Saint John The Evangelist

Catholic Community

5655 Stadium Parkway
Viera, FL  32940

 

Phone: (321)637-9650 Fax: (321)637-9651

email: office@StJohnEvangelist.com
Member of the Orlando Diocese

 

Last Updated on: 12/17/2006

CHURCH ETIQUETTE

 

 

Thank you for your presence here at St. John the Evangelist.

 

In order to make our weekly celebrations more conducive to prayer, to preserve the sacredness of our Liturgies, and to ensure the comfort of all who are gathered with us, some gentle reminders of simple church etiquette follow:

 

Communication Devices

 

Kindly remember to turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the church.

 

Arriving on Time

 

We ask that you make every effort to be on time (even early) for Mass.  Remember to allow yourself enough time for parking and extra time if you have to drop off a passenger before parking.

 

We understand that there are times when tardiness cannot be avoided for reasons beyond our control.  If Mass is already in progress, however, please wait for an usher to seat you at an appropriate time, not during the readings or the prayers, etc.  It is better to attend Mass, even if late, than to be absent from the assembly.  Nevertheless, a latecomer may correctly choose to wait for the next Mass if there is one.

 

Leaving Before the Final Blessing

 

Leaving church before the dismissal ignores an important part of the Liturgy.  At the dismissal we celebrate our commission as set forth by Jesus Christ Himself.  His parting words to His disciples were, “Therefore, go out and make disciples of all nations....  And behold, I am with you until the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20).  Truly, our Liturgy has a beginning (“In the name of the Father....”) and an end (“Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord....”).

 

Leaving church immediately after Communion is treating church as a fast food restaurant where we come and go at will.  We live in a fast-paced society where we seem to rush constantly from place to place.  But Sunday is a day of rest and in God’s presence, we need to make every attempt to resist this pressure to move to the next item on the day’s agenda.  We can eat and run at McDonald’s, but let us linger a while in church until the true and meaningful end of Mass, thanking the Lord for His precious gifts.

 

Our Children

 

Your youngster attending Mass with you may begin to cry or to be otherwise disruptive to those near you trying to pray.  We gently ask that you take your young one outside until he or she is comforted enough to rejoin our assembly prayer

Proper Attire

 

Do you remember when people donned their “Sunday best” for church?  By contrast,  we often  observe that dress for church has now for many become too casual.  Yet, we need to offer our beloved Savior our best in all phases of our lives including our attire for Sunday Mass.  We had best dress modestly, not in a flashy manner that attracts undue attention, but in a way that reflects Christian respect for self and others, especially at Mass.