? Re: Catholic Easter Vigil....?

Question

My mother (who is catholic) and I (who is not catholic, and does not go to church) are attending a Easter Vigil tonight. She has ask for me to take her because she is wanting to get communion.

Here are my questions:
1.) The vigil is at 7:00 pm. How long do one of these vigils
last?

2.) I am going to walk my mother up the aisle to recieve communion. How do I respectfully decline communion? *I cannot get communion because I never was confirmed in a catholic church*

3.) What is the dress code for this vigil. My mother is going to wear a pink top with some black slacks and tennis shoes. *she does not have "dress-up" clothes*. I was thinking of some black pants, boots and a nice top. Will this suffice?

TIA!!!!

Answer 1

At least a couple of hours.

Cross your arms.

Just wear whatever you would wear to an office job.

Answer 2

Well, it's a little late BUT....
1) The length of the Easter Vigil Mass depends on a couple variables a- the number of readings used ( there can be between 3 and 9) and b- the number of people entering the Church.

When my husband came into the Church, the Mass lasted- I kid you not- +FOUR HOURS...I love the Mass, but that was murder- we had 5 kids under the age of 6 and I was pregnant with #6....and alone in the pew!

Ours was 2 hours on Saturday...about average- it IS the biggest Mass of the year in terms of importance!

2. Place your hands over your chest and the priest/deacon/extrordinary minister of Holy COmmunion will give you a blessing. BTW- you don't need to be Confirmed- if you made your First Communion, you can receive the Eucharist if you are in a state of Grace...if not- go to Confession and you may receive the Eucharist.( since you haven't been going to Church, confession should be the first stop)

3. There is no dress code. It is like any Mass- some will dress to the nines, others wear jeans. I work for the Church, so I dress up a little. My very fervant Catholic 17 year old son wore jeans and a nice shirt....my equally fervant 9 year old wore her prettiest spring dress.

Answer 3

Easter Vigil is, theologically, the most important service of the year. Dress nice, but you don't have to get totally dolled up. What you suggested will be just fine. Yes, there will be people dressed to the 9's, but honestly, don't worry about it.

The Vigil mass will probably last 2 1/2 hours long. There are a lot of readings at the beginning, and adults joining the church are baptized, confirmed, and receive communion for the first time.

For you, all you have to do is subtly shake your head to the communion minister. If you want to be sure, you can cross your arms in front of your chest; this is the sign that you are not receiving communion and you will probably be given a blessing. If you were baptized in the Catholic Church and have received communion before, you do have the right to receive it still. *shrug* Just putting that out there in case that helps you feel less awkward.

Answer 4

1. You can plan on being there for the very least 2 hours.

2. If Communion is offered, decline by saying you're not Catholic.

3. Your clothing choice is fine. Stay away from any revealing clothes, some Churches frown on jeans.

Enjoy the wonderful traditions associated with an Easter Vigil. You don't need to be Catholic to have a wonderful experience.

Answer 5

1. The Easter Vigil is the longest Mass of the year and the most beautiful. This is the Mass where most adults are welcomed into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist (First Communion).

2. Approach the Eucharistic Minister with your arms crossed over your chest and you will not be offered the Eucharist. If you choose, you can pause and receive a blessing.

3. In the United States, Catholics are rather lax in dressing up for Mass. The most important thing is that she comes, not what she wears. I am sure both her and your attire will be fine.

Happy Easter!

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

1. A looong time usually two hours, or even longer, from the very beginning outside the church when they bless the fire.

2. You don't have to "decline" communion, just stand by your mom and when she's done, you both just start to walk away, the priest will hopefully understand. BTW, confirmation is NOT necessary for communion.

3. No special dress codes. Just anything simple & nice.

Answer 7

1. The Easter Vigil usually lasts about 2 hours, so be prepared for a long night. It really depends on what the church you will be attending does. The church I go to does about 5 readings, the blessing of the Easter fire and candles, the blessing of the holy water, and several baptisms, so the mass can last for quite a while. 2. I believe you can receive communion as long as you have made your First Communion. At my church, people who have not made their First Communion or who simply do not wish to receive communion can cross their arms over their chest (when they walk up the aisle) and receive a blessing from the priest or Eucharistic minister. 3. There is no dress code, so as long as you don't wear super tight jeans or really low cut tops, you should be fine. Your outfits sound good to me.

Answer 8

First off, even a naked beggar is welcome in the home of god's servant (the church and priest). So, clothing, at least in theory, should be a non-issue. If you plan to respectfully decline, tell the priest beforehand about your decision. You don't have to provide with him any reason but, as a matter of courtesy, you should. The length should be two hours, max. but may end in an hour or less.

Answer 9

1. It may be long - it is the night that new members are received.

2. Simply cross your arms across your chest.

3. Wear whatever you have that is respectable - no need to dress fancy.

Answer 10

1) They last about two hours, maybe a little over.
2) Just shake your head, or just say you can't recieve.
3) That'd probably be fine, just anything nice (I'd err on the shirt and tie side, but I don't know what the lady equivalent of that is...)
It's nice of you to do that for her.