Catholic mega-churches are the trend in U.S., study reveals

[irishpatrick]

*Americans are known for their propensity to “supersize” almost everything, and Catholic parishes are no exception.

A new study by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has found that amid parish mergers and closures in recent years and shifts in the Catholic population, parish communities are growing, with more Masses, bigger budgets and larger staffs to serve expanded, ethnically diverse congregations.*

4thepriests.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/catholic-mega-churches-are-the-trend-in-u-s-study-reveals/​

Is this a good or bad trend?

 

[James924]

*Americans are known for their propensity to “supersize” almost everything, and Catholic parishes are no exception.

A new study by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has found that amid parish mergers and closures in recent years and shifts in the Catholic population, parish communities are growing, with more Masses, bigger budgets and larger staffs to serve expanded, ethnically diverse congregations.*

4thepriests.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/catholic-mega-churches-are-the-trend-in-u-s-study-reveals/​

Is this a good or bad trend?

I’d say it’s indicative of bad trends in so far as the reason it is happening is that parishes are closing and there are fewer priests and vocations and only a minority of Catholics showing up to mass every Sunday which means less money in the basket which caused the closings etc etc.

However I don’t think there is anything specifically good or bad about the actual thing itself, that is the large congregations etc.

I think it’s a bad idea to refer to these as mega churches though because mega churches are associated with evangelical SUCCESS I.E. booming numbers of people coming to church so they need their mega churches for a good reason, where as in the case of the catholic church, it’s the opposite, it’s bad reasons that are causing this to happen. Mega churches might make this sound like something good or a cause for celebration.

I guess my point is that the important thing to look at here is the cause, which is bad, rather than the actual effect, the mega churches, which is neither good nor bad.

 

[mark_a]

Is this a good or bad trend?

The Catholic Church I attend is considered a megachurch. I have nothing but good things to say about the pastor, priests, and staff. Being there has been an excellent experience!

 

[irishpatrick]

The Catholic Church I attend is considered a megachurch. I have nothing but good things to say about the pastor, priests, and staff. Being there has been an excellent experience!

Thank you. Do you find the Church to be less personal with its size? Is it run by lay people? How involved are the Priests with regular pew sitters?

 

[Bluegoat]

Overall, I think megachurches are a bad idea (though what constitutes a megachurch makes a difference here.)

When a church gets so large that it is no longer on a human scale, it means the community tends to break down into sub-groups on its own, and there is a lot of room for people just to be overlooked as well.

If there is enough congregation to make a mega church, there should be enough to have several smaller parishes in different locations.

In the past diocese have a large cathedral for things that would require a large space, and to offer services that might not be available at every parish. And parishes were in the local communities. There is a lot of sense. There is a limit beyond which an intimate community becomes impossible.

 

[chuckfrmvalyfrg]

Let’s not forget that the US population is very mobile . We move around a lot in the US . Couple that with demographic shifts and I understand why some parishes are closed and/or merged . In Philadelphia , the city itself has seen a population decline but the statistical demographic area has grown ( and more than the city of Phila. has lost ) .

Let’s also not forget that the Catholic population of the US and worldwide is growing . The two most recent statistical yearbooks of the Catholic Church also reveal that worldwide seminary enrollment has also increased . Surprised ? This increase in worldwide seminary enrollment does Not mean this increase is evenly distributed , it is not . But we are a worldwide Church .

My parish has about 4000 families , does that make it a mega church ?

 

[turtle18]

I don’t like megachurches because the architecture is profoundly ugly. Most beautiful churches are close to downtown urban areas and usually built around 100 years ago. It is true that people make up the church but I have yet to see a house of worship done in modern style that gives glory to God.

I know churches need to be made larger in order to accomodate less priests and bigger parishes, but there is no reason why they have to be designed so poorly.

 

[James924]

I don’t like megachurches because the architecture is profoundly ugly. Most beautiful churches are close to downtown urban areas and usually built around 100 years ago. It is true that people make up the church but I have yet to see a house of worship done in modern style that gives glory to God.

I know churches need to be made larger in order to accomodate less priests and bigger parishes, but there is no reason why they have to be designed so poorly.

Keep the Faith has a great talk on this subject and how on earth it has been allowed happen:

keepthefaith.org/detail.aspx?ID=1340

Its by Michael Rose.

I think I’ve seen a book on the topic as well, the title “Ugly as Sin” sounds familiar.

In some ways I think its just another example of the manifestation of the heresy of modernism and of a desire to act like protestants.

 

[irishpatrick]

Not all modern Churches are “ugly.” Check out this one (there is a virtual tour):

[stmaryhuntley.org/Tour/Ma(name removed by moderator)anel.html](http://www.stmaryhuntley.org/Tour/Ma(name removed by moderator)anel.html)
stmaryhuntley.org/

The Church is under ten years old, is built in a traditional cruciform pattern, has seperate box confessionals like Churches of old, has beautiful stained glass, many statues purchased from closed Catholic Churches and the Tabernacle is at the center. I don’t mind THAT sort of Church building trend.

