The Holy Place

This weekend I’m not preaching anywhere; I’m taking part in the 72-hour festival of continuous worship called David’s Tent. Which is why, at half-past-three this morning, I found myself climbing out of my tent to go and participate in the night-time worship – and was immediately confronted by a spectacular view.

The night was clear. The constellation of Orion hung on the horizon outside my tent door, red Betelgeuse flaming in the high shoulder. As I turned to the north on the path to the main tent, the Plough filled my view with its familiar shape. And before the main camp lighting could run my night vision, I lifted up my eyes to the heights to behold the orange and red and bluish-white tinges of those stars and nebulae on the threshold of sight. Yes, it’s great to have the latest images from the James Webb Space Telescope showing the farthest reaches of the observable universe – but on a clear night, there’s plenty to see at the farthest reaches of the human eye.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews sees further. In chapter 12 he gives us instruction on living a holy life – uprooting bitterness, avoiding sexual immorality, accepting one’s identity and calling, and living in peace with others. Then, suddenly, he lifts his gaze to the heights of heaven and declares: “What you have come to is Mount Sion and the city of the living God.”

When did we come to this? How are we in heaven while we are still living on earth? But the clear night reminded me that the beauty of the heavens is always around us, whether or not our own choices and the external conditions allow us to see it. As members of the Body of Christ, we are already citizens of heaven, living out this lifetime on Earth.

During the last year at Sion Community, we’ve spent much time reflecting on Jewish worship. It had never struck me before that when God commanded Moses to build a place of worship, it was as a copy of what Moses had seen in heaven. So the Tent of Meeting, which became the pattern for Solomon’s Temple, was itself an earthly representation of something which is a reality in heaven. Within that reality is a Holy Place with three features: an altar of incense, a table with the Bread (and Wine) of the Lord’s Presence, and a seven-branched candelabra continuously burning oil.

Different Christian traditions arrange their liturgical spaces in different ways. When I was able to visit Syrian and Malankara tradition churches in 2019, their empty worship halls (standing only) were blessed by a gilded candelabra. When I concelebrated a Ukrainian rite Divine Liturgy once in Cardiff, the Holy Table hidden behind the iconostasis felt more like the Table of the Shewbread than the public altars of the Latin Rite. Incense is a feature of more solemn celebrations in the West, but poses a pastoral dilemma for priests when some of their faithful parishioners with lung disease find it an insurmountable obstacle. Thanks to Brant Pitre, I now know that on solemn Jewish festivals, the Bread of the Presence was exposed to public view as the priests declared “Behold! God’s love for you!” – two millennia before Eucharistic Adoration was developed to prolong the beholding of the Lamb of God.

The Bread of the Presence is an invitation to stop and become aware of God. The altar of incense is an invitation to join my own prayers to the prayers of the saints. And the seven-branched candlestick reminds me that the Oil of the Holy Spirit is always on tap if I allow him to burn through me.

I fell in love with astronomy at the age of 7 – but in Jesus at the age of 11. It’s good to have a reminder of the beauty of the cosmos, but even more to be reminded of the beauty of the one who calls me to worship on earth today, and in heaven forevermore. However you’re going to worship today, worship well, and I look forward to praising with you in heaven.

Kretinga 5: Attracting people who have no Christian experience

#5 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

Go into the whole world.  Proclaim the good news!

Jesus sent his apostles on a global mission. Every nation, every culture, every land, must hear the Gospel.

The Good News was sent first to the Jewish people. They knew God was real and were expecting a Messiah. Later, St Paul preached among the Roman and Greek Temples. “I see you have a temple to an unknown God.” “Let me tell you about this God you haven’t met yet!”

Missionaries came to Latin America 500 years ago. Our Lady appeared in Guadalupe and opened hearts for the message of Jesus. Missionaries also went to India, China, Korea and Japan. There were many martyrs! But the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Japanese laypeople kept the Catholic faith for 200 years after the last mission priest was killed. The Gospel challenges the practices of other cultures. No, you cannot worship your ancestors, but you can ask for the prayers of the saints. No, you cannot continue to worship other gods. Worship only the Holy Trinity. No, you cannot be married to all four of your wives. One man, one woman.

In Europe, we face a different problem. Our culture was once Christian. There is a sense that Christianity has been tried, and been rejected. In countries ruled by Communism, the history is more complicated. Christianity was rejected for you. Imagine growing up in a family where none of the adults are Christians. Is that true of anyone here today?

What would you know about Christianity from school, from the media? What would be true? What would be a distorted picture?

The Church gives a special name to the task of preaching again where Christianity failed. This is called the “New Evangelisation”. St John Paul called for an evangelization that is new in its ardour, methods and expression. He spoke of “New Evangelisation” for the first time in 1979, in Nova Huta, an industrial district of Kraków.  This quarter had become famous in the fight of the Christian faithful against communism.  Nova Huta was designed by the Warsaw Government as “a city without God” – an industrial and residential area without religious symbols and without a Church.  But the workers planted a cross and then later, build a church.

Spreading faith is not just for experts or leaders.  “From the crosses in Nova Huta began the new evangelisation,” declared John Paul. “This evangelisation must refer to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.  It must be a work shared by bishops, priests, religious and laity, by parents and young people.” Pope Francis wrote an encyclical in 2013  “Evangelii Gaudium – The joy of the Gospel”  This too calls for the spreading of the word of God by all Catholics.

So what new things can we do to share the Gospel? First we must recognise that new technology allows us to communicate in new ways. We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Tiktok… And here we have three audiences.

• Our friends.
• The friends of friends.
• The world – or at least, the world of people who speak your language.

Remember, the first stages of evangelisation are trust and curiosity. If people trust us – even as friends of friends – that is a good starting point. What can you say to the people who trust you, to stir up curiosity? “I read a really insightful Bible passage today – this is what it said to me.” “I sensed God near me when I gave time to prayer.” “I felt fulfilled when I went to Mass this morning.”

Some people post pictures of every good meal they eat! How much more so should we boast about Holy Communion! I knew a young man who was studying photography. He was given an exercise: Produce a series of photos about “Relationships” He chose to take photos of people receiving Holy Communion. That was a good witness!

But we must be careful about the language we use. Much of it is “insider language”. Other Catholics know what we mean. “The Blessed Sacrament… An Act of Contrition… The Sacrament of Confirmation.” But what if you’re an outsider? What language works then? We must find simple words to explain our faith.

I am not suggesting we all create social media accounts to share the Gospel. This is for people who already use social media… People who already have trusted contacts. It’s about speaking of faith in a way that fits naturally with who you are. If you want to speak to a wider audience,  it’s less about trust  and more about presentation. Are you gifted in graphic design? Perhaps you can make beautiful images. The TEM evangelisation team have been creating an image with a message about the daily Mass readings. This will grow an audience of trust, over time.

New media is often indirect and impersonal. If you have an opportunity to connect with someone who seems to be open, start a private chat. But we can’t rely on the Internet to help us attract people to Jesus. In the physical world, we also have three audiences.

• Our friends.
• The friends of friends.
• The world – or at least, the world of people who live or work close to you.

I once evangelised a nurse by accident. My mother is a nurse, but she is not a Catholic. She told one of her colleagues that I had become a Catholic. That nurse knew I had studied at Oxford and was a doctor of astrophysics. A few years later, that nurse became a Catholic. My Mum asked her why. “If the Catholic Church makes sense to Gareth, with all his brains, I thought I should look into it.”

