Have to attend a Catholic wedding mass tomorrow.

[gbate]

I really don't want to feel forced to participate and I'm wondering how to avoid taking communion without my husband's family giving me evil looks.

Any suggestions?

[Warpy]

1. Arrive late and sit in the back

That was my strategy when I allowed myself to be bullied into those things and it worked remarkably well.

Eventually I arrived so late that I met the wedding or funeral party on their way out of the church and that worked even better.

Now I just use my ready excuse of poor health.

Your husband's family would give you a hairier eyeball if you did take communion since you're posting on a heathen board.

[gbate]

2. Arriving late may nor may not work. My husband and two kids are also coming.

Oh, and they don't know I post here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Are you still 'officially' Catholic?

Because I thought they disliked people who aren't Catholic taking mass even more.

[Iggo]

5. They tolerate non-caths for weddings and funerals. (n/t)

[Iggo]

4. Seriously...

...you get in line with the rest of the sheep. When you get to the front of the line, cross your arms over your chest in a big X shape. The priest will skip you.

Or just don't get in line. That works best for me.

[Iggo]

6. Hold up. I checked around.

Perhaps not all catholic churches do it that way. The best way is to get there early and ask the guy in the dress. Or call the church. Or something.

Or, like I said, just don't get in line...lol.

(Looks like I was a ton of help here, huh.)

[Lost-in-FL]

7. People in Church are too focused on themselves to care if you took communion or not

As a former Catholic I can tell that lots of people go to mass and do not take communion for diverse reasons. Something as simple as being remarried to another catholic can get you off the communion list. Feeling guilty about being an ass to your coworker (for those that take Catholisism seriously of course) can force a catholic to not have communion. Before coming out as an Atheist I used to go to mass with my family and they didn't preassured me to have communion. If they ever asked I would simply say that I missed my opportunity to go to confession, before the mass, because I got there late or too many people in line, etc. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. It is normal just to stay seated during communion (really, not a big deal).

[MrMonk]

8. I just don't go up to the line.

Many people don't.