The Archdiocese of Boston has announced plans for implementing a program used in many Catholic dioceses: Catholics Come Home:
I look forward to the harvest such a program might yield. I don't know a pastor in the archdiocese who hasn't witnessed an exodus of Catholics from his parish. If you think that statement is an exaggeration, consider these statistics from from the 2010 Boston Catholic Directory. The Directory publishes comparative statistics for the past 10 years. Below, I've culled the numbers from 10 years ago, 2004 and 2009, the last year for which stats were available when the Directory was published. I've also calculated the % increase/decrease in each category between 2000 and 2009.Catholics Come Home is an outreach initiative of the Archdiocese of Boston seeking to communicate the immense love of God, especially to those Catholics whose connection with the Church has become weak or has been broken.
This evangelization outreach will be conducted in conjunction with CatholicsComeHome.org, a national Catholic lay apostolate. There are two broad aspects of this effort of the New Evangelization
- Television commercials that convey an inviting and positive message about living as a Catholic
- Parish outreach and welcome by which Catholics reach out with a more personal invitation to friends, neighbors and family members and parishes provide opportunities to help people establish or re-establish a relationship with Jesus Christ in the body of believers that is the Catholic Church.
Linked with other projects of the Archdiocese of Boston such as ARISE Together in Christ and The Light Is On For You, Catholics Come Home will assist active Church members to grow in their spiritual life. It will also help us to reach out and invite those whose connection to the Catholic faith community, especially at our worship at Sunday Mass, is weak or missing altogether.
General Population in the Archdiocese of Boston
(2,465 sq. miles in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Plymouth)
2000: 3,816,410
2004: 3,970,026
2009: 3,682,558
4% decrease 2000/2009
Catholic Population in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 2,017,451
2004: 2,077,487
2009: 1,681,533
17 % decrease 2000/2009
Mass Attendance in the Archdiocese of Boston (average/weekend)
2000: 376,383
2004: 321,908
2009: 286,951
24 % decrease 2000/2009
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 373
2004: 305
2009: 291
22 % decrease 2000/2009
Child Baptisms in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 28,682
2004: 22,863
2009: 15,718
46 % decrease 2000/2009
Confirmations in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 15,752
2004: 16,050
2009: 14,842
6% decrease 2000/2009
First Communions in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 24,623
2004: 21,632
2009: 18,643
24% % decrease 2000/2009
Marriages in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 8,007
2004: 6,143
2009: 3,716
54 % decrease 2000/2009:
Deaths in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 18,950
2004: 18,498
2009: 15,642
18 % decrease 2000/2009
Bishops in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 8
2004: 8
2009: 7
12 % decrease 2000/2009
Priests of the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 930
2004: 859
2009: 744
20 % decrease 2000/2009
Permanent Deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 215
2004: 239
2009: 249
14 % increase 2000/2009
Women Religious in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 2,748
2004: 2,601
2009: 1,945
28 % decrease 2000/2009
Brothers in the Archdiocese of Boston
2000: 110
2004: 142
2009: 144
24 % increase 2000/2009
The numbers tell a bleak story.
In my heart of hearts I believe those numbers will turn around but I won't be surprised if they get worse before they get better. I believe there will be a new springtime in the life of the Church but whether that happens in my lifetime, or to what degree it might happen - I simply do not know.
I hope and pray that a program like Catholics Come Home and other archdiocesan and local parish efforts will, with the power of the Holy Spirit, open peoples' hearts to the Church and the Church to the hearts of those who have been away. I hope and pray that the tide will turn.
I just remembered a classmate in the seminary who had a poster on the wall of his room which read, Come Holy Spirit - come soon!
As you ponder the numbers above, take a look at Paul Snatchko's good essay, Absent Friends: Skipping Mass, Losing Community.
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Did your parish participate in the Arise program? What did you think about it?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how successful this program has been in other areas? I do believe we need to reach out to fellow Catholics who have left for good or bad reasons. I began to explore the site. The TV ads are great! I question some of the language used in "8 Reasons to Go to Mass." I don't believe that using the word "command" is helpful. I think "We are called to share God's own life through baptism" or such language is better. (it's hard to explain in a combox) But that's me. Maybe I'm wrong but my fear is that old fashion Baltimore Catechism Catholicism is being promoted. I hope I'm wrong. I want to see this succeed but will this approach attract and more important inspire Catholics to remain with us? Just sayin'..and wondering..
ReplyDeleteWe are participating in the ARISE program and although our numbers have dropped off a bit, those who are in the program are finding it very beneficial.
ReplyDeleteThank you for mentioning both the program and the figures. Daunting!
ReplyDeleteI also believe that there will be a Spring. I am not even wondering how long the winter will be.
I guess if the laity does not feel heard, they vote with their feet. The problem is that the current Pope seems to be happy with just 'the right few' and many of us are definitely part of these few. So does Rome really care about our walking away? The bishops and priests, surely...
The silence and blind obedience are also too often too heavy to bear...
Isn't strange that the laity needs to witness their hierarchy's own metanoia?
Keeping all of this in prayer.