We may influence friends of friends.  But we can’t target them.

We can reach out to people who live near us. We can knock on doors. We can run events in the street. “Nightfever” invites people to step into an open church and light a candle. In my home diocese, we took a candle rack out on to the shopping street! This is a way of making a connection.

A few years ago, I worked with other Christians. It was a project called The Turning. Pairs of people went out into public places and approached people directly. “If you died tonight, would you be sure of going to heaven?” I wouldn’t have chosen quite such a bold question if I was running the project. But I tried it, and it opened some interesting conversations. No-one was really hostile.

Non-Christians pass through different levels of curiosity.  First comes awareness – they realise there is such a thing as “Christians”.  Second comes engagement – they are willing to spend time with the Christians they trust, and will listen to what they have to say. Then comes exchange – entering into dialogue and being willing to share their own opinons. Courses like Alpha and Landings provide a safe space to do this.

This morning I spoke about the campus ministers, Everts and Schaupp. Part of their work was running events aimed at people who were only curious. The events used music, drama and other art forms to communicate Christian values. But the focus was on the values, which many people recognise, not on Jesus. Then there would be a short moment where a person spoke about Jesus. They might use a less-well-known Gospel story. Something which shows an unexpected side of Jesus. Something which shows how radical Jesus is.

I heard of a Catholic parish in America which organised a car show. 50 people brought classic cars to exhibit. 600 people came to see. But while talking about their cars, owners were also able to speak about their faith. It makes a connection. It starts a conversation.

Another way to raise public attention is through the relics of saints. In recent years, the relics of great saints have been taken on tour. St John Bosco, St Bernadette of Lourdes, St Therese of Lisieux… When the relics of St Therese came to England a few years ago,  thousands of people came to see. Hindus were happy to honour the relics of a saint. People of no faith were curious about what was happening. Newspapers and radio made reports. The saints can be powerful witnesses. And they are praying for us!

After curiosity comes openness. It is possible to create an event designed to promote openness.  Think of the participants not as seekers but as skeptics or cynics.  Such an event should not have worship music or prayer – that would be too soon. You might talk about current movies and stories to make connections. Bishop Robert Barron in the USA has a podcast called Word on Fire. Often he reviews a new movie and talks about the Christian values in it. You can use the arts to communicate encounter with God;  The message should include something about who Jesus really is. But don’t invite people to a public act of commitment – they won’t be ready.

Franciscans in North Wales and their lay associates launched something they called a Seeker Centre. Now, in the language of Forming Intentional Disciples, their target audience were not active seekers but those still at passive curiosity, The lay associates ran weekends for people at Curiosity with a very gentle presentation of faith. Some team members set up stalls at “Spirituality Fairs”. I don’t know if you have these in Lithuania… Gatherings where people offer healing therapies and fortune telling? But if people are going there to seek healing… why not go there to speak about the One True Healer, Jesus? The Team also created “Gospel Gifts” to give away – candles wrapped with a short Christian message. Soft toys holding the name of Jesus.

Christmas is a great time to give away gifts. I know a church which produced Christmas baubles with a Gospel verse. People who came to Mass in Advent were asked to give one to a friend. They could also invite people to a Christmas Carol service.

A Seeker, as we define it today, is a person who is specifically asking questions about Jesus.  This goes beyond general questions about God  – a Seeker has heard the Christian claim that Jesus is our Teacher, God incarnate. A Seeker wishes to investigate this further.  A true Seeker asks these questions with urgency. A seeker is willing to pay the price which comes with a hard answer. Seekers can be appropriately shown what believers do: Worship and prayer Bible Study,  church socials and service projects. But in service projects, there needs to be an explicit presentation of the Gospel;  we cannot expect participants will link the teaching of Jesus to the volunteers’ motivation.

Everts & Schaupp ran something for Seekers called a GIG: Group Investigating God.  They offered a scripture passage on a printed sheet. The seeker can highlight or circle whatever gets their attention. They have 5 minutes to work their own; Then comes sharing.

It is good to set out clear rules and expectations in a Seeker Group, such as:

• You must grow!
• Be curious; ask questions.
• Share honestly.
• Take risks.
• Listen to others.

Seekers are likely to ask the question about why God allows suffering.  The best response is not to talk philosophy. Rather, speak of how you have experienced God’s presence the midst of your own suffering. An event aimed at true Seekers can appropriately include an invitation to a sign of commitment. Evangelical churches call this an Altar Call. But discernment is needed with each person who responds by coming forward.  Who has actually committed their life to Jesus, and so become an intentional disciple?  Who is simply declaring that they are interested in Jesus and want to know more?

If you run any kind of outreach programme, remember to surround it with prayer.

Public events for strangers should be part of a wider strategy. What happens if you do make a connection with someone? What is the next step? Is there an Alpha Course you can invite them to? Or a seeker-friendly event?

We have a problem in the Catholic Church. We do almost everything with Mass. Mass is not easy for beginners. You won’t know the words. You won’t know the actions. You can’t come to Holy Communion straight away! But if you create a simple service, everyone can join in equally. Whenever I lead a funeral, I explain that it is a service of Christian prayer. Please say AMEN if you hear a prayer you agree with. Please be silent and show your respect if you don’t. There are good times to run easy-access public services. In Britain, many people will come to services of Christmas songs. Or perhaps when a famous person dies, local churches might have a service to remember them. Some parishes have regular services of simple chants, inspired by Taizé.

Somewhere in the USA, 6 parishes work together on an outreach. It’s in a community centre’s parking lot. Every week they offer “dinner church”. It’s a meal, open to all.  It includes a brief scripture and reflection.  They see lots of regulars, and many one-timers.  Average attendance is 35-50.  People who come ask, “who are you folks? Why do you do this?” They tell them they’re from six local Catholic Churches, and just want to meet the community, This opens up lots of positive conversations – it builds trust.

Every parish is called to be a missionary parish. Every parish should have an easy way for new people to explore the Christian faith. And there should be a way to start soon. If a person approaches the parish in November, don’t tell them the converts’ course starts next September. A parish on mission should have something available within a few weeks. And if the course only starts three times a year, have some kind of seeker night or Taizé service half-way between the starts. Then there is something to invite people to.         

The Alpha Course is not meant to be a one-off course for a parish. Alpha is a lifestyle. A parish which commits to Alpha plans to run it three times a year. You can start in September, January and after Easter. If you don’t have small groups, Alpha graduates can help with the next Alpha. And they keep helping until they are ready for the sacraments.

Alpha doesn’t work for every parish. I tried it in my last parish and it wasn’t a good fit for our culture. So we tried a different course called Discovering Christ, which turned out to be a much better fit.

Discovering Christ and its two follow-up courses come from an American organisation called ChristLife. Discovering Christ has 7 sessions and a retreat day. The focus is on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Following Christ looks at the lifestyle of a disciple. How do we pray? What does it mean to forgive others? Spiritual warfare – because we have an Enemy who attacks us. The Power of the Sacraments – because we have a divine Friend who loves us. How do we discern our calling?

Their third course is called Sharing Christ. It is about ways of sharing the Gospel with other people. Together the three courses are a Catholic toolkit to take a person through the steps of discipleship. But always remember: People grow at different speeds. “Finishing a course” doesn’t mean the person is ready for the next step. That always needs a spiritual conversion: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life.”

