A meal and a drink in Croatia may not cost you anything except for maybe a few Hail Mary’s after a parish opened up a "prayer café" in an effort to bring youths back to church.
Catholic News Service reports Salesian Fr Damir Stojic thought up the scheme to keep the kids from going to other cafés after church and come together for a meal after Eucharist.
" In the Acts of the Apostles, it says the disciples used to come together for a meal after the Eucharist, so we’re following a biblical ideal," Fr Stojic said.
"A lot of kids used to head for neighbouring cafes after Mass here. We came up with this scheme for persuading them to hang out at the church instead."
The Jedno (Sail) cafe opened recently in a parish hall adjoining Zagreb’s Holy Spirit Church and attracts many of the students and young people attending the regular Sunday youth Mass.
"Student helpers thought up the idea of paying with prayers. We have encouraged parents to donate food and drink for the café," he said.
"Jedno could be seen as continuing a tradition since most Salesian parishes worldwide ran cafes at their churches."
Prices at Jedno vary from three Our Fathers for a standard cup of coffee to a more expensive Coca-Cola (five Hail Marys and a Glory Be), while a cappuccino costs four Our Fathers.
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Great idea, but what happens when inflation sets in. I can imagine people complaining in later years "I remember when a cappuccino cost just four Our Fathers and now you have to whip out a mystery of the Rosary and five Glory Be’s."
7 comments
What change would you get from two rosaries?
😉
Er, simony, anyone?
Dear Berenike,
I don’t think this is simony. However, it does leave a nasty spot in my craw. What does this mean, that prayer is money? The idea is interesting but I don’t know if this is the best way or not.
But just you wait until the Baptist church opens a cafe that claims that you are “served by grace and not by works…”!
And here’s another…
This is no new idea, why there’s a church in Minneapolis that been run like a cafeteria for years!
That kind of idea would assist in having the kids memorize their prayers…I’m for it…
If I recall correctly the tradition is to have a meal first and then have the eucharist. Not the other way around. That’s the way the apostles did it at biblical times (check the bible) and that’s the way Christians’ been doing it during early century. A ritual meal, followed by Eucharist.
Now, we have to fast instead.
Not saying that the current pactice is bad tho.
Hmm initially the Eucharist was consecrated in the setting of a meal, as it was by Christ at the Last Supper. However, this caused many problems. The first was the potential for disgrace and irreverence, where people would show up for a feed instead of for an act of solemn sacrifice. By the very early adoption of the Eucharistic Fast, the Church established a solid understanding of the sanctity of the Eucharist and its worthiness of our diligent preparation, even suffering for its sake. Our Lord is truly present, and he deserves at the very least not to have to share our insides with profane (ie not holy) food goo, as well as our constant attention on the sacrifice received (maintained by the discomfort of hunger).