By Mark Griswold • Posted October 14, 2026

Are you an end-of-the-pew or a middle-of-the-pew Catholic?

This may seem like an odd question, right? It was a question that I heard recently that really piqued my interest and had me questioning my demeanor when attending Mass.

The speaker who posed this intriguing question went on to explain the difference between the two. It was not so much a judgment of where one chooses to sit, but more about cultivating an attitude of mission and a mindset of welcoming the “late-comer.”

This distinction hearkens back to the Gospel passage of a few weeks ago about the landowner and the hired workers who came to work at different times of the day, but were all paid the same wage.

It also echoes the Gospel reading from the following week about the two sons called to go out and work in the vineyard. One eagerly said “yes” but didn’t go, and the other said “no” initially but then later went to work.

Essentially, the passages were challenging us to cultivate a mission-focused mindset when we come to Mass. The end-of-the-pew position represents one who has established their place. If a late-comer to Mass arrives seeking a place to sit, this person might think, “By golly! They will just have to step over me.”

Contrast this with the middle-of-the-pew person. They arrive early to prepare themselves interiorly but they choose to sit in the middle so that the newcomer might have an easy place to be seated on the end when they arrive. See the difference?

Now in reality, for most of us, sitting at the end of the pew is not some statement of “I don’t want to welcome those who arrive late or are new to the parish.” We are force-of-habit humans and most of us sit in the same pew, in the same place, that we have sat for decades.

That said, this question perhaps causes us to reflect on our attitudes. Are we missionary disciples? Do we look for ways to welcome, to invite, to see the others around us? Do we take seriously our call as Catholics to reach out to the family member, the neighbor, even the stranger who needs to come to know our Lord Jesus?

Do you realize that the future of your parish depends on your willingness to reach out and invite?

How are you making room at the end of your pew?

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Mark Griswold is parish life director of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lenni, Delaware County.