Are You Even Catholic?
A response to judgements on people's involvement (or lack thereof) in the parish.
Not long ago I was in a meeting where a Pastor was offering his perspective on the health of the parish just before he introduced the new initiative that they were hoping to launch. From what I understood of the parish, I felt he had a good read on things as he shared his perspective of the various groupings, demographics, level of involvement, etc. While everything he said seemed to make sense, I couldn’t help but notice one thing…his assessment of the health of the parish (or at least his presentation of it) was viewed through only one lens…how involved individuals or groups were in the various programs and volunteer opportunities in the parish. Not long after the initial presentation, the discussion digressed quickly as we discussed the various realities of those not consistently involved in the programs offered specifically by parish staff or the Pastor himself.
We discussed the Catholic School families who seemed to be consumed by the commitments that the school system had in place with sports, fundraising events, etc. and how many of those involved in the school often acted as if the school was “its own parish.” We discussed the Knights of Columbus who, sure, did a lot of things, but were these men actually helping to make disciples? We talked about how the majority of the public school families are rarely committed to parish programs, including the staple religious education program for young people. In short, the conversation seemed to have one goal in mind, to put the various demographics into their own boxes and hold them to a standard solely based on participants level of engagement (or lack thereof) in the “life of the parish.” And by “life of the parish,” I mean involvement in the various programs and service opportunities coordinated by the parish staff.
Conversations like this can be really frustrating because it stirs up all kinds of thoughts, questions, feelings, etc. Even the individuals in the room started to question whether or not their current volunteer efforts were “enough” and/or whether or not the programs they were helping to lead were doing the “right things.” Very quickly, the people there started to get frustrated. But why? In short, this is an incredibly disordered way of approaching “success” through a pastoral mindset. If we want to assess programs and/or demographics and their role in the work of evangelization we can do that, but to make judgements on them solely based their “distraction” to individuals and their volunteerism in the parish is incredibly unhealthy. Unfortunately, it’s all too common to have this very consumeristic mindset when it comes to church life and participation in it. Many desire their parish to be “successful” which typically means many programs, lots of activity, and many people involved. Though it may not be talked about as directly as it did in the example above, it is a common way of viewing success to the average Catholic.
What if, instead, we discussed these questions;
What does it mean to be holy and are our parishioners growing in holiness? Which ones are growing in holiness? Which ones aren’t? How can we know?
What does it mean to be a “good” parishioner? Is involvement in the parishes programming a good measurement? If not, what is? Is it healthy for us to make being a “good parishioner” the goal?
Is it healthy to look at certain groupings of people and assume that because an individual is a part of that group, demographic, community, that they are succeeding or lacking in any way in their faith?
When looking at specific programs or offerings, is it healthy to view them as sufficient or insufficient? Should we, instead, discuss the ways it assists in the work of evangelization and tendencies one might have if they are making that program a big part of their life?
How might we lead someone who is striving to navigate the many opportunities available to them within the parish, community life, hobbies, and commitments. What priorities should be encouraged by parish leadership as parents, families, and our young people look to our priests and parish staff for guidance?
What is the role of a Pastor to be engaged with the various “non parish led” efforts in order to care for them, guide them, and form them? Does it make sense to focus more energies on supporting and forming these “other groups” as opposed to developing more programs in house? If so, when and how?
To be clear, I’m not advocating that parish programs go away or that individuals not be encouraged to be a part of them (I am involved in my own parishes programming). I’m mostly advocating 1) that we not make presumptions of individuals because they are or are not actively involved in parish programs and/or service opportunities happening through the parish, and 2) that we strive to build culture in a parish that is focused on individuals’ pursuit of holiness and offer a vision for holiness that is far more diverse, creative and more of an adventure than merely volunteering for the parish.
I’ll end with an analogy. Though not a perfect analogy, I believe it makes the point. If we view the parish as a family and/or a home that provides security, formation, and care for those involved in it, at some point the children in the home are called to “grow up,” leave the home and go contribute to a world and a cause that extends beyond the home itself. It bears fruit and evangelizes! Sure, some children are often called to stick around just as someone who grows up in a family that runs a business or on a farm might feel called to take on leadership within the “business” they grew up in. I’m afraid though that we’ve made “sticking around” the end goal to some degree which is perhaps one of the reasons the Church is hemorrhaging members and they aren’t coming back.
What would it look like if our questions and concerns about individuals were primarily focused on the pursuit of holiness? I’d love to know your thoughts!