Has This Ever Happened To You During The Sign of Peace at Mass?
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Anonymous
| OP, did the people who didn't shake your hand go ahead and shake other people's hands? |
Anonymous
| I'm a Lay Eucharistic Minister - during winter and flu months a number of people choose not to shake hands. We use Puracell before and after the greeting and again before we commence with communion. A number of parishioners no longer shake hands. The Japanese are much more smart than we are about this practice. You are not being dissed due to your minority status OP. |
Anonymous
This is what ifassume. |
Anonymous
| i've noticed this more and more in my catholic church in Herndon. it's just not white people either. i think anyone who does it is weird. |
Anonymous
| I have seen this. People are worried about germs. Either they have a cold/flu and do not want to pass it to others by shaking hands - or they are trying not to catch it. I am finding this more and more these days. Like how people will use a paper towel to open the door when exiting the restrooms. These types of people sort of nod and give a 1/2 smile, in my experience, during the Sign of Peace. |
Anonymous
St. Joe's? I am the poster below you and we go to SJC too. : ) And our daughter goes to SJS. Anyway, yes, I see it a lot there! I too think it's a bit of an overkill! |
Anonymous
| My parents church, with a significant population of elderly parishioners, does not do the handshake. They just give a little wave. |
Anonymous
| If you're in Howard County, just go to Catholic Church at an interfaith center in Columbia. Problem solved. Wonderful multiracial community. I grew up there. |
Anonymous
OP here! Thank you for this suggestion. I took your advice and visited the interfaith center this morning for mass. St. John The Evangelist was definitely a more welcoming church. It's further from my home, but its worth the distance. I said to myself, "Wow! What a big difference in how I was treated there and the warmness of the parishioners. I can't thank you enough! You have made my day! 
I read through all the responses. My concern was not only during the sign of peace, but the overall attitude of the parishioners at the parish that I visited near my home. Being courteous and saying, "Good Morning" or "Hello" to someone sitting next to you in church goes a long way. Also, I understand that with the flu season that some people may be reluctant to shaking your hand even though I have never experienced this before at any Catholic church that I have visited. The folks who pull back their hands, positioned their bodies in the other direction, or didn't utter a word or give any gesture of peace with a head nod or wave were indicators to me that this didn't have anything to do with flu season. Even when I walked into this place the folks would glare at me when I tried to sit next to them. Now fast forward this morning, I visited St John The Evangelist. The demeanor of the people was not cold at all. Actually, before mass began the priest recommended that we greet the people sitting next to us. When I said, "Good Morning" to the people near me they responded back. It was like night and day between the parishioners this morning and the previous place that I have visited on several occasions. Also in addition to visiting St John's this morning, I visited Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia with a friend. This too was a welcoming church that I'm glad that I had the opportunity to visit. The people weren't cold and before I took my seat I already had five people saying, "Good Morning" or "Welcome". With all this said, I appreciate the feedback that I have received on here. I hope all of you have a blessed week! |