Why young Catholics are leaving the Church

[Bluegrass2003]

Great post Bluegrass!

Thanks ! I agree that this is an important question and a very serious problem that we are dealing with. I am in the middle a moving my family a few states over but plan on getting heavily involved with Youth “retention” in my new Parish.

 

[TurboVW]

I read this article, and I’m 25 - I can tell you it has good points, and others that are somewhat off.

I can speak for my generation as to why young people leave the Catholic church:

1. hokey Masses - insufferable hymns played all lovey-dubey. This isn’t Godpsell in 1973. Priests that give benign, vague and irrelevant sermons don’t help, either.
2. Poor catechism - being taught the watered-down basics of faith by a bunch of lukewarm lay adults. Also, parents who shrugged off the Catholic church 30 years ago are a big cause of the problem as well.
3. Relativism - moral is the big one here. Also, in my Catholic high school, I had to take 3 courses that tried to tie (and thus dilute) our religious beliefs with other faiths. I want to learn about more MY faith, one course on world religions is fine.
4. Lack of Marian and saint devotions - this stuff is NOT outdated. It’s part of our faith, yet young adults (and society in general) make fun of the BVM and saints at every turn. These aspects are downplayed (if they are ever mentioned) in modern catechism. I had to learn it all from my parents.
5. Universities - went to a Catholic one where it was required that only two semesters of “theology” were needed, and courses were offered in almost everything religious except Catholic doctrine (many taught by ultra-left lay profs). Also, charismatic non-denominational Christian student groups that aim at snagging Catholics by being “friendlier” than the rest of University Ministry.
6. Society - look at my peers. They think the Catholic church is like their grandparents, telling them not to co-habitate, not to live in a hedonistic way, and that it’s out of step with modern liberal views. It’s just not the popular thing to be.

Young adults that are leaving need to be shown the Catholic faith isn’t about soft emotions and hippie love anymore. Nor is it some kind of monster that wants to ruin all the “fun” things in your lifestyle.

 

[CFXDrummer]

I read this article, and I’m 25 - I can tell you it has good points, and others that are somewhat off.

I can speak for my generation as to why young people leave the Catholic church:

1. hokey Masses - insufferable hymns played all lovey-dubey. This isn’t Godpsell in 1973. Priests that give benign, vague and irrelevant sermons don’t help, either.
2. Poor catechism - being taught the watered-down basics of faith by a bunch of lukewarm lay adults. Also, parents who shrugged off the Catholic church 30 years ago are a big cause of the problem as well.
3. Relativism - moral is the big one here. Also, in my Catholic high school, I had to take 3 courses that tried to tie (and thus dilute) our religious beliefs with other faiths. I want to learn about more MY faith, one course on world religions is fine.
4. Lack of Marian and saint devotions - this stuff is NOT outdated. It’s part of our faith, yet young adults (and society in general) make fun of the BVM and saints at every turn. These aspects are downplayed (if they are ever mentioned) in modern catechism. I had to learn it all from my parents.
5. Universities - went to a Catholic one where it was required that only two semesters of “theology” were needed, and courses were offered in almost everything religious except Catholic doctrine (many taught by ultra-left lay profs). Also, charismatic non-denominational Christian student groups that aim at snagging Catholics by being “friendlier” than the rest of University Ministry.
6. Society - look at my peers. They think the Catholic church is like their grandparents, telling them not to co-habitate, not to live in a hedonistic way, and that it’s out of step with modern liberal views. It’s just not the popular thing to be.

Young adults that are leaving need to be shown the Catholic faith isn’t about soft emotions and hippie love anymore. Nor is it some kind of monster that wants to ruin all the “fun” things in your lifestyle.

As a 23 year-old youth minister, I’d like to throw my own thoughts in on two of the things you brought up

On Masses: The sort of hokey, awful masses you talk about are one thing that isolates kids – I’ve seen some really poorly done masses, complete with some really bad music and liturgical abuses, turn kids off. But I think that many “ultra-traditionalist” approaches to the mass also turn off young Catholics. Too many times, I feel like we’re forced to believe that, when it comes to liturgy, we either have to be 1) Playing showtunes and Marty Haugen songs while we hold hands around the altar or 2) Be the Society of St. Pius X and spend hours arguing over why there’s too much “new” in the mass.