When we run a course, it is tied to a time and a place. What about the people who cannot come at that time? Alpha has a short version which can run in a lunch hour. During the pandemic, Alpha learned how to run the course online.

An ideal parish would have groups to explore the Gospel in the daytime and in the evening. It would have an online option for the housebound. This takes a lot of organising. It needs more people to help lead it. But it can be done – if a parish decides this is important. Jesus told us to spread the Gospel!

Sometimes we need a solution for very small groups. Perhaps we can meet a single person or a family in their own home. There is a study guide for this, too. In Canada, there’s a group called “Catholic Christian Outreach”. They have materials for studying the Christian message in a very small home group.

Most of the resources I have been talking about are, of course, in English. There is nothing to stop them being translated. You could ask for permission from the publishers. The exception is Alpha. The Alpha course is available on video in Lithuanian. I know that in Kretinga, you have a good history of Alpha with live speakers. That’s great if you can come together and do it. But with the videos, you can run Alpha even when no live speaker is available. Alpha also have a special version designed for work with teenagers.

In Wales, there are many evangelical churches which run Alpha. But now they face a new problem. People are trying Alpha, but it’s not connecting. The new generation isn’t asking spiritual questions. They have no sense of who God is. Even Alpha is answering questions which they are not asking.

Sherry Weddell is seeing a similar problem in the USA. She runs a Forum on Facebook for people familiar with Forming Intentional Disciples. It’s a great place to research questions about faith sharing. How do I evangelise in this or that situation? Search the Forum. Hopefully Facebook can translate into Lithuanian reasonably well. She also notes that Alpha isn’t connecting with Americans now. They aren’t ready for it. What can be simpler than Alpha?

The churches in Wales had an idea. They were inspired by a book called Imagine Heaven. It’s about people who have been close to death but were revived by doctors. Sometimes these people have a testimony of glimpsing heaven. They meet their relatives – or a being of light and love. There was an American engineer called John Burke. He studied many of these stories from America and from India. Did these stories match what we believe as Christians about death and judgment? In India, people wouldn’t expect to meet Jesus. They would have Hindu, or Buddhist, or Islamic ideas about death. But John Burke found their stories were a good match, too. So he wrote the book, “Imagine Heaven”. He also interviewed many of the people with stories of visiting heaven. You can see these interviews on YouTube.

The Churches in Wales adapted these into a six-week course. “What is after life?” We have lived through two difficult years. Some of us have lost loved ones. Many of us were worried about the virus. All of us were reminded that science is not able to protect us from being mortal. People are asking whether heaven is real. These near-death stories don’t prove anything. But they arouse curiosity. They open a door.

Jesus told a parable about two people who found treasure. One of them was a merchant looking for fine pearls. He knew there was something better. He wouldn’t rest until he found it. I’ve heard many sermons about how Jesus can fill the “God-shaped hole” within us. But I never felt that hole within me. I wasn’t looking for fine pearls. I was happy with life. Those sermons didn’t connect with me.

But Jesus also spoke about a man walking through a field. He wasn’t looking for treasure, but he tripped over it. So he bought the field. And enjoyed the treasure. That’s me. I wasn’t looking for God when my granny died. But I found him anyway. We must work out what other people are looking for. And we can place the treasure where they can trip over it.

There are many activities you can run in a parish. You can’t do everything. But if you run something, you need to invite people. It’s not easy. Many Catholics are afraid to invite their friends to church. But there are gentle ways to start the conversation.

• “Do you ever think about spiritual things?”
• “What do you think happens to us when we die?”
• “What does the word ‘God’ mean to you?”

There’s no point running a big event if you can’t get people to come. The best advert for Alpha is a joyful Alpha graduate. Social media can help. Have someone produce images that parishioners can share. But what is most important? Catholics who come to Mass must get good at inviting people.

So I want to finish with an exercise for you. I would like you to get into pairs – person A and person B. Person A is going to invite person B to come to a Taizé night. Person B will pretend to be someone who stopped going to Mass 20 years ago. Then Person B will invite Person A to the next Alpha course. Person A will pretend to be someone who has no Christian experience.

Remember the good ways to open the conversation:

• “Do you ever think about spiritual things?”
• “What do you think happens to us when we die?”
• “What does the word ‘God’ mean to you?”

Use part of your own story. Build trust. Make a connection. Give an invitation. And before you do this for real, pray!

Now it’s your turn. Go – and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord!

Kretinga 4: Reaching Catholics who no longer attend Mass

#4 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

I’d like to start with a story.

About 15 years ago, I went shopping for a new winter coat. I wasn’t dressed as a priest – it was my day off. I saw a woman stopping people at the entrance to the clothes store. I realised she must be reaching out for some religious group. So when I’d bought my coat, and had spare time on my hands, I went out through that door.

I allowed the woman to start a conversation. She was a Jehovah’s Witness. Now, if you meet a Witness or a Mormon, they will have a script of what they want to say. It’s about why their strange version of Christianity is really the right one. But I stopped the woman, and asked a question. “Tell me the story of how you became a Jehovah’s Witness?”

She lived in a small English village. She used to worship at an Anglican church. Then her beloved dog died. The Anglican minister wasn’t interested. But she had neighbours who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were interested. They showed her a lot of care and sympathy. Then they invited her to join their church. Now she’s an active Jehovah’s witness.

Similar things happen in the Catholic Church.

In England and Wales, Catholics are only about 10% of the population. So there are lots of people who could become Catholic. Most years, as a parish priest, I had 2 to 4 adults become Catholic at Easter. Often they were middle-aged women. They had a friend who was a Catholic. That friend introduced them to the church. They wanted to join the group of “nice friendly people” So they took religious instruction and became Catholic. But often, within 2 years, they aren’t coming to Mass any more. Being with the “nice friendly people” isn’t enough. I would say 80% of the new Catholics I worked with were like that.

The other 20% were different. Their conversion went much deeper. Perhaps they had done a lot of reading, and the Catholic Faith made sense to their intellect. Or perhaps they had a profound spiritual experience and deep connection with Jesus. These are the new Catholics who stay.

In Western countries, we also lose many young people from the Church. They ask for the Sacrament of Confirmation – and then we never see them again. Parents seem to say “If you’re old enough to be confirmed, you can choose not to go to Church.” I say, “If you’re mature enough to make that choice, you should choose not to be confirmed.” But some young people do stay.

There was a study, in Canada, in 2012, about young people from many Christian churches. What stands out about young people who remain active in church? They have experienced God’s presence and seen prayers answered;  They live in Christian communities where they can talk about real spiritual questions  They can adult communities living out Christian faith in authentic ways.

There was also a study in England about different ways Anglican Churches were running. Some churches run a project called “Messy Church”. This allows families to come together as families for a few hours. They eat together. They hear a short Bible message. They make something which illustrates the message. Evidence shows that children who took part in Messy Church are more likely to worship as young adults.

Many people drop out of attending Catholic Mass. Young people drop out as they grow up. Adult converts often do not stay for more than a year or two. And Catholics who have practiced for a long time also leave.

Why?

