Catholic School, Mass, and Security

[Anonymous]

I understand your frustration, and this is coming from someone who had a child at this school, but I think you were given a fair compromise. If you don't want your DC in the mass, then take him up on plan B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset OP. We are at another Alexandria parochial and the parents also pitched a fit that our school mass was open to the public.

It’s silly that they won’t do two holy day masses. Why would those be any different? They are all only about an hour long.

Our pastor is also very inflexible and this is totally something he would do. Unfortunately I have found that complaints fall on deaf ears.

I would probably sign my kid in at 10 and do the dumb and unnecessary mass card. Since he’s just publicized WHICH MASS the children will be attending….

+1

This is why people leave the Catholic church. Old school priests who don't care.

[Anonymous]

I find it interesting we have security in our schools, sign in/sign out procedures, separate bathrooms for adults and students, permission slips to go on field trips BUT when we leave school grounds to go to church we have zero precautions.

Kids do not sign permission slips to leave the safety of the school, they do not sign adults in and out of the church, a kid could head to the bathroom and be molested/abducted by a random person from the public and we are fine with all of it. Because it is church, it has to be safe.

It is like they throw all logic out the window. How many pedophiles are in church (proportionally a high number). Shooters might be statistically not relevant but pedophiles not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I find it interesting we have security in our schools, sign in/sign out procedures, separate bathrooms for adults and students, permission slips to go on field trips BUT when we leave school grounds to go to church we have zero precautions.

Kids do not sign permission slips to leave the safety of the school, they do not sign adults in and out of the church, a kid could head to the bathroom and be molested/abducted by a random person from the public and we are fine with all of it. Because it is church, it has to be safe.

It is like they throw all logic out the window. How many pedophiles are in church (proportionally a high number). Shooters might be statistically not relevant but pedophiles not so much.

I taught at a Catholic school in Arlington, and am a survivor with religious trauma.

I spoke to the pastor and principal about this and how it impacted me. We created a system where if a child uses the bathroom, a staff member gets up and stands by the door, like a momma bear.

Precautions are taken. They are subtle but effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I find it interesting we have security in our schools, sign in/sign out procedures, separate bathrooms for adults and students, permission slips to go on field trips BUT when we leave school grounds to go to church we have zero precautions.

Kids do not sign permission slips to leave the safety of the school, they do not sign adults in and out of the church, a kid could head to the bathroom and be molested/abducted by a random person from the public and we are fine with all of it. Because it is church, it has to be safe.

It is like they throw all logic out the window. How many pedophiles are in church (proportionally a high number). Shooters might be statistically not relevant but pedophiles not so much.

This isn't true at all schools. Kids don't go to bathroom alone. Also the churches my kids have gone to have ALL had police presence during school Mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I find it interesting we have security in our schools, sign in/sign out procedures, separate bathrooms for adults and students, permission slips to go on field trips BUT when we leave school grounds to go to church we have zero precautions.

Kids do not sign permission slips to leave the safety of the school, they do not sign adults in and out of the church, a kid could head to the bathroom and be molested/abducted by a random person from the public and we are fine with all of it. Because it is church, it has to be safe.

It is like they throw all logic out the window. How many pedophiles are in church (proportionally a high number). Shooters might be statistically not relevant but pedophiles not so much.

I taught at a Catholic school in Arlington, and am a survivor with religious trauma.

I spoke to the pastor and principal about this and how it impacted me. We created a system where if a child uses the bathroom, a staff member gets up and stands by the door, like a momma bear.

Precautions are taken. They are subtle but effective.

They are not taken when a child goes to the bathroom during mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I find it interesting we have security in our schools, sign in/sign out procedures, separate bathrooms for adults and students, permission slips to go on field trips BUT when we leave school grounds to go to church we have zero precautions.

Kids do not sign permission slips to leave the safety of the school, they do not sign adults in and out of the church, a kid could head to the bathroom and be molested/abducted by a random person from the public and we are fine with all of it. Because it is church, it has to be safe.

It is like they throw all logic out the window. How many pedophiles are in church (proportionally a high number). Shooters might be statistically not relevant but pedophiles not so much.

This isn't true at all schools. Kids don't go to bathroom alone. Also the churches my kids have gone to have ALL had police presence during school Mass.

I think that this is the issue with Queen of Apostles - there is no armed security and now there is a mass open to the public. I agree that a police/armed presence is the sensible precaution when students are technically off of the school grounds (which presumably has security measures) and are in a church which is now outside of the school. I think that without security measures the school, diocese, and the church are opening themselves up to tremendous liability.

In this case, it appears the church and the diocese are taking on the liability by not taking parental concerns seriously.

[Anonymous]

TIL, that people generally have no perception of risk nor statistics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TIL, that people generally have no perception of risk nor statistics.

This.

[Anonymous]

I find the part about getting the card signed at a different Mass the most objectionable. I am an adult and can manage my family’s spiritual life. No one needs to take attendance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find the part about getting the card signed at a different Mass the most objectionable. I am an adult and can manage my family’s spiritual life. No one needs to take attendance.

I think the point of that is for the tuition discount for active Catholic parishioners. You have to show you are meeting that requirement or they aren’t going to allow the discount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the part about getting the card signed at a different Mass the most objectionable. I am an adult and can manage my family’s spiritual life. No one needs to take attendance.

I think the point of that is for the tuition discount for active Catholic parishioners. You have to show you are meeting that requirement or they aren’t going to allow the discount.

There is no reason to be this inflexible. People either are participating in the life of the parish or they aren’t. The kids are in the school and go to Mass once a week and most Catholic families try to go on the weekend when they can. They can look up your donations. I’m not understanding where the check in/checking out with cards “proving” you are a good Catholic came from. It’s like the Arlington diocese priests all got together and concocted this idea. Again, we are at a different parish in the diocese.

They should be taking security of the schools and the mass much more seriously than they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the part about getting the card signed at a different Mass the most objectionable. I am an adult and can manage my family’s spiritual life. No one needs to take attendance.

I think the point of that is for the tuition discount for active Catholic parishioners. You have to show you are meeting that requirement or they aren’t going to allow the discount.

There is no reason to be this inflexible. People either are participating in the life of the parish or they aren’t. The kids are in the school and go to Mass once a week and most Catholic families try to go on the weekend when they can. They can look up your donations. I’m not understanding where the check in/checking out with cards “proving” you are a good Catholic came from. It’s like the Arlington diocese priests all got together and concocted this idea. Again, we are at a different parish in the diocese.

They should be taking security of the schools and the mass much more seriously than they are.

They aren’t proving you’re a “good Catholic”. There’s basically a checklist of items to indicate if you are *active in your parish* and this is one of them. That’s a thing that can be measured and tracked, and since there is a fairly substantial monetary incentive tied to it, many schools are going to want that confirmation. You don’t have to like it, and if you don’t care about the tuition discount, you don’t have to provide it, either. Your choice.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice to just have open doors to the churches but sadly recently shooters of a certain persuasion have chosen to take their rage and confusion out on innocent people and children who are praying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be nice to just have open doors to the churches but sadly recently shooters of a certain persuasion have chosen to take their rage and confusion out on innocent people and children who are praying.

White men are “a certain persuasion” now?