One-third of Irish adults active in local church

Challenge of engaging young Catholics remains

Almost a third of Irish adults are actively involved in their local parish, and many more believe the Church will continue to play an important role in Irish life, according to new research.

It revealed that 29% of adults described themselves as active members of the Church, compared to 14% who are actively involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and just eight percent who are involved as active members of a political party. Some 26% of Irish adults surveyed said they were active in charitable and voluntary groups in their local communities.

Only the credit union movement – with 49% of Irish people reporting they are actively involved – has more engagement than the local faith community.

The Future of Ireland II: Belonging and Community, is a survey of 1,000 people conducted by Amárach Research for media agency OMD Ireland and Ulster Bank, and was released this week.

Anticipate

In a finding that will give fresh heart to Church leaders, the report also states that “charities and church groups can anticipate even greater involvement by their supporters and members in future”, with 20% of adults expecting to be more involved in their church in 2025 than they currently are.

Tim Griffiths, managing director of OMD Ireland, told The Irish Catholic that of those adults who are active Church members, “the gender balance is 31% male and 27% female”.

But, the report also reveals a huge challenge for the Church to engage younger generations. According to Mr Griffiths: “The age thing is more stereotypical: it goes from a low of 21% among 16-24-year-olds to a high of 40% in the 55+ age group.”

However, while participation in the local church may be expected to rise, Mr Griffiths notes that 38% of Irish adults expect the Church to be less relevant in 10 years’ time than it is today.

Responding to the latest research, psychiatrist Prof. Patricia Casey said that it confirms evidence that “having a sense of belonging and being part of something wider than yourself and your narrow circle of friends is important for your mental health”.

“This is something that’s often talked about in suicide prevention,” the UCD professor of psychiatry said.

Helpful

She believes that Church involvement can be especially helpful.

“Having the same values as a group of people is going to give you another level of protection that you wouldn’t get if you’re simply a member of the local credit union or a football club.”

Arguing that the Churches should promote the positive mental health benefits of belief more, she described how “in England, for example, when you go to Mass on a Sunday there’s always tea and coffee afterwards”, observing that this “would be a very simple way to start, particularly in the cities where people don’t know each other because there is a lot of movement”.