"Fond of beer in swarthy nooks, but happiest among his books!" BOOK RECOMMENDATION!

Here's a review of a book that I posted recently on Amazon; I encourage folks to give "A Stitch in Time" a read! (Hint: Rodrigo Diaz is my online reviewer name, taken from one of the great characters of history and one played so magnificently by Charleston Heston in the movie, "El Cid." The "nom de plume" was made necessary by the strange discovery of my personal email by someone who objected to one of my movie reviews) By Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar Format:Paperback A splendid story in space! This compelling science fiction work transports us to the 25th century as a priest - Father Guerin - joins three other guests and six crew members en route to the planet Xanadu. Aficianados of the 1950's space travel movies will delight in this journey full of personal drama and a terrifying encounter with space pirates. The science is both cutting-edge and believable, but these the fascinating scientific musings do not dampen the narrative pace nor do they swamp the non-scientist into a maelstrom of astrophysics; the characters are the raison d'etre for this book. Father Guerin is a theologically astute polymath who kindly but resolutely shares his faith with his co-travelers. An unabashed and fundamentally religious work, A Stich in Space will immerse readers in Christian apologetics along with intergalactic space travel in a pleasant yet substantive yarn. Hurtling through space via "slipstreams," these passengers confront not only nature's most challenging realities but contend with the eternal questions of life and eternity. The narrative pace here is quick and does not lapse into low gear. Yet the characters, particularly Father Guerin, manage to share spiritual insight throughout in an engaging style that might remind the reader of Dean Koontz' Brother Odd Thomas; few will be able to resist membership in the Guerin fan club! This author has matched - and even perhaps surpassed - his first effort - "Ordinary Superheroes." Interested readers would be well-served to order both of these books off the menu and savor the delightful reading repast. Comment |

Recession, Depression and a Lesson

Few among us today have not experienced the impact of the economic downward spiral of the past two years. Unemployment continues to stay at record levels, housing prices continue to tumble and many, if not most, retirement portfolios resemble crash sites - they are frightening to see. If we haven't ourselves suffered reduced income and financial turmoil, we need only contemplate our family members or our neighbors down the street to witness the situation. No way - or need - to avoid the obvious - times are tough.

For those of us in the business of development and philanthropy, these economic times bring great challenges. Organizations of every sort are fearful. They are reluctant to engage in fund raising appeals and are particularly anxious over the thoughts of a capital campaign. In our 24 hour news cycle, the negative news rebounds to us like a bad chili hot dog - it keeps coming back and is less welcome on each visit.

It never ceases to astonish folks, however, when I tell them, in response to inquiries, that we've actually had success in our recently completed capital campaigns. Not just the quiet success of climbing over our goals, but the banner headline enthusiasm of SHATTERING GOALS! In suburban Columbus a parish raises $4.6 million on a $3.25 million goal! An inner city Cleveland parish reaches 130 % of its goal! Yes, even in these dispiriting times!

This is where you might expect a commercial for how brilliantly we conducted the campaigns; no, while I'm quite proud to have led these organizations to success, it is not about me, or the firm or the plan. It's about trust!

If you've reached into your pocket or purse today you've had occasion to see the phrase, In God We Trust." We all repeat these words at some point in our lives, but the central question is do we really believe it? Consider the parable of the sparrow. How many times have we heard this Gospel passage without fully contemplating its message?

These successful parish efforts came about because of trust! Certainly there was much planning, lots of study, hard work and substantive generosity. Also, and very importantly, there was demonstrated actual need for the fruits of these campaigns - and there was the history of good stewardship to support the effort. However, without the trust that God would provide for us, all would have been lost. To quote Saint Augustine, "Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence."

Fear and anxiety are understandable reactions to today's economic and societal situations. They are not, however, strategies for success. Whether we are working as part of a group, a parish or as individuals, we need to focus on the ultimate goal. We can only reach that goal by grasping and embracing the notion of trust. I encourage each of you to step forward boldly and with courage. If there are authentic needs, then you need to address them. Do the homework required, but never lose sight of the role of the Master Builder - Jesus Christ - when planning our next step.

