember it's not irrevocable. While it can be excruciating to leave a parish once you are entrenched, it can be done, should you discover that, despite your best intentions, you've made a mistake. God promises to make all things new again. And, I promise that where parish shopping is concerned, He does.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JSchaaf
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Thanks for all the advice. I have established one criteria (or is that one criterium?? someone tell me) There must be a visible tabernacle...hopefully with the Eucharist inside! Which leads me to a question, last week and tonight we went to churches (very modern) with no tabernacle...do we still genuflect? And if there is no crucifix displayed, do we still bow as we approach/pass by the altar (like when presenting the gifts)?
Thanks
Jennifer
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Rachel May
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Go to confession. Confess in one parish one week and another the next. Are there lines for confession and frequent confession times? Frequent confession on the part of parishioners is a sign of a healthy parish. |
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Our old priest used to say that regular and plentiful confession and Adoration schedules were what a healthy parish needs. Shortly after he left, both Adoration and confession were cancelled.  Things went downhill from there, and it doesn't sound like it has improved.
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Rachel
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MaryM
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I saw this awhile back -it's meant to be on the humorous side, but carries solid markers that help identify an orthodox parish.
From the Crisis magazine "weekly" e-letter:
23 Ways To Identify a Faithful Parish
1. There is at least one daily Mass. Obviously, if a parish shares a pastor with other parishes, this may not always be possible. But barring that, a parish needs to offer daily Mass.
2. Confession is offered for a set time... not just "by appointment only." The absolute importance of that sacrament must not be diminished.
3. The tabernacle is inside the main church in a prominent place. It's always frustrating to have to play "Where's Jesus?" when you walk into a parish for the first time. I recall once when visiting a church I'd never been in before, I confusedly genuflected to
everything from the cantor to a statue of St. Therese before I figured out where the tabernacle was.
4. The church has kneelers. Period.
5. The church doesn't have a sign in the front that describes itself as a "Catholic Community." I know, this one seems petty at first, but it tends to be true. If a parish has an objection to the word "church," that's a good indication that a larger problem exists. And if that parish magnifies the nonsense with a sign that says something like, "An Open, Inclusive Community of Catholic Christians Who Care and Share," stop, turn around, run.
6. As you enter the church, you see people in the pews in prayer or, at least, reverent silence. If, on the other hand, it looks like social time down at the bingo parlor, that's a bad sign.
7. The Mass is not intentionally altered through the use of inclusive language.
8. The Mass is said according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the instructions of the local bishop. Improvisation is great in jazz. Mass isn't jazz.
9. The gospel is not being read, nor the homily given, by someone other than a priest or deacon.
10. Latin has pride of place in the Mass. It's right there in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. That should be reflected in the liturgy itself.
11. The bread for the Eucharist isn't made with added ingredients not allowed by the Church. Honey, for example.
12. The liturgical music focuses on God, not the community. We are there, after all, to worship Him, not ourselves. And there's never a good reason to sing songs about bridges over troubled waters. You can do that at home, Mr. Garfunkel.
13. Extraordinary ministers do not outnumber the parishioners. There's a reason, after all, that we refer to them as EXTRAORDINARY ministers. We only use them when there are too many people for the priest and deacon to handle.
14. If you're able to find the mission statement of the parish (it's often carried in the bulletin), make sure it says something about fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church.
15. And while you're thumbing through the bulletin, see if there are other good groups there, like the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Holy Name Society. A faithful Bible study group is also a great sign.
16. The parish offers some form of Eucharistic adoration.
17. The parish has an active Pro-Life ministry, as well as a ministry that cares for the poor.
18. The priest wears his collar. Now, obviously, if you see your local pastor jogging one morning, he's not going to be wearing his clericals. But a priest should generally look the part. It's an important witness to the secular world and a sign that he recognizes the great value of his own vocation.
19. The pastor isn't afraid to preach on the tough issues: abortion, divorce, contraception, cloning, etc. That's not to say that every homily should cover those topics. But a priest should truly believe the Church's teaching and defend them without pause.
20. The parish's marriage preparation program includes instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP). And if someone involved in the program describes NFP as "the rhythm method," go immediately limp and drop to the ground. With luck, he'll think you passed out and will
take you to the emergency room, far, far away from that parish.
21. The church has a vibrant religious education program for both children and adults based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You might also try to find out who's involved in the program and where they received their own formation.
22. The church's Website doesn't link to dissident groups like Call to Action, Voice of the Faithful, or Catholics for a Free Choice.
And finally...
23. If there's a literature rack in the church, look at the publications the parish is carrying. Dissident magazines or newspapers tend to go hand in hand with a dissident parish. On the other hand, should you see a copy of Crisis in the rack, join that parish. The pastor is clearly a man of great taste and refinement.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Elizabeth
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 That's a very insightful list, Mary. This thread is certainly one for the archives.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JSchaaf
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Hi Lisa-
Can you pm me with the names of the churches you mentioned?
Thanks
Jennifer
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ladybugs
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Hi Jennifer,
A friend of ours, Father John Waiss, is an Opus Dei priest who recently (July) relocated to San Antonio to help with the diocese and Bishop.
I'll email him and ask him for advice.
I'm sorry that I didn't think of this sooner.
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Maria P
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JSchaaf
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We went to OL of the Atonement, which is a Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church. I LOVED it!!! It seems to be everything I've been searching for...Bethany, my 5 yo, mentioned (Very loudly) during Mass "And they even have a tabernacle!!"
Now to see what Nick thinks...he will be here Wednesday!
Jennifer
Lisa-are you LisaR from SL-Catholic??
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Topic: Finding a new church
