Church Etiquette

Thank you for your presence here at St. Margaret Mary. In order to make our weekly celebrations more conducive to prayer, to preserve the sacredness of our liturgies and to ensure the comfort of all those who are gathered, the following are some gentle reminders of simple church etiquette:

Arriving on Time:
We ask that you make every attempt to be on time (even early) to Mass. Remember to allow yourself enough time for parking and extra time if you need to drop off your children in the nursery.

Due to circumstances out of our control, we understand that there are times tardiness cannot be avoided. If Mass has begun, please enter through the main doors on the corner of Canton and Park. Please wait for an usher to assist you since we do not seat people during particular moments of the liturgy, such as during the readings or the prayers. Remember that it is better to be present, even if late, than it is to be absent from the assembly. An alternative would be to wait until the next Mass.

Leaving Before the Final Blessing:
Leaving church before the dismissal ignores another important part of the Liturgy. At the dismissal, we celebrate our commission as set forth by Jesus Christ himself. In that, Jesus’ last words to his disciples were “Therefore, go out and make disciples of all nations….. And behold, I am with you until the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20. Our liturgy has a beginning (“In the name of the Father …”) and an end ("Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord…").

To leave immediately after Communion is to treat church like a fast food restaurant where we come and go as we please. We live in a fast-paced world where we seem to be hurrying from place to place. But in God's presence, we need to make every attempt to fight this pressure to move on to the next thing on the day's agenda. Eat and run at McDonald's - but stay in church and thank God for his precious gifts.

Proper 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. Too often, dress in church has become very casual. In all areas of our lives, we should offer Christ our best, and the same is true of our dress. We should offer Christ our “Sunday best". We should dress modestly, not in a flashy way that would bring attention to ourselves. Our dress should always be becoming of a Christian - especially at church.

Our Children:

• We encourage you to use our brand new nursery in the Family Life Center which is available for all Masses. There are two separate rooms; one for infants and one for children up to 4 years of age. Children 5 years and older should attend Mass with their families.
• The 9:30 Mass on Sunday morning tends to have the most attendance of young children, perhaps due to Liturgy of the Word for Children during this Mass. There is also Liturgy of the Word for Children available during Saturday evening 5 pm Mass. This may be an option to ease congestion at the 9:30 Mass.
• If your child is attending Mass with you and begins to cry or be disruptive to those trying to pray around you, we gently ask that you take your child outside until comforted enough to rejoin our assembly prayer.

Phones and Pagers:
Please remember to turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering the church.