Y'all Come Down. The Weather's Fine!

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TimothyH

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The Church is in decline. The west has lost Christ. Blah blah blah. :rolleyes:

The Catholic Church will be the biggest Chruch Atlanta, beating out the Southern Baptists, within the next six years. From Raleigh NC to Greenville and Charlston SC, to Atlanta to Birmingham AL - the new fertile crescent - we can’t build Churches and Catholic Schools fast enough. We have to literally ship Church buildings to the South to keep up with the demand. I’m not kidding - see whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2008/10/church-moves-south-literally.html

Suffice it to say, the fruit is considerable – in the heart of the Bible Belt, the North Georgia church has seen a more than fivefold increase in membership over the last two decades, exploding from 150,000 in 1990 to within striking distance of 800,000 today… and – as if that wasn’t enough – a concurrent increase by half of the diocesan presbyterate (121 in 1990 to 181 today), with eight more priests ordained last weekend. Read More…

The number of people was so large it took half an hour to recite all the names of the soon-to-be Catholics who will be baptized, confirmed and receive first Communion at the Easter Vigil. Read More…

“I would like to believe that this is some indication of how the diaconate formation program is being viewed by the clergy,” he said. “This particular class of men comes from all over the archdiocese and so the deacons and priests in attendance were representative of that. But the fact that so many attended is also an indicator that they hold the men being ordained in high regard.” Read More…

A strategic plan written by researchers at The Catholic University of America suggests that the Archdiocese of Atlanta needs at least three more elementary schools. The campuses are recommended for growing Catholic communities in Flowery Branch, Douglasville and McDonough, where families are willing to pay at least $6,000 or more in tuition to support them. Read More…

Its happeing all across the South. Franciscan priests being named bishop. Go to the walmart and bump into a group of Dominican Sisters buying groceries - I heard a little girl point at one of them and say in a perfect southern drawl, “Look mama, it’s Maaaaary!” 😃

Y’all come down! The weather is mighty fine.

-Tim-
 
I have noticed the same trend. In the diocese my wife and I just moved from (Knoxville, TN) it is currently the smallest diocese in the US in terms of percentage of the population. However, at its current rate of growth it is projected to double in size in the next 7-10 years and triple in 10-15. Here where I am now in the Diocese of Fort Worth, I am hearing substantial growth projections as well. In both cases, the growth rate far exceeds that of influx of Hispanic or Eastern European immigrants. I can’t speak for other Diocese, but I hope that trend is happening all over the place! 👍

Furthermore, every time someone on EWTN/Catholic Answers/etc. talks about the number of seminarians, I come away with the impression that seminaries with a reputation of being faithful to the Magesterium are full to the point of overflowing, and those that do not, not so much. I am hearing and reading the same things in terms of vocations to Religious life. I could be wrong in my interpretation, but that is the impression that I have currently.

Peace,
 
That sure would be nice. I am in Greenville, SC. and I think Catholics make up 5% of the population both here in Greenville and in the state of SC. Of course, that’s up from 3% about 5 years ago, lol.
 
jwinch2 said:
Here where I am now in the Diocese of Fort Worth, I am hearing substantial growth projections as well. In both cases, the growth rate far exceeds that of influx of Hispanic or Eastern European immigrants. I can’t speak for other Diocese, but I hope that trend is happening all over the place! 👍
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The stars at night, are big and bright…

The Catholic Diocese of Tyler has grown tremendously in the 25 years since it was formed from the “backyards” of the dioceses of Dallas, Houston and Beaumont, the Rev. Gavin Vaverek said. Read More…

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

-Tim-
 
Boulder257 said:
That sure would be nice. I am in Greenville, SC. and I think Catholics make up 5% of the population both here in Greenville and in the state of SC. Of course, that’s up from 3% about 5 years ago, lol.
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I thought G’ville was growing. What happened to that Anglican guy who thinks he’s CS Lewis? Do you ever go to his Church?

Maybe Bob Jones is messing with the stats.

-Tim-
 
Besides a growing trend of new converts there also is a trend(in my area) of Catholics coming Home. The media sure doesn’t want to advertise that!
 
Boulder257 said:
That sure would be nice. I am in Greenville, SC. and I think Catholics make up 5% of the population both here in Greenville and in the state of SC. Of course, that’s up from 3% about 5 years ago, lol.
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And that’s up from the 2% Catholic population in SC when I was stationed at Shaw AFB from 1981-1984! Praise God!😃
 
I am one of the Newbies at my Parrish in Central Florida. From what I was told the new Pastor is very appealing to a slightly younger demographic. He is very active from what I can tell in my 4 weeks of being at the Church. He actually is adding more RCIA classes, one of which I am starting this Sunday, Super excited. So maybe we are seeing a uptick in the Growth or should I say regrowth in the Church in the South. Fingers Crossed!😃
 
TimothyH said:
I thought G’ville was growing. What happened to that Anglican guy who thinks he’s CS Lewis? Do you ever go to his Church?

