Apr 10, 2007

Should I Reconsider?

I've heard from several people who believe that dusty's reviews of Catholic churches in the Greater KC area should not have stopped--(see sidebar for relevant posts on different churches). Our oldest daughter gave me a 'hard' time on Easter Sunday because she believed the series is a good historical record of rapidly changing conditions in Novus Ordo parishes. She believes, as do I, that the imminent future in Catholic parishes will be like the late '60s when the Mass and other aspects of Catholic practice changed dramatically in a short time. Yet there is little documention of what actually happened in individual Catholic churches during that very important time period.

Do readers have comments on whether to proceed with the series? And if so, how, and under what conditions?
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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I found it very informative. Disinterested information is what we need, and it helps visitors to have advance knowledge of what they might expect at the various churches.

There is nothing worse than showing up in an unknown church on Sunday, and getting the shock of one's life!!!
God Bless,
Embattled Catholic

10:50 AM
wolftracker said...

Dusty, as I said earlier, I loved the series and hope for its return.

1:07 PM
Tommy Augustine said...

Do it. It's history in the making. It's also interesting.

7:12 PM
Anonymous said...

I don't think that under any circumstances that you should continue.

7:36 PM
M. Alexander said...

Proceed apace!

I think that as long as you are charitable- you are.

I think that as long as you are factual- you are.

and

I think that as long as you are focusing on what is critically important- you do it intuitively- you are providing a service.

What is the Canon about making the needs of the Faithful known to the Church (meaning the hierarchy)?

Remember that as bloggers- we are nothing. No official capacity. No one is required to read us. No one pays us to say anything- people can take or leave our remarks. If it serves you, join us. If not go away.

10:05 PM
Anonymous said...

Only with your spiritual director's approval! This is a great sacrifice of your time and patience. Thank you !

6:47 AM
Anonymous said...

Dusty,
While I will admit that I found a couple of your posts on this topic interesting, it was in a morbid sort of way. As a member of a N.O. parish myself (albeit with a very faithful and traditional young pastor!) there are observations you have made about area parishes that could have stemmed directly from my own parish.
No matter how faithful the people, there are always going to be those who make a spectacle of themselves whether by "daring" to wear slacks or allowing some midriff to show [these personal observations have occurred at a TLM parish and N.O. parish respectively].
I think it is important to remember that, no matter where we go it is Christ Himself who invites us to His Holy Banquet. HE alone is our Host! Would you appreciate it if a guest in your home posted a similar kind of message? We both know I have never been a guest in your home so I will write as if it happened here, in my own home:
"The wallpaper border in the powder room was peeling slightly at the edges and curling downward with a sad note of neglect. Dust was accumulated across the top of the artwork, including the picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Greasy fingerprint smudges..."
I think you can understand my point. Even in the best of families, and isn't our parish community family?, there are children who cause us embarassment, there are leaders who don't lead all that well, there are "issues" with decor.
No matter how factual the reports are I beg you to ask yourself if they are charitable.
In Christ,
Feisty Muse

8:36 AM
Anonymous said...

There is a priest with a blog
(a real priest, a real blog) that
is documenting similar changes;
but he is limiting his documentation to observed changes
in the liturgy.

For example: If a member of the
laity suddenly hears the words 'Agnus Dei' instead of 'Lamb of God', he/she is requested to
report that to this priest's blog.

So, I'd like you to continue, and
perhaps complement this priest's blog in a unique way. And also,
as feisty muse wrote (albeit in a
different way), always write in a
way that you wouldn't mind reading
your own writing again in Heaven
-- with Jesus the Christ as your
audience.


So, let the data collection continue! It is critically
important data. I can see the
country, perhaps, 200 hundred
years from now, contemplating
similar questions that we have
seen asked in our own time. Your
data may help them to reach a
decision.

9:54 PM
Christopher said...

as A Local KC reader, I enjoyed the reviews and my vote is to keep it up.

Chris Is Risen!

