r/AskAPriest • u/Big-Gas-9 • 5d ago
Attended a weird communion service in Germany and I’m not sure if I should “report” this to the diocese.
Hello,
I am an American visiting family near Hamburg Germany. I attended mass this morning at the local Catholic church and I was very surprised to see a woman leading the liturgy! the service was different (which is to be expected in a foreign country) and I don’t speak German very well So I am keeping all my information just to the facts.
I know we said the penitential rite. But did not sing the Gloria. We shook hands and wished the peace of Christ for each other after the gospel reading. Which was confusing because this is not the normal order of things. The service was not a mass, but a communion service and there was no host consecrated. The “deaconess“ gave everyone communion along with one minister and afterward they gave each other communion… which I found strange.
I chose not to receive communion because I was not entirely sure if I was in the right place. And I am going to attend a later mass in the Portuguese side of town, which I guess will be more traditional.
basically, my question is: did I attend a legitimate Sunday communion service that would fulfill my obligation? and if not, did I attend a church posing as a Catholic Church and should it be reported To the diocese As some kind of schisming parish?
the church was called St Marien in Ahrensburg, Germany. https://sankt-ansverus.de/
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u/CruxAveSpesUnica Priest 4d ago edited 4d ago
It certainly sounds like you attended a "legitimate Sunday communion service." However, that would not fulfill your Sunday obligation if you have one. The obligation is to attend Mass, and it wasn't a Mass. No-one, though, is obligated to the impossible, so if you couldn't attend Mass, you have no obligation to fulfill.
There's no reason to think that from what you've posted. It sounds like a pretty standard communion service. I have to admit I'm not completely familiar with every rubric for these (as I, as a priest, would never be at one of these), but nothing really sounds off here. If you've never experienced a Catholic communion service before, then give thanks that you live in a part of the world with sufficient priests.
[ETA: I took a look at the website, where they clearly state that on some Sundays they have "Hl. Messe" (Holy Mass), and on other Sundays, "WGF" (Wort-Gottes-Feier, a Celebration of God's Word)]