As I’ve travelled in ministry, I’ve found that a great number of young Catholics are extremely on fire for a faith that is able to blend tradition with contemporary-ness. (What’s the noun form of that? I don’t even know.) Our band does mass and adoration with a mix of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, keyboard, and drums, but we are also careful to use songs that are actually suitable for worship, both from older traditional songs (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence has become a very popular song with our group and friends) and contemporary Christian songs (we use a lot of songs by Misty Edwards and Chris Tomlin). And yet despite the fact that we’ve got a full band that often has a strong rock vibe, the prayer and attentiveness to the mass and passion for the Eucharist are very present – this is a fusion that I don’t find is very common, but yet it’s a fusion that is very powerful!

The true passion of many younger Catholics is to finally reconcile the beauty of the traditional reverence of the Mass with the contemporary passion and fire of modern music and prayer.

Poor Catechism: I can’t agree with you more… I’ve said for years that “CCD” or “REP” or whatever else you might call it should be either totally revamped,or abolished. The learning of the faith feels like more like a class or some institutionalized procedure, and is very often taught by people with no idea how to grapple with the kinds of challenging questions young people are asking.

 

[Justin1982]

Okay, just pointing out, that while I’m against female priesthood because that is not what Christ established, your arguement about Mother being ridiculous as a term since Mary is Mother of the Church strikes me as a bad arguement. Isn’t God the Father of all, including the Church? And since this is true, does that mean we shouldn’t call Priests Fathers? Of course not. In the same way, Mary being the Mother of the Church doesn’t stop Priestesses from being called Mothers, right?

Not that I disagree with your overall premise (women should not be Priests since Christ didn’t establish that), it’s just that this arguement struck me as a weak one.

Seems fitting to me for the Father of a church to be the physical embodiment of the Father of the Church. All Catholic priests are endowed with the Holy Spirit during the Sacraments through persona Christi. Again not to say that women aren’t capable of being in the priesthood but that is not the way God intended or there probably would have been women Apostles. The feminist movement was the beginning of the undoing of this society because some women removed the idea that being a mother wasn’t an honest enough living. Before I get too off topic I will stop there.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Justin: All right, fair enough. Good explanation.

I’ll go a bit deeper in my explanation.

Why would young people be tempted to leave the Church because Mass is boring? Answer: Whoever said lack of Catholic education is right on the money. I am brought up in a family where “It doesn’t matter what Church you’re in as long as it’s Christian”…in fact, although my Father is Catholic, my Catholic Grandmother left the Church to get a divorce.

So leaving the Church because Mass is boring sounds plausible. Like, why would I be part of a Church that has such boring Masses if I could go to one of the more modern, fun Protestant Churches? They’re all Christian, right?

I was tempted by this very briefly but through the grace of Catholic schooling I realized that religion didn’t work that way. You don’t join the most fun Church, you join the True Church. That’s what’s important. And thank God I never converted. But I can totally understand why young people leave the Church; to them, it’s like, “Why would I be part of this boring Church if I can be part of a much more fun one? They’re all Christian, right?”

 

[Cristiano]

I’m going to be brutally honest here as a fifteen year old Catholic.

You really, truly want to know why young Catholics leave the Church?

Because Catholicism is NOT easy. It’s strict. It’s demanding.

And, I think even more importantly, because Mass is boring.
I’m just being honest here. I know its importance and I make it a real point to try and go every day of obligation, but it IS boring. I think so, many of my Catholic friends think so. None of the tips and tricks to make Mass more interesting worked for me. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the tremendous importance and significance of the Mass.

But it is boring. Sorry.

In fact, the boredom of the Mass actually (very briefly) tempted me toward the prebyterian denomination before I came to my sense, thank God. I wasn’t very well versed in my faith at the time. So I can see how young Catholics who don’t fully understand the faith can be tempted to leave the Church.

BTW-I don’t know a single Catholic who puts Mary and the Saints on the same level as God. Not one. Seriously.

While I believe that you fully understand the importance of the Mass I honestly doubt that you understand its significance. Each moment of the Mass (independently of the rite or form) is full of history and theology, and I cannot believe that all of it can be boring if you are aware of its significance.

I am not trying to put you down and treat you as teenager that does not know better, because your comment is similar to what I heard from a lot of grown ups and senior people. I am just saying that I doubt that any person that has been properly catechized on the significance of the different aspects of Holy Sacrifice of the Mass could call them boring.

Probably you would be interested to read this blog that was posted a couple of days ago.

 

[Jon_S]

As a young Catholic, I may have some insights.

