Venty, vent, vent, vent. Can't go to church for a while.

[dirty ethel rackham]

This is a JAWM post.  

Through much of the pandemic, we were attending Mass online.  We only started going back several months ago when things were looking better and the parish was devoted to safety.  

Lately, I've been concerned that more of our parish members  have been leaning toward the "Covid is a scam, just the flu, I trust God so I don't wear a mask."  It seems to gaining ground in our KofC group.  But our state has indoor mask mandates and our diocese has been adamant about obeying the rules.  We have been going to the early Mass that has lighter attendance.  But I was tired so we decided to go to the later Mass this morning.  I saw so many more people who took their masks off or were wearing it under their noses/chin.  Even though we have signs about how we are obeying the diocese mask mandate.  I began to feel really uneasy. 

Then I noticed that my daughter's former biology teacher, someone she really respected,  was wearing his mask under his chin and I was just appalled.  He was someone I would have trusted to know better.  He retired recently and has been doing much more with the Knights and I think they got to him.  (I had a previous run-in with this group about an activity that is for a good cause, but they way they do it is dangerous for the members and the public.  They caused such a distraction that I almost hit a kid with my car on the way to work. And he was the one who responded to my concerns about how they were protected by the good they were doing. But what about me?  And that kid? GRRR.  But, I digress.)   

I just had to get out of there.  I have 2 co-workers out with Covid that they likely caught at Thanksgiving.  In 10 days, I'm having surgery that I put off for 2 years due to school - my ovarian cyst is growing - not a good thing in a post-menopausal woman, and it is having mass effect on other organs - like my ureter and bowel.  I need a negative test to proceed.  If I get a positive test, I can't work. I will have to postpone the surgery. I will have to postpone starting my new job.  I was so distracted and angry at all these people and could not concentrate on the mass at all. and was not feeling particularly charitable toward other members of our church community. 

I may have to go back to online attendance because this parish is one of the most progressive around, which is why we joined there.  If they can't get it that we wear masks to protect others, then I just can't be around them.  

Thanks for listening.   

[lauraw4321]

I’m so sorry. May I ask what the Knights are?

[regentrude]

I am so sorry. I hope all goes well and you manage to avoid contagion and can have your surgery. WTF is wrong with people? But hey, I asked that a lot during the past year.

[footballmom]

I’m so sorry - that’s so disappointing.  I ran into this too the first time back to church a few months ago.  People wore their mask into the building and pocketed it as soon as they were in the sanctuary.  I had to move three times because I would sit masked and someone unmasked would come and sit two seats away even though many other spots were open. I wanted to ask them if they wear their seat belts? Online church for now it is! 

[Danae]

11 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

I’m so sorry. May I ask what the Knights are?

Knights of Columbus.  It’s a charitable service club for Catholic men.  

[Terabith]

I'm so sorry.  Our church has been very covid cautious.  We've had outdoor services since June of 2020.  An additional indoor service started back this summer, but masks are very very strictly enforced any time anyone is in the building.  (I think the policy is if someone takes a mask off during the service, the service gets immediately dismissed and the person responsible is told why it happened.)  I haven't been to the indoor service, but my husband was playing music at a different church down the street, where we got married 23 years ago, and I figured I'd go along with him.  Signs "encouraged" masks, but a lot of folks were not wearing them.  It was just so much more uncomfortable.  I was okay with the risk of an indoor service, but the lack of masks was just....ugh.  

It's such a simple thing.  

[regentrude]

49 minutes ago, Terabith said:

 I think the policy is if someone takes a mask off during the service, the service gets immediately dismissed and the person responsible is told why it happened.

I love that. This is perfect. 

[Terabith]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

I love that. This is perfect. 

Yeah, I love how our church (ELCA Lutheran) has handled the pandemic.  

The Methodists in our conference had this policy dictated by their bishop, but it expired a long while back.  (I'm kinda dorky and read various church's pandemic plans.)

 

[*****]

I don't blame you for leaving, you did the right thing.  With your upcoming surgery, you just can't take the health risk and should highly consider watching the mass online.  I know I would do that. Can you take your concerns to the priest? 

You mentioned the 1st service. If  that one is not designated 'masks only', I wonder if you could suggest that for those whose health is fragile or prefer to wear masks? I am sure you are not the only one this would pertain to!  I know of a church, not Catholic, that recently is doing this. I hope all goes well with your surgery...

[dirty ethel rackham]

14 minutes ago, ***** said:

I don't blame you for leaving, you did the right thing.  With your upcoming surgery, you just can't take the health risk and should highly consider watching the mass online.  I know I would do that. Can you take your concerns to the priest? 

You mentioned the 1st service. If  that one is not designated 'masks only', I wonder if you could suggest that for those whose health is fragile or prefer to wear masks? I am sure you are not the only one this would pertain to!  I know of a church, not Catholic, that recently is doing this. I hope all goes well with your surgery...

