Problem? He’s enjoying it far more than he ever imagined he would. He
admitted that he’s attending Mass less frequently and is even feeling guilty
about his spotty attendance at the Catholic jesus a gospel of love. He confesses that he has
entertained thoughts that he is a poor Catholic father and husband for not
insisting that his family attend Mass. He’s worried about what his Catholic
relatives would think.
The House Church leaders listen to his concerns and, while assuring him of
their love, also encourage him to continue to attend Mass if that is the way
the Holy Spirit is leading him. After all, we must always obey the Holy Spirit.
He is reminded that where the Legacy Church is concerned, it’s NOT to be
considered “them” vs. “us” – it’s just US, the Body of Christ.
WHAT IN HEAVEN’S NAME…?
What in Heaven’s Name is going on within America’s Catholic Church? The
following statistics came from Kenneth Jones’ Index of Leading Catholic
Indicators. Other dismal statistics can just as easily be provided to describe
many other Institutional churches as well. In this article, however, we’re
highlighting America’s Catholic Church:
Priests. After skyrocketing from about 27,000 in 1930 to 58,000 in 1965, the
number of priests in the United States dropped to 45,000 in 2002. By 2020,
there will be about 31,000 priests–and only 15,000 will be under the age of 70.
Right now there are more priests aged 80 to 84 than there are aged 30 to 34.
Priestless parishes. About 1 percent of parishes, 549, were without a resident
priest in 1965. In 2002 there were 2,928 priestless parishes, about 15 percent
of U.S. parishes. By 2020, a quarter of all parishes, 4,656, will have no priest.
Seminarians. Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped
from 49,000 to 4,700–a 90 percent decrease. Without any students,
seminaries across the country have been sold or shuttered. There were 596
seminaries in 1965, and only 200 in 2002.
Sisters. 180,000 sisters were the backbone of the Catholic education and
health systems in 1965. In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average
age of 68. By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000–and of these,
only 21,000 will be aged 70 or under. In 1965, 104,000 sisters were teaching,
while in 2002 there were only 8,200 teachers.