1. You need to learn at a young age that even though you can’t prove scientifically that Jesus is a supreme being any more than Buddha or Krishna, lack of scientific evidence does not take faith into the equation. Young people need to learn that faith is the belief in things which cannot be empirically assessed. No one is trying to “prove” that God exists. You can’t.
2. Young Catholics need to be exposed to different faiths at a young age. One of the most important trips I ever went on was a multi-faith trip which involved visits and discussions with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Unitarians, among others.
3. Stress Catholic Social Teaching. People relate to this better than the line between a venial & mortal sin.
4. Allow women to assume the priesthood

Funny. These are the reasons I left the Church as a 15 year old kid. I didn’t come back to the Church until I was 30 and hungry enough to investigate the truth on my own.

 

[CFXDrummer]

I am just saying that I doubt that any person that has been properly catechized on the significance of the different aspects of Holy Sacrifice of the Mass could call them boring.

And there, we get back to our problem of poor Catechesis… Most ADULT Catholics know very little about the significant of the Mass, let alone their children… Good liturgical education is a must!

 

[JSSebastianoP]

Perhaps I can add my voice in this conversation?

As far as I know, I am the only “young Catholic” who has posted on this thread. I go to Mass every Sunday, but I will confess that there was a period of time a few months ago where I did not go to Mass for two months. I belief that a big and important reason why young Catholics such as myself leave the church is because of how society portrays Catholicism and we how we perceive it. Frankly, I believe that we need to modernize the Church to make young Catholics stay interested and want to come back. We also need to punish those who are clergy that use their positions to abuse children and to take advantage of others. We cannot afford to be “politically correct” in this society. We need to stand up and confront problems head on, not pacify them.
These are my two cents, and if anyone wishes to discuss them further, please do. I welcome this discussion.

I have to agree with the bold. At 16, let me be another young voice.

I believe that a major reason is poor catechesis. I grew up in a “Catholic” family where my parents occasionally went to mass (not anymore) and have gone into new age heresy. I have always had respect for authority in general and the Church in specific, so when I found myself in deep sin, I turned to Her. I have to admit I have loss of faith (in general) once in a while and I think that this is an important problem too. I credit my Confirmation teacher with my Catholicism; he taught me about Padre Pio and miracles in the modern day.

But I was never strongly taught that not going to mass is a mortal sin. I didn’t grow up like that… My parents are now relativistic… I have theological arguments with my parents all the time…
Another related problem is the marxist undercurrent in our pop culture but perhaps the most disturbing is the pretext of using “science” to “prove” GOD does not exist. Our youth truly need to be catechized MUCH MUCH better…

Pax.

 

[TurboVW]

As a 23 year-old youth minister, I’d like to throw my own thoughts in on two of the things you brought up

On Masses: The sort of hokey, awful masses you talk about are one thing that isolates kids – I’ve seen some really poorly done masses, complete with some really bad music and liturgical abuses, turn kids off. But I think that many “ultra-traditionalist” approaches to the mass also turn off young Catholics. Too many times, I feel like we’re forced to believe that, when it comes to liturgy, we either have to be 1) Playing showtunes and Marty Haugen songs while we hold hands around the altar or 2) Be the Society of St. Pius X and spend hours arguing over why there’s too much “new” in the mass.

As I’ve travelled in ministry, I’ve found that a great number of young Catholics are extremely on fire for a faith that is able to blend tradition with contemporary-ness. (What’s the noun form of that? I don’t even know.) Our band does mass and adoration with a mix of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, keyboard, and drums, but we are also careful to use songs that are actually suitable for worship, both from older traditional songs (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence has become a very popular song with our group and friends) and contemporary Christian songs (we use a lot of songs by Misty Edwards and Chris Tomlin). And yet despite the fact that we’ve got a full band that often has a strong rock vibe, the prayer and attentiveness to the mass and passion for the Eucharist are very present – this is a fusion that I don’t find is very common, but yet it’s a fusion that is very powerful!

The true passion of many younger Catholics is to finally reconcile the beauty of the traditional reverence of the Mass with the contemporary passion and fire of modern music and prayer.

I agree exactly with you here. I had wanted to mention about traditional liturgies, even though the Latin Rite is gaining in popularity, it’s not for everyone. I see it as the opposite pole from hokey “Glory and Praise” stuff that we’ve been force-fed for decades.

Among practicing young adults I’ve talked to, many want just a solid Mass to attend, without silly stuff, and hokey music. Many of my peers dismiss guitar masses and liturgical dancing and the like, especially guys.

