THE
P RTAL
October 2016
Page 3
Portal Comment
Speech is silver:
Silence is golden
Will Burton is troubled about how to cope with chatter before mass
For reasons
that we do not need to go into, I have recently had to move to a different church for
mass. The people in my new church are lovely; mainly working class – if one may still talk in such terms
– friendly, welcoming, and straightforward.
However, the noise before mass
on Sundays is deafening, with
everybody chatting away, greeting
each other in a most cordial way.
In any other place it would be
wonderful, but in church, prior
to mass, it is a pain. I find prayer
impossible.
Children can be chatty in church.
This is not children. These are
adults chatting about everyday
things. “How are you?” “Is Mrs
Smith getting better?” “I saw my
grandchildren on Thursday. My,
they do grow up so fast!” That sort
of thing. Just chit-chat.
During mass, they take their part in
the liturgy and all is well. Well, that is,
until Father dismisses us. The server
opens the sacristy door and holds it
open for Father. Before the sacristy
door is closed, the conversation has
begum again!
I have taken to saying my pre-mass
prayers outside church, or in the car if
it is raining. What a state of affairs! It
is impossible to pray in church before
mass because of the noise.
Now, I have been to daily mass now
for nigh on forty years. I know that
distraction in prayer may be dealt
with by incorporating the distraction
I have noticed that some churches display, in the into one’s own prayer. Somehow, I just cannot do
porch, a notice that declares, Speak to God before mass that. I cannot concentrate on preparing for the Great
and to each other after mass. We have no such notice, Sacrifice of the Mass amidst all the chatter.
although the Parish Priest has put a notice in the
weekly sheet to the effect, “Please keep silence before
Of course, the other point is that it is not doing my
mass to enable all to pray. Refreshments available in two lady friends any favours with their preparation for
the school hall after mass. All welcome.”
mass. They have their thoughts firmly on each other,
rather than on the mass.
He is new. Before he arrived we did not have
refreshments after mass. I suppose he is trying to
It is not that they are bad people. Both of these ladies
provide an opportunity for the people at mass to chat are lovely. They have been most welcoming. But they
to each other, to socialise. My friend, who sometimes are so noisy and inattentive when others are trying to
plays the organ for Sunday mass told me that one concentrate their minds on the liturgy about to come.
Sunday a lady actually requested that he play the
voluntary before mass less loudly!
What is the answer? Ought I to mention to them that
silence is golden? I have noticed that some people flee
Believe it or not, things are no better at the weekday to the far corners of the church building, but when I
mass. Every day the two ladies who sit in front of me tried this, the noise was just as distracting. The chatter
chat away about this and that, mostly about nothing at was a bit quieter, so that one found oneself straining
all, right until the bell rings and the server and priest to hear what was being said! Oh, how I pray for an
emerge from the Sacristy.
answer to this problem.