How would you describe the state of Catholic parish life in america today? In lots of places, parishes are closing, there’s a shortage of priests, and plenty of younger Catholics are leaving the religion. Is the Catholic Church as we understand it dying? What are the key shifts and trends happening in Catholic parish life today?
Over the past yr, I led America Media’s video team across the country seeking answers. We began by the info: In what regions of the country do Catholics live? Are they more prone to live in urban centers, suburbs or distant areas? What are their racial and cultural backgrounds? Are they Republicans or Democrats? What pastoral programs do they prioritize of their parishes? How are they living their faith out on the planet?
The outcomes of our search may be seen in America’s latest, groundbreaking feature documentary, “People of God: How Catholic Parish Life is Changing in america,” available today exclusively to subscribers.
[Click here to subscribe to America]
To observe the documentary, click here. We traveled to the dairy farmlands of Wisconsin, where parishes are ‘clustering’ at a rapid pace. We went to the suburbs of Phoenix, Ariz., where parishes are booming as a consequence of internal and external immigration, and where the massive challenge now could be integrating Hispanic and Anglo communities. We journeyed all the way down to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, where intensifying climate crises are dramatically impacting longstanding ways of life. And eventually, we went to the massive city in Boston, Mass., where the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the parish to grow its digital community, which has since expanded around the globe.
The reality is that our journey uncovered more questions than answers. None of the info sets or trends that we consulted in the beginning of the project fully captured the variability and complexity of issues facing parish life. But that’s O.K. As we brought the film to its conclusion, we realized that raising these questions is just as necessary—if no more—than answering them. How can we face the challenge of cultural integration because the church in america becomes more Latino? And the way do the politics around immigration shape that conversation? How can we face the fact of declining numbers and the closing of churches without losing hope for the long run? How does Catholic teaching on issues like abortion, racial justice or climate change shape the priorities of parishes in several regions? What does it mean to be a parish community when some members are hundreds of miles away tuning into Mass each week on YouTube?
Greater than anything, our film is a tool and a guide for these difficult conversations that must occur at parishes across the country. So let’s have these conversations together.
You possibly can watch “People of God” here.
Projects like this are only possible with the support of our subscribers. When you aren’t already a subscriber, you may enroll here for lower than $5 a month. And if there’s someone in your life who would appreciate stories like this one, please consider giving them a present subscription.
