Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
I apologise now if this thread upsets anyone but as it's Easter Sunday I thought I may be able to slide this article in without too many forumites having a fit. I escorted my wife and daughter to Catholic 9.30 am Mass today in the town centre. The church was packed and to use the Air Traffic Control terminology there were about 900 souls in the congregration. The mass and choir was probably the best since my latin days. As we were leaving the church the 11 o'clock mass in Polish was going to start. The queues to enter the church were amazing and the towns traffic gridlocked.
Who said that religion was dying out amongst the young?
As a matter of no importance for many years the catholics were not allowed to build a church on the island by the Methodist ruling senate. When permission was eventually granted it was on the proviso that the stone used had to be shipped from France and they would not be allowed to use the Jersey granite stone found in abundance over here.
Not something in todays PC world that would be allowed.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
One God
one Prophet
one hell of a mess
No wonder folk cling onto the notion of heaven after death. For death is the sentence meted out to us all and life is so much better when it can be made a hell on earth for one's fellow man.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Always look on the bright side of life de dum de dum
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
MAREK;
IT's grand that the service was well attended, but a chap i knew for years told me the local church was always packed, so i popped along one sunday, there were in the region of 9 people. that included the vicar(who took no part in the service) and the 5 active church people
i did thnk well maybe it was a one off bad week so a few months later i attended and there was 2 christenings on
still struggled to get into double figures.
sadly people have no more time for religion than politicians
its something both organisations need to address
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Why? If what we have doesn't work maybe we need something else............
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Keef
That's why the wife took the photos so one could see for oneself the crowds at the church and not take my word for it. So not really sure what you meant in your post above or what denomination church you attended and where it was so I can't comment further . Can only report what I witnessed today. As an aside there are 103 children making their first communion next month.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Marek, that has cheered me up. And no apologies for that!!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
does seem a massive turnout though i have no idea how many r.c. churches there are in jersey.
the influx of poles must have boosted congregations.
i think keith is referring to a church of england building, they seem to be really struggling losing customers to the catholics over theological issues and the young to the happy clappy churches.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Howard
There are 10 Catholic churches in Jersey of which 9 celebrated 12 masses today. The Sacred Heart had mass on Sat pm for those working Sunday.
The Poles have 2 masses am and pm today and the Portuguese have a mass in their own language also.
Bern
Cheers
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
I will realy stick my neck out now lol
i don't feel the catholics any more than the church of england has a good record, and although the church i attended that particular day was a church of england church
iv also attended catholic churchs with same figures attending.
that's not to knock what you have there marek, it's great to see if the church's are starting to gain support and starting young long may it continue,
well done to those churchs whatever background who are able to reach out to people.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
You are not revealing any surprises, Keith - we all know Church attendances are down. That's why Mareks post cheered me no end.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Bern
Praise be the Lord alleluia. For one moment I thought I was the only one who got it...these churches are bucking the trend...You're a saint...
. I suppose without analyzing it too much,this small island has more of a community spirit or then again it could be that there is bugger all else to do early Sunday morning other than go for a pint. Well they open at 10am
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Marek
as someone who is still searching for faith I find the Easter (and Christmas) stories so powerful. I did not go to church this Easter, the first time in years, and I really missed it.
It seems to me that the world is searching for something that the church can provide. People like Prof Richard Dawkins who have such certainty in Science over faith bother me. That may be a delusion on my part but I am also aware that Science is also the truth based on the knowledge that is currently available. What was there BEFORE the big bang?
Happy Easter
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
valid point mark, the scientific community think they know all the answers but at the end of the day they are just fallible humans like the rest of us.
i am not a great fan of people with certainties, that includes creationists and physicists.
i have no idea whether there is god or not and despite what people might say nobody else has either.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Mark
Hope you find what you are looking for...you will know when you do.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Strange that I should post the above story yesterday cos' in todays Telegraph I read the following piece by Christopher Booker
Sadly, the much-loved little village church next to where I live in Somerset will not be filled today with flowers and a congregation approaching 100, as it usually is on this morning. Our church is not holding an Easter service - for possibly the first time in 1,000 years. This is because, in the Church of England's continuing decline, it has been decided that the regular churchgoers of three neighbouring parishes should all gather instead in another, smaller church two miles away, leaving our own church dark and empty.
Particularly sad is the signal this gives to all of that wider congregation of irregular churchgoers who nevertheless look forward to joining at Easter and Christmas in happy celebrations which bring much of the village together. To them, it will only look as though the church is retreating still further from the community it has served for centuries.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
How sad that a little village church should not have a service, however small the congregation is.
I attended ours in Tilmanstone, yesterday, we are only a very small community but the church was about full, families with children too, and a very friendly community gathering it was, very enjoyable and meaningful.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
That community hub aspect is so often ignored by secularists (not all, please don't shout at me!!) If we are to deconstruct something of value to the community, such as religion, we need something to fill what would otherwise be a void. I speak as a borderline secularist Catholic.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Kath, Tilmanstone church is very pretty but small so it does not take many people from the surrounding area to fill it. Are the stocks still near the gate and ready for use.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
Yes Jan, the church is small, but I am told at one time the congregation reached over 200 (must have been tightly packed!).
Yes, the stocks are still there, I wish they could be put to use at times (apart from sitting a scarecrow in them).... a 'wasted opportunity'
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