Let me close with the words of Saint Padre Pio, " Pray, trust and don't worry!"

The Church Universal

A feeling of "I've seen it all before" is one of the hazards of acquiring over a decade's worth of experience in church fund raising. This sense is not one of boredom, or apathy or cynicism; far from it! I still love this mission of ours to help parishes secure the financial resources to grasp the future with confidence. If anything, I'm even more enthusiastic about my job - I just love it even more when we fly in the face of economic headwinds and popular convention and succeed!

No, I'm talking about feeling that you've seen virtually every surprise there is to see and that you cannot be shocked by anything people say to you. Well, as the well-worn adage informs us, "you learn something new every day!"

Recently I attended my first Vietnamese language Mass in inner city Cleveland. This was a venerable parish of German roots that had withstood the disruptions of urban decay and suburban flight and had endured the crushing loss of thousands of industrial jobs to stand proudly ready to secure for itself a bright future. The parish was roughly evenly split between the Vietnamese Apostolate of Cleveland, which took this parish for its home and the folks who had long-term roots in the neighborhood and stayed either in the city neighborhood or commuted in from the suburbs to maintain their membership in their historic parish.

There was a visiting priest presiding at this Mass and he focused much of his homily on the PSR (CCD for those of you unfamiliar with this term) children. (Since I understand not one word of Vietnamese, I base this observation on watching him look at the kids assembled in the first few pews.) He spoke animatedly for about ten minutes, whereupon he wheeled around, took a few steps toward me and said in English, "perhaps our visiting friend can enlighten us - can you please tell us what is the last sentence in the Gospel of Matthew?"

Now, as someone who prides himself on his poise, I didn't immediately scream and jump out of the pew. I did however, swallow hard, try to smile and think, and then after a few very dramatic seconds of silence, finally blurt out a line ("That the Father and I are one.") that he happily told me was part of the Gospel of John, not the last line of Matthew! He then turned back to the congregation and told them in Vietnamese and in English what the last line was. (just in case my loyal readers are in a forgetful moment, the last line in Matthew is, "Teach them to observe all the things I have commanded you; and behold, know that I am with you, even to the end of time." )

After the Mass, my public humiliation complete, I spoke with the priest, joking about how I enjoyed his sermon! He was pleased that I was not really angry but in our discussion he revealed to me why he, as a young priest, had virtually memorized the New Testament.

He mentioned his grandfather, who was a Catholic during the worst years of the Vietnam War; he mentioned how they were persecuted -first in the South by fellow countrymen, and then later truly oppressed by the Communists once the North took over the country. Often the people in his family were not able to worship in public and they were usually without printed materials which were both scarce and dangerous to possess. His family, like all those families in the pews with me that day, came to America to escape the Communists. This young priest told me that he spent much of the homily reminding the young people that their faith would always need to be guarded and passed on, just as their parents had passed it on to them. Further,he implored them to treasure the chance to not only learn the faith, but to study it, share it and preserve it. There will be challenges to their faith in this country also - not like the governmental oppression like Vietnam, but from the secular culture. In many ways this challenge can be even more deadly, because it is subtle. I told him that while my linguistic skills did not include Vietnamese, I could tell by watching the faces of the young people that his energetic homily has captured their attention.

We had a very successful campaign meeting that day, so I felt that sense of accomplishment, but I was also touched by how eagerly folks from a culture so different from my own had embraced the faith and the challenge of the future. As I gazed around the church I was struck by the images - a beautiful pipe organ and several finely-crafted statues -all from Germany. There was a lovely image, too, of Our Lady of Guadeloupe along with an icon of the Blessed Mother and Child (Theotokos) and of course a plethora of bulletin board notices/announcements, evenly split between English and Vietnamese. In short, a visual image of a Church universal, Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America and Asia.

