Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Catholic Living in the Modern World => Topic started by: Geremia on September 28, 2025, 09:00:52 PM
-
What % of your "church friends" do you see off church property?
Today I realized the the vast majority of those I associate with at church I've rarely seen off church property. This doesn't seem normal.
In the past, parish and home/civil life were much more integrated.
-
I see no one no more. I believe I have been shunned by these hypocrites. People are becoming cold and mean.
How can they be members of any lay ministry when they can’t even be decent to each other? Big show offs. Hypocrites.
-
I think that Our Lady of Sorrows has never fully recovered from the battles, disaffections, and departures associated with the development and building of the new church. In my observation, the post-Fr.-Burfitt period (Frs. Riccomini, Stafki, et al. — Grrrrr!!!) destroyed the more sociable and integrated community that we had previously enjoyed.
There was considerable improvement since Frs. MacFarland and Pons (recently transferred), but still not a full recovery. Also the rapid growth in parish size draws from a very large geographic area, so most people don't even know where the family in the adjacent pew lives. Boyle Hall used to be a full gathering place after every Mass, but no longer.
-
I am still amazed at my mother-in-law's extremely integrated life. (I get along with her very well, BTW)
She has lived in the same small town (pop. 1000) since 1982. Before that, she was still within a 20 mile radius.
Her children all went to the schools in that town. So she knows a lot of families that way.
She has always gone to church at the local Catholic church (yes, she's Novus Ordo), so she knows all the parishioners. She's an "OG" parishioner.
She is semi-involved in civic events, like the annual raising of money for the volunteer fire department. So she knows people that way.
She currently works a few blocks from her house, at an engineering firm her son owns.
My point: all of her "spheres" overlap almost completely. Her church crowd, who she sees around her home or locally at the store, her past life, and everything else are all the same group of people. Imagine having all your "lives" overlap into the same reality. It's a blast from the past, when people lived in villages.
I, on the other hand, have almost zero overlap. There's my neighbors, co-workers (when I'm employed), Church crowd, past life up north, my college friends (for me, it's ex-seminarians), who my children know from music classes, etc. and never the twain shall meet. None of these groups know each other. No one is in more than one of these groups.
-
Personally,
I see quite a few off property. This increases when you get married, by the way. haha.
I highly recommend living closer to those who share the faith. I was a literal must for me, or I may have just gone crazy.
-
Maybe 20 of 200+. Our Lady of the Sun in El Mirage AZ.
-
I don't see anyone. I don't know anyone at my church.
-
What % of your "church friends" do you see off church property?
Today I realized the the vast majority of those I associate with at church I've rarely seen off church property. This doesn't seem normal.
In the past, parish and home/civil life were much more integrated.
I’m not very mathematically minded so don’t think in percentage!! So I’d say two or three families, plus a few others see occasionally. Also the fact I’m married with children means I want to make connections and friends for our children.
im still in touch with friends from other churches, have friends who attend the new Mass and a few Protestant friends too.
-
I’m not very mathematically minded
Actually, I'm an engineer, and the math stumped me, and I'm thinking:
percent of Church friends? like how often? in a month? a week? what.
Maybe the OPT should read how what percent of people at church do you see outside of church at least once a month? I'm confusing myself now. :laugh1:
-
I don’t see anyone. Most people do not travel four hours to Mass. I only do so when the weather is excellent and I have money for gas, tolls, and two nights in a hotel.
-
I never see anyone from church because I live too far away. The closest I come is going out to eat brunch after Mass.
-
Actually, I'm an engineer, and the math stumped me, and I'm thinking:
percent of Church friends? like how often? in a month? a week? what.
Maybe the OPT should read how what percent of people at church do you see outside of church at least once a month? I'm confusing myself now. :laugh1:
That’s really funny! I suppose if you’re a mathematician you can start to analyse data TOO much!!
-
I don’t see anyone. Most people do not travel four hours to Mass. I only do so when the weather is excellent and I have money for gas, tolls, and two nights in a hotel.
In the UK that’s like from London almost to Scotland!! We think driving 30 miles to Mass is too far here. Though an American friend who lives here tells me your roads are better than ours, less stress, less traffic.
-
I haven't had a Catholic friend my entire life
-
I live very rural and have to drive hours to mass. I do keep contact with some people i meet there online. But, I almost never see them in public.
-
I haven't had a Catholic friend my entire life
Is there no one at Mass at all you could be friends with? 😢