All of our masses are supposed to be "mask mandatory" per the bishop's orders.  But some people are taking them off or putting them below their noses.  At the early service, we have a greeter who gently enforces masking.  I didn't see anyone doing that at the later mass and one of the ushers had his mask below his nose.   But, hey, let's put all the faith in God and in the air purifiers that the church installed and not care about our fellow parishioners.  When they first announced that they had invested in some high-tech air purifiers, I asked the rate at which the volume of  air in the sanctuary was purified, but I only got a response saying "trust us.  It kills 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses."  But that didn't answer my question - how long before all the exhalations would get to the purifiers?  

Edited December 5, 2021 by dirty ethel rackham

[dirty ethel rackham]

2 hours ago, lauraw4321 said:

I’m so sorry. May I ask what the Knights are?

Like @Danae said, It is the Knights of Columbus.  They are supposed to be dedicated to charitable works and support of seminarians.  But some of the "old farts" (as my husband likes to call them) have become increasingly political and not very charitable toward certain segments of the population.  And they have been circulating stuff all sorts of myths and political propaganda about Covid.  

[MercyA]

I am so, so sorry. 

[JustEm]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this.  We have not attended Mass in a long time.  We went back in summer for I think 2 weeks in a row but then they stopped requiring masks and I just stopped going again.  I really miss Mass but I just can't bring myself to take the risk.  We actually do a lot of small indoor things but it is all with vaccinated people who we know still mask in public.  Being in the church is just to much of a crap shoot for me.

[*****]

15 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

 But, hey, let's put all the faith in God and in the air purifiers that the church installed and not care about our fellow parishioners.  When they first announced that they had invested in some high-tech air purifiers, I asked the rate at which the volume of  air in the sanctuary was purified, but I only got a response saying "trust us.  It kills 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses."  But that didn't answer my question - how long before all the exhalations would get to the purifiers?  

I'm sorry, yes, I totally get this, I have seen it so much with different churches.  And FWIW, you may have not control over this, but you may want to suggest they check the filters once in awhile.  In my experience recently, (I work a few hours at a private Christian school where they are 'protected' with air high-tech portable purifiers as well). I noticed they were relaxing their rules and did not have them on when I arrived. Because the teacher is new and has too much on her plate, I googled the manual for the purifiers for information on how to run them. I pulled the filters, and oh, my!  The machines had been in the school for at least a year and were totally disgusting.  Time to order new ones, they can not be washed! 

So what I am saying is, yeah, people feel they are protected because they have purifiers, but need to be educated that upkeep is necessary. Oy!

[MerryAtHope]

35 minutes ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

All of our masses are supposed to be "mask mandatory" per the bishop's orders.  But some people are taking them off or putting them below their noses.  At the early service, we have a greeter who gently enforces masking.  I didn't see anyone doing that at the later mass and one of the ushers had his mask below his nose.   But, hey, let's put all the faith in God and in the air purifiers that the church installed and not care about our fellow parishioners.  When they first announced that they had invested in some high-tech air purifiers, I asked the rate at which the volume of  air in the sanctuary was purified, but I only got a response saying "trust us.  It kills 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses."  But that didn't answer my question - how long before all the exhalations would get to the purifiers?  

I’m sorry! People don’t even realize how inconsistent they are being in their logic. Does trusting God mean surgeons don’t need masks or to wash their hands to avoid transmitting infections to their patients? God owns everything, so why even work—just trust God! I do think we should fully trust God. But I think he also calls us to be good stewards of our resources, which includes our own health and the health of our community. And it’s such an easy thing to put a mask on, even if one thinks it’s only for the comfort of others.

[*****]

Merry@AtHope, I totally agree with you. 

And this whole Christian/pandemic thing has had me questioning so much.  I was raised Catholic, so I didn’t know the Bible very well. But one of my first homeschooling experiences was with a non-Catholic group of Christians in a Konos co-op.  Obedience was the first section we covered and because it was so new and refreshing, I remember learning along with my kids:  

Hebrews 13:17  (KJV, but use whatever version applies to you, it basically says):  ^pObey those who ⁵rule over you, and be submissive, for ^qthey watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Or: Romans 13:1-6 (quoting 13:1-2 for the sake of time) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will ^[a]bring judgment on themselves. 

 I don't claim to literally mean no one,  so please group, don't harp on me. But I have found it interesting that I personally have not heard anyone refer to these verses in the last 2 years. I have wondered so often during this pandemic why covid and mask mandates are the exception?  Some churches have literally gone the other way to challenge masks because it is their right. (I can honestly say the majority of women in my former Konos group belong to churches such as these...).  I guess those verses at the time only applied to wanting their children to be obedient to parents at home, which we all know is one of the greatest challenges of homeschooling. So thus, the purpose of teaching Obedience at the beginning of the school year...

[ktgrok]

5 hours ago, Terabith said:

(I'm kinda dorky and read various church's pandemic plans.)

 

So not just me? Lol. 

[barnwife]

We have yet to return to Mass attendance. (Okay, we have gone once since *all this* started. It was when cases were low-ish here. Also, we really wanted to baptize our almost 1 yo and have DD FHC.) But community spread is basically out of control here, and very few people wear masks. So, online Mass (shout out to Fr. Mike Schmitz) it is for us. 

I feel your pain. I miss Mass. I have another kid who should be completing his FHC. But that's just going to have to wait. And that makes me sad.

[happi duck]

Many (hugs)