So I’m in Sherman, Texas this week, in the Diocese of Dallas, leading a Lenten parish mission at a wonderfully vibrant place: St. Mary Catholic Parish.
We’ve had a great turnout for the nightly talks, and I’m so gratified and inspired by the people I’ve met and the stories I’ve heard.
This place is booming: the Masses are well-attended, it has an elementary school, and plans are afoot to build a high school on an adjoining lot. The original church building stands across the street from a larger, newer church (named “St. Anne’s), and offers time for private prayer and daily Adoration. They’re doing something right. Kudos to the pastor, Father Martin Castañeda and his enthusiastic staff.
Monday night, after my first talk, I stood in the gathering space to say hello, shake hands, and answer questions. (“Did you know Matt Lauer?” “Are you a Yankees guy or a Mets guy?” “I’m not a fan of C-BS, but I’ll make an exception for you.”). A young man approached and extended his hand. “I’ve been coming here for a while,” he said. “I usually come to the Spanish Masses. But I came tonight for this. Can you tell me how I can become Catholic?”
It doesn’t get any better than that.
I smiled and clasped his hand and said, “Welcome! I’m new here, but let me introduce you to someone who can help.” I walked him over to meet one of the women on the parish Spirituality Committee.
Score one for the Holy Spirit.
It turns out that young man may have plenty of company.
This morning, I found this item online, indicating that there are signs around the world that point to the same inspiring phenomenon: the number of people joining the Church is climbing.
The Pillar posted some statistics and concluded:
So is there anything that can be meaningfully said about this year’s available figures? In most cases, they are higher than last year’s. That doesn’t mean the numbers are rising everywhere, of course. But a significant number of dioceses are seeing continued growth in numbers of new Catholics. That’s good news, not only for these dioceses.
The reasons why more adults are seeking baptism and reception in the Church seem elusive. New adult Catholics’ stories are often complex, and it’s hard to identify commonalities. Research in France suggests that they might be inspired by somewhat unexpected things, such as private Bible reading and Islam, rather than more obvious phenomena like online Catholic influencers.
In France, some dioceses are making a concerted effort to understand new Catholics and help them to adapt long-term to the demands of Catholic life. This is a conscious attempt to become what the French journalist Antoine Pasquier calls a “catechumenal Church.” The model, he suggests, is the early Church, which welcomed and formed new members with painstaking care.
As the English-speaking Catholic world begins to grapple with the same phenomenon as in France, it should follow the French Church’s progress and consider whether a similar shift toward a “catechumenal Church” is also needed in the Anglophone world.
Something is up, that’s for sure.
Pray for all those entering the Church this year — and all those who standing at the doorway looking around, listening, thinking, praying, wondering about becoming Catholic.
The words above the entrance to St. Mary’s have a message for everyone.
