Thomas Griffin 10/5/23
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The landscape of Catholicism in America is shifting. Long Island is no exception.
In 2022 the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University released a comprehensive study regarding Catholic life in America. There are 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States which contain over 16,000 parishes. There are a total of roughly 34,000 priests (diocesan and religious) in America with about 22,000 serving in active ministry. Over 3,200 parishes do not have a pastor who lives on campus.
In another study from 2019, CARA reported that there are two states that have shutdown more parishes than any other. “Pennsylvania has reduced its number of parishes by 532 since 1971 and New York by 500 during the same period.” This does not include parishes that have joined missions underneath one pastor.
In 2022 we had an occasion where it was not parishes that were merging but two entire dioceses. The Diocese of Steubenville and the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio plan to merge after ongoing conversations about the future of the Church in their regions. This is the second merger of its kind with the fist coming in Alaska in 2020. While the Ohio merger still awaits Vatican approval there is reason to believe that such a ruling is likely.
The fact of the matter is that Catholic parishes have to be either closed or merged because there are not enough practicing Catholics, priests, nor the funds to keep them open full-time. Simply put, the Church is responding to the decreasing importance that Americans place on faith. The future faith experience of Catholics in America, and on Long Island, will be dramatically different from what we have known in recent decades.
The Census Bureau estimated that there are 57 million Catholics in America, and according to the Georgetown study about 17% attend Mass every Sunday. These numbers show that over nine million Americans attend Mass on a given Sunday. When applying these statistics to Long Island, which holds over one million Catholics, there are around 150,000 Catholics who will attend Mass this weekend in one of our 133 parishes. This is a number that helps provide a gauge for Catholic life in our area.
The Christian faith, following Jesus and being a disciple, has never counted on a 100% retention rate. There were people who hated Jesus and his mission. That is why they nailed him to a tree and tortured him to death. That is why his closest friends and followers were murdered as well. However, Jesus is very clear that he desires for all people to come to faith, be baptized and be united with him in the Church. That being said, there are many cases in the Gospels where people reject Jesus rather than follow him (the Jewish elite, the young rich man, Pilate, the soldiers, the unrepentant thief, etc.). Some will follow, but many will not.
As the downward trend of parish life continues there must be an acceptance that this is the truth of where we find ourselves at this time in American history. Pretending like parishes can operate as they did fifty, thirty, or even ten years ago will lead to ineffective ministry efforts as well as financial deficits. Parishes need to re-imagine how they employ their staff as well as what ministries are most critical to give their attention to. Since there are less people coming through our doors, less money available and less priests than ever before there must be a hyperfocus on the essentials.
Since the most recent numbers of Mass attendance in America are actually closer to 15%, we need to blitz this effort. Parish schools, religious education programs, outreach initiatives, and anything else that is fundamental to parish operation must be moved towards a Eucharistic foundation and bring people back to the church on Sundays. Parishes are not secular non-profits: they are meant to create and form disciples who love Jesus Christ and desire to form a relationship with him that is lasting.
The parishes that do so will be the ones that faithful Catholics support with their presence, time, and wallets. They will be the ones remaining after the mergers and closures. In our self-reflection we must consistently ask, do we love the idea of the Mass time we attend or the idea of our parish more than the idea that we are called to a radical life-altering relationship with Jesus Christ as risen from the dead?
Despite the scary statistics there are still so many parishes, schools, and individual Catholics who are on fire with the faith. This simple fact is why there is hope amidst the flames that surround the Church. As long as there is one priest, there will be access to the Sacraments. As long as there are a few disciples, they will spread the message and power of Christ to the ends of the island.
Jesus only started with a few followers and they changed the world. Even though the Church needs to be repaired and given a revival we should not lose hope. In fact, we should be excited because he is calling you to change it. God can do it without you, but He does not want to. He has enlisted your name to bring about renewal in the Church on Long Island. So, let’s get to work.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine.
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