I read it through. I was not surprised by the heartbreaking answers.
I was surprised at the priest. Blaming the parents is one thing, and he is correct as far as it goes, but what surprised me is his own guilt and helplessness, unwilling to take hold of his own parish, jerk the RCIA and the CCD around and get them teaching how to BE Catholic.
Is he one of those priests who ambles about on the floor like a TV preacher, bringing down himself and his own homily to the not-that-special-but-plenty-chummy style that is so common today. Nothing to see here, folks, just move along... (toward Hell).
There is no Gospel Reading, or OT reading, that is not a marvelous catechesis in itself, often already taught best by the Early Fathers or the saints of old. Are their old sermons shared, or at least used as a basis for teaching in his homily, or does he order the empty crap from California that he then simply reads, and bores the socks off everyone?
He is likely as guilty as the parents for depriving and starving the flock, or he wouldn’t be asking “what can be done”?
Just went to a new parish Mass last night. Phew! Certainly Catholic priests are not usually the great preachers you find in other denominations but this man was asleep on his feet. His “sermon” was something about Steve Jobs - I’m still not clear what the point was. And then when a sloppy woman started handing out Holy Communion...
Good question.
Speaking of the garbage emanating from California, Louie Verrechio has posted a video exposing the ludicrous antics at the faux religious ed conference in LA.