I’m going to a Catholic Church on Sunday. Is there anything I need to be aware of?

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

Support Worker, taking one of my peeps for the first time.

I’ve not been into a Catholic Church before and don’t want to offend anyone or make any faux pas.

Is there a dress code? Anything else I need to be aware of?

Thank you!

Funerals and weddings is it for me these days. And fewer and fewer of them involve mass any more.

someone said there is holy communion at all churches.
and then said she had been to many catholic and anglican churches.
well there are more churches than that, and they rarely have communion, and if they do, it looks different, partly because they do not have an altar to go up to.

It was more the assertion that only Catholic churches have communion I disagreed with. Although I've taken communion at a church without an altar, too ...

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon

Was just wondering how you got on? Bet you never thought your post would spark so much discussion!

All Anglican churches have communion but not necessarily in each service. I have never been to a Catholic service that doesn't include communion.

Sunday morning usually, in a CofE church.

I don't see where you've said only Orthodox Anglican churches? Might have missed it. Certainly at the Church of England churches I've been to there has been communion at the Sunday morning service, and sometimes during the week as well. Whereas with a Catholic church it's every time. But it's not some weird thing that Anglicans don't do, they do it every week!

Why do Protestants do communion if they don’t really believe in it? Apologies if clumsily worded, I think that’s what’s meant by ‘the fullness of the faith’ thing. Also: saints. Have always been curious about this.

Why do Protestants do communion if they don’t really believe in it? Apologies if clumsily worded, I think that’s what’s meant by ‘the fullness of the faith’ thing. Also: saints. Have always been curious about this

Because they are recreating the Last Supper, interpreting the bread and wine as a representation of the Body and Blood of Christ rather than the Catholic (and some high Anglicans') belief in transubstantiation - ie. through the consecration of the bread and wine, what is being received during Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ.

I would say here that I cannot speak for Protestant churches, as although I'm agnostic now, I was raised in the Church of England, which is Anglican!

They believe it's a representation and Jesus was speaking in metaphorical terms of how to remember him when he had gone to Heaven, not that the wine is his blood and the bread is his body.

perhaps we'd better not get into theological differences; it's taken several hundred years to get beyond that.
i'd love to know how OP got on?

(points to #2)

(points to #1)

perhaps we'd better not get into theological differences; it's taken several hundred years to get beyond that

Someone asked a valid question.
And I don't think we are beyond that. The different denominations still have their theological differences, some even within a denomination itself. Nothing is ever going to change that.
However, we have at least (I hope) moved on from the days of different denominations lacking respect for the differences between them and that Christians can worship in a way that suits them and have their own interpretations of various things while still all being followers of Christ.

I went. It was all good.

A lady intercepted me at the door, I told her it was my first time and she was perfectly lovely to me.

The priest knew the person I was supporting, so that was nice.

They gave me a hymn book but I had no idea which pages the hymns were on (everyone else seemed to know) so I didn’t join in.

Not many people kneeled. I stayed seated as the person I was supporting stayed seated. The chairs did have cushioned kneely bits, though.

The only version of the Lord’s Prayer I know is from an Iron Maiden song so I left that well alone.

Not coordinated enough to do the cross thing with my hands (and I’d feel a bit rude doing it).

Lots of people were curtsying to a statue of Jesus.

Lots of candle lighting.

I didn’t take money. Cost of living is kicking my arse and it’s been a really tight month.

We left when people went up to the altar(?). The person I was supporting was asking to leave by then. A few others left then as well - mostly people with children.

She’s asked me to take her again. I’ll be more clued up next time. Need to do more research.

But everyone was lovely and I don’t think I pissed anyone off. So that’s good!!

Oh, and when I got there they told me they were doing the rosary with the children and gestured for us to go in.

The person I was supporting looks like a child but is an adult so I ignored that and we just sat down.

I have no idea if that was wrong.

You are wonderful OP. I am glad you got on well.

They gave me a hymn book but I had no idea which pages the hymns were on (everyone else seemed to know) so I didn’t join in.
Look around for something like this next time to let you know which hymsb

Thanks for updating and glad you had a good experience.

Yes, indeed, I am glad it was a good experience for you as well. Something you might find helpful In my (Catholic) parish, the hymnbooks we use have an outline of the order of Mass, what are the bits you can join in and so on, right at the front before the hymns. and many parishes use a news sheet with the readings printed on the back, so it might help you to follow along.

OP when people are going up to the altar that's for them to get communion .... It's supposed to be the most important parts of mass and isn't really the done thing to leave during that. Mass is literally over ten minutes after communion so maybe try to stay a wee bit longer next time?

Don't be so sanctimonious. Loads of people leave at communion and it's the least disruptive time to leave.

Did you also miss the bit where the person she was supporting wanted to leave?

It's also very normal for many people, as has been said, to leave at that point.
I'd say God probably judges the judgers more. And quite rightly.

Glad it all went well OK. As you can see lots of people get their ideas about Catholic mass from the Thorn Birds.

*OP, not OK!