1:13 AM
Anonymous said...

Please listen to Alison. Otherwise I may succumb to temptation and report on my own parish. Can you say "roaches"? Can you say "fashion police"? Can you say "artificial flowers"? Can you say "filthy holy water"? I could say true things about my own parish that would make people run as fast as they can in the other direction.
And by the way, my parish is your parish.

4:05 PM
Anonymous said...

Every parish is imperfect as it's filled with broken people. But every parish can profit from knowing how they can be perceived by someone from the outside.

I see your opinions as like a movie or a book review. Your opinions aren't from Mt Sinai; they're from your heart.

Should you be charitable? Sure, be what you want. Don't be naive, though. I can't stand naive. And don't do that sticky nice thing lots of women do trying for inoffensive.

Oh, also be biased when you feel ike it. Denial isn't interesting.

In short, Be Dusty! Some will like it. Some won't. But you can alert us to facts the rest of us need. For example: If I go to St Whatzit, can I expect empty pews or full? gripping homilies? griping homilies? stale doughnuts and weak coffee? fresh stuff? a Catholic liturgy or something more Protestant? Vatican affirming or not-so-subtle Benedict-bashing?

Those who disagree and want to be noffensive can post their inoffensive comments on your blog.

I think they have a right to pursue mediocrity just as you want to pursue excellence. There's always been a place for the dull and mediocre in the church. (Do you suppose I've gotten any teeth to grind or jaws to set yet? Maybe a word or two of invective? Beneath most professed desires for others to be saccharine sweet is fear that pretense will be striped away and reality exposed.)

7:54 AM
Kansas City Cyclone said...

I liked the posts very much. I grew up in KCK, went to Catholic schools there, and know the Churches and the old neighborhoods around them. I have been to Mass in most of the Churches if not all (either becuase it was my family's parish or because I was visiting friends for the weekend or for a funeral or wedding etc etc). These Churches are a piece of the Hisotry of my hometown and are a part of who I am. I lament their closings, and would like to keep informed as to what is happening, esp since I no longer live in KC.

I have to leave it to my imagination what a traditional Mass would be like in most of these Churches, even thought all of them were built for the Tridentine Mass, and most of them have had very little change to them (at least as of 1990. They would (and do) go very well together.

1:42 PM
Anonymous said...

I have attended the SSPX Tridentine Latin Mass since I was 11 years old. I am now 40. My obvious preference is the Latin Mass. I was appalled to read that you are going around reporting on NO parishes. I think you are very pompous and righteous to do this. ANYONE with a spec of a brain, knows there are problems in our local parishes. What LIGHT are you going to shed? I"m frankly disgusted with your behavior. I think you are pompous and righteous and apparently a woman who has WAY too much time on her hands. I think your time would be better spent making Holy Hours during this "alotted" time of your or saying 40 rosaries a day like Padre Pio. To me it looks like you are judging people's hearts and laughing at them. As Catholics, we aren't raised to attend Mass to "report" on what is going on at Mass--no matter how "liberal" it might be. We are attending the Mass for the Holy Sacrifice, whether it be a NO Mass or Tridentine.

10:26 PM
Anonymous said...

It looks like you were able to observe and report well on what the faithful were wearing at these various churches. I didn't see any comments or reports on what was in their hearts. Were you able to do that too?

10:18 AM
Anonymous said...

It is a dangerous thing to go solely on looks. We have heard many a time that looks can be deceiving. This attitude of judging others, especially when we do not know their background, what is happening in their lives, etc....this can be very dangerous to our own selves, especially dangerous to our soul.

We begin to think we are "better" than others..."more spiritual"..."more gifted"..."more modest"..."holy"...

When looking to Our Lady, she did not notice her virtue...this is true humility.

When we spend all of our time documenting what others wear, what time they arrive, how neatly and upright they kneel, how well they know their prayers...we enter dangerous territory...AND...

I wonder, just how much praying is taking place within our own soul...

6:55 PM

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