[madprof98]

Sacred Heart has a really large attendance also, partly because it has a huge Hispanic ministry. Of course, hardly anybody lives near the church building. It draws from very distant suburbs.

I would say that that proves my point, except that you are right about the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Right now, Sunday attendance is growing, but the masses are never full. I think that is because the Shrine's "specialty" ministry targets gays/lesbians, and not a lot of other people have been drawn to that.

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, that sure would explain a lot! Guess you can't extrapolate from one downtown church when they're doing a GLBT ministry . . . < ick >

You know, St. Francis de Sales is in a kind of tacky neighborhood in Mableton, in a former little Baptist church, and they're packed. (Latin Mass.) If you build it, they will come.