Busting out the folding chairs

We busted out the folding chairs again in my parish today; what about yours?  Fresh off the beautiful and unique liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the great Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday morning dawned and time for the regular masses of Sunday morning.  After experiencing a good 15% increase in mass attendance for the Easter Vigil, I was prepared.  Sunday morning would be packed.

My home parish, Most Holy Trinity in Covington, LA, has Sunday masses at 7, 9 and 11.  Right from the start we noticed that our Easter visitors would be coming en masse; no pun intended.  The normal 7 a.m. mass crowd, week after week, numbers around 170.  We doubled that this morning.  A very healthy 350 or so were in attendance for what we call the "Son-rise service".  While 350 does not necissitate the folding chairs, it was impressive to see the Church so full at 7 a.m.

Next comes the 9 a.m. Mass and now it is time for the folding chairs.  By 8:30 a.m. the Church is faitly full and the ushers dutifully put out the folding chairs in the foyer where they still can see and hear the Mass.  Again, usual mass attendance for the 9 a.m. liturgy is 300; today we exceeded 500.  We were so full, we almost did not plan properly for the right amount of consecrated hosts for Holy Communion.  Not only was the attendance spectacular, the 9 brought out more Easter finery.  We also noticed larger family units, perhaps children home from college or more extended families worshipping on Easter Sunday together!

The final Mass for the day is 11 a.m. which week after week is the largest attendance.  Usually, we number 350 worhippers and today, again in excess of 500 and folding chairs full!  All in all, over the three days of the Triduum and the Easter celebrations we had almost 2,500 worshippers in MHT church at one time or another.  For that, we say thanks be to God.

There is something to be said about the Catholics who drift back to church for Christmas and Easter who help swell the ranks on these high holy days.  The biggest thing we should say is welcome back, we miss you, please come back often.  We would love the bust out the folding chairs every Sunday!