YOU THINK THIS POST IS LONG? TRY ATTENDING THE ACTUAL MEETING!

THE EXCUSE

So, here’s the reason (yet another excuse) that there was no post yesterday.  We had a Presbyteral Convocation, aka a murder of crows, aka a meeting of the priests of the Diocese of Cleveland, which took place at our seminary.  Before taking off, I had to do my morning chores including feeding and airing out the dog and go to a Finance Council Meeting.  My car was pulled out and parked in a strategic direction for quick escape.

After, there was just enough time to make it home, eat, and then it was time to hear confessions, have benediction, and finally, bless our new pipe organ.  (No, not that one.  Another one.  I think I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.)  After all of that I was of little use save as a throw rug or door stop.

THE MEETING

The meeting concerned the future of ministry in the Diocese of Cleveland.  “The sky is falling,” so what are we going to do?  What follows is a brief overview of the first couple hours of the meeting - largely consisting of statistics.  (Two hours in I leaned over to my table partner and said, “information overload.”)

In the 1960s, 50% of all Catholics in the United States lived in a triangle whose points are roughly Chicago, Washington D. C., and Boston.  So this is where all of the churches, schools, religious mothers houses and the like are concentrated.  Today, only 25% of all Catholics live in this triangle.  We moved with the Social Security set hitting such places as Florida and those searching for their first jobs heading to such places as North Carolina (like my nephew.  I mean, come on!  Who lives in N. C.?  I hate driving to Cleveland to see people - so N. C.?)

Anyway, this means that in parts of the country, they cannot establish parishes quickly enough.  Church and school buildings are appearing as quickly as Christmas decorations at the mall the day after Thanksgiving.  Meanwhile, in the magic triangle, we have a lot of giant buildings that are as empty as the Rubber Bowl on a Saturday night.

Cleveland is not doing too poorly YET.  But we are going to retiring huge classes of priests in the near future.  Right now we have 256 priests.  By 2040, unless we really do something, it is predicted that there will only be 140.  In 1970, that means there was one priest for every 1,694 Catholics.  In 2040 it is predicted that it will go to one priest for every 3,251.  (Double!  But that is approximately the year I supposedly retire.)

COMPARING CLEVELAND TO THE U. S.

In the United States we have OUTSTANDING service to our Catholics as far as parish and priest availability per Catholic is concerned compared to most of there best of the world.  I often wondered why the older generation of the Valencheck family did not go to Mass very often.  It was because in Slovenia, there was not a priest who could make it to the village very often so they only went a few times a year.  This is not terribly unusual around the world.  No priests = no Mass.

In the U. S. we have a ration of priests to parishes 1 : 1.  In the Diocese of Cleveland it is 1.4 : 1.  If we close no parishes by 2040 it will be .8 : 1.  Ouch. 

The average amount of weekend Masses at a parish in the U.S. is 3.6.  In Cleveland it is 3.8.  Seating capacity at your typical Catholic Church in the U. S. is 523.  In Cleveland it is 663.  The average weekend attendance nationally is 1,004.  In Cleveland it is just a bit over 900.  The average number of registered households in Cleveland is 1,439.  St. Sebastian seats 800, has a little over 1,700 households, and has a slightly higher weekend attendance rate than the national rate.

702 weekend Masses are offered here with 159,000 Catholics (or 23% of all Catholics here) attending.  1,090 day Masses are offered every week.

The Diocese is over represented in both white and African American populations.  Nationally the Church is 61% white and 13% black.  In Cleveland, we are 73% white and 18% black.

SUMMIT COUNTY

This is the county in which St. Sebastian is located.  We are about 20% Catholic having had a 7% growth in the number of Catholics since 1971 with the over all change in population of this county holding at 0%.  The confirmation rate of those baptized Catholic is the highest in the diocese.  

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Don’t panic.  Trust in God and pray.  This is the continuous story of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years.  First we are here, and then we are over there.  We adapt and cope.  

Next, promote vocations.  No way around this one.  We have 80 men studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland right now.  That is nice, (even great compared to MANY dioceses) but it’s nowhere close to replacement levels.  