As I drove home I marveled at the these physical gifts in this church representing a hundred years of faith and every corner of the world. I also noted with awe the emotional and spiritual gifts of faith so strongly present among those worshiping alongside me - and how I had absorbed my own lesson from the priest right along with the grade schoolers who were there to watch it all unfold before them.

Moving Movie for a Blizzard Weekend

People who know me well often tease me about my complete ignorance of pop culture, particularly concerning modern movies. "Hey Harry, they make movies in color now!" is a phrase I'll encounter on occasion, too, given my preference for old classics.

Given these proclivities I'm not one to recommend movies very often, but I'm making an exception here - I strongly urge you to consider buying or renting the DVD, "Katyn." For those not historically inclined, Katyn is the location in Poland where the Soviets massacred 20,000 Polish officers in World War II and then blamed the Germans. This ruse worked for far too long, but eventually facts overcame the propaganda and in the post-Soviet era the Russian government admitted the culpability and expressed remorse.

This film version is not a documentary but instead a deftly-done movie that weaves personal romance into the factually accurate story. It's very poignant and is certainly a story that needs told more widely. I mention it here not only because it is quite important historically and masterfully done, but it also is profoundly Christian. Duty, honor, family, faith are all integral components of this film.

A couple of cautions about this film; this is not the type of movie one sits through munching snacks and quaffing your favorite beverage - it is somber and explicit. It's not gorey or sickening, but it is, after all, a story of mass murder. Also, it's in Polish with subtitles in English. I enjoy foreign films in original languages with subtitles, but I know some people find them difficult to watch. Those who choose to give this film a shot, however, will find the experience informative and enlightening.

Fond of Beer in Swarthy Nooks, but Happiest Among his Books!

Many of you have probably read Alexander Solzhenitsyn's award-winning book, "The First Circle," which was smuggled out of Soviet Russia decades ago. You may not be aware that this version of the great novel was not the one Solzhenitsyn himself wanted to have published. He had actually was not finished editing that book when a "samizdat" or underground copy emerged and was published first in Europe.

It has taken all these years, but recently Solzhenitsyn's true version was released and now after his death has finally been translated into English with the proper title, "In the First Circle." . This novel is a breath-taking glimpse into the dark world of the atheistic Hell that was the Soviet Union. (Hence the title's use of Dante's circles of Hell).

While the Gulag Archipelego is rightly considered the indispensible description of penal life under Communism, it is after all, not a novel, and thus lacks the narrative flow and suspense of the novelist's genius. Solzhenitsyn is a profoundly Christian writer whose ability to see evil and describe it from the perspective of faith in Christ is unparalleled.

Punxsatawney Phil just forecast six more weeks of winter this morning; filling some of these cold evenings curled up with one of the 20th century's greatest writers would be time well spent.

A Course with No Name... or Some Musings on Catholic Parishes Today

Thinking about the future of parish life can be a most challenging proposition! In much of the USA, demographic patterns have presented serious dilemmas to bishops and pastors and lay leadership alike. In many cities of the industrial heartland, we have beautiful church edifices occupying land where once large numbers of immigrant Catholic families lived; yet these folks have largely dispersed -to the suburbs in some cases, but to distant towns in even more cases.

Then we have surging Catholic populations in areas of the Sun Belt that once harbored few if any Catholics and who have quickly outgrown existing an even recently built facilities. Often the larger distances between clusters of folks make parish life more complicated. The tightly-grouped, large ethnic parishes have dwindled to a precious few. No longer is the parish the fulcrum of life for families who once worshipped, but also played, socialized and studied among fellow parishioners.

Another issue confronting all of us who work with and care deeply about our parishes is the "age factor." Because older Catholics give more regularly that younger generations on the whole, even parishes with growing populations do not see a concomitant increase in their collections because new arrivals are less likely to use envelopes as consistently as those who have departed the "Church Militant." I have a couple of priest friends with whom I share the slightly irreverent term, "burying an envelope," when describing the death of older, long-time parishioners with a history of committed stewardship -stewardship that will likely not be replaced.

I've painted a rather sobering portrait it seems. However, to quote a famous general who once was surrounded by enemy forces, "Great! We've got then just where we want them!"

