Faith … Our Greatest Legacy

    While sitting at Mass on Thanksgiving Day with my mother, I looked around that beautiful, spacious church in Zionsville and estimated less than 100 people in attendance. I realize that there were many reasons for not coming (my own family was on the road at the time). What struck me more was the lack of children. Except for the servers, there were three children of high school age and younger. Two were infants. In fact, the average age of the attendees was probably 60 plus.

    It made me wonder. Where are all the children? This phenomenon is apparent not only on holidays like Thanksgiving but also on most Sundays and particularly holy days in many of our churches. While there are some “young” churches blessed with an abundance of youth attendance, I contend that adults outnumber the young who attend Mass in most parishes. In fact, according to the article “How Catholic Are U.S. Catholics? It’s All in How You Measure,” only 1 in 3 adult Catholics attend mass weekly. More alarming than that is the statement that participation in the sacraments “has been dropping steadily with each successive generation.” If this trend continues, that statement poses the question: Who will carry on the Catholic legacy?

    It has become common to hear of the closing or consolidation of parishes throughout the country. In our own diocese, according to a document from the Evansville Diocese, more than 30 parishes have merged with others since 1997. While there are many reasons, I believe a major factor is lack of participation by our Catholic families at weekly Mass. This trend is disturbing because Mass is the initial introduction of our faith.

  If the legacy of the Church is to continue, it is imperative that we Catholics instill in our children and grandchildren the importance of faithful attendance and participation in mass and other church activities. How do we do that? When I posed that question to others, I received a week’s worth of helpful ideas.

• Faith begins in the family. Make Mass a priority over all other activities: sports, work, vacation. Mass is an opportunity for family time in our busy schedules. Plan ahead. This dedication speaks loudly to children.
• Be a joyful participant. Children read us well. Mass is our community meal with Christ. Be excited about the invitation. Arrive early. Stay late. Take time before and after Mass to meet and greet others. Children then see the parish community as their extended family.
• Be involved in the life of your parish. The list is endless: lector, greeter, Eucharistic minister, choir member, and committee member for all those who need assistance.
• Make Mass more youth-oriented. Have youth lectors, greeters, choir members.
• Encourage children of all ages to be involved. I smile when I see Gabriel, our 3-year-old grandson, run to hold the door open after daily school Mass on Tuesdays. Already, he wants to feel a part of the action.
• Invite the priests, deacons, and religious to join you in your home for a meal. It helps children see them as people whom they can relate to comfortably.
• Finally, encourage your children to have an active prayer life. Pray together at meals; at bedtime. I know families who pray a rosary in the car on a trip. Make prayer as common as a conversation, and remind children that the Mass is the greatest prayer of all.

     Today’s world presents many challenges to our youth. Constantly bombarded with secular messages that contradict the teachings of God, children hear the Truth in the Scriptures and homilies that can help them navigate in an amoral world. Recently, I spoke to my nephew Branson, a FOCUS missionary at Indiana University. I asked him what he felt was most helpful to young people in staying true to their faith. He said, “It is all about relationships. We are weak people, and we need others to guide us and hold us accountable in our lives.” 

     Becoming a part of a Catholic community by attending weekly Mass offers young people – and all people – the chance to develop relationships with others of like values and, more importantly, with God.