Almost lost another Catholic to Entertaingelicals.

[bengeorge]

My friend just called saying that she felt like the priest at her local parish (Nacogdoches TX) was so boring that in spite of her trying to focus, she often drifted off during mass.

She contrasted this to the great time she had at the local “non-denominational” church, praising God and doing Bible lessons.

I don’t blame her, she was poorly catechised, and after I spoke with her she agreed that the Catholic Church was right, but she asked “Why aren’t there more things to do?”

AND I HAVE TO AGREE!

How is it that even in the smallest of towns, you can have little non-denom churches with vibrant church life, and the local Catholic church is so dull?

It just makes me mad, the sloppy catechisis, the uninspired and trite homilies, the unfriendliness and the coldness of the people, the lack of study opportunities.

WAKE UP.

As a young person, try to start an interesting and engaging program at your local parish… what do you get? Naysaying old ladies and suspicious DREs and sleepwalking priests all saying “We’ll look into thaaatt mm-k?”

arrgh!

 

[LSK]

Ok, here is what you gotta do…

ready?

start a Catholic Answers Bible Study at your house…

OR

a Father Corapi Catechism study at your house…do you get EWTN?

TAPE HIS SHOWS…then, invite the young people over, make coffe and snacks, watch his shows and have discussion afterwards…YOU CAN DO IT…

I knight thee - in the name of The Most HOLY VIRGIN…

go get 'em…

 

[bengeorge]

LSK:

Ok, here is what you gotta do…

ready?
…

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

 

[exoflare]

I guess I do sometimes take for granted how lucky I’ve been. The Catholic Student Association here was voted best religious organization on campus like 4 or 5 years in a row and counting. It’s the best church community I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of in my short life… The cool thing is, we’re able to do it without sacrificing learning for entertainment (often they turn out to be one and the same!). Sometimes I wonder what I would have to do if I were forced to move to some other more dull parishes I’ve seen in different areas.

 

[AquinasXVI]

bengeorge:

We are all called to chip in. The church is not a vending machine. If a church is dull, it’s our fault as much as the pastor. It means we’re not giving enough TIME, TALENT and TREASURE.

The church is our family. If it’s dull, it’s because we have become lazy with our faith. There are many good parishes and invariably they have lay people giving to it.

Lastly, we need to obliterate the idea that worship=entertainment. That’s so offensive to the Lord. When we go to worship we need to give of our entire being not just to take take take. Should the homily or music somehow entertain us, that’s a bonus but not the foundation.

in XT.

 

[mercygate]

bengeorge:

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

Well, can’t your friend be one of the people you invite over? Or is she too far away?

And as for individual lay people starting things: The Second Vatican Council has called this “the age of the laity.”

 

[Celia]

bengeorge:

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

Well, a church is made up of the people…sometimes it’s up to them to do a little grassroots organizing to get things going. Stuff doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. Maybe you could get one of those ‘educational leaders’ to come to your parish and give a talk. Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to get things started and energized - keep bugging the old ladies and the priest until you hear more of an answer than “we’ll look into that” - you know, take the lead.
And if all else fails, start a group of your own, like LSK suggested. Who, by the way, I thought had a great idea with that Catechism study - I’m sure your friend could benefit from that! Why not? Probably more benefit then she could get at a non-denom bible study…if she’s too far away, she can start her own.
anyway, just a couple thoughts.

 

[Forest-Pine]

The thought of “starting your own” sounds great. Problem is in implementation. I’ve attended the same LARGE parish for over a decade. In that time, I have tried so much to become involved and to be a part of the community. The problem: it simply doesn’t exist. I was expressing my distress to a looooong-standing church member who also happens to have grown up with our priest. He told me a story to soothe me that pretty much went: “Back 30 years ago, we had this guy say his friends would drive 30 minutes out of their way to another parish instead of coming here. The guy asked his friends why. They said the parish was so cold and uninviting…” 30 years and things are still the same, despite the best efforts of people like me. The fact of the matter is:

1. Catholicism as a whole is in serious need of a revival. That’s why Life Teen is so big right now (whether you like it or hate it, we all must recognize why it is so popular).
2. Like minded people seem to be magnetic, so that people who are Sunday-only Catholics seem to be prevalent at one church whereas more faithful are at another church.
3. The priest and the bishop have a great deal of power in setting the tone for the parish and diocese.
4. There are plenty of people, like myself, who are more than willing to do the work to be a part of the community who are met with condescension and disapproval.