No, I haven't taken leave of my senses, but I do believe that great dilemmas promise great opportunities. Perhaps the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the handful of the most popular saints, is most instructive. We do well to recall the circumstances he faced when Our Lord said to him, "rebuild my Church." This came at a time when wars were rampant, the plague was wreaking havoc with the population and when corruption and worldly concerns infected much of the clerical leadership. His era was at least as complicated as our own. Yet he placed his faith in God above his fears and doubts and founded the Franciscan Order, one of the mendicant orders that transformed the Church -and that renewed Church transformed the world. (Read the works of Thomas Woods and George Crocker about the indispensability of the Church to what we call Western Civilization.)

We have Christ's assurance that the Church will prevail against the gates of Hell. That does not mean, of course, that the Church in America will always be here! We need to collectively take up the challenges we face in our time, just as Francis did in his. We each need to think about how we can take concrete steps to help the Church in America last for the ages. Just as with Saint Francis, the first step is transformation of self. Just as in volunteering, others will follow where a leader will go. We must accept that the future is also in our hands, not just the bishop's or our pastor's. In the movie "Thirteen Days," which told the story of the Cuban missile crisis, there is a scene in which General Curtis LeMay outlines the strategic situation for the president, then says smugly, 'Mr. President, you're in quite a fix." President Kennedy turns to him and says, "In case you haven't noticed General Lemay, you're in it with me!" That's how I feel when I hear fellow Catholics mention how this bishop or that pastor needs to do something!

Yes, some of the ways and methods we built parish families with in the "glory days" of post-war America are lost to us. But we've got other and potentially powerful mechanisms to rebuild our foundations. We can utilize, for instance, the emerging technology of the past decade and a half to communicate more fully and more often to our people the life-changing, ever- ancient, ever-new faith of our fathers. Francis was not a clergyman. Nor did he wait for a clergyman to act. Instead he chose to act in simple ways and to believe that with God all things are possible. I won't claim for an instant that I've got all the solutions, but I would urge us all to follow in the footsteps of the this simple man who saw opportunity and clasped it tightly to his faith. We have been given much. Now is our chance to hand on something as our legacy. In subsequent posts I'll be sharing some thoughts on some specific issues alluded to here, but in the meantime I welcome your comments and thoughts!

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult, and left untried."
G.K. Chesterton

When Times are Tough, the Tough Get Going!

When Times are Tough, the Tough Get Going!

Unless you have been on a deserted island – for the past year or so – you are well aware of all the gloom that envelops any discussion of our economy. Newspapers, magazines, books, blogs and “hot” media such as TV and radio are flush with tales of woe outlining how poor the job market is, how sluggish the economy is, how fragile the stock market is and how miniaturized our retirement accounts have become.

While there is certainly some truth in these statements the endless news cycle does cluster around bad news at the expense of good, so one of the unfortunate by-product of all this is the indecision it spawns. We become afraid to do what we know needs done, deciding to wait for the “proper” moment to act. This malaise affects parishes in the same way. Countless parishes with real needs are postponing necessary repairs, restorations and construction awaiting this “magic moment” when, like the all-clear horns after a tornado warning, we'll know that it's time to move forward.

Of course, there are no such horns to sound for people or for parishes. Economic fortunes will ebb and flow for as long as we occupy this world we know as the church militant. We can share with you some good news, however! Several parishes have indeed launched successful capital campaigns into the face of this recession dragon, and have won the battle! Yes, parishes as disparate as large, affluent suburban parishes in Pittsburgh, to small, rural parishes in upstate New York to older, center-city parishes facing demographic turmoil have all conducted wide-reaching campaigns this past year -successfully!

How is that possible, you say? Was there a special situation involving each parish? No. However the one element linking all of these parishes was a commitment to follow in the Gospel-based advice of the late Pope John Paul II -”be not afraid!” Despite the uncertainty, these parishes realized that their existing, very real needs were greater than their nebulous, ephemeral fears. They stepped forward boldly with faith that God would be with them in their endeavors to build and sustain his church on earth. They are all very happy they did so now.

