D1B wrote:
Joe, did contraction cause those numbers or are you guys just kicking ass there?
A little of both. Our parish has 3,100 families, and it is a regional church for the most part. Many people come from towns nearby because they prefer this church to their more local church. As for us, we go there largely because it is only about a few minute ride and it was my wife's church growing up. I often attend Mass at the church in town too, usually when we can't go as a family because one of the kids is sick, or we have some other plans that require us to "break up." (I frequently hit the Daily Mass there, though, if I can.
).
Also, the suburban church is the new model. The reason inner-city parishes are closing is because the children of the first and second generation Catholic immigrants have "made it" and moved to the suburbs.
The numbers overall are still consistent, though. Catholics are still about 25% of the population, and about 35% of Catholics attend Mass every week, which means that there are 30,000,000 Catholics in church every Sunday. Weekly collection plates total over $6 billion annually.
I keep hearing reports that the numbers are shrinking, and yet every priest I know says, in their experience, it is not true.
I'm not going to deny there are problems with the institutional church; but there are many, many great things that never get as much attention as the bad things. Personally, I think it would be great to get an African or South American as the next pope, and it may happen. The church is growing rapidly in those parts of the world. Ironically, I think a fresh perspective and the excitement of someone without a Euro-centric outlook heading the Church would actually bring back many people in Europe. Honestly, many people I know who have stopped going to Church will admit to wanting to find a reason to go back. And, if you are being truthful, after a few beers, you would say the same thing too, I bet.
