2 /5 Lissette Rivera: I had a very unwelcoming experience here on more than one occasion. The Centro Carismatico Ushers are very rude—one man argued with me before getting into the confessional on one occasion because my mask was not up to his standards (yes, it was a standard cloth mask that covered my mouth and nose. I did not take it off once. I also sanitized. He argued that it didn’t go up high enough for his liking to cover my nose completely and tried to prevent me from entering the confessional. The priest said I was fine and there was no problem. On another occasion, I came to church and stepped out before Mass started because I came early to do my rosary, but the upcoming Mass was in Spanish (I prefer English). The ushers told me I could not leave the church because Mass was beginning soon. What? Since when am I forced to stay inside a church? The ushers are very unwelcoming. Over time, this parish has become very clique-y. If you’re not very charismatic, you won’t feel like you fit in, and the church doesn’t do much outreach to support those who are not into that. I have no problems with the priests—they are all wonderful. However, ushers and workers there need lessons on how to approach parishioners and talk to them like people.
