Wishing to be Protestant again...

[Jerry_Parker]

Tex,

**You wrote: ** *Jerry, What you say about the Catholic schools being a “binder” is very true. A dear priest in my childhood said the same to my mother when she enrolled us in the nearest parish school. Many, many friendships that were started in those years, (all five of us attended) were/are lifelong.

I think that part of the problem today, besides the fact that parish schools are fewer, are that people are still trying to let their living a Catholic life be their ONLY witness. It takes a lot more for each of us. It is responding to the Catholics who left the Church at opportune
times when they make false statements, and not just being silent, it means reaching out
after Mass when you see someone new or that you think are new. It means calling some
and inviting them to go to a church function with you. Some people would like to go, but
they hesitate to go alone.

I can think of a lot more, but, must go. *​

I thought that some folk would agree with me about the socially binding role of Catholic parish schools! Your other observations are good, too. Aside from it being inadvisable to leave social life in the parish to the priest (who can only do just so much), one cannot trust clergy these days to exert themselves very much. So much of the clergy is just plain slothful. (Thankfully, not all are so.) The lack of evangelising zeal (of which social outreach is a part) in the Church is a big part of why it is in such decline, numerical and otherwise.

Pax, Jerry Parker

 

[Lisieuxrose]

Continue to have hope! And I heartily agree with those who say… start something! My parish is lucky enough to have a full-time staff for youth ministry, as well as myriad groups for the formation and social aspects of the rest of the parish. But it had to start somewhere! I encourage all of you to take it into your own hands–It’s not a failure of the Catholic Church, we are all equally able to fix problems like this! If you need ideas, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE talk to members of your parish or people who say they DO have great programs…we ARE out there!

 

[the_hazel_nut]

Apologies for the blind post and a kind of off-topic tone, but when I first read the title I couldn’t help but immediately read it to the tune of “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from “Phantom of the Opera.”

Wishing to be Protestant again…

I love you so much right now.