Maybe Bob Jones is messing with the stats.

-Tim-
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Too funny! You must be speaking of Father Longenecker. I have never been to his Church nor have I ever met him, although he is VERY well know around here. I saw him in a Jewish bagel shop about two weeks ago and wanted to go introduce myseld, but didn’t want to bother him. We also have a Catholic Radio station headquartered here that has a program on EWTN. So, for a 5% Catholic population, we are representing!

Funny comment about Bob Jones too…definitely affects our statistics here in the G-ville area. And, with the late Bob Jones calling the Pope the Antichrist in an interview once, it makes for good conversation ;).

Needless to say, Greenville is an interesting place to be Catholic. I love Ash Wednesday when everyone I see tells me there’s something on my forehead 😃
 
Atlanta is waaay too hot. Its like spending most of your life in Purgatory … which I guess might be a good thing…
 
I’m just north of Charlotte. We have 3000 families. A parish on the other side of Charlotte has 8600 families.
 
giuseppeTO said:
Atlanta is waaay too hot. Its like spending most of your life in Purgatory … which I guess might be a good thing…
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It’s not as hot as everyone thinks. New Jersey has higher humidity. Purgatory rocks. 👍

-Tim-
 
The Austin Diocese is stable as far as our numbers go. Although, of the 125 parishes in this diocese, 22 of said communities have no resident priest. Recently, our Bishop retired several priest from there ministries, one of those whom he retired was the Chaplin of our Latin Mass Society, as of yet, there has been no one appointed to replace him. 🤷
 
Boulder257 said:
Too funny! You must be speaking of Father Longenecker. I have never been to his Church nor have I ever met him, although he is VERY well know around here. I saw him in a Jewish bagel shop about two weeks ago and wanted to go introduce myseld, but didn’t want to bother him. We also have a Catholic Radio station headquartered here that has a program on EWTN. So, for a 5% Catholic population, we are representing!

Funny comment about Bob Jones too…definitely affects our statistics here in the G-ville area. And, with the late Bob Jones calling the Pope the Antichrist in an interview once, it makes for good conversation ;).

Needless to say, Greenville is an interesting place to be Catholic. I love Ash Wednesday when everyone I see tells me there’s something on my forehead 😃
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I think the problem here in Greenville is that the driving is so bad it prevents people getting to mass…lol!!!
 
I haven’t read all the responses to the thread here, and I’m not a very eloquent speaker, but I think there is a misconception. I’ve heard and seen the growth in the Catholic Church, or should I say the more liberal or secular movement within the Catholic Church. You know, the movement that puts limits on the Church’s Doctrine and Catechism of the Catholic Church. It’s now cool in the media to be Catholic, so we find ourselves inundated with converts. Priests who are converts or no longer old enough to have been witness to the True Faith of the Catholic Church i.e. pre-V2 changes and misinterpretations. There is however, a somewhat parallel Traditional movement that young people and converts alike have come to embrace. Small though it may be, compared to the New Age Catholic movement if you will, it bares attention and appreciation for its roots. There is a renewed seminarian vocation to Traditional practices in some circles. And though the Church in the US has been allowed to fall away from tradition (aren’t we special), increases in requests for the Latin Mass and Latin Right Liturgical activities have been realized, even if not the same as the increase in the New Age Catholic movement.

In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
 
rainbow1 said:
Trying to decide if the Bob Jones group drives better than the Catholics at my parish…hahaha.
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I have to give that one to the Bob Jones folks. Of course, there is no more dangerous place than a Catholic Church parking lot right after Communion! Start your engines!!! lol

I have a twisted sense of humor 😛
 
plefe said:
… It’s now cool in the media to be Catholic, so we find ourselves inundated with converts… In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
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Maybe it’s cool in Montana, but not here in SC, lol. In all seriousness, I moved to SC from Ohio. In Ohio, everyone knew Catholic tradition and how to behave in a Catholic Church, even if they were not Catholic. It was understood, accepted, etc. In SC people look at me like I have three heads when I tell them I am Catholic. I can’t count the number of times people have responded with, “oh, well I’m Christian.” It takes everything I have not to say, well then why don’t you join the Church founded by Christ? 😛
 
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