The quotes come from the latest Catholic Courier Bishop's Column.
"Nevertheless, as we near the end of our pledge payment period for our Partners in Faith capital campaign — which to date has raised more than $44 million dollars to build a new theology and ministry school, renovate our cathedral as well as provide much-needed funds for our parishes — we all are amazed at how generous our parishioners really are."
Ha! Let's discuss this, shall we? We've expanded the French Road Center for Heresy, Dissent, and Schism. We've turned Fulton Sheen's lovely Cathedral into a protestant barn, and...the funds for the parishes?? What's happened in my childhood parish goes like this...we paid the diocese great sums of money, some of which they gave back. With this we built a parish center, with a daily Mass chapel and a new "Parish Hall." But, since we couldn't afford to keep this and other things heated, all winter, twe don't have daily Mass in a legitimate church. Also, we closed down the wonderful 3+ story building that was used for parish offices, religious ed, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation. Now all of this is jammed into the existing Catholic School, which has lost well over 60% of its enrollment since 1995
Works out great!
While it is no secret that Mass attendance has generally declined since the mid-1960s nationwide — not unlike attendance for other mainline Christian denominations — we saw last year in our own diocese a leveling off of that trend. I can only attribute that leveling off to our Spirit Alive-related efforts. Even as we engage the people already in the pews through this spiritual renewal, we also are reaching out in new 21st century ways to people we want to welcome back — and especially to attract young people to become active member of our faith communities. This is so important in an age in which all religious groups must vie with Hollywood, the Internet and other media in touching and forming the lives of the young.
ARGH! How pompous can this man be? We have not leveled off at all? The numbers don't lie! We have lost...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOy2aclzdOETNefgYO2kXnBeJz83k85FN90-h9iku_wKUDPdLGwLzf6zF5ZfYwFWwK_qTrbDWh-QuvXXKktv7ENwoQL-gJZ7uJnDhGj-8UG6iU6FK7peyg-toM65_R7wmYE8asT6teCs/s1600-h/DOR-AOA.JPG
There, there's a graph! We lost another 4000 per week in the last october-october comparison. In fact, since Spirit Alive! began, we've continued losing people at exactly the same rate. In the same time period, Dioceses with Orthodox Bishops (see Charles Chaput and Fabian Bruskewitz...both of their diocese are quite healthy!) have not really declined at all...in fact, nationally, Mass attendance has been relatively consistent for the past few years...but since 2001 we've lost over 25%...what gives?
Does he honestly believe his own greatness? How about some legitimate catechesis, Bishop Clark? Show your flock that Orthodoxy is important. Replace "Illiturgical Prancing" with Eucharistic Processions, and nuns in albs with altar boys in cassocks. Since the mid-60's, even the heterodox admit the church hasn't done as well. Shocking how much better orthodoxy works, eh?
-Arialdus
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Bishop Clark must be living in a fantasy world. He doesn't seem to want to believe that things are really as bad as they are. I can only imagine how wonderful he painted the condition of the DoR in his last ad limina visit to Rome.
ReplyDeleteFace the truth, Bishop Clark. Heterodoxy has killed the DoR, not made it stronger. Take off the rose colored glasses and see it for what it really is.
"While it is no secret that Mass attendance has generally declined since the mid-1960s nationwide — not unlike attendance for other mainline Christian denominations"
ReplyDeleteSince when did the fact that Protestants are struggling grant us an excuse for our struggles? This is like a child coming home to his parents with a poor report card, and he tries to get off easy by saying "other kids did worse than me." It doesn't work that way. We have problems which need to be fixed, regardless of how these other Christian groups are faring.
When I read the bishop's column, I first thought "classic case of denial" but as I read it further, I thought, "what is this guy smoking and what plane of reality is he on?"
ReplyDeleteHe is outwardly a self asorbed man. If he weren't a validly consecrated bishop, I wouldn't even care, but since he is, well, I can only pray for his conversion or a swift replacement.
He appears to be warning us in advance that there's going to be more shenanigans to come. We all know what the fruits of the experts have been so far: dialogue homilies, dissident lay pastoral administrators, misled pastoral councils during clustering, etc.
ReplyDelete~Dr. K