What could be done to most improve Sunday Mass attendance?

[ConfusedLucy]

I think this sort of thing is important in dioceses where there are towns with no local parish churches. There is a parish not far from me which is closing and I really feel for the elderly who will have to stop attending mass sooner than they should.

 

[TheLittleLady]

(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged)

 

[pnewton]

Duesenberg:

Why don’t you enlist and train parishioners to drive the bus?

Golly, we never thought of that.

Of course we have advertised in the bulletin, Facebook, website, asked from the pulpit, gone up to people and asked them directly. We have offered not only to pay for the license but to pay a stipend to the drivers. Young folks are tooo busy with life and the retired crowd just don’t want to do it.

This is a legitimate barrier. We have the same problem at our local school. They cannot compete with public schools. Even though we own a bus, we usually have to carpool to events.

There are other options. It might be easier to get individual parishoners to take on just one person. Also, vans are easier to find drivers for. They are far less intimidating to most drivers.

 

[TheLittleLady]

There are other options. It might be easier to get individual parishoners to take on just one person. Also, vans are easier to find drivers for. They are far less intimidating to most drivers.

That is where the jury is still out. Something casual, a neighbor says “I will pick you up for Mass” or I call a friend when my car breaks down and bum a ride to Mass is one thing. Once it becomes an “official ministry of the Church” there are legal matters that have to be solved. As I said upstream, the litigious society today makes the Church a big target. Our parish has not yet solved these murky issues WRT organized ride-share programs, maybe yours has? We are open to suggestions!

 

[Joe_5859]

Indeed. In the diocese I reside in, anyone who is driving for parish business has to go through training among other things. From the training video, a priest cannot even ask a parishioner to run to the store to pick up tartar sauce for the Lenten fish fry without opening up the parish to liability issues because the parishioner would then be on “official parish business.” It may seem ridiculous, but that’s where things are at.

 

[pnewton]

As I said upstream, the litigious society today makes the Church a big target.

I understand the concern, and it is not one that should be lightly dismissed, but in the end it cannot allow us to do good works, or not. Litigious concerns are what lead to bishops hiding child abuse, at least in some diocese. Lawyers can advise the best way to do the right thing, but should have no say in what the right thing is. So train people in Virtus and make sure everyone is properly insured an licensed. That is prudent. But if people cannot make Mass, and there is a way to get them there, it is the right thing to do.

To this end, connecting people may be the safest bet, if there are enough. If not, something more organized might be in order. No one can second guess what your parish does though. I am sure things will go well.

 

[bjryman]

If there is one thing I have learned about the body of Christ within a Parish, is that fully engaging in parish ministries always seems to renew ones interest about and involvement in the Liturgy. My years of exposure to the R.C.I.A. process and the Christ Renews His Parish retreat program has demonstrated that from this involvement…this coming together of people with like interests of faith, that the entire atmosphere of the Mass changes. By that I mean there is an transition from several hundred people coming to Mass for an hour each week but never really knowing very many of their peers to, a joyful acknowledgment of brothers and sisters of faith that have shared so much with each other through various ministries. There is also a benefit to having after Mass fellowship and we do so at our parish. BUT…it is the evangelization to those who are NOT regularly engaged in local Church activities, or not yet in the Church community at all that drive the welcoming feeling. My wife who is also deeply into the ministries once noted to me that now she cannot walk across the Narthex after Mass without hugging and sharing with those with whom she is involved in ministries. I think this is the very thing to which the Church calls us…especially now through Pope Francis.

BTW…I am also assuming here that points 1. through 5. of your original post are also faithfully planned and implemented so nothing detracts from our wonderful Liturgy itself.

 

[Duesenberg]

Golly, we never thought of that.

Of course we have advertised in the bulletin, Facebook, website, asked from the pulpit, gone up to people and asked them directly. We have offered not only to pay for the license but to pay a stipend to the drivers. Young folks are tooo busy with life and the retired crowd just don’t want to do it.

Interesting how my brother’s church is able to recruit and train drivers – without paying them a stipend either. It’s actually a ministry where parishioners WANT to get involved. They WANT to minister to their fellow members. It seems like when it comes to certain things, a lot more is often possible in the Protestant world. So often they get so much more done.