Many of you are live in or have roots in the industrial cities of the East and Midwest where the enormously successful Catholic school systems were built in the middle of the 20th century; during these times that saw the Great Depression and World War II, two cataclysmic events that dwarf any of our tribulations and conflicts of today, Catholic parishes built churches and schools that educated many of us and still stand proudly today. Our forebears knew that faith conquers fear. We should learn from their example and act with prudence, planning and prayer and not be held captive by anxiety, pessimism and frustration.

The Parish Offertory – Ten Ways to Improving Giving in Your Parish.

It is in times of distress that churches need more of our help, not less. This is because the material, emotional and spiritual support they provide us all will be needed all the more. I would humbly suggest that we think less about the economy's impact on our trips to the mall and a bit more on how fewer trips to that mall might enable us to discover a better use for our dollars. I promise to do such thinking myself! We've all heard the adage about the lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. It might also behoove us to reflect upon Saint Paul's admonition in his letter to the Galatians (6:2-3): "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, deceives himself." Harry Colin – Consultant to Catholic Parishes.

The good news is that despite the difficult economy parish offertory giving has only slipped few percentage points in most Catholic parishes. The bad news, parishes can ill afford even a slight drop, as expenses continue to increase, as facilities age and require repair and as the Church continues to meet the demanding needs of a 21st century congregation.
Fortunately, we can exercise a theological virtue here - Hope! There are tangible steps that a Catholic parish can take today to plug the slow leak in the weekly stream of revenue and perhaps even enhance the flow.


Discuss the Christian Principles of Stewardship
Often in Catholic parishes giving money is treated as at best a necessary evil; something to be ignored until a major physical plant need demands attention. This misperception can be effectively evangelized by sharing the solid Biblical principles that should undergird each parishioner's giving decisions. These principles can be broadly summarized as two components - (1) giving in proportion to our blessings and (2) giving from our substance not our excess. Many pastors have effectively blended these principles into homilies.


Have an Annual Conversation About Giving

You should be having at least one full conversation about giving with your parishioners every year. This conversation should include pulpit remarks and handouts. Well-informed parishioners will feel a greater sense of ownership in the parish financial situation and respond favorably to the need to be pro-active in their giving.

Challenge parishioners to be intentional in their giving
Without discussing specific levels of regular support, ask all supporters to be “Intentional” in their giving – to give of their “first fruits.” By reflecting on stewardship and making a plan instead of just reacting to the passing of the collection basket, parishioners will enhance their stewardship experience and feel a greater sense of belonging.

Introduce and promote electronic giving

Every parish in America will have an electronic giving option with three to five years. Envelopes are an integral component of parish collections but they are no longer sufficient. As a parish you must meet people where they are not where they were. Many parishioners want to give monthly, to give via their credit card or to give directly from their checking account. An astutely designed electronic giving program will enable parishes to receive the necessary levels of support regularly. Weekend and vacation absences to visit friends or take vacations will no longer impact the parish collections so dramatically and parishioners will be able to access their giving plans on-line to adjust as necessary.

Provide A Monthly Donor Option

Many parish members do not attend Mass each week in their own church. Some worship elsewhere and some are at home. By offering a monthly donor option a parish can capture by mail a significant level of support that would otherwise be lost because there is no mechanism to collect it.

Adjust Your Envelopes!

Believe it or not, some parishes still have $1 and $2 options printed on their envelopes! This is likely because no changes have been made since families were grouped around the TV watching the astronauts step on the moon in 1969. Printed options are powerful suggestions, so consider beginning at $10 or even $15 per week on your envelopes or $40 for a monthly option. Folks who actually need to go lower can still easily do so in keeping with the principle that it is much easier to fall than it is to jump!