However, there’s more to the flight of young adults than just Mass. Most of our peers have developed “lifestyles” that don’t agree with the Catholic church, and won’t make any compromises or changes. To them, it’s the Catholic church that must change. They don’t like being told what to do. I can see why, since few were ever told how to live like a Catholic the right way to begin with.

 

[Justin1982]

On the Mass being boring statement, I have seen some Masses on video that look like they might be “exciting” but I would hope that is not the type in which the bored people are looking for with lots of performance art or our esteemed Fr. Phlegar yelling from the pulpit. Our society has distorted true beauty by complicating things that are inherently beautiful. A good Mass should be simple and complex, it is inherently complex in understanding but the outward signs should be simple and beautiful.

 

[Ignatius]

But it is boring. Sorry.

It might have been boring to those Watching Christ slowly suffocate to death for 4 or 5 hours all the while forgiving those who did it to Him.

It’s not about us, but about Him! It’s not entertainment, it is True Worship in which we sacrifice ourselves for an hour for Him. We don’t go to Mass to be entertained, we go to give Him Worship. In The Mass we are made present in the upper room and at Calvary.

Everything changed for me when I stopped worrying about how I felt and started focusing on what He did. Do this and you might find that your are glad to make this minuscule sacrifice for love of Him.

 

[anode]

You forgot to mention we are cannibals and also worship statues-although in more liberal Parishes we have replaced that with worshipping banners…

Remember that there is a RCC outside of your parish, as in Mexico, he Americas, and in Europe, in the areas where it’s still an active religion. Many older, more traditional populations still practice the sort of Catholicism I am describing, which is one end of a spectrum.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

It might have been boring to those Watching Christ slowly suffocate to death for 4 or 5 hours all the while forgiving those who did it to Him.

It’s not about us, but about Him! It’s not entertainment, it is True Worship in which we sacrifice ourselves for an hour for Him. We don’t go to Mass to be entertained, we go to give Him Worship. In The Mass we are made present in the upper room and at Calvary.

Everything changed for me when I stopped worrying about how I felt and started focusing on what He did. Do this and you might find that your are glad to make this minuscule sacrifice for love of Him.

I know it’s not entertainment. I understand this. I realize the Mass’s tremendous importance. But it’s boring. Just, as you said, standing at Cavalry wathing Jesus die must’ve been boring.

Was it absolutely, always, 100% the right thing to do? Totally. Is it boring? Yep.

 

[Michaeljc4]

For what it’s worth:

I am a middle school teacher in a public school. I have had, literally, hundreds of students, and of those students who are Catholic, and who go to CCD, the overwhelming complaint is that they find it all boring. Mass is boring. CCD is boring. Catholicism is boring. I’m not saying that their complaints are all true, but their complaints are consistent.

I think that what they see and hear and learn about is so divorced from their day to day lives that they just can’t seem to make a connection between the Eucharist (for example) and the world in which they live. I think that–especially for early adolescents–the key is the social teachings of the church. “Project based learning”, where kids are working together on a task that is rooted in an overarching idea, would be much more engaging for them, and result in much greater learning, than me stading in front of them, reading from one of those dreadful Religious Ed. books.

Also, as a trained teacher, I can tell you that knowing how to teach is nearly as important as what you teach. Most catechists are volunteers (and God bless them) who have no formal experience as teachers. It may make sense for parishes to offer some sort of mini-program in teaching for their volunteers. Kids these days live in a world that is very, very different than the one most of us have grown up in (I’m 41). If we want to reach them, we have to recognize that. We may not like it, may not want it to be true, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding: our young people are not learning the basics of the faith, and are not remaining in the church. We can keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, or we can recognize that things have changed, and we need to change along with them.

Peace, friends.

 

[TurboVW]

Michaeljc4 is right. Although the Mass is of utmost importance, it’s the teaching of what occurs there to large groups of youth that becomes a problem. Many posters here have had good catechism in their lives, either from teachers or they have had the impetus in their lives to discover the facts of the Mass on their own.

However, few of today’s young adults have experienced both. Do they know the host is more than a piece of bread? Do they know parishes are more than just where old people go on Sundays and where their parents want them to get married in?

Even for me at 25, it’s sometimes difficult. There are “young adult Masses” in my archdiocese which are just hug fests and Christian rock music played on the guitar, followed by beer, pizza and bean bag tossing (“fellowship”) in the church hall. Other run-of-the mill parishes (including my own) are just snoozing along - if I go to any activities (if they’re even offered), such as Stations, Benediction, rosary, etc., I’m usually the youngest person there by several decades, and no matter how hard I try, it’s still awkward.

