A dog under the altar.

[zunshynn]

So I was in Lake Tahoe this weekend and went to Mass at the local parish.

It seemed alright at first—nice sanctuary, and so on, although the music was pretty typical mediocre stuff and they had a ton of people in the procession (all of the EEMs, lectors, and such)

But then at the beginning while the opening song was still going the priest comes down from the sanctuary and gets this dog... brings him up to the sanctuary... and HAS HIM LAY DOWN UNDER THE ALTAR. I'm not kidding. So the dog is up under the altar sleeping and rolling around a few times through the entire Mass. I couldn't believe my eyes. And aside from that, either no one though anything of it or they thought it was really awesome! I don't even know how to complain about such a thing?!

[brendan1104]

I d i o c y.

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1044117' date='Aug 15 2006, 01:46 PM']
So I was in Lake Tahoe this weekend and went to Mass at the local parish.

It seemed alright at first—nice sanctuary, and so on, although the music was pretty typical mediocre stuff and they had a ton of people in the procession (all of the EEMs, lectors, and such)

But then at the beginning while the opening song was still going the priest comes down from the sanctuary and gets this dog... brings him up to the sanctuary... and HAS HIM LAY DOWN UNDER THE ALTAR. I'm not kidding. So the dog is up under the altar sleeping and rolling around a few times through the entire Mass. I couldn't believe my eyes. And aside from that, either no one though anything of it or they thought it was really awesome! I don't even know how to complain about such a thing?!
[/quote]

[JesusIPray]

Wow, thats not funny.

[Theologian in Training]

You would be surprised how much pastors love their dogs...

[brendan1104]

I kind understand the semi-void that a pet fills, especially a dog- but bringing it into the sanctuary- even more so during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is irreverent, sacreligious, stupid and just plain DUMB.

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1044124' date='Aug 15 2006, 01:52 PM']
You would be surprised how much pastors love their dogs...
[/quote]

[Aloysius]

any official rules against it? otherwise you don't have much of a complaint aside from telling the priest it bothered you.

I was at a gaelic mass in Ireland one time and a stray dog just came in and walked right up to the front of the Church. kinda funny how the dog went where most of the humans dared not go

[IcePrincessKRS]

Sounds kind of weird to me, but maybe when the dog wandered in the priest figured it would be less of a hassle to bring him up there than it would be to try and shoo him out.

Last Sunday we had a cat wandering all through the Church. I had to take my kids out right before Communion time because they were trying to run after it and getting cranky because I wouldn't let them.

[zunshynn]

It was the priest's dog... I saw him with it outside before Mass.

[Aloysius]

so.... look it up; is there a rule against bringing dogs into church with you? I'm genuinely curious.

[Norseman82]

Well, a classmate of mine from the HS seminary who got ordained adopted a retired greyhound, but at least he kept it caged up in the sacristy during Mass.

Was the dog barking so much that it was causing a distraction?

[quote name='Aloysius' post='1044135' date='Aug 15 2006, 01:25 PM']
so.... look it up; is there a rule against bringing dogs into church with you? I'm genuinely curious.
[/quote]

Well if you're handicapped, they could be classified as "service animals".

Edited August 15, 2006 by Norseman82

[Aloysius]

I'm saying if you're not handicapped. does the GIRM even treat the issue? canon law? anything? bueller?

[CoffeeCatholic]

horrible.

Reminds me of a story my boyfriend told me of a friend of his who got "married" last December. It was a pagan ceremony, with the preciding priestess named SoulTar (yes, you read it right, AND she picked that name herself!). But the kicker? The "best man" was really a "best dog", this little pug who was so old he was incontenent, so he had to actually wear a diaper throughout the whole ceremony.

i'm sure there is some rule somewhere about animals in church or something. I mean, yes, they are God's creatures, he created them and loves them, but i dunno.



OH! this also reminds me of another, more appropriate, dog story.

I think it was at Christendom, and I THINK it was a papal visit, or else something equally as big and important going on. So they set up a sanctuary for mass to be said, with bleachers and such so that all the people could attend. Right before the event was to start, though, they had the FBI go through with body sniffing dogs, to make sure nobody was hiding under the bleachers with a bomb i guess. They went through the whole place, no problem, until they got to the very end. All of a sudden, all of the dogs (about 5 or 6 i think) started running to the front of the church, barking and doing their "we found a body" pose. guess where.

Yeah, you guys are smart, right in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle!

Kinda like St. Anthony and the donkey, no?


but dogs sleeping under the altar, I'd say call the bishop

[djc08]

At a funeral Mass I went to a man had his seeing-eye dog but i couldn't tell that the man was blind and i'm like "what the heck"...and then after the Mass the deacon said that there is a blessing for seeying-eye dogs or just for animals or somethin that you can give when their owners come up to recieve the blessed sacrament.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='CoffeeCatholic' post='1044141' date='Aug 15 2006, 01:41 PM']

OH! this also reminds me of another, more appropriate, dog story.

I think it was at Christendom, and I THINK it was a papal visit, or else something equally as big and important going on. So they set up a sanctuary for mass to be said, with bleachers and such so that all the people could attend. Right before the event was to start, though, they had the FBI go through with body sniffing dogs, to make sure nobody was hiding under the bleachers with a bomb i guess. They went through the whole place, no problem, until they got to the very end. All of a sudden, all of the dogs (about 5 or 6 i think) started running to the front of the church, barking and doing their "we found a body" pose. guess where.

Yeah, you guys are smart, right in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle!

Kinda like St. Anthony and the donkey, no?
but dogs sleeping under the altar, I'd say call the bishop
[/quote]

Amazing that dogs can sense the Real Presence and radical anti-Catholics cannot.....

Edited August 15, 2006 by Norseman82

[cmotherofpirl]

Our priest's dog Miss Priscella sat on Marys side of the altar in church for every Mass for probably 10 years until she died. Anytime a kid would misbehave the parents would point her out as an example of how to behave in church.
She was quiet, respectful, never barked or ran around inside the church, in fact was a perfect lady.
Outside of church she was a fussy poodle type, but never in church.

How come dogs can be smarter than people?