Hmm…
Community comes with energized, “Traditionalist” Catholics.
And, in my experience, with energized Catholics of any style (traditional or not). Supporting, however, Robert’s viewpoint (and experience), here is my own, for reflection:
Community is linked to
spirituality (if it’s genuine, if there’s continuity to it, if there’s some spontaneity to it).
It cannot be forced. It’s not something that happens merely, or primarily, via earnest coaxing (no matter how sincere the coaxer). It’s not something
that appears “on demand” or as a result of “reminders.”
Community grows out of the encounter with Jesus Christ, as that encounter:
~is modeled in the priesthood (in the person of the priest, through his witness, through his engagement with liturgy and the spirituality which is apparent in his homilies, through the joy and other gospel values which he communicates
~is similarly modeled in any other parish staff, and among lay volunteers (such as various leadership positions and staff functions)
~is made possible through frequent opportunity for the Sacraments – esp. both Penance & Eucharist, and in particular how those sacraments are celebrated & available
~is extended through additional opportunities for reflective parish programs, such as Adoration, structured community prayer (LOTH & more), open chapels which invite visits, advent & lenten preparation programs, periodic retreats in-parish
~is encouraged directly by the priest, playing a leadership role in urging a deep and adult (developed) spirituality and directly discouraging “using” Eucharist mechanically, outside of liturgical context and the Liturgy of the Word. The catechesis and the directive about ‘leaving after Communion’ properly belongs to the pastor himself; it is he who should take the lead, and it is he who will be respected as the authority, not random lay people behaving like self-appointed deputies.
I think Robert’s point is that a rich in-parish Catholic prayer life (if accessed) does not inhibit community, nor is contradictory to it. And my point is, is that it is the best potential community-builder, whether that’s a very Traditional parish or a somewhat more modern one. It’s the parishioners’ collective consciousness and practice of Catholic spirituality which is continually reinvigorated by a pastor/staff which is itself committed to that. It’s a lot of work to achieve that: work by clergy, work by responsive parishioners.
If that consciousness meets specific suggestions for community, a perfect storm may ensue, but it is more likely (in my own experience) to occur in that direction than to occur in the other direction (as an external suggestion to spiritually lukewarm Catholics).
Like Robert, I have followed the ups and downs of a particular parish in this regard. (By no means has it ever been anything resembling “traditional.” Yet, it has often been vibrant, and at times absolutely effervescing with community.) At all times when that did occur, the above elements were comprehensively present --despite the very modern & even “maverick” style of this parish. The priests modeled a rigorous spirituality & vibrant liturgy, and separately emanated a Christ-consciousness particular to their unique personalities. Those have been the high tides of that parish.
By contrast, one of the lowest ebbs occurred when 2 of the 3 residing priests had serious mental problems which impacted radically their relations with their parishioners. The problems preceded their priesthood and were not related to it, except that the stresses & isolation of the priesthood undoubtedly magnified these. The third priest is a wonderful man & priest, but was & is elderly and an extreme introvert. Basically,no leadership was occurring, and the concept of community was a distant horizon. Mass attendance dipped to a frightening level, and there was an air of “lifelessness” about the place.
That same parish now has markedly different priests, but importantly, this is also a different time in the Church, with some renewed curiosity about Catholicism, and the demographics of the parish itself have somewhat changed. The typical current parishioner is younger than before, and is more interested in a reverential liturgical experience (though not classically “traditional”). The parish also has a new bishop, who is himself emphasizing & celebrating reverential liturgies and tasteful music. All these elements together are making for more genuine community than this parish has seen in a long time. Yet I’ve heard no announcements about formal, structured efforts to “create community.”
Let’s return to the example of the parishioners who ‘leave right after Communion.’ And let’s pretend that none of them are leaving for corporal works of mercy within a limited time requirement. Who are the biggest losers in that situation? The people who leave, that’s who. And not appreciating the community value of full attendance at liturgy, they can hardly be expected (realistically) to create or support Community. They have lost the full value of the community liturgical experience and are therefore not in a position to be instruments of community. They are back in Square One. They are not candidates for “organized (community) efforts.” They are not nearly ready for that, so the staff at that parish has a far more elemental task to tackle with such parishioners, than jumping ahead to “creating community” and wondering why it’s not happening.
A final word about Realism vs. Pessimism:
The experience of disillusionment is, as I have read about it, fairly universal in the ministerial priesthood. Eager, recently ordained priests are often shocked or dismayed to encounter so very little fidelity or thirst for spirituality among the typical Mass-goer. If they start dwelling on that “reality” for very long, they experience a souring of their own commitment, attitude, and vocation. There’s something of a transcendent consciousness which they need to arm themselves with in order to be able to respond to those who are on fire (or potentially on fire), and especially to have enough vision to see beyond appearances. What just appears on the surface in the pews can be very misleading. That’s even more true when it comes to cultural barriers in the modern mixed-ethnicity Catholic Church. Lots of people are not especially demonstrative or outwardly enthusiastic. That doesn’t mean that they’re not gradually responding, converting, and being transformed. But it’s not always on other people’s clocks, or in other people’s imagined ways (including the imaginations of priests).
Those are my two cents, having myself spent a long time learning to shed expectations of others to behave or respond in particular ways.
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), it hasn’t happened, or it would be something you would disapprove of and find insufficient.