 

[hugh_miller]

I read this article, and I’m 25 - I can tell you it has good points, and others that are somewhat off.

I can speak for my generation as to why young people leave the Catholic church:

1. hokey Masses - insufferable hymns played all lovey-dubey. This isn’t Godpsell in 1973. Priests that give benign, vague and irrelevant sermons don’t help, either.
2. Poor catechism - being taught the watered-down basics of faith by a bunch of lukewarm lay adults. Also, parents who shrugged off the Catholic church 30 years ago are a big cause of the problem as well.
3. Relativism - moral is the big one here. Also, in my Catholic high school, I had to take 3 courses that tried to tie (and thus dilute) our religious beliefs with other faiths. I want to learn about more MY faith, one course on world religions is fine.
4. Lack of Marian and saint devotions - this stuff is NOT outdated. It’s part of our faith, yet young adults (and society in general) make fun of the BVM and saints at every turn. These aspects are downplayed (if they are ever mentioned) in modern catechism. I had to learn it all from my parents.
5. Universities - went to a Catholic one where it was required that only two semesters of “theology” were needed, and courses were offered in almost everything religious except Catholic doctrine (many taught by ultra-left lay profs). Also, charismatic non-denominational Christian student groups that aim at snagging Catholics by being “friendlier” than the rest of University Ministry.
6. Society - look at my peers. They think the Catholic church is like their grandparents, telling them not to co-habitate, not to live in a hedonistic way, and that it’s out of step with modern liberal views. It’s just not the popular thing to be.

Young adults that are leaving need to be shown the Catholic faith isn’t about soft emotions and hippie love anymore. Nor is it some kind of monster that wants to ruin all the “fun” things in your lifestyle.

I too have read much of that article. I’m not of your generation but agree that you are on the right track—I’m more like your grandfather. I was raised in a strict Catholic military academy since both parents were gone by the time I reached age 10. I was an altar boy for the Traditional Catholic Mass. I became a “color sargent” in my 7 and 8th grade and raised the American flag with the whole company of 70 standing at attention with a buggler doing his thing. Now fast forward.

I’ve now been married for 52 years with 40 some years of research as a chemist. We and our seven childlren were reluctantly dragged through the horrific unnecessary and confusing liturgical and social changes associated with Vatican II. We tried hard to maintain our Catholic faith as the church became more and more pro-test-antized. We refused to receive Holy Communion in the hand and our now grown children with children of their own still obstain from that habit.

Our seven children all went to Catholic grade and high schools but we sent them to a church which still taught the Baltimore catechism on Sunday after the NO Mass and they remained Catholic. Only one of the seven has ceased going to Mass and that appears to be because their first born died of neuroblastoma cancer at age three plus our son’s business requires he work on Saturday and Sunday.

What’s my point in all this? Return to what works in keeping the Catholic faith strong within our families as Turbo observed at age 25; specifically by: (1) Replacing the NO Mass with the Traditional Tridentine Mass as the Pope is encouraging. (2) Teaching Catholic doctrine as the early church fathers and doctors of the church taught (3) Convince Rome and the Bishops to dump the silly notion of Theistic Evolution (TE) where some almighty computer programmer supposedly sits behind his celestial computer occasionally punching a key that changes one species into another; How many atheists and Buddhists etc have been converted to Catholicism by dialoging on the subject of evolution; come on give me a break. TE is just a tool of atheism anyway and that certainly drives our youth of today into the arms of more religious Bible reading pro-test-ants IF the youth have any remaining desire to have a working relationship with their Creator. In other words in the language of today who wants to pray to a computer geek so learn the scientific evidence against evolution as Pope Pius XII urged us to do; and, as the evangelicals are doing with their children.
So Turbo, what do you think of the above? Any other specific suggestions to bring your fellow youthful Catholics back to the faith?

 

[TurboVW]

Our seven children all went to Catholic grade and high schools but we sent them to a church which still taught the Baltimore catechism on Sunday after the NO Mass and they remained Catholic. Only one of the seven has ceased going to Mass and that appears to be because their first born died of neuroblastoma cancer at age three plus our son’s business requires he work on Saturday and Sunday.

