Evaluating your hospitality at Mass

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which is the premier Vatican II liturgical document, says that the “aim to be considered before all else” is the full, conscious, and active participation of all the faithful in the liturgy because that is the way they will learn the true Christian spirit (14).

On Sundays in our parishes, one of the very first things people experience is the Gathering Rites of the Mass, which begins with the opening song. But even before the first note is sung, the assembly has already begun to gather through all the activity they experience leading up to that song. This informal gathering can be even more critical than the official Gathering Rites themselves because it sets up the success or failure of the rites to accomplish its purpose—to gather disparate individuals into one, unified assembly ready to hear the Word and celebrate the Sacrament.

Good hospitality creates an environment for people to do the work they have been gathered to do. Good hospitality is the beginning of community.

Here are some observation questions you can use to assess the quality of your hospitality prior to Mass.

• Were there greeters outside the church, at the church doors, and inside the church welcoming people as they arrived?
• Did assembly members greet each other in a friendly and genuine way as people gathered in and around their pews/seats?
• Would a visitor or newcomer feel welcomed? Would a visitor leave your Mass never having been personally greeted, welcomed, and invited to return by at least one other person?
• Are the locations of restrooms clearly marked so that visitors know where to find them?
• Is there “code language” in your bulletin, such as “RCIA” or “ICF dinner”? Can a visitor easily find the parish phone number and a name of someone to talk to if they are new to the parish? Do you have to be an insider to know where meeting rooms are?
• Are the parking lot, gathering areas, and church space clean and inviting?
• Do those in wheelchairs have easy access to all parts of the church grounds?
• Are worship aids or projected materials printed clearly in type that is easily read?
• Do all who use the microphones use them effectively so that all can hear well?
• Is there a “cry room” or other ways that members of the assembly are physically separated, left out, or ranked (e.g., reserved places for special groups)?