“Chart” your Progress

Let's say a parish collection has been running at a level below where it needs to be on a weekly or monthly basis to survive and prosper. One way to focus attention on that is to create a couple of charts that can be emplaced at the doors of the church. After you announce that our challenge between now and Thanksgiving is to bump our collection from $12,000 per week to $15,000, just show the increases each week and allow people to become excited over the goal. Visual images are important and can serve as powerful motivators.

Conduct an Annual Time and Talent Initiative

Many folks in the pew are unaware of just how much the parish could use their talents and enthusiasm. Sharing the needs and asking for help is a solid method of capturing energy for productive activities. A parishioner who feels needed will in turn feel a stronger need to give.

Embrace the Technology!

Email, blogging and people-connecting systems such as Face Book and LinkedIn are here to stay. Explore ways to connect with more people and you will have opened fresh avenues for potential support.

Conduct a Professional Offertory Enhancement Program

There's an old adage among sales people that says "ignore your customers and they'll go away;" a similar thought could be expressed about parish collections. Don't just leave them to chance. A professionally-directed program to enhance parish collections should be a regular feature of a parish's long-range plan. Habits die hard, and often the only way to change them-in this case the "habit" of having your offertory gifts stay dormant for years, is to replace the habit with a new one.

Just What is Stewardship?

Stewardship is a word that engenders a multitude of images in the minds of those who hear the word itself. Some hear stewardship and think of the need to take good care of what has been given to them – both material goods and the natural environment. Others hear this term and think of providing alms to those unfortunates among us who lack proper clothing, housing and food. Many indeed will hear talk of stewardship and immediately think that someone wants them to give them money!

Actually, each of these images is correct. However, they do not by themselves, or even when lumped together, provide a completely full description of what stewardship means to the Christian. These are but still frames of the moving picture of authentic Christian charity.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “ To the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount it is fitting to add the moral catechesis of the apostolic teachings such as Romans 12:15, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 3:4, Ephesians 4:5, etc. This doctrine hands on the Lord’s teaching with the authority of the apostles, particularly in the presentation of the virtues that flow forth from faith in Christ and are animated by CHARITY, the principal gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Catechism 1971)

Stewardship then is the logical extension of that charity the Holy Spirit commands us to practice. Stewardship in its fullest sense encapsulates charity into an action plan for our lives; it establishes a framework from which that charity can operate. That structure acknowledges that God is the source for everything we have in our earthly existence and that we are called to not only be thankful for our blessings, but we need to both share them and be accountable for how we use them ourselves and how we give them to others. As Saint Paul instructs us, ‘Let charity be genuine… love one another with brotherly affection… Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contributor to the needs of the saints and practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)

Sacred Scripture provides much guidance about charity and stewardship. These myriad verses are best summarized in the venerable triple dimensions of Christian stewardship: time, talent and treasure. The application of these dimensions can be further culled into these two principles:

1 Give in proportion to the blessings we have received.
2. Give from our substance, not our excess.

Stewardship is not a destination, but rather a journey. It is an integral component of faith, not an adjunct or something we can choose to participate in or not, like some hobby or pastime. Stewardship begins in our hearts, is infused by what our minds teach us about our faith and extends with our hands as we reach out to others in our families, parishes and communities.

Tome Ranger Strikes Again!

The latest in a occasional series of book recommendations...

"Fond of beer in swarthy nooks, but happiest among his books!"

Just arrived in my mailbox (actually on my front doorstep) - the hefty BIBLE DICTIONARY, edited by Scott Hahn. Flipping through it last night revealed a treasure-trove of great insight that will be helpful for anyone who is interested in enhancing their Bible reading and study. Dr. Hahn does not write a book each week -it only seems like it! Would make a great gift for yourself, a family member or your favorite priest.

Also, Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch. This most Catholic of authors certainly deserved a newer biography of her remarkable life. Her novels and short stories are profound and distinctive, but even more impressive is her great witness to the Faith despite her desperate illness. A powerful role model for those of us who think we're having a bad day when the cell phone drops a call or our DVR cuts off a program before it has ended! Talk about authentic Christian perseverance!