 

[Duesenberg]

Indeed. In the diocese I reside in, anyone who is driving for parish business has to go through training among other things. From the training video, a priest cannot even ask a parishioner to run to the store to pick up tartar sauce for the Lenten fish fry without opening up the parish to liability issues because the parishioner would then be on “official parish business.” It may seem ridiculous, but that’s where things are at.

More sad than ridiculous.

 

[Duesenberg]

If there is one thing I have learned about the body of Christ within a Parish, is that fully engaging in parish ministries always seems to renew ones interest about and involvement in the Liturgy.

I do agree with that. But those in charge of liturgical ministries need to be welcoming. In my parish, they have been largely handed over to the laity and this group of laity is probably the single biggest problem in my parish. Most have been in place for at least 20 years. Most are savage protectors of their turf (particularly amongst themselves.) I admire pastors that don’t turn over full control in this area to the laity. I also think these positions need periodic turnover (3 on, 3 off?) to keep the cancer from setting in.

 

[StephieNorthCo]

Term limits is a good thing in many areas.

 

[CilladeRoma]

The problem with comparing your brother’s Protestant church to the Catholic church is that most Protestant churches are autonomous. An accident happens and just that one church gets sued, and maybe it’s Pastor.

In the Catholic world, when something happens, there is the individual parish and the Diocese to go after. And sometimes even the Bishop or Pastor personally.

People perceive the Church to have deep pockets and good insurance, so when they sue, they don’t think it will hurt their parish- it’s just the big insurance company who has to pay out.

 

[bjryman]

Certainly, and our Faith rubrics and the like originated to entice all five of our senses. So we could offer all of ourselves in the Eucharist. Also, some are more visual, others more aural and still others textual. I for one love music and am in that ministry among others to show proper glory to God. There is something about a well prepared and offered Octavo like Behold: The Magnificat that just moves me deeply and causes me to experience and uplifting love of Jesus. So, a well organized Liturgy serves a purpose

 

[bjryman]

So true…I say NEVER GIVEUP!!

 

[Duesenberg]

There are always excuses for not taking action…

It’s remarkable to read the biographies of different Catholic saints. The personal risks they took are astounding in case after case – most commonly to their own health/lives.

Now any semblance of risk (real or not) is used as an excuse not to do something. I thank God I don’t live in a diocese where a cleric cannot ask me to go to the store to buy tartar sauce for a fish fry.

 

[NoDcaf]

For me, I was poorly catechized. Mass was boring until I learn what was actually going on and the biblical sigificance of the mass. Sports are boring to watch if you don’t know the players. Birthday parties, even weddings are not as fun of you don’t know the person you are celebrating. So it is with the mass.

 

[bjryman]

At our parish, the new Associate Pastor obtained a CDC and then used our School Buss to go get folks from Retirement Homes and other’s who are not able to travel. He also then goes out to get some of the Teens that come to the 6 PM Sunday Evening Mass dedicated to youth. Just the fact that he engages often in this and other ways has made a great difference. Our Pastor who is one year from official retirement encourages him and others to do the same.

 

[bjryman]

What you say is true, and we have some of that here in our Parish. But by and large the Pastor keeps his fingers in the pie, so to speak, just enough to impact most all the the ministries. The parish staff is excellent and we have a convent with active sisters providing much engagement as well.

 

[CilladeRoma]

You should be thankful, but I will tell you, don’t get too comfortable.

The time is coming in America where a volunteer will not be able to do anything, for any organization, without having to jump through hoops.

It’s starting to happen already, and that is why there are not as many volunteers. In my diocese, even if you want to be a reader or EMHC, you MUST submit to our safe environment training and a criminal background check. This is a rule made by our new Bishop, who in his old diocese, had a number of problems swept under the rug for years, and ended up losing lots of money & property to lawsuits. Some related to a disproportionate number of clergy involved in the sex scandal, and some related to “volunteers” who ended up costing parishes thousands because they tried to “help” and cut corners, didn’t get the proper permits, etc.

Nothing is ever as easy and cut & dry as you seem to want it to be.

 

[michaelArc]

The time. Sunday mass is at 6:00 pm which is pretty inconvenient for me.