My suggestions for your friend:

1. Try to go through proper channels, offering her help to get things moving. Some parishes have a “community” group that meets for food and fellowship with no other purpose. Perhaps this would be a good starting point. Or a meal after mass once a month. Any small thing to get people together.
2. If that goes no where invite her to share the faith with faithful Catholics in other ways. A novena, a book or Bible study, etc. This can be done in person, by mail, or online.
3. Tell her to look into other parishes in her area and even different masses at her church where a different homilist can make a huge difference.
4. Keep in touch with her regularly and show your enthusiasm for the faith and encourage her in hers.
5. Acknowledge that this IS something the Protestants are doing better at right now and that it is regrettable, as we can see the effects of fellowship and community on people, who are all too often willing to leave the true faith for a personal connection.
6. Tell her to offer up her sacrifice for the people who are not as strong in their faith (or as blessed as to have a friend like you).
7. If there is a college campus near by, she might have better luck at enthusiasm for the faith there. If not, she might have better luck at inspiring it.

 

[puzzleannie]

bengeorge:

It just makes me mad,As a young person, try to start an interesting and engaging program at your local parish… what do you get? Naysaying old ladies and suspicious DREs and sleepwalking priests all saying “We’ll look into thaaatt mm-k?”

arrgh!

I am the suspicious DRE, and between me and adult evangelization department we have study and action opportunities for adults 5 days a week, daytime and evening. All are excellent programs, with excellent resources, put on by excellent presenters, and all are poorly attended in spite of all the publicity, personal invitations and what not we can come up with. People say they want it but when the opportunity comes, they don’t follow thru. By the way our pastor is one of the most gifted homilists I have ever heard, and is invited by neighboring parishes and dioceses to give retreats, missions etc. and has his own radio and TV shows.

 

[puzzleannie]

bengeorge:

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

the hired help can only do so much, we can’t ram this down people’s throats. To put on a program like this is not the job of one person, it takes dozens of volunteers trained as catechists, facilitators, hospitality people, coordinators, A-V aides etc. No parish can afford to pay these people, it has to come from the laity. Your neighboring mega-Church has big bucks to hire a pastor, youth pastor, young adult pastor, children’s pastor etc. because protestants give more and usually tithe. Catholics give about a tenth of what their protestant neighbors give for evangelization and support of the Church.

 

[scylla]

When churches preach about tithing 10% they get a return. I for one have never heard tithing in the Catholic Church. This might be good too as I see downsides to preaching about tithing.

I am in a parish that is pretty un-orthodox, we have no priest and a sister who is trying hard but is one of those older more liberal minded people in the Church. I wont say she is a dissenter but when you see the things I see in Church it is pretty disturbing.

About 20 minutes away is a great orthodox parish with a great priest who personally does Bible studies and is active in the community. Many prefer to go there.

I have been trying to start any study in my parish for months and just get brushed off. I know Catholicism is true and want to share it but until the “Old Guard” move on it will be difficult. I will continue to get involved and work to revive our parish. Why give up? We have the truth, just a few obstacles to overcome in sharing it.

The solution is orthodoxy and a parish that wants to share it.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[Trick]

bengeorge:

My friend just called saying that she felt like the priest at her local parish (Nacogdoches TX) was so boring that in spite of her trying to focus, she often drifted off during mass.

She contrasted this to the great time she had at the local “non-denominational” church, praising God and doing Bible lessons.

I don’t blame her, she was poorly catechised, and after I spoke with her she agreed that the Catholic Church was right, but she asked “Why aren’t there more things to do?”

AND I HAVE TO AGREE!

How is it that even in the smallest of towns, you can have little non-denom churches with vibrant church life, and the local Catholic church is so dull?