Let’s remember the steps of discipleship. Many of the people who worship on Sunday are still at Trust or Curiosity – passive. Few have made the decision in their hearts to be open to Jesus and his challenges. If you lose a person who’s decided to follow Jesus, they have probably found a different church. But if you lose someone who’s still at trust, it’s because they have lost trust.

You know what it’s like being a Catholic in Kretinga. What could cause a Catholic here to lose trust in the Church or trust in God?

An English professor, Stephen Bullivant, has studied why Catholics leave in the USA and the UK. He found five common reasons. One is that children reject the faith their family taught them. If both parents attend Mass, 40-50% of their children will continue to say “I’m Catholic” If only one parent attends, it will be 20-30%.

The second is that a change in the family lifestyle is a trigger to stop going to Mass. Maybe it’s when a person takes on a new job. Maybe it’s when the children leave home to go to university. Or when the children stop being willing to go to Mass.  A family tension – kids reject upbringing.

The third reason is that a person finds they wish to make life choices in conflict with Church teaching. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with a divorced person. Maybe you experience same-sex attraction. Maybe you are attracted by drugs or money. There is integrity in not worshipping as a Christian if you can’t live as a Christian!

The fourth reason is the one that led the lady at the shop to become a Jehovah’s Witness. The Church did not support her in a time of crisis.

And the fifth is a rather different reason. Some Christians feel safe with unchanging rituals and unchanging traditions. They want a church that hasn’t changed its teaching or practice in centuries. So if they can’t have Mass in Latin, they drop out. If they hear teaching which was updated at the Second Vatican Council, they lose trust.

An American Diocese, Trenton, also asked its people why they stopped coming to Mass. Many blamed the number of priests convicted of sex abuse for losing their trust. Others said it was that when they went to Mass, they heard too many requests for money. Some said the music wasn’t up to a high enough standard. Others said the preaching wasn’t meeting their needs. And some said they didn’t feel the priest there cared about the people.

In my last parish, I gathered together a group of people who didn’t come to Mass. They were willing to talk about why. The number one reason was that they had noisy children.

They felt embarrassed when their small children cried at Mass. So they didn’t come to Mass. We looked at whether we could have a “baby chapel” with a video relay, but that didn’t work. Our side room wasn’t in the right place. And the parents didn’t like the idea of being “cut off”. So I had another idea.

Let’s have a special Mass for toddlers and their parents! It was once a month, an extra Mass at 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon. This is late enough to fulfil the Sunday obligation. But early enough you don’t have to use the Sunday texts. I did all the things priests are allowed to do to shorten a “Mass for children”. I could swap the lectionary reading for a more suitable and shorter one. I could merge the psalm with an Alleluia response. The opening song was an action song the children could join in. The preaching was a 1 minute message for distracted parents. There was another action song at the end. It was all done in about 35 minutes. The first time I tried it, 80 people came. By the third time I had 120. And the total attendance of my usual Sunday Masses only totalled 300! I could see that grandparents were borrowing children for a reason to come! So it showed what parents said was true. They really did feel embarrassed to be at a main Mass. But they would come to a Mass designed for noisy children.

This talk is about reaching Catholics who no longer attend Mass. But we have to understand why they left. If things haven’t changed, they will leave again. So we need to think about three things. How can we invite them back? How can we make sure their experience of church is different this time? How do we listen to any hurt which caused them to leave?

There are two kinds of strategy for reaching out to lost Catholics. One is to run events targeted at the lost. The other is to create a culture which seeks to bring back the lost.

On Thursday night I spoke about the American Parish of the Nativity in Timonium, near Washington  They established a clear mission statement: This parish exists to reach the lost and make disciples. Next they asked: Who are the lost, in this place? They identified men aged 30-50, fathers of families, as their target audience. They set about changing the culture. “Culture” simply means “the way we do things”. It also means they way we DON’T do things. A church serious about welcoming the lost: – will NOT have procedures which are difficult to follow – will NOT make cynical comments at Christmas and Easter about part-timers visiting – will NOT implicitly or explicitly criticise the way people dress. Yes, there is a place for Christian teaching on how to dress modestly and respectfully. But the place for this is in small groups where people have already committed to follow Jesus.

When you try to change the culture of a congregation, there will be trouble. Expect people to get angry. Expect people to leave. This is painful for anyone with the heart of a shepherd. The good shepherd doesn’t want even one of the sheep to be lost. But in John 6, Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life – you must eat me.” Many left him, because it was a difficult teaching. Jesus allowed them to go.

Often resistance is driven by emotion rather than logic. People confuse a challenge to their religious culture with an attack on their faith. How many of the things we do as Catholics are essential to following Jesus? In the first thousand years of Christianity, no-one prayed the rosary. No-one went to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. These things came later. In the first three hundred years of Christianity, we didn’t have dedicated church buildings. No statues. No candle racks. No cupboards of vestments in seasonal colours. These things make the Church beautiful today. Some of them are even required by the rules the Catholic Church has made. But they are not essential to following the message Jesus gave us. Times change. A hundred years ago, no-one prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Now it is well-known. Jesus continues to show us his love and mercy.

Opposition comes not when you speak of change, but when you try to do it. There will be people who don’t understand. There will be people who don’t care. There will be people who don’t believe you are serious. There will be people who think they can resist until things go “back to normal”.

Unhappy parishioners respond in negative ways. Passive aggression. Slander and gossip. Letters of protest, sometimes claiming “everyone else” agrees with them, or formal complaints; threats that someone will stop volunteering, or take legal action. So: Expect conflict – Don’t take it too personally –     Try to be sensitive to the adjustment the congregation has to make – Remember that the real battle is a spiritual one. Satan does not want people to become Disciples of Christ. This battle is won on both knees!

How did Nativity Church start to welcome the lost? They introduced a Sunday evening Mass, with a focus on youth. They used technology to enhance the worship. They built an extension on the church to create more space for welcoming experience. The space even included a café!

What could you do first? Define your mission field – probably the geographical boundaries of your parish. Be clear about who the lost souls are within this field. The need to reach the lost will become part of the culture of the parish. It will often be mentioned in preaching and prayer. It will be part of every evaluation meeting. Once a year it will be explained from the beginning for anyone who’s new. It’s about inviting the typical lost person to attend church. Make them as welcome as possible when they turn up. Some are housebound; ask if they wish to receive communion at home. Some are shielding from Covid. But they can receive a regular video call from someone who cares.

It’s safe to assume that most of the lost are still at Trust or passive Curiosity. Recognise that many things, though good, won’t move them to being disciples. Just turning up in church won’t make them disciples. Just asking them to say certain prayers won’t make them disciples. Just giving religious education – because they haven’t passed into active seeking – won’t help. Reminding them of church rules and obligations won’t make them disciples. Making your building beautiful won’t make them disciples. Getting them into small groups won’t automatically make them disciples… but you can be smart about what you do in the small groups. You can be equally smart with lost Catholics who are personal friends. Allow time to grow your friendship. Pray for your friends Share your own story of how Jesus, or your faith, changed your life for the better. When it seems right, invite your friend to church.

But what’s it like for a lost person coming to church? Why not ask a friend, who is not an active churchgoer, to test your Sunday Mass and write a review? What does it look like for someone who’s not familiar with it? Are you making the weekend service experience as good as it can be?

Music should carry the worshipper to the heart of God. It’s an emotional, intellectual and spiritual journey. What does your church music say to your target audience? Think of the music as the “soundtrack” of the Mass.  Call people to attention as they arrive. Offer something soft at communion.  Use music to draw people into silence and lead them out again.

