Thank you for your presence here at Christ the King Parish. When we come to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist we are entering the House of the Lord. It is important to recognize the holiness and sacredness of our liturgies and to ensure the comfort of all of those who are gathered. Here are some gentle reminders of simple church etiquette.
Attire
- Remember the time when people put on their “Sunday best” to go to church? In fact dress clothes were often referred to as Sunday clothes in some parts of the country. We should offer Christ our “Sunday best”. We should dress modestly. Remember no tank tops, short skirts or short shorts.
Arrival
- Try to arrive at least 10 minutes before mass begins. This helps to reduce distractions and provides time to get settled.
Entering the Church
- Bless yourself with holy water and as a sign of respect for the Blessed Sacrament, genuflect before taking your seat.
Phones, Pagers and Electronic Devices
- Please remember to turn off cell phones, pagers, ipods, MP3 players, blackberries and other electronic devices before entering the church. It is important to maintain our church as a place of prayer and reverence for all our parishioners.
Communion
- Receive the Holy Eucharist with reverence either on the tongue or on the hand and respond “Amen”. If receiving the sacred host by hand, place your left hand over the right (or opposite if you are left handed) and raise your arms slightly.
- When received in the hand, the sacred host is to be placed in your mouth before turning away from the altar.
- Gum or candy should never be in your mouth when taking the sacred host.
- Non-Catholics who participate in our Eucharistic celebrations should be encouraged by us not to receive communion but rather to receive a blessing from the minister distributing communion or to remain seated. To indicate a blessing they should come forward with their arms crossed in front of their chests.
Participation
- “Full, conscious and active participation,” is what the liturgy asks of us. We are all invited to offer our voices in the prayers and responses at mass and to “make a joyful noise”. We are encouraged to learn the words and sing the hymns by using the hymnals available in the pews, even if you can’t sing consider picking up a hymnal and following along. Let the words from the songs speak to you. There are extra missals available in the church foyer for those who may need it.
Leaving the Church
- The final part of Mass is singing the closing hymn.Leaving before the hymn ends is inappropriate. Genuflect toward the altar before leaving the pew or at the end of the pew.