 

[mark_a]

Thank you. Do you find the Church to be less personal with its size? Is it run by lay people? How involved are the Priests with regular pew sitters?

I find it more personal than smaller Catholic Churches I’ve been to. There are tons of ministries and a concerted effort to involve as many folks as possible.

All the Priests are very involved with parishioners and ministries run by the laity.

There is a staff of 4 priests, btw.

 

[Bluegoat]

Not all modern Churches are “ugly.” Check out this one (there is a virtual tour):

[stmaryhuntley.org/Tour/Ma(name removed by moderator)anel.html](http://www.stmaryhuntley.org/Tour/Ma(name removed by moderator)anel.html)
stmaryhuntley.org/

The Church is under ten years old, is built in a traditional cruciform pattern, has seperate box confessionals like Churches of old, has beautiful stained glass, many statues purchased from closed Catholic Churches and the Tabernacle is at the center. I don’t mind THAT sort of Church building trend.

It’s an interesting building. I’m always thrown by the lack of an altar rail in many modern churches - I find the sanctuary looks so open.

 

[mark_a]

I know churches need to be made larger in order to accomodate less priests and bigger parishes, but there is no reason why they have to be designed so poorly.

You’re right, it’s backwards from 100 years ago.

In my opinion, this is symptomatic of our times. People complain about the riches of the Church, grudgingly put their dollar in the basket, then go home to their 4000 square foot house and wait on their pets hand and foot.

 

[irishpatrick]

It’s an interesting building. I’m always thrown by the lack of an altar rail in many modern churches - I find the sanctuary looks so open.

I agree. I am hoping altar rails will make a come back.

 

[irishpatrick]

I find it more personal than smaller Catholic Churches I’ve been to. There are tons of ministries and a concerted effort to involve as many folks as possible.

All the Priests are very involved with parishioners and ministries run by the laity.

There is a staff of 4 priests, btw.

Thank you. Interesting.

 

[irishpatrick]

You’re right, it’s backwards from 100 years ago.

In my opinion, this is symptomatic of our times. People complain about the riches of the Church, grudgingly put their dollar in the basket, then go home to their 4000 square foot house and wait on their pets hand and foot.

Wow, that is a sad, but incredibly apt description. Complaining about the riches of the Church while going home to feed their pets in their 4,000 square foot house. Awesome way to put it.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

The issue of course is the definition of “mega-church.” The term conjures up visions of basketball arenas, such as those converted by some evangelical assemblies for their services. But the term should more properly, in a Catholic context, be thought of I think as “large parish” rather than any architectural definition.

Here in parts of the Northeast many cities and even towns are still struggling under the legacy of ethnic parishes, where even a smallish community might have a “Polish church,” a “French church,” an “Irish church,” etc. In my town, there was even a “Northern Italian” parish and a “Southern Italian” parish. In times of immigration those served a real need; now, so many of them are struggling congregations of a few elderly, populations so small that many parish ministries can no longer be supported. Given our shifting populations and mobility, that kind of structure just isn’t viable, nor is that kind of segmentation particularly “Catholic.” (My Canadian French Catholic father was accused by his parents of a “mixed marriage” because he married an Irish Catholic girl.)

In that sense, I think it’s only realistic to realize that a certain population “critical mass” (no pun intended) is needed to sustain vital parish ministries.

 

[Bluegoat]

The issue of course is the definition of “mega-church.” The term conjures up visions of basketball arenas, such as those converted by some evangelical assemblies for their services. But the term should more properly, in a Catholic context, be thought of I think as “large parish” rather than any architectural definition.

Here in parts of the Northeast many cities and even towns are still struggling under the legacy of ethnic parishes, where even a smallish community might have a “Polish church,” a “French church,” an “Irish church,” etc. In my town, there was even a “Northern Italian” parish and a “Southern Italian” parish. In times of immigration those served a real need; now, so many of them are struggling congregations of a few elderly, populations so small that many parish ministries can no longer be supported. Given our shifting populations and mobility, that kind of structure just isn’t viable, nor is that kind of segmentation particularly “Catholic.” (My Canadian French Catholic father was accused by his parents of a “mixed marriage” because he married an Irish Catholic girl.)

In that sense, I think it’s only realistic to realize that a certain population “critical mass” (no pun intended) is needed to sustain vital parish ministries.

Yes, when there are fewer people, it can make sense to merge their parishes.

But that, to me, is not the definition of a mega-church.

Wiki says that a mega-church is one that has 2000 or more weekly attendance, which seems a reasonable definition to me. It also points out though that there are some groups with up to 47,000!

I spoke to a girl once who attended one of those really huge churches. It was actually a concert hall, with a gym and a food court, among other things.