Is being physically present at Church important?

[Michie]

Question:Our parish family is fairly large, and during certain times of the year, usually Christmas and Easter, more people show up for Mass than we have room for in the church. As a result, the overflow crowd goes to the parish center for Mass. Another priest would celebrate that Mass there. However, in the past year, they just put up a few TV screens and streamed the Mass from the church to the parish center. This was done even though we had two priests available to say Mass. But they chose not to. I wonder if I fulfilled my obligation to attend Mass since you wrote, “watching Mass on TV does not fulfill the obligation.” Why does it fulfill the obligation if I watch it on TV in a parish center instead of my house across the street? If we have an obligation to attend Mass in person, I think the church has an obligation to provide a priest to say Mass in person, especially when a priest is available.

— Name withheld, via email

Answer:You fulfilled your obligation by attending in the overflow room. Ideally, the parish should have had another priest at the parish center. But, there is a difference between watching Mass on a screen in an overflow room at a parish and watching the Mass on a television at home. The most significant difference is that one is able to receive holy Communion in the overflow room, whereas, at home, this is not possible. Further, while the actual church may be full, one is still on-site where the Mass is taking place, and one is with the people of God who are gathered together in the house of the Lord.

Continued below.

Is being physically present at Church important?

During Easter and Christmas holidays, sometimes parishioners overflow into parish halls where a TV livestreams the Mass. Why does this fulfill our obligation but watching a TV Mass at home does not?

www.oursundayvisitor.com

 

[Mark Quayle]

Question:Our parish family is fairly large, and during certain times of the year, usually Christmas and Easter, more people show up for Mass than we have room for in the church. As a result, the overflow crowd goes to the parish center for Mass. Another priest would celebrate that Mass there. However, in the past year, they just put up a few TV screens and streamed the Mass from the church to the parish center. This was done even though we had two priests available to say Mass. But they chose not to. I wonder if I fulfilled my obligation to attend Mass since you wrote, “watching Mass on TV does not fulfill the obligation.” Why does it fulfill the obligation if I watch it on TV in a parish center instead of my house across the street? If we have an obligation to attend Mass in person, I think the church has an obligation to provide a priest to say Mass in person, especially when a priest is available.

— Name withheld, via email

Answer:You fulfilled your obligation by attending in the overflow room. Ideally, the parish should have had another priest at the parish center. But, there is a difference between watching Mass on a screen in an overflow room at a parish and watching the Mass on a television at home. The most significant difference is that one is able to receive holy Communion in the overflow room, whereas, at home, this is not possible. Further, while the actual church may be full, one is still on-site where the Mass is taking place, and one is with the people of God who are gathered together in the house of the Lord.

Continued below.

Is being physically present at Church important?

During Easter and Christmas holidays, sometimes parishioners overflow into parish halls where a TV livestreams the Mass. Why does this fulfill our obligation but watching a TV Mass at home does not?

www.oursundayvisitor.com

A funny story: My son, about 10 or 11 told me he heard of a preacher who couldn't stand for someone else to preach to his congregation, so he put a picture of himself on the pulpit, and had a tape recording ready for one of the deacons to start playing at the appropriate time of the service. Then my son said, "Wow! So all they have to do is put their own tape recorders and pictures of themselves in the pews!"

 

[Michie]

A funny story: My son, about 10 or 11 told me he heard of a preacher who couldn't stand for someone else to preach to his congregation, so he put a picture of himself on the pulpit, and had a tape recording ready for one of the deacons to start playing at the appropriate time of the service. Then my son said, "Wow! So all they have to do is put their own tape recorders and pictures of themselves in the pews!"

Hahaha! Noooo… Not true is it? Lol!

 

[Mark Quayle]

Hahaha! Noooo… Not true is it? Lol!

Yep! Pretty graphic demonstration of the need for actual people to be there.

There's a reason Christ says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

 

[Michie]

Yep! Pretty graphic demonstration of the need for actual people to be there.

There's a reason Christ says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

The recording threw me off!