Evangelize, evangelize, evangelize.  Although the overall population of northeast Ohio is dropping, the Catholic population is leaving at a greater rate!  When was the last time you invited a neighbor to Mass or parish event?  When was the last time you spoke to someone about your faith?  We are horrible at this in general but we need to get over it.

Expect non-clergy and religious Catholics to take on a MUCH larger role in the life of the parish and the diocese.  And we must make a serious evaluation of all of our venues and services.  Do we need to have them all?  What is our core mission?  What can/should we give up?

Bring jobs to northeast Ohio.  What I hear over and over again is how much millennials love Akron/Cleveland.  There is so much here.  So much to see and do.  But we don’t have the jobs on which to raise a family.

CONCLUSION:

There is hope.  There is also a lot to do RIGHT NOW so that we do not panic later.  It is not (as it appears here) that there are less Catholics.  The Catholic population in the U. S. is exploding.  It is just in the magic triangle where the concentration is spreading out to the rest of the country.  The dam has broken.  There is not less water, there is just less water behind the dam.  The water is spreading out across the valley with more on the way.  How do we adapt to this new reality?

ADDENDUM:

I just thought to add that in spite of what you read up above, Catholic priests have the among the highest "job" satisfaction rates in the country.  We might be tired, but we are (generally) fulfilled and most of us would not trade it for the world.

PROGRESSIVE PROGRESSIVISM

There is a local church that has one of the few marquees to which I pay attention.  There is always something there that makes me stop and think, usually because it is a challenge to my belief though we share the same moniker of Christian.  The church considers itself progressive and innovative and advertises such quips as, “Planned Parenthood helps men too!”  This is, of course absolutely true.  As long as the man has not had the life snuffed out of him in his mother’s womb by Planned Parenthood, it will then help him later in his life, if appropriate funding can be found, even to helping him snuff out the life of his own son.

 

And so we have the march of progress.  In fact, that is one of their latest tag lines on their marquee: “Progressive churches make things happen.”  This little dandy caught my attention and occupied quite a bit of my contemplation time.  “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”  Like so many things we are presented with, it seems like it means something but if you take the time to think about it, it really doesn’t.

Consider firstly the word “progressive.”  What does it mean to be a church “of progress?”  After all, progress in science may allows us to have vacations on the moon, but we may not live to see it if our cancer progresses.  For progress to mean anything positive, there must be a goal to progress to.  For far too many people, progress simply means stumbling forward; doing something because we can, not because we are supposed to.  Not all moving forward is progress.  Cities, societies, even people move forward toward decay.  If you do not know who you want to be when you grow up, you might get older, but you won’t progress to anything positive.

 

In order for a Christian church to be progressive, there must be an ultimate goal and that goal must outline what is best both for the human person and for humanity in general physically, mentally, and spiritually.  It must be based on truth and being so, all true progress will move toward that truth.  Progress, then, is not a process of allowing humanity to go to seed as it wishes but to lift it up to an ideal; rather than broadening the path, it teaches men to walk the narrow road.

 

In this, then, I would argue there is not a Church as progressive as the Catholic Church in (when it is properly understood.)  It has an ideal to achieve and to which man is called; it calls each individual and collective communities to the highest standards of health, knowledge, and holiness.  When it moves men in this direction, it is truly progressive.

 

“Makes things happen,” the second part of the tag line, is a particularly value free statement.  A squirrel running past a dog in a china shop makes things happen.  That being said, if I had to guess at what the sign intended to convey I would supposed it implies that if you do not like the current state of affairs or the current idea of what progress is, then one should join them to make change happen.  (A whole other topic.)  As a whole, I like “things to happen.”  It is far superior to things not happening at all.  But there are things I would rather happen and other things I would rather not.  But in any event, if I am going to be part of a church that “makes things happen,” I hope it is truly a Church of progress and not simply a Church blindly moving forward.

A LOOK IN THE MIRROR

Years ago there was a letter to the editor that blamed “the Catholic Church” for the lack of vocations to the priesthood. “’They’ should do more” and because they didn’t they feared that their parish would be without a priest or even possibly close. I completely agreed with the author but most likely not for the same reasons that he intended his comments.

 

Those in the know are aware that “they” is a guy in an office in downtown Cleveland running his car into the ground trying to promote vocations in an eight county area. “He” however, does not make up the entirety of the Catholic Church or even the vocation department. We are the Catholic Church and each one of us has an obligation to promote vocations.

