Coffee and donuts at St. Joan’s

Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 9:04 AM
Subject: I have heard about gum chewing during Mass but this would be ridiculous


Coffee and donuts at St. Joan’s in Minneapolis
CATEGORY: SESSIUNCULUM — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 4:24 pm

I have on more than one occasion quipped that while many parishes have coffee and donuts on Sundays after Mass, St. Joan of Arc in my home town of Minneapolis was the only place I had ever seen coffee and donuts during Mass.

Now comes this from Fr. Jim DeBruycker, the pastor, writing to his flock in the Sunday bulletin of 16 Nov 2008.

Please read this while giving Father the benefit of the doubt, imagining what he has to contend with there, after all the years of looniness:


1. Using the Egan room as a hospitality room for coffee and cookies has become quite successful, too much so I fear. A number of people are bringing coffee and cookies to mass, which is not polite and is often messy, it makes it hard to sing and makes a mockery of the communion fast. Please no refreshments during the liturgy.

2. Intinction, dipping the host, is not part of the Latin rite. But what is bothering the communion distributors even more are people dipping their fingers in as well. I am ordering new chalices with wider brims. Please be careful and, when at all possible, drink from the cup.

3. Finally, the communion ministers who stand in front of the gym exit to the school building are complaining that they have to wrestle with parishioners leaving mass early. Communicants are being jostled out of line as early leavers try to reach the school doors. If you are leaving early, please leave by the parking lot doors. Thanks for your courtesy! – JRD
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