[NYer]

Fr. Bevil Bramwell is a member of Oblates of Mary Immaculate and is Undergraduate Dean at Catholic Distance University.

[NYer]

Lay people organize much better than many clergy. Get a few converts (and/or reverts) in the mix as well. Their passion is real because they appreciate what they have received.

Take action!

[Rich21IE]

Very good; thanks.

[Gen.Blather]

Catholicism could use some real marketing help.

[Jerrybob]

File this under "locking the barn door after the horse has run away..." but if the Catholic Church had dealt with the rampant PEDOPHILES who called themselves priests for the last HALF CENTURY OR MORE......

We might not be having this discussion.

I'm not even Catholic, but the thought of walking into one of their churches gives me the creeps.

[annalex]

People will come to Church if it is a house of prayer because they have a need to pray. Vatican II has done nothing to strengthen the house; in fact it did damage to it.

Restore the culture of prayer; at a minimum, remove the drums and turn the priest around to face God, and receive on the tongue. It is not complicated.

[Mercat]

I did RCIA as a team member this year. wonderful experience. I think I probably learned more than the candidates. I plan to keep doing it each year. Our parish is very dynamic. Lots of people show up for everything, not just Mass although Mass is often standing room only. We remain in the black. It is possible. I know that there are a lot of parishes struggling.

[silverleaf]

Well they could ordain women and homosexuals living in open partnerships, sanctify homosexual marriage, embrace abortion as a private choice, threaten to boycott Israel for stealing Philistinian land, preach that man controls climate change and has to reverse it, embrace islam as a religion of peace, and Alla as a just another name for God, except with no Son and with a convert, submit or die no-mercy view of humanity

and embrace moral relativism so this generation gets to make up its own moral code

oh wait

that hasn't worked so well for the protestants, has it?

[count-your-change]

A call to action but what action? Are lay persons going to proselyte, maybe stand on street corners preaching the “message” or go knocking on doors?

Jesus gave his disciples a message to preach, gave them training in the field, organized the work and then had the preachers report on their experiences so they could be corrected.

I wonder what precisely is being asked of the
laity.

[ThomasMore]

At my parish in Rhode Island, we are flourishing and would be called a youthful parish. But the age spread is pretty even from the very old to the very young.

We remain quite orthodox, upholding much tradition with respect and love, but we are not extremists on either side of the pendulum. The Holy Spirit has been active for as many years as I can remember in our parish. This is attested to only because our parishioners respond to God’s grace and allow it to grow.

Two movements actually worked tirelessly to foster the faith. The Cursillo movement and the Charismatic Renewal. We have a strong youth ministry headed up by my pastor and some very committed adults and teenagers.

I know some parishes are languishing and their numbers are low, but that is not the case at my parish. I can only praise the Lord for this great blessing.

Deacon Francis

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

At my local Parish, they could clear all of the liberal bumper stickers from the parking lot and stop talking about social justice.

[Straight Vermonter]

I just had a conversation with my sister this weekend about how Catholics are not prone to doing things until they are personally asked. At least that has been the case in the 3 parishes I have been involved with. About 30 years ago my parish had a "Welcome Sunday". Father advertized it well in advance and held it the Sunday just before Advent. Parishioners were asked to go to their family members and friends who had stopped going to Mass and ask them to return. Seeing so many folks at Mass that Sunday (including my uncle!) was such a joy and you could tell that Father was very pleased as well. How hard would it be to organize an event like this in all of our parishes?