Summer Mass Attendance

[Dylpickleh8]

Yes, we go from Four masses (Sat: 4:30, Sun: 7:30, 9, and 11) to Just Three (No more 7:30)
This is mostly because I live in Florida, and come summer, there is a Mass Exodus of Snowbirds (As they’re called).

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I’ve heard that ours dips…but I’m new back to the Catholic Church…I think people go to the air conditioned parishes…I was prepared for the heat at ours but I think we just got enough money this weekend for an air conditioning system…PRAISE GOD:thumbsup:

 

[thistle]

actually the trend in the Philippines is evening masses become more jampacked while afternoon and late morning mass attendance decrease

also, the parishes that are airconditioned has an upward spike in their attendance as well

I should be so lucky. I’ve never been in an airconditioned church here in Manila. They are few and far between and only in the rich villages like Forbes, Dasmarinas, Ayala Alabang etc.

 

[lizaanne]

Our parish is currently not air conditioned. Yesterday it was HORRIBLY hot, and I do not handle excessive heat very well. I feel for our dear priests who wear full vestments, and especially during Benediction when they are covered in many layers.

So - in the summer our attendance does drop as folks like my husband and I go to an air conditioned parish on super hot days. We don’t do this for the entire summer, I prefer my own parish, but on days when it’s 90+ degrees we seek out the aircon.

Although I did read in our parish bulletin that there is a possibility that we might be able to cool the Church soon! That would be so wonderful!!

~Liza

 

[TurboVW]

Here in Chicagoland, Mass attendance drops to ridiculously low levels in the summer. There might be more people at 5 pm Saturday Mass because some folks might be traveling on Sunday or partying Saturday night.

It may partially be because I notice more crowds at Lent and Advent. However, it’s a bad habit in the summer for many a Chicagoan to go to some cabin or lake and leave Mass behind.

 

[MissClaire]

Where I attend Mass hasn’t seen a noticeable drop, per se. We do have a lot of different people every week at the time I attend, however.

 

[choy]

I should be so lucky. I’ve never been in an airconditioned church here in Manila. They are few and far between and only in the rich villages like Forbes, Dasmarinas, Ayala Alabang etc.

the ones i frequent were Christ the King in Greenmeadows and Sanctuario de San Jose in GreenHills. right, the one in between Forbes and Dasma, which is Sanctuario de San Antonio, is also airconditioned. one that i find surprising thats not airconditioned is the chapel in the middle of Greenbelt. Ayala could have put the money in installing airconditioning there, since it serves a lot of his mall customers

GreenHills Shopping Center also has a dedicated chapel in the middle which is airconditioned. but its too small, perhaps can accomodate 200-300 people at a time

i remember in our parish which is a big church, i once went to 4pm mass and i literally was sweating like waterfalls. i left in the middle of Mass, went home, had a shower, changed clothes, and went to another church for 7pm mass.

 

[thistle]

the ones i frequent were Christ the King in Greenmeadows and Sanctuario de San Jose in GreenHills. right, the one in between Forbes and Dasma, which is Sanctuario de San Antonio, is also airconditioned. one that i find surprising thats not airconditioned is the chapel in the middle of Greenbelt. Ayala could have put the money in installing airconditioning there, since it serves a lot of his mall customers

GreenHills Shopping Center also has a dedicated chapel in the middle which is airconditioned. but its too small, perhaps can accomodate 200-300 people at a time

i remember in our parish which is a big church, i once went to 4pm mass and i literally was sweating like waterfalls. i left in the middle of Mass, went home, had a shower, changed clothes, and went to another church for 7pm mass.

My local church is Our Lady of Fatima in Las Pinas.
No aircon there unfortunately. We only have fans and in 30 degrees they are frankly no help, at least for someone like me who comes from a cold climate.
We have 10 Masses every Sunday and every one is packed to overflowing. Our parish has 14,000 people and Mass attendence averages about 80%. At each Mass there are people standing at the side and outside the Church too, even on the road (there are speakers so those outside can follow the Mass).
Anyway, the discomfort from the heat we suffer each time we attend Mass is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered on the Cross for us.

 

[choy]

My local church is Our Lady of Fatima in Las Pinas.
No aircon there unfortunately. We only have fans and in 30 degrees they are frankly no help, at least for someone like me who comes from a cold climate.
We have 10 Masses every Sunday and every one is packed to overflowing. Our parish has 14,000 people and Mass attendence averages about 80%. At each Mass there are people standing at the side and outside the Church too, even on the road (there are speakers so those outside can follow the Mass).
Anyway, the discomfort from the heat we suffer each time we attend Mass is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered on the Cross for us.

is this the one along the Alabang-Zapote road?

moving to where i am right now, its quite a big change from overflowing parishes to half-full parish. but i don’t know, i like it better here, maybe because i tend to get distracted easily and having less people means i’m less distracted, or the weather is generally pleasant throughout the year. i don’t have to worry about not getting to sit in a pew thats covered by a fan

 

[ProVobis]

Anyway, the discomfort from the heat we suffer each time we attend Mass is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered on the Cross for us.

True, but people can and do die from the heat. In one summer in Chicago, there were over 700 such people.

 

[puzzleannie]

Does your church experience a large dip in attendance during the summer? We can really notice it in our church. Do people, “Take the Summer off from God?”

yes it is common in our town and many towns in the Valley whose populations swell in the winter with the influx of Winter Texans who nearly double our parish size in the winter months. Collections fall off correspondingly since in many parishes with many retirement parks the bulk of the collection basket contributions come from the winter visitors.

 

[thistle]

is this the one along the Alabang-Zapote road?

moving to where i am right now, its quite a big change from overflowing parishes to half-full parish. but i don’t know, i like it better here, maybe because i tend to get distracted easily and having less people means i’m less distracted, or the weather is generally pleasant throughout the year. i don’t have to worry about not getting to sit in a pew thats covered by a fan

No its not on the main road. Its in the PhilAm Subdivision.

 

[choy]

True, but people can and do die from the heat. In one summer in Chicago, there were over 700 such people.

people in Tropical Countries are more tolerant of higher temparatures. plus the humidity, while it causes great discomfort, does help you retain more fluids than in the drier air here in North America. its not only hot in the Philippines, but churches tend to be jampacked on Sundays, especially the bigger ones. but i hardly see people pass out

 

[iBenedicta]

I was visiting a church “up north”. A parishioner explained how the church was four times bigger during the summer. Those people are not attending their cold weather parish during the summer.

Yup. Florida parishes are missing their snowbirds by now. We typically get more elbow room right after Easter. Right now, I think my home parish has only about 2/3rds the amount of people during Advent/Lent.

 

[iBenedicta]

Yes, we go from Four masses (Sat: 4:30, Sun: 7:30, 9, and 11) to Just Three (No more 7:30)
This is mostly because I live in Florida, and come summer, there is a Mass Exodus of Snowbirds (As they’re called).

I chuckled at this. I live in DoSP too.

 

[plato3]

What a great response-thank you for all your insight. Good points about the heat. Some of our people wear coats and sweaters to our summer Masses because the pastor feels if it’s real cold inside the dress will be more modest. Some folks bring back the bulletin of the parishes they visit during the summer. Interesting to see how other parishes are doing. Some folks take their youngsters to Religious Ed and Mass on Sundays during the year-since there are no classes during the summer, I know some are not coming. Appreciate the comments from the Philippines. I visited that country several times and the heat is something! Interesting how some parishes actually see an increase in the summer. Such an honor to be a part of the Body of Christ!