www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Convert's Choice of Church?

Hello, I have a question I wanted to run by people here.

I am on the evangelization committe at my (Roman) Catholic parish. Across the street from my parish is a Byzantine Catholic mission. I thought it would be a good idea if we introduced people interested in joining the Church to both our parish and the mission. I know that some will feel very comfortable in the western atmosphere, but I bet that some would be more in tune with the eastern spirituality and worship. We could give the person the choice of which church they would like to join.

Obviously, if the person is a former Catholic, or someone married to a Catholic, we would direct them to the proper church. But if they grew up non-Catholic, does anyone see any problems (canonically, practically, etc.) with doing as I suggested?

Also, I am assuming that both the pastor of our parish and the pastor of the mission would have to be open to this arrangement.

Francis,

It's really convenient that your RC parish and the BC mission are close enough for a side-by-side comparison. You're to be commended for the great idea!

I believe, however, that people often choose a parish by looking at much more than just spirituality and form of worship. The "extras" that a parish has to offer often times can sway a potential parishioner. I'd have to wonder how the BC mission stacks up to the full-blown RC parish in this respect. This is not at all meant to imply that any "unfairness" (if that's even the right word to use in this case) might be built into the comparison - just something to be aware of when looking at what each parish has to offer.

Good luck with your evangelization! Your committee is obviously very fortunate to have a forward-thinking, dedicated member such as yourself on board! I think it's wonderful that you thought to include your brothers and sisters across the street into your efforts!

Mnohaja i blahaja l'ita!

a pilgrim

Dear Friends,

Just a note that I once had a friend who was connected to an "independent" group of "Orthodox Catholic Churches."

They had a total of six different Rites represented - and one could pick any one of them when one joined them, including the Ambrosian Milanese Rite!

How's that for church-shopping in a consumer age?

Alex

Francis,

Pilgrim's insight is correct but I'd like to add another insight. Some people, like myself, can get bored with established parishes. I believe a minority of persons would readily choose the mission simply because it's a mission.

I like your thinking.

Dan Lauffer

Dear Professor Dan,

I think you are perfectly correct (we're still friends, right?).

You remind me of the comment of someone in the early Church who compared the zeal of the martyrs with the indifference of the later bishops after Christianity became an "imperial bureaucracy" of the Byzantine Emperors:

"the bishop who had once lost a finger in the cause of Christ during the persecutions later dedicated the rest of himself to serving the state . . ."

Alex

And some would choose a mission because there they can get by with behavior that in an established parish would get them rode out on a rail. Moe

Dear Moe,

That is very true!

But my parish is so "establishment" and "fashionable company" that if they took Christ out of the services, I wonder if many would even notice . . .

Alex

Moe,

I don't know enough about our mission parishes to know if what you say is true. What I do know is that Annunciation has some similarities with a mission parish while having a solid base of support. It's an excellent combination so that there is an attraction for converts and stability for those who have been BC's all their lives. Those who have been here a long time love us new kids on the block and we love them.

I absolutely love our Church.

Dan Lauffer

Personally, I think that it would do good for the members of the RC parish to also visit and attend an occasional service at the BC parish. If it truly is in adherence with the Byzantine tradition, this can only benefit the piety of all and, perhaps, result in the incorporation of some Byzantine practices such as the Akathist Hymn, veneration of Icons, etc. into the RC parish. That would be an interesting take on the Byzantine vocation.

In the millenium holy year, the Pope was offering indulgences for saying the Akathist hymn.

THIS I heard daily on EWTN!

Alice

Dear Balaban,

FYI, I've written about ten akathists along largely Western themes including Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Mt Carmel and the like and these can be found listed on Dave Brown's site:

http://hometown.aol.com/leoignatius/akathist.html

Just my little contribution toward what you were saying . . .

Alex

Dear Alice,

Yes, actually when the Latin Church reformed their system of indulgences to "partial" and "plenary," it was stipulated that Eastern Catholic Churches may apply indulgences for the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary to the Akathists of the Passion and of the Mother of God (or others, depending on the desire of the Particular EC Synods).

The Pope himself prays the Akathist to the Mother of God daily in his private papal chapel.

Alex

Dear Alex,

Sorry, I didn't specify that the Akathist was to the Mother of God.

In Christ,
Alice

Alex, the Akathists that you have written are beautiful! It is my fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit will someday enlighten and enliven me as He has you that I may touch souls by my work for the Kingdom. The Akathist To the Most Holy Theotokos has become a weekly prayer for me. Sadly, I don't have time to pray it daily as I'm a busy college student. But on the weekends I love to spend time in prayer to our Lord and Lady. Through the Akathists I find myself being drawn ever closer to them.

With your permission, I would like to submit the Akathist to Our Lady of Lourdes to the Monsignor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Spokane. He may not be willing to insert such a thing into the Mass (although he often promotes Marian novenas and will include the novena prayers during the General Intercessions), but perhaps it could be printed, with his approval and the approval of Bishop William Skylstad in the diocesan and cathedral newsletters.

There is a group that meets to pray all 20 decades of the Rosary at the Cathedral on Tuesday nights. Perhaps I could encourage a delegation from our Ruthenian parish to come and pray an Akathist hymn there on Friday nights after Adoration. It would be a wonderful way to integrate Latins and Easterns. I suspect that very few people in my diocese know about the Eastern Churches at all...

One advantage to doing as you are propsoing is often times people from other walks of faith are not completely comfortable with the Roman Catholic Church. This allows them to enter the Catholic Church without the fears, but it also allows them to grow in understanding of the Roman Catholic Church as they grow in understanding of the Eastern Churches. Just a thought.

Pani Rose