Until they decide their children are ready to make their First Communion. That year, they show up for all the religious education classes and attend weekly mass. After First Communion, they are gone.
Several reasons, but two primary ones, IMHO.
God was removed from public schools.
Stores and the invention of shopping malls are now open on Sundays.
We don’t do Anything that requires Sunday commitment. Not anything ever; so it is very strange to us.
I must be more blessed than I knew. Our church is never empty and all the masses are well attended. We have Eucharistic adoration around the clock up to 4 pm Saturday that starts back on Sunday after the last mass. We have the Novus Ordo mass but our choir director and priest coordinate a lot of Latin interspersed in much of the liturgy during certain periods. (Lenten practice at our church is too to sing Sanctus and Agnus Dei) Everyone hangs on every word the priest utters and he’s just a baby (40 yo)!
I live in Wichita and everybody in my church went crazy over the Shockers (WSU) and some went to Atlanta :( so sad they lost. But I’m just not seeing the things other folks are talking about here. Even when I sometimes go to other parish mass for whatever reason I don’t see it empty. God bless Wichita Kansa and thank you Lord