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What can we do to get our religion and the Catholic Church to resonate in our families and friends? To be sure, authors and speakers, diocesan headquarters, and local parishes have offered us a plethora of information and programs for evangelization. Yet, despite enthusiasm and some positive results, it seems that many priests and parishioners are becoming weary and disenchanted under the strained pressure to bring people to God and the Church. We read the negative statistics of decreasing Mass attendance, reception of sacraments, and the number of priests. We know that special programs and communal events often draw relatively few people. Furthermore, we get discouraged when we see that the majority of supporters are senior citizens, with the young and educated in the minority. Asking elderly people for their time, talent, and treasure evokes dispiriting weariness. Church and school closings fuel the dismal atmosphere, Fr anciscanMedia.org
while political setbacks, periodic scandals, and too many leaders who fail to walk their talk add to our pervasive and unspoken fear. Some people think that part of our crisis is due to our theologies, pastoral letters, and homilies being too abstract and not very relevant or helpful to most people. They want their leaders to show how religion helps them to manage more effectively and to live more meaningfully. Others argue that we subscribe too much to business and social media models rather than to spiritual ones, or point to Church scandals, inept leadership, and cultural or political secularization. They feel that the Church leaders still whitewash their dark side, choosing expediency over mercy.
As Mass attendance numbers continue to decline, priests are challenged to find innovative ways to communicate their message, both to members and the community as a whole.
Connecting with the ‘Lost Sheep’ With utmost respect for the people who are doing so much in and for the Church, I would like to offer some ideas that challenge and hopefully help some of our existing apApril 2017 ❘
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