“It’s about the hospitality!” Do you have welcomers inside your building? Do you have welcomers outside your building? Does it have good signs leading to it? Are the toilets clean? Are the toilets accessible? What can help blind people to take part? What about deaf people? Is there a space for people in wheelchairs? Does someone hand people a song book or newsletter at the door? Is there a hot drink available at the end of the service? And what about the parents with small children? Is there children’s liturgy for those aged around 4-8? In short, CREATE AN IRRESISTABLE ENVIRONMENT!

Nativity Church also offers great advice for preaching… But I will skip that because most of you won’t be preaching at Mass.

Here in Kretinga, I am told you have 500 or 600 people who attend Mass regularly. There were another 400 who came before covid. We need to be sensitive to people’s fears about disease. So we need to ask what it means to be part of Church while staying at home. How do people receive news from the parish? Who will visit them from time to time, or call them if they don’t want a visit? With 600 people, there are enough of you to ask how to change the culture. It starts with a few. Jesus started with 12. But this is something for the parish priest and people to discuss together, later.

The other way to reach the lost is to invite them to a special event. But what kind of event? And how do you send the invitation?

Most of the lost people belong to Catholic families. Some will live in the homes closest to your home. Some will send their children to school with your children. Some are on the parish register because they asked for a sacrament for their child. A personal invitation is better than a bulk e-mail. I don’t even know if that’s legal in Lithuania, unless people opt-in! But a personal approach is always allowed. Inviting someone to come with me is even better!

 It’s great to invite people back, but what are we inviting them TO? Sunday Mass is the main event in our churches. But it’s complicated to join in if you’re not familiar with the words. And what about communion? Some people need confession before they should come to communion. Some people may be in relationships not blessed by the Church. Pope Francis has asked for “accompaniment and discernment” for such people. It’s the work of the Parish Priest to see if there’s a way back to the sacraments. Perhaps there are other devotions in the parish where returners can be fully included. Anyone can adore the Blessed Sacrament or pray the rosary! But most of all, returners need a safe place to share their story.

 So what can you invite them to? There are different groups in the English-speaking world which work with returning Catholics. The key names are LANDINGS, KEEPING IN TOUCH and CATHOLICS RETURNING HOME. It’s not a good idea to put lost Catholics together with new people exploring the Church. New people don’t understand all the special church words. Lost Catholics may be full of complaints about what the Church did wrong. So it makes sense to have a special meeting just for lost Catholics. This can give them space to tell their story. What went wrong? Why did they leave the Church? This is a time to sit and listen. It’s not a time to defend bad behaviour. It’s not even a time to defend right behaviour, which came across harshly. Just listen.

Some will have left the Catholic Church and found somewhere else to worship. Most won’t be going anywhere to worship. Some have lost their faith in God.

I will let you into a secret. I don’t always enjoy being a Catholic. Sometimes I prefer the music other Christians are singing. I don’t think we are the best at welcoming strangers. But I am a Catholic because I can receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Like Peter, I can say this. Lord, who else can I go to? You have the message of eternal life.

But it takes a very mature faith to choose a church for this reason. Many people, like the Jehovah’s Witness I met, choose the church where they are loved. It is not easy, to call someone out of a church where they are loved. We can learn Catholic apologetics. We can try speaking with deep logic and reason. But it won’t be easy to persuade a Catholic who went elsewhere, to come home. There is a place for inviting ex-Catholics to come back from their new church. That place is in personal relationships. The Catholic Church has signed an international agreement against proselytising. We don’t try to steal sheep from other churches… Even if the sheep were once Catholic. So we don’t target members of other churches, as a group, to join us. But if we have a good personal relationship with an ex-Catholic in another church, we have trust. Trust allows us to listen to each other’s point of view. This is where we can invite the other person to look again at what the Catholic Church teaches.

But let’s think about Catholics who have stopped attending Mass and now say they have no faith. Landings is a programme designed to offer lost Catholics a safe place to “land”. It’s run by lay people, not priests. That matters, because many lost Catholics were hurt by something a priest said or did. Lost Catholics are invited to come to group meetings for a few weeks. The programme can run at any time of year, but Advent and Lent seem to work well. A Landings group is a safe small group for support and friendship Leaders create an environment which fosters adult conversation and community. Both active Catholics and lost Catholics are invited to tell the story of their spiritual journey. Listening to one another, without judgment, builds trust.

How can you let people know a Landings programme is running? Worshippers at Sunday Mass can be given invitation cards to pass on to their contacts. Some parishes have team members who visit door-to-door in the community. Advertisements can be placed in newspapers or the windows of local businesses. Maybe someone can even write an article for the local newspaper. A banner can be put outside the church or in a prominent public place. You can place news items, or short videos, on social media.

Here’s what they do in Singapore, at a parish called “Holy Spirit”: Each time a new Landings programme begins, former participants speak at Sunday Mass. They testify about the incredible experience they had from taking part in Landings. A parish room is reserved for “meeting returners” every Monday night. That is always staffed, even on weeks when there is no Landings session occurring. That parish saw more than 100 Catholics return in one year!

In Britain, a lady called Sheila Keefe adapted some of these ideas to make a new programme. That’s the one called “Keeping In Touch”. I want to share some of Sheila’s words with you.

My first experience when I began this ministry was one of shock. Here are some of the stories told by the people we visited: One man was told never to come to church again when he confessed that he had had a vasectomy;  another introduced his non-Catholic fiancée to the parish priest who said “find a new girlfriend!” Bereaved people talk about how their church ‘friends’ kept away from them;  others say they never felt they belonged to or had been welcomed in their parish.  Feelings of guilt keep many Catholics away;  they don’t believe God will ever forgive them for what they have done. There are many, many wounds out there that need to be healed;  what is so surprising and humbling is the number of wounded people who are happy to talk; they are open to reconciliation with the Church.

The “Keeping in Touch” team tries to involve the whole parish in the programme: Prayer is crucial! The programme is mentioned monthly in bidding prayers. They ask housebound parishioners and parish sisters to pray. Team members go visiting door-to-door, in pairs. They always try to say a prayer as they approach the house we are visiting Homes to be visited receive a letter from the parish priest a week or two beforehand; The family there is able to refuse a visit if they so wish. The teams are not there to convert; They aim to get to know fellow Catholics and to address any concerns they may have.

More words from Sheila:

One elderly gentleman, who would only open the door a crack, said he didn’t want a visit. But he would like information about today’s Church.  A few months later we invited him to a small group meeting… We were somewhat surprised when he accepted.  He had been away from the Church for 40 years…  and it took him a good six months to find his voice in the group, but he persevered and joined us for the Triduum the following Easter. He preferred weekday Mass… He and could often be found quietly kneeling at the back of church, happy and at peace.  He died two years later after receiving the Sacrament of the Sick.

Jesus said: the harvest is great, but the workers are few. We know that today there is a great harvest out there. People scared away by covid may need an invitation to return. They may need a special Mass, perhaps on a weekday, with masks and social distancing. But there are many more people who have lost touch with the Church for other reasons. How can you reach out to them? How can you offer a safe place for them to land?

Take 5 minutes to discuss this with the people near you, And then I will take questions and comments.

