Michael Kelly
“there does appear to be something in Catholicism in America that is not present in many Irish parishes”, writes Michael Kelly
I’m writing from the United States where I am attending the Religious Education Congress of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Irish Catholics who attend Mass in the US often return with memories of the vibrancy of the liturgy, the sense of participation, the quality of the music and the relevance of the preaching. My own weekend experience in Southern California confirms this, though it would be fanciful in the extreme to imagine that this is a universal experience.
That being said, there does appear to be something in Catholicism in America that is not present in many Irish parishes.
I wonder to what extent the consumer-driven nature of US culture informs this discussion? One family I spoke to at the coffee after Sunday Mass (yes, many US parishes take hospitality very seriously) told me how they had been raised Methodists, became Episcopalian when their children came along and converted to Catholicism five years ago. “It felt like coming home,” the husband said. “We feel so welcome, there is so much to help the children grow in their faith,” his wife added.
But would they switch back to a Protestant denomination, I wonder? Despite the feeling of coming home, both agreed that they wouldn’t rule it out.
If your parish community operates in a culture where people shop around for a parish or even a Christian tradition that suits them best, it’s bound to keep you on your toes!
What’s striking about Sunday Mass in US parishes, is the fact that the average length is around an hour. Preaching is often a feature of weekday Masses too. Most Irish Catholics get tetchy when Mass goes over 45 minutes. I can imagine the discomfort of even some daily massgoers if priests started delivering homilies at the 10am weekday Mass.
Parishioners often grumble about the quality of some homilies. Though, priests tell me it’s a two-way street. “You try looking down at 400 blank faces every Sunday morning and delivering solid gold,” one priest told me recently.
US parishes also have resources at their disposal that their Irish counterparts could only dream about. A quick perusal of the local parish bulletin here reveals that weekly collections are over $34,000. This allows the parish to employ youth directors, faith formation teams and a parish structure to support the priests in their work.
The Church in Ireland has much to learn from the US, it isn’t all transferable, and some things that work in the American context will never work in Ireland, but Irish parishes could do worse than look across the Atlantic for ideas and inspiration.
End of an era at Vatican Radio
The Vatican announced this week that Fr Federico Lombardi SJ is to step down as Director General of Vatican Radio. Fr Lombardi has worked in the Jesuit-run institution for over 26 years. Since 2005, he has been Director General of the “Pope’s radio” which broadcasts in 47 languages.
He has also served as the Pope’s spokesman for more than 10 years, a role that he will continue in, despite stepping aside from the radio.
I worked closely with Fr Lombardi in Rome for a few years and he was always unfailingly kind, courteous and patient to this young reporter. I know this has also been the experience of many colleagues.
He has had considerable responsibilities in recent years, including as head of the Vatican Television Centre and as an assistant to the general of his own order. I am sure he will appreciate the shift in pace.
A novel approach
Voters in Bolivia went to the polls at the weekend to cast their ballots in a controversial referendum scrapping term limits for president. The current incumbent, Evo Morales, a socialist with decided authoritarian leanings, is disinclined to leave office and wants the voters backing to stand for another term.
There are some quirky laws around referenda in Bolivia, including the fact that people are not to carry firearms on polling day. What intrigued me, though, is the law that bans the sale and consumption of alcohol from 48 hours before polling day.
Would such a law do anything to increase voter turnout in referenda in Ireland, I wonder?