If we don't wonder about the length of the winter we could get snowed in and freeze to death. I think preparing for and being ready for the possibility of a long winter is important here. One way to read what the pope has said is that he doesn't care if people leave the Church. I don't for a moment believe that's what he thinks or how he feels. I think his comments have more to do with expecting a long winter and being prepared for a time when the Church may be smaller in numbers before the spring brings new growth. Some will read what he says as a pious acceptance of defeat while others will see it as trust that even a smaller Church will carry on the mission of Christ's Body.
ReplyDeleteIt's never been my mind that the hierarchy was not in need of continuing deeper conversion, just like the rest of us so it doesn't surprise me that we see them in need of changing their hearts - I certainly know that by and large everyone does.
I keep this in prayer, too. The stats on this post weigh very heavy on a pastor's mind and in his heart, very heavy indeed...
Speaking from Cornwall UK so the situation here is different. i don't know of any programmes of renewal yet -no doubt there will be some in the pipeline but who the heck is going to implement them in parishes where there are so few willing and/or able to do the "donkey work" is a moot question.
ReplyDeleteThe older ones( like me !) are "burnt out and tired" - when I was in my twenties and thirties I was part of a vibrant youth and young adults group -it is so sad to see such little spiritual formation going on in my parish.Cornwall is out on a limb anyway in the UK so we are not entirely representative of the UK.
All I can say is that my heart is very heavy because if my church is to be leaner and composed of the Latinites and Conservatives I will definiely be on the fringe of it as someone who has little in common with their views and values. I have never believd that my faith is just for me. My natural instinct is to be active and collaborative and to be in community doing things but I see little point when there will be people who just want to maintain the same pious status quo. I get very angry at times and that is when I have to walk away and rest awhile. There is nothing else I can do. I don't want to be a "strident female "- I don't want to be angry - but that is the reality of the situation I and many others find myself in. Some priests are wonderful and understand the crisis many laity are in - their faith is vital to them and they love God but they are being suppressed and need nurturing. I can't say much more because the nature of combo boxes is such that I will probably tie myself and everyone up in knots !!
Going in the garden now to watch and listen to nature and pray!!
What's with the girls receiving their First Communion on the tongue kneeling at an altar rail?
ReplyDeleteI hope this is not indicative of the thrust of this outreach program, i.e., looking backward instead of forward.
Many people who have left the Catholic Church have left because the Catholic Church has not been accepting of them or welcoming to them. Why would these people want to return? I do not hold much hope for this initiative unless the Catholic Church is willing to change its positions on any number of issues which have caused people to leave.
I have never seen any statistics following the RCAB's Lenten "Light Is On For You" campaign. Was it deemed to be successful? Was there an increase in people coming to the Sacrament of Reconciliation? If so, did all churches see an increase? Etc. Each of these initiatives (Arise, Light Is On For You, Catholics Come Home) requires a substantial cash investment to cover, e.g., salaries, media advertising, promotional materials, etc. I hope that the results merit the expenditures.
I don't mean to throw rain on this parade, but I am skeptical.
Rosemary
i am fearful that the "new" liturgical changes to be introduced in the fall will drive more people away... the wrong thing at the wrong time...
ReplyDeleteI have been curious (before tonight) about any feedback, statistics, turnout, etc. for how The Light Is On For You went this past Lent.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to get some information, but found it difficult. It seems there is only information from when it was going on, not after the fact.
I for one, was glad they had this. It helped me in my whole Lenten experience.
I belong to a parish in a suburb of Boston, but I live in the city. Unfortunately, I was not able to get to my parish on the Wednesday evenings, but I did go to a church close to where I live.
In that experience, there were about 10-15 people waiting for confession- and I arrived at about the halfway point so I don't know how many were there in the first half.
There were two priests hearing confessions.
It was a good experience, though I was sorry I was not able to be at my own parish. But I thought that it was good to experience something new...
I've not seen any published statistics for "The Light Is On For You." Talking with other pastors I hear mixed results. In my own parish where it was publicized (announced every week at Mass and in the bulletin and in my weekly letter) and a "guide for confession" was distributed (for adults and for younger people),the response ranged from 4 people on the first night to about 30 on the last night. The average in the in-between weeks was about 8.
ReplyDeleteThe same program is being planned for this coming Advent and Lent 2011.
Some songs for the weekend for you over at my place... they fit in well with this week's blog themes and I hope you enjoy them.( Blue Eyed Ennis)
ReplyDeleteBlessings
I was not talking of metanoia for you, Father, but for those people who have been protecting pedophile priests, all throughout the hierarchy.
ReplyDeleteMetanoia, in the sense that I think a public admission of fault, error, and regret might help heal all the people who have been hurt ...
I think it is important to note that September 11, 2000 brought many people back to church, who had ordinarily stopped going. Looking at the statistics cited is a bit deceiving because the starting rate is actually higher than it would have been, had 9/11 not happened. As our country began to settle back into a "normal" routine, people once again got comfortable not attending mass. The new springtime isn't as far off as these figures would have you believe.
ReplyDeleteThe infamous 9/11 was in 2001, not 2,000.
ReplyDeleteThe decline in numbers did not begin suddenly but certainly the reality of the sex abuse crisis (2002) are a major factor here.
The numbers given here are for the Archdiocese of Boston and so the closing of 60+ parishes in 2004 is certainly a factor here. But the decline here is not unusual when compared to other American dioceses.
The major cause for the decline, in my estimation, is the abuse crisis and how the Church has responded to it over the years.