We are casual Catholics. We try for the kids but have lots of conflicting feelings. We had our baby's baptism in June. Since then, every week, the priest calls and sings part of a song, says he is thinking of us and praying for all of us, and says he hopes to see us in church. I've started to not pick up the calls and I feel guilty about letting them go to the machine, but it's so...odd!!! I don't like the pressure about church, and we have legitimately been out of town most weekends anyway. But on the other hand, he is a PRIEST, so it is kind of his job to pray for us and encourage us to go to church, right? So why do I find it so odd when he tries to do his job with some personal outreach? AT least it's personal while the Church is usually criticized for being too impersonal and rigid.
What do you think of this?
And for how many weeks is he going to keep this up?!
Post by penguingrrl on Jul 17, 2015 11:55:53 GMT -5
That would turn me off completely. If we were attending church, especially for my kids, I would want it to be as anonymous as possible and I certainly would be uncomfortable with the Priest noticing we aren't there. But then the Catholic churches in my area are huge, so nobody will ever notice if you're there or not (10,000 parishioners, 7 weekly masses).
I find that to be totally odd and it would make me so uncomfortable that I would answer the next time he calls and let him know (politely of course) that you would appreciate it if he would stop it. It's just so...strange. I could see why you would avoid answering!! Eek.
I find that he has does it weekly for over a month odd.
But I think it's normal for a priest/pastor or the staff or welcoming people to know that someone hasn't been their recently, especially someone who cared enough to baptize their child recently.
That's the part of the job of the staff, to reach out.
I find that he has does it weekly for over a month odd.
But I think it's normal for a priest/pastor or the staff or welcoming people to know that someone hasn't been their recently, especially someone who cared enough to baptize their child recently.
That's the part of the job of the staff, to reach out.
Yes, see that's where I am with it...the frequency and duration is like whut. Oh and the singing. Like a simple "hey thinking of you hope baby I baptized and family is well hope to see you soon" message would suffice.
I think the every week thing is weird and the singing is putting it over the top. What did you say when you answered?
I like the intention but that is too much for me. Could you look into another parish? We didn't mesh well with our home priest and switched to one that is a better fit for our family. Even if you are going casually and doing it for the kids, you should be comfortable.
I just sit there and listen to the singing, and then just say hi and thanks. One time I did try to tell him we were going to be out of town. Last week we were out of town for the call, and this week I let it go to the machine! He sings a few lines from a cheery church song, or, yes, an old show tune! One time it was, "Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day...."
He said after the baptism that he'd be calling us and I laughed--thought he was kidding. I would have been fine with one or two calls, but I think continuing it this long is weird.
I just sit there and listen to the singing, and then just say hi and thanks. One time I did try to tell him we were going to be out of town. Last week we were out of town for the call, and this week I let it go to the machine! He sings a few lines from a cheery church song, or, yes, an old show tune! One time it was, "Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day...."
Omg this legit made me lol. I guess he's just a really fabulous but enthusiastic priest. But yeah stills bit odd.
it is such a bizarre thing to do. Op, are you sure it is really your priest? Calling and singing to you?
O.o
Calling parishioners that haven't been at church isn't bizarre. The singing, while uncommon & different, is kind of interesting I think.
I bet it works. If nothing else you remember to mention the call or even think about church more because it's such a unique tactic.
I'd rather this than a hundred other things a pastor could do.
I've never had a priest call me for missing mass. I've never heard of a priest calling someone for missing mass. That qualifies as bizarre. But I guess Catholics do have guilt down to a science.
Post by Kcthepouchh8r on Jul 17, 2015 17:06:35 GMT -5
Team roses here. This is freaking bizarre (but hysterical). I totally get/support priests making follow up calls a few weeks after a baptism and maybe check in once a month to recruit people who expressed interest. Calling every single week repeatedly and singing? Weird.
Post by amynumbers on Jul 17, 2015 18:43:07 GMT -5
I think it's kind of weird, but also marketing.
You baptized your kid Catholic last month and haven't been back to church. I don't particularly blame him for following up. He's trying to put asses in pews.
I mean if you're going to make the argument that this isnt bizarre, then we just have very different definitions of the word.
Oh, it's bizarre, for sure. But maybe also you baptize your kid into a church and shouldn't be all shocked they want you to actually show up?
But the singing...why the singing?
Though I suppose if it were between two churches, and one priest was calling me to just remind me to come to church and the other opened with a rousing rendition of a Broadway standard, I'm going to the singing guy's church for sure.
Well, I'm not catholic, so there is that. But every other church I have been a part of, it is normal for a seemingly regular person or someone who is received sacraments, like baptism, to get follow up mailings, a personal note/email/call when they don't come again or miss after being a regular. I can promise you in most other denominations, but perhaps not catholic, this is very normal.
I said in my first post that I think calling every week for a month is a bit much. I do think the singing is a bit off the wall.
But, I think the singing is genius b/c he's showing his personality and like amy said, it's marketing. They want people to come to church. They want to keep people that were coming, coming. They want to keep people who baptized their kids, coming.
We actually have been to church, one or two weeks since, and we are officially members of the parish. We've been out of town seriously almost every weekend, which I told him, b/c we go to a cottage a lot in summer. He just keeps calling!! I forgot--one week he sang "Sunshine On My Shoulders." That was the weirdest. I guess it's just his thing, but I hope he stops soon.
The guy sounds like a creep. I would ask him to stop and switch churches.
What is the creepy part? The singing. Ok, we mostly all agree that's pretty out there.
A priest calling a parishioner? Someone who's baby was just baptized, who answered some of the calls and let him now they'd be away?
A priest or pastor calling congregants/parishioners isn't creepy or weird or bizarre.
I am, obviously, having a hard time with people thinking this is so ridiculous.
Ok I'm trying to think of any situation where someone is calling weekly and leaving singing messages on my phone. It's creepy! It's not like a one time thing, he won't stop! He gets a pass because he's a priest? I honestly can not think of one person I know - friend or aquaintence where I would be okay with unwanted weekly singing messages. But, I also would have told him to please stop by now. I don't get how all this is genius marketing? He's making his own parishioner uncomfortable? And she's already told him she's out of town a lot in the summer. The guy needs to get a clue. Weekly singing messages from anyone to try and get them to do something to me is creepy whether it's for church or not.
The guy sounds like a creep. I would ask him to stop and switch churches.
What is the creepy part? The singing. Ok, we mostly all agree that's pretty out there.
A priest calling a parishioner? Someone who's baby was just baptized, who answered some of the calls and let him now they'd be away?
A priest or pastor calling congregants/parishioners isn't creepy or weird or bizarre.
I am, obviously, having a hard time with people thinking this is so ridiculous.
I think it's the intensity of the calls. A drop in call two weeks later then maybe another a month later I would say is acceptable even with singing. The every week thing for a month now starting the Sunday after the baptism is the ridiculous part.
I did agree that the singing and the timing was unneeded.
It seems some have an issue with the calling in general.
What is acceptable? You don't have to give permission for someone to call you. Again, this is his job. Did the OP say she was uncomfortable? I missed that. Other people said they would be. If the OP or anyone doesn't want their pastor to call them, then they have to be an adult and ask them to. If the priest insists on contenting to all, yes, I'd have an issue with it.