What’s my point in all this? Return to what works in keeping the Catholic faith strong within our families as Turbo observed at age 25; specifically by: (1) Replacing the NO Mass with the Traditional Tridentine Mass as the Pope is encouraging. (2) Teaching Catholic doctrine as the early church fathers and doctors of the church taught (3) Convince Rome and the Bishops to dump the silly notion of Theistic Evolution (TE) where some almighty computer programmer supposedly sits behind his celestial computer occasionally punching a key that changes one species into another; How many atheists and Buddhists etc have been converted to Catholicism by dialoging on the subject of evolution; come on give me a break. TE is just a tool of atheism anyway and that certainly drives our youth of today into the arms of more religious Bible reading pro-test-ants IF the youth have any remaining desire to have a working relationship with their Creator. In other words in the language of today who wants to pray to a computer geek so learn the scientific evidence against evolution as Pope Pius XII urged us to do; and, as the evangelicals are doing with their children.
So Turbo, what do you think of the above? Any other specific suggestions to bring your fellow youthful Catholics back to the faith?

Hugh, good points here.
However, young adults like me aren’t flocking to the Tridentine Masses in my archdiocese (Chicago) in droves. There are some like me who attend Mass regularly that know what Tridentine Mass is, and sometimes go to it. However, like I’ve said here before, the ultra-traditional stuff isn’t going to bring the numbers of participating young adults up. My friends who have fallen away from the church prefer simplicity, less on anything they might perceive as “showy.”

Keep in mind, the average Catholic, urban young adult today probably went through poor CCD or Catholic schooling and knows little, if anything about Church history. Latin Mass to them is a long Mass in a language they don’t understand nor want to (and I know first-hand from studying with my university in Rome. When given the choice between going to a Mass in Latin or in Italian/English, my Mass-going classmates overwhelmingly chose the vernacular. Even the Latin majors).

Secondly, there’s not going to be a sea-change to revert to the age before Vatican II. My parents are both 64; they have been active in the Catholic Church before Vatican II but aren’t ones to say “the good old days.” Today’s Mass has been made accessible to everyone, it’s just been abused and disfigured into something that young adults reject or take for granted.

One thing to bring young adults back is what one parish is doing in downtown Chicago: religious education programs for busy professionals. These are refresher courses in basic Catholic doctrine (or FAQ sessions) that are geared towards young adults, and are done during lunch hour or after work. It’s simple, it has a good turn out among young people, and it gets young adults to appreciate their church more.

 

[js_192]

As a young catholic I must say I have certainly lost interest in the church. I would still go, but only on occasion. There are a number of reasons.

1.) Masses aren’t all that interesting anymore. We used to have more vibrant priests who would have homilies that would keep your attention but now its more like I have to force myself to listen.

2.) The youths in my parish aren’t all that friendly…to me at least. I remember I visited the youth group once and I felt very unwelcome. It seems to me that they have their own little inclusive group. And on more than one occasion I’ve seen them smile at each other when I happen to pass and exchange looks. To me, the youths of a Catholic church should be nicer and more welcoming.

3.) The people of my church…some of them are just down-right hypocrites. There are others who, I would say they are serious about being catholic but for others, it’s a different story.

However I don’t think I would ever leave the church because I know it’s the original church.

 

[JamestheOlder]

Hugh, good points here.
However, young adults like me aren’t flocking to the Tridentine Masses in my archdiocese (Chicago) in droves. There are some like me who attend Mass regularly that know what Tridentine Mass is, and sometimes go to it. However, like I’ve said here before, the ultra-traditional stuff isn’t going to bring the numbers of participating young adults up. My friends who have fallen away from the church prefer simplicity, less on anything they might perceive as “showy.”

Keep in mind, the average Catholic, urban young adult today probably went through poor CCD or Catholic schooling and knows little, if anything about Church history. Latin Mass to them is a long Mass in a language they don’t understand nor want to (and I know first-hand from studying with my university in Rome. When given the choice between going to a Mass in Latin or in Italian/English, my Mass-going classmates overwhelmingly chose the vernacular. Even the Latin majors).

Secondly, there’s not going to be a sea-change to revert to the age before Vatican II. My parents are both 64; they have been active in the Catholic Church before Vatican II but aren’t ones to say “the good old days.” Today’s Mass has been made accessible to everyone, it’s just been abused and disfigured into something that young adults reject or take for granted.

One thing to bring young adults back is what one parish is doing in downtown Chicago: religious education programs for busy professionals. These are refresher courses in basic Catholic doctrine (or FAQ sessions) that are geared towards young adults, and are done during lunch hour or after work. It’s simple, it has a good turn out among young people, and it gets young adults to appreciate their church more.

Very good response! Education, under whatever form, is the real answer. As has been repeated many times, no one who KNOWS the Catholic religion ever leaves the Church.