As bad as this is, there are whole countries of Catholics where few attend church during the course of a whole year. Millions and millions gone.
“As bad as this is, there are whole countries of Catholics where few attend church during the course of a whole year.”
As a member of the ELCA synod of the Lutheran Church, (my spouse’s family church over her lifetime), when they announced a few back that the ELCA would be ordaining females and members of the LGBTQ community, I was stunned that such a decision would come down with zero discussion at the congregation-level.
That said, shortly after the that decision was communicated, the ELCA sustained the loss of hundre4ds of congregations throughout the United States.
As I walk the halls of the church, I see the pictures of the bygone years of confirmation classes going back to the 1950’s, where there were 30-50 confirmations in a class, through the 80’s and 90’s, 20-30 confirmations, through today, 1-2 confirmations.
As I sit in the pew in my mid-50s and look around, I am among the youngest congregants in the church, save just a few, and even fewer children, maybe 3-6 total.
We pray for the oppressed, we pray for the environment, we pray for those marginalized, and yes, we pray for the migrants seeking a better life.
Stephen Bannon said it best: the churches are empty and the Mosques are full.
I pray nothing happens to my wife, for if it does, her funeral will be my last time attending this church.