Diocese of Evansville
Excellent parishes: Variety of ministries, small communities and outreach to teens
By Mary Ann Hughes (Message staff writer)
Beautiful St. Anthony Church in downtown Evansville has undergone a restoration, but its renewal is larger than the refurbished Stations of the Cross.
Father John “Jay” Davidson, pastor, says the renewal began thanks to a book entitled “Excellent Catholic Parishes” by Paul Wilkes.
“I was recovering from surgery,” Father Davidson said, “and had time for the Lord to talk to me.”
The pastor began to ask, “How can we move to the next level?” He knew that Mass attendance was declining all over the Diocese of Evansville, and that there was a shortage of priests. He knew that “we needed to do something to develop magnetism about our parish to pull people back.”
Lisa Covington, the pastoral associate at St. Anthony, suggested that he read Wilkes book which looks at eight successful Catholic parishes across the United States. He read the book, and decided to visit a few of them.
“We got a grant from an anonymous donor,” allowing a couple of parishioners to travel with him to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Wichita, Kan., St. Mary Church in Boise, Idaho, and Holy Family Church in Inverness, Ill.
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI |
WICHITA, KAN.
Father Thomas McGread is the pastor at the Kansas parish which is known for its emphasis on promoting a stewardship way of life. The parishioners are encouraged to share their time and talent and also their treasure.
“They claim 85 percent of their parishioners attend weekend Masses,” Father Davidson said. National statistics indicate that 60 percent of pre-Vatican II Catholics attends Mass regularly, but only 15 percent of those ages 20 to 28 attend Mass on a regular basis. “That’s where we are headed,” he said, adding, “We need to turn this around.”
His visit to Wichita was “pretty exciting. There is no tuition at the grade school, and no tuition at the high school. There are no special collections and no diocesan appeal because each parish tithes to the diocese, and the tithe is 10 percent.”
Because parishioners are all involved in the life of the parish, offering their time and talent, “everybody wins – because everybody is involved.”
HOLY FAMILY |
INVERNESS, ILL.
Father Davidson and St. Anthony parishioners also visited Holy Family Church in Inverness, Ill., a community northwest of Chicago. The parish “grew up in the shadows” of Willow Creek Community Church, a huge non-denominational church. It is estimated that between 60 to 76 percent of its membership are ex-Catholics.
The Archdiocese of Chicago took note, and after a three-year discernment process, it purchased 16-acres of farmland and founded Holy Family parish. They now have weekend attendance of over 20,000, Father Davidson said.
“One of the things they do is get people in small faith sharing groups. That group becomes their family and they feel connected.”
Wilkes’ book notes that on a recent weekday night the range of ministries at Holy Family may include a support group for the separated and divorced, a gathering for widows and widowers called “Be Joyful Again,” a group praying a pro-life rosary, a men’s ministry group, a K of C meeting, and a group called WESOM for We Saved Our Marriage which deals with how to heal after an adulterous affair.
There are 160 different ministries in the parish, and one of the strongest ones is the focus on the study of the Scriptures for the coming Sunday.
The connections that Holy Family offers its parishioners are something all parishes should be offering, Father Davidson believes. “I think our thing is to connect people to church, to God and to one another.”
ST. MARK |
BOISE, IDAHO
The third parish that the group visited was St. Mark’s in Boise, Idaho. It was included in the book primarily because of its outreach to teens. On Sunday’s there is a Life Teen Liturgy which is planned by the parish teens. They serve as readers, cantors and Eucharistic ministers.
The books says, “At the consecration, when Father Rukavina raises first the host, then the chalice, a phalanx of teenagers with their arms intertwined around one another’s shoulders stand behind him. The crucifix that looms over their heads further adds to an extraordinarily impressive and powerful tableau: teenagers and their priest reverent yet comfortable in the presence of God and one another.
“The Liturgy ends with an upbeat version of ‘Awesome God,’ and congregants continue to sing and clap after the choir and five-piece Christian rock bank have stopped . . . . A popular Life Teen challenge goes, ‘The Mass never ends; it must be lived,’ and I leave with the distinct feeling that it would be.”
BACK IN EVANSVILLE
When Father Davidson and the parishioners returned to Evansville and started to put all the information together, they realized that the three parishes encouraged each parishioner to become involved in the life of the parish, that they offered small Christian communities, and that they had powerful youth ministries.
They also had full-time people to coordinate these ministries. “You need to have someone focused on it,” Father Davidson, “someone who can focus on details and someone who gets along with people.”
The answer? Paula Lattner was hired as Director of Ministry Development, the Saturday Liturgy was moved to 4 p.m., and a Praise Mass was started on Sunday evenings.
Lattner had teaching and administrative experience in the Diocese of Evansville, serving as a teacher and from 2000 to 2005 as principal at St. Bernard School in Rockport.
“I was hired in January as a result of the research by the excellent parishes committee. They visited other parishes and found that each parish had an energetic person like me to advance and facilitate the process of parish ministry development.
“I serve as a staff support person directing the ministry of time and talent and coordinating the ongoing development of small faith group ministry, as well as welcoming and hospitality activities.”
The parish also changed the times of its Saturday evening Masses. Father Davidson explains, “We Catholics seem to have an internal clock that tells us when it is the right time to attend Mass and when it is not the right time. Earlier Mass times on Saturday seem to be the right time for many of our people.
“Several of our parishioners have returned to celebrate Mass at St. Anthony since we changed the Saturday time to 4 p.m. I even met one parishioner for the first time in my 16 years as pastor because we now have a Mass time that fits her internal clock. Also, many of our older people do not like to drive after dark. The new time allows the smallest possible window of darkness after Mass.”
The Praise Mass was also started on Sunday evenings in the hope that area teenagers and young adults would attend. The music is provided by the Mater Dei Liturgical Ensemble and a group from St. Theresa Church, Evansville; Daughter of Charity Sister Brenda Fritz is also starting a group.
The parish has purchased wireless mikes, sound equipment and a large screen so people can read the words to the praise music during Mass.
Father Davidson said the parish is now deciding “what to do after Mass. The Boise parish has social times and breakout groups” for discussion.
“You have to do something that excites them,” he said.
“The mega churches put us to shame. They have the money, and the kids get excited. They bring their parents to church.”
(Go to the website of the Diocese of Evansville) †