 

Sometimes people will come to the rectory to register supposing that this makes them Catholic. This is what happens in the majority of Churches out there. But one does not join the Catholic Church in the same way that one joins a local gym. One becomes the Catholic Church.

 

“The Church should” is something said often in some circles, as if the “Church” was an institution outside of themselves. If the Church not doing enough to promote vocations, then we need to ask ourselves what I am doing to promote vocations. Do we not have enough Bible Study classes, when have I offered to host one – even in my own house? Not everything needs to be done on parish property or in connection to the Mass.  (Some of the best work is not.)  Does the Church need to be more active in evangelization, ask what I have done to promote the faith.

 

A lady came by the other day and said that she had a concern about the parish and she also came with a solution.  “We need this and I am willing to do this if you would like.”

 

I am not here simply to receive services.

 

I am part of the Church.

 

I am part of the solution.

MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES

Fr. B and I are on the same schedule as far as being assigned. This past Tuesday he opined, “You know, we are beginning the “last” of everything at our parishes. This will be our last summer; we have one last Christmas, Easter, and one last Holy Week at our current assignments. This time next year things are going to be interesting.”

And not just interesting because we may be moving. We stand in a period of time in the Church when change is coming to a head. It is as if we are crossing from one boat to another. For fifty years we have been straddling two boats and are preparing to finely stand on the boat to which we have been crossing. Although the Church in some fashion or another is always in a state of change, there is something significant coming to maturity now that will make the next ten years or so very interesting.

Ah! And there is the ancient Chinese curse. "May you live in interesting times."

Most interesting is that those beginning to influence the Church now (clergy, lay, parents, religious, single) are the children of children who were largely un-catechized. (Painting with a broad paint brush) these are the generations that were brought up with "Jesus loves you" and banner making classes. But something interesting is happening. Like parents who grew up poor and lavish their children with things to make up for what they didn't have, those who are still embracing their faith are making sure that their kids are exposed to a much more substantial faith. It is as if they are saying, “Let’s get back to basics and do it right.” It will be interesting to see what we do in the next ten years if we do not lose nerve.

The worst of the Church scandal seems to be behind us. The Plain Dealer reports yesterday that there is a general feeling across the nation that the Church has gotten its act together and collections are on the increase. I for one hope that there is an outraged group out there that keeps us on the up and up. As we see little snippets about the atrocities that are occurring in other schools and organizations, and even other denominations that are not held as accountable as the Catholic Church it is possible that we will once again be that beacon of light and safety for future generations.

Also in that P.D. report was the sad news that most of our Catholic schools are running in the red and parish accounts are being drained trying to keep up with increasing cost of educating our children. This is a critical moment. Will Catholic schools be reinvented? Or will it be that this generation will reinterpret our mission in this field and come up with something better/different?

Then there is the future of religious. The “backbones of the diocese” are still active, at least here in Cleveland, but the gray hair factor is extremely high. It was discussed not to long ago in a circle of priests that in the next ten to fifteen years they will hit a wall, that is that there will simply be almost no active nuns (comparatively) of these groups to handle any significant portion of jobs in the diocese. Conversely there are other orders that appear to be taking on life and growing at alarming rates although not at a rate that will replace the old big orders completely. And it is sad that here in Cleveland so many of our young ladies who have an eye on religious life leave the state to find that for which they are looking. That future will be interesting on many levels.

Then there is the changing demography of Catholics. We are no longer a faith primarily found in the city. A large portion of us have made a definite move to the suburbs. That will mean the closing of many parishes. In the diocese of Cleveland that number is over 40. But it will also mean the expansion or building of more parishes out of city centers as well as a redistribution of priests. (This will also have an effect on how our influence effects the state in which we live.) This is just one more situation that is coming to a head.

The number of seminarians is on the rise. It is not at levels that would make us comfortable. Will lay people become more involved in the running of the parish? Will the upward swing in vocations continue? Ten years from now will be very telling.