The Death of A Pope by Piers Paul Read The great English novelist has penned another sensational novel. If you haven't read anything by this man (What a name for a writer!) you will benefit by reading any of his works that include non-fiction accounts of Chernobyl, an Andean Mountain airplane crash and novels on many topics.

Summer time and the living is... without church?

One of the dangers of writing a blog is the ubiquitous impulse to vent on one's pet peeves. I have, I believe, successfully dodged this temptation so far but I'll ask your indulgence for this topic, particularly if I humbly offer a suggestion or two along the way.

The issue? Summer church attendance in our parishes! Talk to any priest who's not pastoring a summer resort parish and he'll tell you that attendance drops off significantly in the summer. In fact, the drop begins usually in May after the First Communion class partakes of the sacrament, gains momentum after Memorial Day and surges to its peak after the Fourth of July. They usually stay away in droves until after Labor Day.

While I would not presume to possess any profound theological insight, I have managed to assemble a rather significant personal library containing many Bible translations, books on religion and foundational volumes such as the Catechism, Bible Dictionaries and such. In none of them have I found any dispensation from our Mass attendance requirements! Now perhaps I need to read more extensively and to explore textual analysis more deeply, but I'm guessing there aren't any!

So, why do so many of us stay away in the summer? The reasons I usually hear given are these: travel, heat indexes, the suspension of religious instruction classes (CCD, PSR, etc) and the appeal of being elsewhere on warm, sunny morning or late afternoons. Throw in golf, yard work and your everyday, garden-variety lethargy and there you are.

Most of the time, parishes simply adjust to these realities and decide to live with them. Certainly, just wishing it wasn't so won't make up for lost collections and fewer liturgical volunteers to act as lectors and Eucharistic Ministers. However, might I suggest that we attempt to counter this cultural trend with a little stimulus package of our own?

I would greatly like these humble suggestions to trigger the creative juices among blogreaders to build a stronger package of ideas to keep our people in the pews, but everything has to start somewhere so here I go with my four-point plan:

1. Anticipate the upcoming drop and address it from the pulpit and with bulletins/newsletters beforehand. Most folks think they won't be missed in the summer, so let's make them aware that we can see them in the pews and miss them when they are not there. Explain that the parish is always there when they need it, so it always needs to love and support of her members.

2. Sponsor a Youth Day/Weekend whereby parents and students can meet the teachers they will have in school/CCD in the fall. Perhaps then try to capture the energy by engaging each class in some fun summer project around the parish , particularly at Mass. Why not have the 5th grade students -of both parish school and CCD - hand out bulletins after Masses one weekend? Maybe the eighth graders could lead the rosary before Mass on a certain weekend. Get the kids and you get the parents!

3. Share with the parish a graph showing your monthly income streams juxtaposed alongside monthly expenses. Folks will understand that just because they aren't there in July, doesn't mean the electric company won't be there in July demanding payment! Encourage people to use their envelopes each week even if they are away visiting another parish. Better still, encourage your parishioners to select an electronic giving option so that they can easily have their donations sent to the parish on whatever schedule they like. It's easy and no need to worry if you are away. If you don't mind this shameless plug - the Cunneen Company offers an intentional giving program that makes giving -to the the parish, the diocese, the special collections and campaigns -quite simple. No cost to the parish! How nice is that! (OK, commercial over!)

4. Find them where they are at. Why not energize the copier and produce some inexpensive flyers to give to the parishioners who are there to distribute at the town baseball fields, the senior centers and the like? This would be the time to employ some humor and creativity; I've always wanted to do something like that and have it announce: "Big day this coming Sunday at Saint Mary's Parish! At all the Masses this weekend, you'll be offered --- Holy Communion! (What, you think you need anything else!!!)

Well, there you have it. Why not think of some ideas and share them?

"An atheist is a man with no invisible means of suppport."
Bishop Sheen

Trenchant tidbits...

Quotable Quotes...


“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult, and left untried.”

G.K. Chesterton

“Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.”

Mark Twain

“The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth.”

Sir Wilfred Grenfell