A dear friend of mine shared with me a difficult situation yesterday. My friend, whom I will call, Deeply Frustrated, shared with us, a group of close friends from our Parish, a difficult question that was posed to them the other day.
Deeply Frustrated (DF) was talking with a friend of theirs who is a "fallen away Catholic" (FAC). FAC has some children the same age as DF does, and so they were talking about school and the summer vacation that is about to start. The topic of summer "Church events" came up, and the discussion eventually lead to the topic of Vacation Bible School. Unfortunately this year, it looks as if the local VBS won't occur, because of a multitude of reasons. The discussion moved from that, to the reasons why it won't occur, until the topic eventually got to the point where both parents were talking about the lack of programs in GENERAL for kids at the local parishes. DF explained to us, her friends, that she wasn't bashing the Parish, in fact she was trying to explain how a lot of people are trying to get things going, but just facing road-blocks. Then, FAC posed the question that shook DF, and shook all of us when she told us about it:
FAC said, "Give me one reason to be Catholic?" She explained that she can take her kids to any one of the other 20+ churches in town and have them get a better understanding of Christ. She knows that any of the other churches have programs, groups, and religious education programs that are in place that will "nourish" the children's faith better than what our Parish can provide. She could very well be horrifyingly correct.
DF had a million things they wanted to say, but knew that none of them would resonate. DF knew that FAC was theologically misguided, but knew that she was emotionally and logically very correct.
Now, before you start listing your theological and dogmatic answers, realize that the person posing this question has obviously had a multitude of things that have caused them to fall away. DF also couldn't argue with the fact that the local Catholic parishes are less than adequate with their Catechism and children's programming. So what was DF to do? She left it open ended, and said that the Parish is working on improving things, and left the conversation at a point where it can be picked back up again, but where to start?
I don't think that the lack of a strong Catechism program, no children's programming, or any other "lack" within the infrastructure of the Catholic church is a proper reason to leave, but how many times have we heard a story like this? You can trace it more than likely back to the poor formation of the PARENT when they were a child. So where do we start? In big cities and parishes that are well supported by an orthodox, the answer is a little easier, than in small town America where DRE's don't grow on trees.
The Catechesis of our parishes is central to the vibrancy of the Faith. What is so very perplexing is that modernists cry for easy to understand Missal translations, the absence of latin, and "production" style Masses so as to allow the faithful to more fully understand and participate in the faith. Yet, they are unwilling to
TEACH the faith to the people for whatever reason. Is it because true knowledge would pull back the curtain on the "Wizard"? Possibly. But I think there is something more to it... and I can't quite place my finger on it. This situation though is critical... I have so much I want to say about the watering down of the faith, I just don't know where to begin.
People say that tradition and Catechesis isn't the way to revitalize the faith, and I say they are incorrect. After seeing what faith and reason have produced in other areas, and now being in a place where tradition lacks and modernism reigns, I think the soil is ripe for some "reform of the reform." I know there isn't a magic formula, but it has to start somewhere. You can't build Rome in day, but it won't ever be built if you don't lay the first brick. And if those wanting to rebuild it argue over where to lay the corner stone... it will never be built.
I don't have a perfect answer for DF to give to FAC, but I think this answer might buy DF some time: "If you ask that question, it means your heart WANTS to remain true to the faith. Sure, you may have lost hope, and faith has vanished, but the LOVE of Christ is still alive in your heart with the Holy Spirit. Hold fast to that, and re-commit yourself to the faith. Come to Mass, pray the Rosary, and roll up your sleeves and let's start rebuilding this thing together."
It might, it might not... but we have to lead by example... otherwise the sheep will continue to stray. If they stray, they will find greener pastures, even if they only appear greener... it's harder to lure them back, then to keep them here.
