All the parishes around Northern Virginia are immense, and typically standing room only. My parish added a 6PM mass, and now the 5:30 vigil, 11:00, and 6PM are beyond standing room only (as is the 1PM Spanish mass). People have to stand outside the doors of the church; you can only sit at the 7:30 AM, and stand in the church at the 9AM . And it seats several hundred. (1000?) St. Anthony's nearby, has to fill up the parking lot with worshippers, and that church seats 1600, one of the largest non-cathedral churches around.
When I went home a couple weeks ago, I was shocked to see the small, suburban parish I grew up in had become Standing Room Only.
Yes, the churches in Boston were largely empty, but the decay is not all around.
Hearing about more Churches with standing room only at mass is great.We must continue to pray. It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.About 5 years ago we began perpetual adoration.Our Church is open every minute of every day of the year.
And here in northeastern NYS, we have a full church and no priest. Instead, we have priests who take turns traveling to various parished in the region. Masses have been severely cut in number.
I cannot deny that what you observe is true.......that the evidence of the "decay" is not "everywhere - to use your terms.
But please follow me on this........what you are observing does not show the whole picture. Adn I should note that I have seen both aspects of it in different parts of the country.
Let me cite the example of the Archdiocese of NY. Nobody can deny the white flight which has occurred in the urban center for some 40 years. Parishes in formerly working & middle classe nsighborhoods which had thousands in the pews in the 60s, now have congregations of 300. Why?
Because the congregation has either died off or moved to the suburbs which surround NYC. The suburban churches are full on Sundays - many of the Urban ones are not. But this is not for lack of people living in the urban centers......rather it is because they are non-believers....unchurched. They do not believe in anything - except their wallets and genitals. They are not interested in Christ, and the Catholic clergy have shown no interest in converting them.
So, the urban churches grow empty as their congregations have left, and have not been replaced - by anybody. The huge influx of illegal immigrants from traditionally Catholic countries has not helped - except in a few parishes. Most of these peoples simply do not go to mass. Those who do will be a temporary phenomenon, as they will not populate the neighbodhood for a generation or more, as did other ethnic groups.
Now, let's go to your suburban churches. They are populated by those who have fled the older urban areas - either to raise families, or to retire. The latter group is currently (and rapidly) dying off. The former group will not grwo to any great degree.......due to a lowered white birthrate due to late marriage, abortion, and contraception.
And as to their children? We all know that the overwhelming majority of young kids do not go to church (unless dragged by mom & dad) much after Confirmation. Additionally, suburbs are transitory in nature. The youth will grow up, leave the homw, and 90% will not return to dwell in the neighbodhood where they were raised.
So, what you are observing are aspects of a temporary phenomena. The congreagtions of the NO churches - all over - will continue to shrink, if "these shadows go unaltered".