Kretinga 3: How People Become Catholic

#3 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

Brothers and sisters, I have good news for you. There are people in our churches today who passionately in love with Jesus. A few years ago, these same people didn’t know Jesus at all!

How did this happen? Was it a pure miracle? Is it an accident? Or did it come from steps that are predictable and can be reproduced?

God’s grace is always a factor. We cannot predict where and when God will send the blessing of faith. Jesus himself told the parable of the sower. Some seed falls on good ground and bears fruit. Other seed struggles and fails to bear fruit for different reasons. Our job is to sow the seed.

But we can learn to be smarter in sowing the seed. There are lessons we can learn from people who’ve found faith. You might call these people “intentional disciples”. They’ve made a personal decision to follow Jesus and learn from him. He is truly the Lord of their lives.

In the USA, evangelical Christians fund ministers to work with university students. Two such ministers are Don Everts and Doug Schaupp. At the start of the 1990s they noticed something had changed. American young people were less willing to accept what people said about Jesus and Christianity. They didn’t trust claims made by experts. But they would trust witnesses. Suppose they met a person like themselves, testifying to how Jesus had changed their life? That person would have much greater influence than Bible scholars or church leaders.

Everts and Schaupp worked with 2000 new Christians. They noticed a very predictable pattern of conversion. There were five key steps or “thresholds”. But is this true in a Catholic context?

Yes!

There’s a laywoman, a convert to Catholicism, called Sherry Anne Weddell. She works for the Siena Institute in Colorado, alongside Dominican priests. Sherry noticed how these same steps were present in the stories of the Catholic converts. She published what she found in her book, Forming Intentional Disciples.

I first read this book about 10 years ago. When I read it, I shouted for joy! At last, someone understood my experience of being a convert to the Catholic faith! I became a Catholic so I could follow Jesus and receive Holy Communion. But is this what’s important to most Catholics? Most of the Catholics I met were worried about two other things: How can they help poor people? How can they keep their local parish going, at a place to meet in a building they love? Neither group of Catholics seemed very keen on recruiting new members of the Catholic Church. Now this book provided the answer – most of these Catholics were on the journey of conversion, but they had not yet become disciples.

In her first book, Sherry Weddell confirms the work of Everts and Schaupp. In other places she explores what happens after discipleship. Each disciple seeks and finds their role within the church. Today I’d like to summarise this teaching.

Here are seven stages of spiritual growth in the journey of making disciples. These are true for a church-going Catholic becoming more intentional in their commitment. They are true for a person making the journey from another religion to Catholicism. Why is it important to know where a person is on this journey? You can be smart in nudging a person towards their next step. How many Catholics in a typical parish have become intentional disciples? Let’s have some guesses. 50%? 20%? 10%? 5%? Weddell estimates only around 5%. So let’s start the journey.

Trust

The first step requires trust. This could be trust with Jesus Christ, trusting the Church, trusting a Christian believer or trusting something identifiably Christian. Without trust, there can be no conversation. To build trust, you need to do something very simple: become a brilliant friend. That’s not something you need me to teach you. It comes out of your unique gifts as a person.

Curiosity (Passive)

The second step requires us to stir up curiosity in the mind of the person who trusts us. If we don’t talk about Jesus, people will not meet him. But we must wait for suitable moments to speak about Jesus! We mustn’t become a boring person who always talks about religion. We must be equally willing to take an interest in the other person’s religious viewpoint. So listen first, then speak.

You can share the story of your own faith when someone trusts you. No-one can say you are wrong about your own lived experience. On this, you are the world’s greatest expert!

We can find natural ways to speak of how faith is part of our lives. How many of you will go to work on Monday morning? Might someone ask “What did you do over the weekend?” – if you went to church, say so! Just mention one thing about Jesus or some aspect of the Christian faith. If our friends want to know more, they will ask!

A single conversation is rarely enough to win someone for Jesus. Most successful faith-sharing takes place in ongoing relationships. Everts & Schaupp ran university events for people who were curious. These used music, drama and other art forms to communicate Christian values. There would be just a few minutes when someone spoke about Jesus. They found fresh ways to speak about him. They chose things which people did not expect to hear about Jesus.

In a typical Catholic parish, many people are still at Curiosity or just back at Trust, We must keep re-telling the Great Story of Jesus. This can awaken the desire to be a disciple. We must stress that you can have a relationship with Jesus today. We need to be ready to speak openly about our inner life of prayer, and our relationship with God.

I’ve met dozens of young parents who want their children baptised. I always ask them to tell me the story of their relationship with God. Often the answer they give is about the church – how they got baptised and made their first communion. They often don’t think of God as a person they can relate to – “God” is only as a label for “church stuff”.

Many of our churchgoers have a very immature relationship with God. Sometimes they focus on their “relationship with the church”, or sometimes on their “relationship with a deceased relative”. How can we help these people know God as a loving Father? They can be helped by hearing testimonies from people who do have a relationship with God. They can also be encouraged to pray the Prayer of Openness – “God, if you are there, show yourself to me!”

Openness

The third step is in red for a reason. It’s the most challenging of the whole process. It’s the threshold of Openness to the Possibility of Change.

The message of Jesus is challenging. When we take it seriously, it demands change in our way of life. Think of a person living a worldy life who starts to follow Jesus. Maybe they have to stop a casual sexual relationship. Maybe they need to change the way they do business. Even a really moral person now has to devote time to church each weekend! Many potential Christians wait for a long time at this threshold. They might be challenged to cross it by a major life-event – a new baby – a death in the family – or something like that.

What will you see if you have a friend struggling with openness? They will probably argue against Jesus very strongly. Our task is not to argue back, but to listen and to acknowledge their pain.

Our friend might ask big questions about God. How can a good God can allow evil in the world? Has science has disproved God? (By the way, I am a doctor of astrophysics, and I believe in God.) Someone who actively disagrees with you is willing to engage with you. That’s good. Be open, listen to what they say, and then you can have your own say.

A parish mission or a weekend on retreat can lead a person to openness. When your friend has said YES to openness, you will know! But beware. Don’t rush to give them a job in the church. It’s tempting. But the energy which comes with saying YES to God is for growing, not serving. Volunteering comes later.

What can you do to guide a friend into openness? Speak honestly about your own struggles. Don’t make following Jesus seem easier than it is. Help your friend explore the question “Where is God in this?” Pray. Pray FOR your friend – we have an Enemy who doesn’t want them to be open. Be bold. Ask your friend, “Can I pray with you?” Maybe invite your friend to Eucharistic Adoration.

Seeking (Active)

The fourth stage is marked by a more active kind of seeking. Your friend has realised that hiding from God is not an option. So your friend now reaches out to God and is asking a deep question: “Are you the One to whom I can entrust my life?” Now a seeker will be asking questions specifically about Jesus. What did he teach? What did he do? This is different from asking philosophical questions about “God”.

Only now will your friend be ready for catechesis. Catechesis means answering the religious questions people are asking!

Now your friend will be ready to try different forms of prayer. You can suggest guided Bible reading, the rosary and other devotions.

Explain that a personal relationship with Jesus also makes them part of a wider community. We come to Jesus through membership of a parish. This is where we receive the sacraments. We believe that God speaks through the formal structures of the Catholic Church, the Magisterium.