The mindset of “Church” following Vatican II is also completing a final stage. Those just beginning to come into influence now have no longer been changed by VII, but have been formed by it. It is not something new to figure out but a part of the greater teaching of the Church of the ages, a part of history. Though in some cases it may be true, too often this generation is mislabeled as “throwbacks,” trying to bring back a Church of the past. I do not believe that to be the case. They may appear as throwbacks because they are able to embrace more of their heritage of which Vatican II is an essential part, but not an over-bright star in the sights of a telescope that blocks out other (valid) stars.

Oh, there’s more to consider but this is already long winded enough. The future is still blurry and interesting, but it is not bleak. There is great hope, great opportunity, great faith, there are outstanding men and women ready to charge ahead, and of course the promise of Christ in the form of the action of the Holy Spirit. Yes, these are interesting times. And I for one can’t wait to see how this picture will develop.

MANY MEMBERS MISS MASS MINDING MEGACHURCH MESSAGE

And the ground shook. We looked up into the sky for signs of the parousia for such a momentous event points to mighty works that only God could accomplish. And if He were wielding His mighty right arm with such strength, it must mean the end is near for Satvicwarrior and I have agreed upon something.

To come close to quoting him he says that the Church is totally out of step with the faithful who are so with the times. I could not agree more. Furthermore I would venture to say that this has been true for some 2,000 years and will likely be so in the future. It is the perennial accusation lobbied at the Church and not one she is likely to take as a negative.

That being said it is no hidden secret that many Catholics have left the Church particularly for Protestant mega-churches over the past few decades. Many have sprung up around northeast Ohio and a census of their membership reveals anywhere from a good chunk to a majority of their members being ex-Catholics.

A meeting was held recently to discuss this trend. Reasons cited for people joining such churches include an “accept Jesus and you are saved” message, that they often offer a more friendly atmosphere, are more entertaining, have more programs, are more with the times, make people feel more included, and they have more of an emphasis on evangelization.

Ideas for stemming the tide of those leaving include not worrying about it (for it will run its course) to teaching our people apologetics. I doubt either will prove very effective.

There is always making the mass more entertaining but that will also fail miserably. We are not good entertainers and the mass does not lend itself to entertainment very well. The mass can come off looking like a middle aged man in a midlife crisis trying to dress like an 18 year old, using popular slang and driving a red convertible sports car. Even if he pulls it off he comes across as someone about whom you think something is just not quite right.

We have only one thing that works. We have only one thing that nobody else has. We have only one thing that we do really, really well. We have the Eucharist. If everything we do does not somehow flow from and to the Eucharist we will bleed parishioners.

People leave the Catholic Church because the (you choose the denomination) down the street (pick one: serves more donuts, has youth dances, has a senior group, doesn’t ask for money, is anybody except our cranky pastor, insert your own reason here.) And for most areas these are good reasons but not if you believe in the Eucharist.

Most mega churches are service-oriented Churches; that is, they provide services for their membership. The Catholic Church is also a service-oriented institution, but we mean get your own behind up out of the pew and do something. It might behoove you to join a church that will provide you with services but not if you believe John 6 concerning the Eucharist.

It might be more fun to go to a church whose focus is to distract and entertain you rather asking you to participate through a concerted effort, but not if you believe that Christ established a Church and entrusted it with his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Perhaps it would be beneficial to join a church that agrees with your theology rather than a set theology handed down from apostolic times, but not if you knew that it would mean you would be leaving the opportunity to touch Christ directly on earth.

Mass must be absurdly focused the Eucharist. Education must flow from our celebration of the Eucharist and back to it. Sports, Scripture studies, picnics, men’s groups, women’s guilds, societies, banquets, everything must get their inspiration from and point back to the Eucharist or we’ve nothing really special to offer.

Most important are youth groups. They cannot simply be opportunities for youth to get together and feel welcomed or entertained. They can do that anywhere. They can’t be connected to the Eucharist anywhere. The youth groups in Cleveland that are the most successful and spawn vocations are those that continually focus everything back to the Eucharist.

Faith is more than about us. It’s more than simply educating Christians even when teaching absolute truth. It is about a relationship, a relationship with Jesus Christ. And nowhere else can you directly see Him, worship Him, touch Him, and bring Him into yourself. Only in the Catholic Church. We must start operating at every level personally and institutionally as if we actually believe this truth.