How to renew dying parish?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Xarto
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
X

Xarto

Guest
I live in a parish that is about 45yrs old and while the church goers are mostly senior citizens the area has a young demographic.

I’m newly joined the parish council and we are trying to think of ways to reach out to the wider parish but at a loss.

Have you had similar problems, how did you get past it and reach a wider audience?
 
Last edited:
There’s praying the Rosary for the parish and with intentions of bringing in the lost and people of different ages.
 
Last edited:
May I suggest the idea of the parish having weekly Catholic Answers episodes played and encouraging teens to watch?
Perhaps on the Church’s bulletin.
There could be Catholic/Christian movies shown weekly too?
 
Welcome.

May I send you a private message to try to be of further help? I can share Catholic sites for prayer for you to ask others to pray for the parish.
 
Does your parish have Adoration? There is so much social media and noise going on that you could promote Adoration as a quiet time with Jesus.
 
Go where they are: social media. Build a strong online presence. And then regularly update with what’s going on. Over time you’ll build a solid following. People love pictures.

If these young people are in your database send a mailer inviting them to Christmas mass. If you know young people live in your area but they are going to another parish ask them why. If you know any who are inactive ask them why.

Have babysitting available for events.

Be welcoming with coffee and donuts and other events after mass.

Find out what these young people and young families are interested in, and make it easy for them to start their own ministries like young mother’s group or food pantry or whatever.

Marriage prep and and baptism prep are often times the pastor can help a couple start practicing their faith.
 
Before promoting Catholic Answers, or getting brochures, etc, check your diocesan policy. Our bishop requires an approval process for anything that is not on a diocesan approved list of materials.
 
It starts from the Pastor down.

Go to where the people are. Does your parish have a social media presence? If not, get one and keep it updated (2 posts per day is the common rule of thumb for keeping engagement).

Parish records, how updated are they? Get a team of volunteers to visit everyone in the database and get updated info including email addresses. If no one wants to visit, at very minimum call them. Ask if you can pray with them and do it, right there (might want some converts for that 🙂 )

At Christmas, hand everyone who attends a “welcome flyer” that lists mass times, confession times, office hours, list of things happening in the parish.
 
A great ministry to look into starting is the Legion of Mary. Part of what they do is canvas the surrounding area to share the Faith and invite people to go to Mass.
 
First, before you send people to an outside resource, ask Father if he is willing to host a “Q and A” session after Sunday Mass. Have coffee and donuts and just a “chat with Padre” hour.
 
Are you near a college/university campus? Does the college/university have its own campus church?

If yes-and-no respectively, you might consider an 8 pm Mass or something Sunday evening, for young Catholics who have left town for the weekend, but want to fulfill their Sunday obligation. (In my area, for example, there’s not a Sunday Mass after noon within an hour’s drive in any direction.) (Sometimes, however, that can be controlled on the Diocesan level and the individual parishes might not be able to have the freedom to come up with their own Mass times.)

Another vote for offering a Latin Mass (yes, I know it requires extensive training and special materials) and for Adoration. 💙
 
Last edited:
Our priest has encouraged church leaders to read Divine Renovation: Bringing your Parish from Maintenance to Mission by Fr. James Mallon. This book addresses your concerns.
 
Confessions multiple times during the week. Lots of adoration times.
Daily mass time early in the morning (7:00am) or at lunch time
Really good and sound (and interesting) adult study classes.

People will learn that the parish is convenient for such non-sunday things and will start dropping by after work to go to confession or make a visit and it will bleed over into actual Sunday attendance and other activities.
 
I think people are thirsty of God and of relationships with other people. I would increase the availability of Confession time (once per day at a set time) and Adoration. Reach out to people where they are (groups and social activities for young families, elderly, moms, bereavement etc). Also let people know about the Parish in social media and with a letter to all the families in the area (come home for Christmas type…). If you really want to go the extra mile open the doors to Catholic movements/groups that are really good with catechesis/mission.
 
Last edited:
Well, I was going to a parish that seemed to be dying after the original priest retired. He was replaced by a much younger priest who started making changes…the peaceful atmosphere of the old Church was gone. The Church was locked often…the organ was replaced with a piano…the music was no longer traditional. In the previous year, there was a building fund established to remodel the old Church. The plaster was peeling from the walls and no indication of any repairs being made. The confessional was no longer being used. It seemed that the Catholic School was the main focus. The priest was trying to get more people to attend by various events. One could not get out of the Church without being approached for something. I had to make a choice to ease my peace of mind. Lucky for me that there is another Catholic church nearby. It is well-organized and I enjoy attending Mass there. I am thoroughly surprise how an old Church can change so drastically! :cry:
 
Getting a little late for Christmas invitation but if you can, advertise widely for an evening of caroling with refreshments afterwards.
 
There was a priest who took over a dying parish in the Bronx. He knew that something had to jolt the neighborhood out of their complacency. So, he took some parishioners and held the bible aloft and made a procession. Around the block, or around several blocks I do not remember. Since very few knew what was going on, many asked. And from that “out of the blue” gesture, the parish was revived.

Although that was a singular act, something like a parish mission preached by one of the itinerant holy order priests might wake things up. Some doorbelling if anyone is up to it. A letter writing campaign to inactive members of the parish.

However you can reach the people. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top