What could be done to most improve Sunday Mass attendance?

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Our Knights of Columbus has managed to recruit almost every male member of the parish.

Serves the same function +++ as the old previously eliminated Holy Name Society.

And there is also a women’s auxiliary.

These people do everything.

A couple of years ago, the parish had to add an additional Sunday Mass.
 
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Duesenberg said:
Is quite embarrassing… AKA Maytag Mary’s…
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St Mary’s Cathedral - RC

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Grace Cathedral - Episcopalian

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MonteRCMS said:
Our Knights of Columbus has managed to recruit almost every male member of the parish.

Serves the same function +++ as the old previously eliminated Holy Name Society.

And there is also a women’s auxiliary.

These people do everything.

A couple of years ago, the parish had to add an additional Sunday Mass.
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All groups like the KofC, Catholic Daughters, etc. are on life support at my parish. I think it has to do with hideously poor leadership and traditionally very little support from the pastor.

About 15 years ago there was a Catholic Men’s Group at my parish. It was new and very active. It held quarterly $5.00 chicken BBQs which were really catching on. The guys did a lot of maintenance and grounds keeping on campus.

I saw the letter from the lay administrator (we were pastorless at that point) offering his opinion that there was no need for the men’s group and that instead, individual members should simply pray for the good of the parish. The members were very disappointed. The administrator was canned when we received a new bishop about a year later.

I think that group would have THRIVED under the right pastor.
 
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cmjmevans said:
I would suggest a Bible study before or after Mass.
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Nice to have, but do you think that will bring in hundreds of lapsed Catholics?

Perhaps Whoopi Goldberg and her choir of sisters doing fun music?
 
I don’t personally like Whoopi THAT much, like the movie though. Yes, of course I believe it will bring in millions. Catholics are hungry for the Bible, too.
 
A great many very good ideas have been presented on this thread. I think in several cases there would be great synergy if two or more measures were implemented at one time. The real difficulties and complexities come when the implementation phase rolls around. That’s why a lot of wonderful ideas never get put into practice.

I wish more Catholic parishes had the required qualities and resources that would allow the effective implementation of many of the things discussed on this thread.
 
At my current parish, golf is NOT the central focus of the Knights of Columbus.

At previous parishes, golf WAS the central focus of the Knights of Columbus.

If you didn’t play golf, you were out of the line of focus of the parish.
 
At another parish, the pastor conducted half day mens retreats.

They were great. Mass, a meal, a couple of talks by guest priests. Confessions by several guest priests. On a Saturday. Not an overnight.

[Overnight programs got complicated owing to the logistics. But with a half-day Saturday, you didn’t need bunking down, or showers, or change of clothes].

[You showed up, had Mass, light breakfast, talks, confessions, lunch, another talk, and then home to family and chores.]

[Very intense half day.]

[Very focused.]
 
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It all starts with catchesis. Teaching the young the meaning of the mass, what’s taking place, is essential. Teaching them how to act in front of Jesus is essential.

Implementing more rituals in the mass, not making it seem like a casual supper is also important. The mass is not just a supper. It is Calvary. It should be treated as such.

I often see people talking during mass, laughing and hugging during the sign of peace, liturgical abuses taking place. Reverence and ritual will lead people to the mass because they cannot find it elsewhere. Why make the mass into a get together when we can do that with our families on the weekends?

Lessening the outward appearance of ritual and reverence in the mass leads others to believe there is no meaning in the mass.

I speak from personal experience.
 
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