It just makes me mad, the sloppy catechisis, the uninspired and trite homilies, the unfriendliness and the coldness of the people, the lack of study opportunities.

WAKE UP.

As a young person, try to start an interesting and engaging program at your local parish… what do you get? Naysaying old ladies and suspicious DREs and sleepwalking priests all saying “We’ll look into thaaatt mm-k?”

arrgh!

Is anybody in this forum from Nacodoches ,Tx.
I don’t know how many Catholic parishes there are ? , but are all the priest there boring, I sure hope not.
Also are there any ministries or organizations at any of your parishes ?

Trick

 

[Forest-Pine]

Trick:

Is anybody in this forum from Nacodoches ,Tx.
I don’t know how many Catholic parishes there are ? , but are all the priest there boring, I sure hope not.
Also are there any ministries or organizations at any of your parishes ? Trick

Trick, In post #8 above, I linked to the diocesan website page which lists all the parishes in the Nacogdoches area.

 

[santaro75]

AquinasXVI:

bengeorge:

We are all called to chip in. The church is not a vending machine. If a church is dull, it’s our fault as much as the pastor. It means we’re not giving enough TIME, TALENT and TREASURE.

The church is our family. If it’s dull, it’s because we have become lazy with our faith. There are many good parishes and invariably they have lay people giving to it.

Lastly, we need to obliterate the idea that worship=entertainment. That’s so offensive to the Lord. When we go to worship we need to give of our entire being not just to take take take. Should the homily or music somehow entertain us, that’s a bonus but not the foundation.

in XT.

This is the attitude that keeps the church dull. The Church should have dedicated staff doing this for us. We have full lives where we are bankers, pilots, waitors or whatever. We come to the church to be fed. it is the responsibility that Jesus gave to them and they are not living up to it.

I am a young catholic and frankly getting sick of told to shutup and take the eucharist every time i bring up the fact that the church has little to offer young adults outside of the mass.

 

[Lillith]

santaro75:

This is the attitude that keeps the church dull. The Church should have dedicated staff doing this for us. We have full lives where we are bankers, pilots, waitors or whatever. We come to the church to be fed. it is the responsibility that Jesus gave to them and they are not living up to it.

I am a young catholic and frankly getting sick of told to shutup and take the eucharist every time i bring up the fact that the church has little to offer young adults outside of the mass.

Are you going to the NCYC in Atlanta Ga. this year? There should be at least 30,000 other catholic youth there.

 

[b_justb]

bengeorge:

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

It’s not scandalous it’s reality. If you want results, work to make them a reality.

The laity IS the Church.

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

bengeorge:

Well, that doesn’t help my friend much.

And why it should be left up to individual lay people to start their own Bible studies when we have a very wealthy Church and big buildings and people who are getting paid to be the educational leadership…

It’s scandalous.

Heard of the communion of the Saints? Hopefully this includes you. We are the Church and we are all the Body of Christ. It is our duty as much as the overworked pastors and underpaid secretaries (if paid at all) to make the Church vibrant.

 

[kildare]

bengeorge:

My friend just called saying that she felt like the priest at her local parish (Nacogdoches TX) was so boring that in spite of her trying to focus, she often drifted off during mass.
arrgh!

This is focussing one one half of the two great commandments, but what about the ministry to the poor and the weak? Which denomination si stronger there do you think?

 

[Forest-Pine]

kildare:

This is focussing one one half of the two great commandments, but what about the ministry to the poor and the weak? Which denomination si stronger there do you think?

I think the worldwide Catholic Church is far better than any other organization. However, comparing particular parishes will run into the same situation of apathy. I was reminded of this just recently when my parish was completely apathetic about a local tragedy whereas another was overbooked with things to do and willing to make time to help.

 

[dljl]

After reverting from a mega-evangelical church, I have also found that resources for catholics in a parish are very limited. My church doesn’t even have a website. I think you could find catholics interested in starting bible studies if there was an effective way to get the word out (I’m not sure how effective a church bulletin is). Are there local message boards out there (specifically the Sacramento area) where we could connect and organize studies ourselves?