In today’s culture of freedom, seekers may struggle to understand some key ideas. Can the Church access to absolute truth? Is there really such a thing as objective sin? Do we have to surrender our freedom to Jesus as our Lord? Young adults may find it easier to recognise the presence of sin in broken systems. Think of the way the world fails to tackle climate change. This is also a kind of sin, but less personal.

We need patience to answer people’s questions. But they fact they are asking, gives us hope!

Intentional Discipleship

Questions cannot last forever. When you have answered enough questions, you can challenge your friend to join the Church. So ask the question: “What about becoming a Christian?” “What about joining the Catholic Church?” Or if the person is already Catholic, “What about coming to confession and reconnecting?” If the response is “No”, a natural follow up is “Why not?” Then deal with the blockages people have. Acknowledge your friend’s fear of “what would happen if I said yes to God”?

Be ready to meet with your friend two or three times a week once they have said YES to God. This is the time to make sure the new or returning Christian is part of the Church community. This is where small groups in the parish are important! If an adult isn’t yet baptised, they probably need to wait until next Easter and do a course. But the more important moment is the day they said YES to Jesus in their heart. This is their baptism of desire!

Ministry

Our Christian growth doesn’t end by becoming an intentional disciple. Any member of the church should look at the gifts and talents they have been given by God. Those gifts are given for a reason – to be used! Ask “How can I use these to serve God in the church and in the world?” Last night I said more about how we can identify gifts and draw in people.

Vocation

There is a seventh step, but not everyone is free to take it. And many people have taken it already before they become disciples. If you are free to discern a long-term or permanent commitment, you can ask, “What is my vocation? Should I be a priest or a member of a religious community? Should I devote a few years of my life to full-time missionary work?” Knowing your gifts helps you to answer this question.

Further Reflections

Let’s pause here and reflect. Perhaps, as I have described these steps, you can see them in the way you came to faith.

Ten years ago I read Sherry Weddell‘s book Forming Intentional Disciples. For the first time in my life, I no longer felt alone as a Catholic disciple in a parish. I want to share something that Sherry wrote, which made my heart sing for joy.

In her youth she spent time with a group of other young enthusiastic Catholics. Together they agreed on this description of what a normal parish looks like. Sherry and her group suggest there are seven things that should be normal for a Catholic parish.

1. It is normal for lay Catholics to have a living, growing love relationship with God.
2. It is normal for lay Catholics to be excited Christian activists.
3. It is normal for lay Catholics to be knowledgeable about their faith, the Scriptures, the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church, and the history of the Church.
4. It is normal for lay Catholics to know what their gifts of service are, and to be using them effectively for God’s work.
5. It is normal for lay Catholics to know that they have a vocation/mission in life. Some of us are priests or religious, but most of us have a mission in the secular world. This mission is given to us by God. It is normal for lay Catholics to be actively engaged in discerning and living this vocation.
6. It is normal for lay Catholics to spend time with other committed lay Catholics. Such friends encourage and nurture us. Such friends help us discern as we attempt to follow Jesus.
7. It is normal for the local parish to function consciously as a house of formation for lay Catholics. A good parish enables and empowers you to do all of these Normal things.

 At last, here was someone else who “got it”! I wasn’t the only person in the world who believed a parish should be like this!

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, how do you feel about a church like this? Is this a church you’d want to join? Is this a parish you’d like to be part of? How can we transform a parish? This is what Pope Francis asks us to do. He has reminded us that all of us who are baptised are called to be missionary disciples. In a typical parish, only 5% of the people at Sunday Mass are probably disciples. But… if these disciples could be formed, inspired and given the right tools, they could double their number in mere months!

You can’t tell much from the fact a person attends Mass. You cannot know how far that person has travelled on the journey of discipleship unless you ask. If you only take one thing away from this talk, take this question: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life!”

Ask this question whenever you get the chance – and then shut up and listen!

This transformed my ministry as a parish priest. I met many young adults who had been brought up Catholic and sent to Catholic schools. They want a baptism for their new baby, or first communion for a child. But they didn’t know who God is. I learned to ask them the key question: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life!” They would answer: “I got baptised and made my First Communion.” “I went to a Catholic School and got confirmed.” So I would ask them again – “I am glad you were in the church, but where was God?” Half of them look puzzled – they don’t know God is a person. The other half say – “God was there for me, he loves me, he makes me happy when I am sad.” So then I ask about Jesus. They can tell me the story of Christmas. They can tell me the story of Easter. Then I say: “Do you know that Jesus talked about God as His Father?” This is when their eyes begin to open.

Remember, for many people, “God” is just a label for “church stuff”. It’s easy for someone in a classroom to ignore a message about God. A one-to-one conversation forces the listener to engage – often that engagement is enough to get the person thinking afresh about who God really is.

Never accept a “label” without enquiring what it means. Even people who initially call themselves atheist or agnostic might admit to praying. They might be open to the possibility of some version of God! Try answering their questions with more questions – most people only need two “whys” to think about why they stand where they stand.

If you get the chance to ask a second open question, try this: “If you could ask God one question which he would answer right now, what would it be?” In fact, take a moment to find your answer to this question right now!

How can you encourage someone to take Jesus seriously, and so become a Catholic? This usually requires a relationship sustained over years. Can you share a meaningful message about Jesus if you only have 2 minutes for a conversation? If you can only speak to someone once, with what will you end your conversation? An invitation to say a prayer? An invitation to connect with a church?

Do you expect to be able to nudge someone closer to Jesus?

It’s all too easy to blunder into enter this kind of conversation with judgement and expectation. “Why don’t you go to Mass?” “Why aren’t you pro-life?” “Don’t you believe Mary is appearing at such-and-such a place?” But in fact we have something much simpler to share. “You are loved. God created you to have a relationship with you. We human beings don’t love perfectly… but Jesus came to show us perfect love and to re-connect us with God.” And it’s that deliberate, personal re-connection with God which is crucial!

In Western cultures, maybe 15% of the baptised Catholics attend Mass on any given Sunday. Many who do go to Mass are going only once a month.

Three distinct things happen in Catholic lives, but these don’t always match up. There’s the sacraments of initiation – baptism, first communion, confirmation. There’s the way people get involved in the parish community, as volunteers or simply attending. Then there’s the interior journey through the thresholds of discipleship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church recognises we have TWO conversions. The “first conversion” (1427) is the one by which we become disciples. The ongoing or “second” conversion (1428) is where we find our role in working for Jesus. The Church recognises (Catechesi Tradendae 19) that often we try to catechise people who have not yet been evangelised. They haven’t heard and accepted the good news that Jesus is real and loves them! So we need to know how to evangelise – Let’s not make the mistake of trying to catechise people who still need to hear the basic Gospel.

As individuals, we can seek to have conversations about faith with the people who trust us. As members of parishes, we can ask how our parishes can help bring faith to people with no faith. This is why I’ve drawn the thresholds of discipleship as a circle. As individuals, we make the journey from trust to intentional discipleship and ministry. A PARISH becomes a pump which closes the circle. People who are already intentional disciples work reach out to new potential members. They become disciples. They start making disciples. And so the cycle continues.

