Dear Editor: When you go to Mass, you experience a great event of hearing the two readings, the Gospel and then the sermon. But right before the Mass ends, you get distracted by a lector reading from the weekly bulletin. Why was the bulletin printed anyhow? This is a real turnoff to my train of spiritual thought.
I wish someone would change this policy and maybe do the announcements before the Mass starts like they do in other places. I have experienced this a few times while visiting relatives that live in other dioceses.
Marie E. Condello
Sunset Park
I agree with Marie Condello that the practice of making bulletin announcements at the end of Sunday Mass is distracting to parishioners engaged in prayer, since these announcements routinely follow distribution of Holy Communion. The average Sunday Mass takes about 1 hour. About 45 minutes of that Mass takes place before the Offertory and is devoted to Opening Prayers, Readings from the Old and New Testaments, the Gospel, a 30 minute Homily, the Credo and weekly prayer intentions. The remaining 15 minutes are devoted to taking up Collections, the bringing up of Offertory gifts, the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the distribution of Holy Communion. Absolutely no time is given to parishioners to make a Thanksgiving after Communion. Instead we are told about the next school play, the meetings of the various parish clubs and the items being sold in the vestibule on the way out of Church.
I recommend cutting the Homily back to 20 minutes, allowing adequate time after Communion for parishioners to reflect on and give thanks for the incredible gift of the Eucharist before making any parish announcements. It would also be useful to have suggested prayers after Communion available in the pews.