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Pittsburgh: Mass Attendance Down 40% Since 2000
Catholic Culture ^ | 8/18/16

Posted on 08/18/2016 5:44:25 PM PDT by marshmallow

Commenting on sobering demographic and financial trends, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that “the number one priority has to be, ‘We need to make our worship better.”

“Second of all, we need to do the best job that we can to get not only more ordained leaders, but we really have to open up lots of doors for the lay leaders of the Church,” he said.

Since 2000, diocesan Mass attendance has declined by 40%, and K-8 Catholic school enrollment has fallen by 50%.

The newspaper also reported that nearly half of Pittsburgh parishes are the in red, compared to one-third in 2012.

'We need to make our worship better,' Pittsburgh Bishop Zubik tells Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: mass; pittsburgh
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"the number one priority has to be, ‘We need to make our worship better.”

As in more "relevant", more entertaining, more lay people in the sanctuary, more banners, more guitars...? Yeah, we know how that goes.

This guy sounds like he's part of the problem.

1 posted on 08/18/2016 5:44:25 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

> nearly half of Pittsburgh parishes are the in red

Stop reaching out to the evil of islam.


2 posted on 08/18/2016 5:48:41 PM PDT by soycd
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To: marshmallow

Have they considered going back to being Christian? It might bring in the crowds.


3 posted on 08/18/2016 5:48:54 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (“Islam has nothing to do with this.”)
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To: marshmallow

How about teaching from the Bible instead of pandering to liberal politicians and muslims?


4 posted on 08/18/2016 5:51:58 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: marshmallow

I think this guy’s okay. My son and his family belong to a large parish in the diocese of Pittsburgh. I’ve attended mass many times there and found the mass and homilies to be very traditional. The music beautiful and a great choir. My grandkids attend school there and he forbade Common Core education. Wish more bishops would have done the same. Oh and whatever mass we attend is full.


5 posted on 08/18/2016 5:56:04 PM PDT by mimaw
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To: marshmallow

I didn’t leave the Roman Catholic Church....it left me


6 posted on 08/18/2016 6:00:06 PM PDT by JerryBlackwell (some animals are more equal than others)
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To: marshmallow

I wouldn’t be surprised if attendance in Dallas had increased by close to the same amount Pittsburgh has decreased.

That appears to have attracted the notice of the Vatican, as they are getting rid of the successful bishop, and giving him a quiet job in Rome with a fancy title for a job created just for him.


7 posted on 08/18/2016 6:01:59 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: mimaw

I forgot to add 24hr adoration. They also have many different ways for parishioners to be involved in comunnity projects from prove life groups to stepping up and aiding unmarried mom’s who choose life. They are active in Knights of Columbus and many opportunities to mentor young people. It’s a great parish.


8 posted on 08/18/2016 6:04:33 PM PDT by mimaw
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To: mimaw

The Pittsburgh Catholic schools are crap. His “decree” forbidding Common Core was a joke largely ignored by almost all the catholic schools. Hence, the attendance is down. Meanwhile, in the North Hills there exists a private non-diocesan Catholic school that follows a classical curriculum and its booming.

If these bishops would get rid of the liberals in education and follow a classic curriculum model their schools would have waiting lists.


9 posted on 08/18/2016 6:10:22 PM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Proud to be an Infidel)
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To: marshmallow

That was my thought too.

People don’t want that crap. There is ONE parish in all of Pittsburgh that offers a Latin mass. And it’s full. Big shocker


10 posted on 08/18/2016 6:11:46 PM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Proud to be an Infidel)
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To: JerryBlackwell

Nevertheless, you are still a baptized Catholic and return any time by sitting down and talking with a priest.

Try it and get your questions answered.


11 posted on 08/18/2016 6:16:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: JerryBlackwell

The Church needs to start excommunicating Demoncrats.

Problem solved.

Until then, piss off Zubik.


12 posted on 08/18/2016 6:19:20 PM PDT by Rome2000 (SMASH THE CPUSA-SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS-CLOSE ALL MOSQUES)
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To: soycd
I've visited a lot of churches in my life. One thing too many have in common is that if someone makes a standard liberal remark, people listen politely, maybe even praise the remark and, at worst, change the subject.

But make a conservative remark and everyone shushes you and tells you that church isn't the place to discuss politics.

That is so often true even when the remarks relates to first amendment freedoms or the divine inspiration behind our constitution.

13 posted on 08/18/2016 6:21:32 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: marshmallow

Look at the Bishops — the shepherds. Monsignor Pope’s column today is about them.


14 posted on 08/18/2016 6:33:45 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: marshmallow

I think part of it is two factors:
— aging population that has died/is homebound since 2000. They aren’t being replaced at the same rate by younger Catholics, many of whom don’t practice or have moved away.
— parishes closing/merging — many Catholics in this area refuse to go to another parish when theirs is closed. To them, the whole Catholic Church is functionally dead.

And the rest already mentioned above doesn’t help either.


15 posted on 08/18/2016 6:56:25 PM PDT by GCC Catholic (Stay out of the weeds! Let's hold fast to the path and Make America Great Again!)
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To: marshmallow

Try using the Liturgy not to entertain or bring out emotions, but to allow people to befriend the living Christ that is already inside them, where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, and in the Eucharist.


16 posted on 08/18/2016 7:07:20 PM PDT by ReaganGeneration2
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To: surroundedbyblue

My kids live in mt Lebanon and their school is large enough to require multiple class rooms for most grades


17 posted on 08/18/2016 7:08:03 PM PDT by mimaw
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To: marshmallow

There is a TRUTH movement everywhere, not just in politics. Many are also waking up to the sham of religion, rules, ritual, and dogma and embracing the TRUTH of the Gospel of Grace through Faith.

That masks are coming off everywhere.

“you shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set you free”


18 posted on 08/18/2016 7:09:15 PM PDT by Boanarges
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To: surroundedbyblue

There is a Catholic school, starting up in the Greensburg diocese, that will teach in the classical method. Son and wife will be moving that way, eventually. I hope they consider sending their children there.


19 posted on 08/18/2016 7:24:47 PM PDT by sneakers
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To: JerryBlackwell

Ditto.


20 posted on 08/18/2016 7:26:42 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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