For Catholics in Central California, bigger means better — and St. Charles Borromeo Church feels heaven-sent. The largest Catholic parish church in North America has 3,200 seats, sprawls nearly an acre and cost $21 million to build.
“This is a Catholic megachurch,” said Bishop Joseph Brennan, who leads the Diocese of Fresno.
Father Alex Chavez, a pastor at the church, is still struck by its massive scale. And as big as it is, it could be even bigger.
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“There’s room for growth. I could always add masses,” Chavez said.
The Catholic Church is facing a labor crisis decades in the making. Over a half-century, the average size of a parish increased by 60%, while the number of priests dropped by 40%, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
“It’s huge, and it’s really across the board,” Brennan said. “It’s complicated, but there are all kinds of issues.”
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