Faith In Action

Faith in Action Archives

CREATING A WELCOMING COMMUNITY

I recall that when I was at St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green, hundreds of college students regularly attended Sunday Mass. Some even admitted that their attendance was greater at school than at home. One Sunday, a student stopped me after Mass to talk about the value of good liturgy. This student said he had been doing some thinking about Mass. Then he listed his reasons for coming. In addition to the Eucharist itself, he said he looked for three qualities. They were: good music that stirred his soul while letting him sing along; homilies that gave a worthwhile message in his language; and a warm welcoming atmosphere. Those ingredients were essential to his feeling at home with the liturgy.

A sense of belonging and acceptance is necessary before community can be formed.

Alas, we all sometimes fail in each of those categories. Nonetheless, this young man made lots of sense with his points. The final element, however, is the one that I want to emphasize today. Creating a warm environment with a spirit of welcoming and caring is not just window-dressing to good liturgy. It is essential. After all, the Mass is a communal prayer requiring community. A sense of belonging and acceptance is necessary before community can be formed. What does it really mean to have a welcoming atmosphere or a community of hospitality? I cannot count the number of times I have been in discussions when the topic of a welcoming community has arisen. Almost immediately someone in the group suggests that there should be greeters at the church doors. Now I don’t think that greeters are a bad idea. I just don’t think that having greeters is the great panacea. Having a gregarious man or woman at the door shake your hand while you enter, but finding others inside who won’t let you enter their pew doesn’t leave an impression of welcome or warmth. Lest you think that my comment is extreme, let me assure you that I have seen folks at Mass require a mother with three children to climb over them because they wanted to be at the end of the bench!

The task of welcoming belongs to all those assembled for that liturgy. Each person’s words, smiles, or eye contact is valuable. Recently Joe, a friend of mine from New Jersey, visited me at St. Peter’s. On Sunday morning, as I was preparing for Mass, he entered the church and chose a pew. After Mass Joe came up to me with a smile on his face to recount his experience. When he first came into the church from the side door, he could see people’s faces. A number of them smiled and even caught his eye. As he entered the pew, the older lady already there whispered “good morning.” At the sign of peace, those around him were genuine in turning towards him. One even asked if he was a visitor and where he was from. At the end of Mass, the person in front of him turned around to thank him for singing and to wish him a pleasant day.

True communal participation means that all those gathered are there to celebrate.

Joe’s very positive experience should be taking place everywhere. I was very pleased to hear that it had happened here since that is what we try to foster. In short, Joe felt accepted at the Mass and consequently drawn into the Mystery that the community was experiencing. Helping a community of worshipers reach that point where they will notice, much less welcome, someone else is a long process. For years I have gone over to the church for every Sunday Mass, including those that I do not preside at, so that I can meet folks before and after Mass. Usually before the liturgy begins I walk through the aisles, greeting folks already in the pews or as they enter. There are many who wait for the opportunity to check in with me, giving me a report about their son’s health or a recent trip out of town. Sometimes teenagers just want to say hi and little children wait for a hug. Almost always the visiting is well received.

I have found that doing this type of greeting as the pastor has freed others to start to do the same thing. That is my goal because it cannot all be done by one person. The parish, and the Mass, belong to all. Finally, the sense of warmth also comes from FULL participation. Since the Second Vatican Council, we have sometimes inadvertently created a caste system at Mass. I am happy that we have many lay ministers these days, including servers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, ushers, cantors, and choir members. However, if we single them out too much, we give the message that they are the only ones who really celebrate the Mass, that they are the ones who are on the inner circle, and the rest of the assembly becomes more passive.