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Comment by atdrummond | Hacker News Reader

Catholic Churches do plenty of community meals - just not around mass. This is likely due to the former requirement to fast proper to communion.

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I think that's bizarre though. Mass is the one requirement everyone needs to do together-- obviously, that's the best time to sit with a meal and gossip. Even on important holidays, easter mass etc. are the few times limited practicing catholics will appear. This is the perfect time to ask how they've been, how're the kids, and welcome them with fresh hot food, maybe invite them to the litter picking up effort next week.

I'm extremely skeptical of church as a community building thing now, because based off of my white friends recollection there's very little actual community around worship itself. There are a bunch of volunteer actions outside of it, but just going to worship isn't itself community. This makes me question why we can't have a generic mutual aid group do this instead, like the Anarchist Soup folks.

The Catholic position would be that that isn't what the Mass is for; it's a ritual sacrifice that meets a real spiritual need. Similarly, the priest doesn't need to be especially likeable or even give a homily in order to say a valid Mass.

None of those have to do with community formation, which is what the subject is about.

Sure, but you're going to be fighting an uphill battle if you want to make the Mass into that.

Right, so I'm pointing out that places of worship may not actually be great Third Spaces. They may not offer the community that people say they do.

They could always offer breakfast after mass ;)

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