A parish can become a vibrant disciple-making institution, but it needs to be intentional. Does your parish have a plan? An effective plan is to run a regular outreach course. This is the engine to bring future disciples to that key decision point of choosing to follow Jesus. Suitable courses in English include Discovering Christ, Alpha, and Sycamore. These courses provide a safe place for people to ask questions about God and Jesus: they are a safe starting place for outsiders who aren’t familiar with church language. They also help people who already ‘belong’ to church. It’s a chance to take a fresh look at what we believe. Graduates of these basic courses can then join longer lasting small ‘connect’ groups. A healthy parish is an invitational parish. It invites those who are not already members to come aboard!

One cycle of a course like Alpha or Discovering Christ is probably not enough. It won’t move someone all the way from Trust to Intentional Discipleship. But sustained work with a person can achieve this in around two years. When people reach the stage of Openness, supporting them with prayer is crucial. Recognise they are vulnerable to falling back. They might hide within a community which doesn’t seem to affirm their growth. Growing as far as Openness can be scary in a community which is mostly still at Trust! Who would want to become a disciple in a parish where you can’t see many disciples?

Now that you are aware of the thresholds of discipleship, what can you see? Are there many people worshipping in our churches who don’t focus on following Jesus? Many people will belong to a parish and be passionate about their community. They want to keep their beloved church building well repaired. They will raise money to fix the roof but not to spread the gospel. Why? They are stuck at the threshold of trust or curiosity. They believe in the community, but do not yet believe in the Lord in a personal way.

We will meet people in church who are passionate about serving poor, not because they love the Lord but because they love the people. Of course, Jesus did tell us that the second great commandment is to love our neighbour. All of us who follow, must help people whose needs we come across in our daily life. Some of us will also choose to volunteer, go to and help people in need.

We can build buildings, grow congregations and carry out works of mercy without making disciples. But if you have limited resources, and a question of where to place your energies – hear this. I’d like to tell you this that I was a parish priest for 12 years. I never asked anyone to organise a fundraiser. When people freely volunteered to raise funds, I would say OK but I never asked anyone to focus their volunteering there.

What I did ask people to do was to focus on making disciples using courses like Alpha. What happens when you make disciples? Disciples give generously and volunteer, and that’s when the church grows. When I took on my most recent parish it was in £50,000 of debt. Before I left, its bank balance was in credit How? Not because I raised money for this purpose, but because I focused on making disciples. Seek first the kingdom of God and what you need will be given to you. That was advice from the master. I’ll let you into a secret: follow his advice and it works!

The parish priest can’t do it all on his own! In my last parish I had about 50 requests for baptism, another 70 for First Communion, and about 10 for marriage each year. There simply isn’t time for one priest to have 130 ongoing conversations with parents this year. And even less time to start 130 new ones in the next year! But it shouldn’t all be on the parish priest – as Pope Francis reminded us, we are ALL missionary disciples, a healthy parish will have many adults who could encourage faith in these families. In the next session we will think about Catholics who have stopped attending Mass. Then we will look at reaching people who have never experienced church. But what I have shared this morning applies to everyone. Maybe not everyone who goes to Mass is a Catholic. Certainly not everyone who goes to Mass is an intentional disciple.

In a moment, I will open the floor for questions. But first, I would like to take a moment of prayer. Maybe, through this talk, you’ve realised that in your heart, you have chosen to follow Jesus. But maybe you’ve never expressed that as an adult.

I am going to show some words used by Pope Benedict XVI at a World Youth Day, These are words we can use as to make a commitment to Jesus for the first time. We can use them to re-commit our own faith. Take a moment to read the screen silently. Then if you wish, you can make your own prayer using these words.

Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me.

Brothers and sisters, you are missionary disciples. May God bless you as you go forth to win many followers for Christ.

Kretinga 2: Building an Engaged Parish

#2 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 19 August 2022.

Last night, we noted that every parish can work with the people who already come. Tonight I want to say more about how we can do this. Much of what I want to say comes from an unexpected source. In the UK, the name “Gallup” is famous. They do political surveys, especially near election time. But they also do religious surveys!

There was a man who worked for Gallup, Albert Winseman. He wrote a book: Growing an Engaged Church. What does the book say? The founder of Gallup Polls, George Gallup Jr., started looking at “spiritual commitment” in the 1990s. What is “spiritual commitment”? It’s faith that isn’t just about feeling good. It’s faith which makes a real difference in daily living.

Why do people come to church every Sunday? In the free West, people used to come because of a sense of belonging. Their friends would say something if they didn’t come. Everyone was there. You missed out if you weren’t. Also, Catholics may feel guilty if they missed Mass on Sunday. Would God be angry? Would they miss out on heaven?

Here in the Baltic, I expect things were a little different. The communists didn’t want people to go to Church. So going was a sign of defiance. But in the West, it is no longer fashionable to go to Church. And I expect that here, young people no longer feel they are doing something “forbidden”.

In the new generation, people want an emotional connection with God. People who come to Church need to feel right about it. Often, the first feelings come because of the worship – the music, the incense, the art. Many new Christians “shop around” until they find a worship experience that touches them.

Once people find a church which feels right, they get involved. What are the signs of involvement? People volunteer. People give generously of their money. People invite their friends to come and see. People who feel right about church, report a sense of satisfaction with their life. So George Gallup measured these things, not attendance or membership.

A healthy church asks each member a double question:  “What are you good at, and what do you love to do?”  Your job as a leading member is not to please other members who don’t feel good about church. Your job is to make and develop disciples.

Yesterday, I noted it was important to make clear “What is expected” of members. It’s also valuable to have small groups. Today I want to look at the importance of recognising personal strengths. You can do this in an informal way. You can ask: “What are you good at, and what do you love to do?” You can ask: “What do you dream of doing for God, given unlimited resources?”

Even people who volunteer are not necessarily “engaged”.  Activity without engagement leads to burnout.  Burned-out members eventually leave. Imagine a church with much activity but little heartfelt engagement. The words “duty” and “responsibility” are used loudly when there are holes to fill. After a few years, volunteers leave. “I’ve done my share.”  “It’s time for the younger members to take their turn.”

Most new people who come to church, come because a friend invites them. But the new member won’t become engaged unless the church works to make that happen.

“Engaged” church members have many chances to do what they do best for their church. Why? Leaders have invested the time needed to discover their members’ greatest talents and gifts. Leaders have put them in roles where they can play to their strengths.

Gallup has found that there are twelve things which affect engagement These can be grouped into four stages of deepening commitment.

First Stage: WHAT DO I GET OUT OF MY CHURCH?

We’ve already looked at one important question.

• (1) Do I know what is expected of me in this congregation?

Here’s another key question.

• (2) Are my spiritual needs met by my church?

The best way to find out is to go and ask people!

In fact, I am going to be bold. I am going to ask you right now. Please choose between three possible answers:  COMPLETELY, OR A LOT  HALFWAY NOT MUCH OR NOT AT ALL If this parish meets all, or nearly all, your spiritual needs, please raise a hand… Now put it down. If this parish goes halfway to meeting your spiritual needs, raise a hand… Thank you, hands down. And if the parish does little or nothing to meet your own personal needs… thank you for your honesty.

Second Stage: WHAT DO I GIVE TO MY CHURCH?

People who feel good about their church, give generously to the work of the church. Now here we must walk carefully. Jesus asked us to give freely for no reward. If you are spiritually mature, you will keep on giving and not count the cost. But many of the people in church are not spiritually mature. If we don’t give positive emotional feedback,  we will lose them before they become mature.

So here are four questions if you want to raise up volunteers who are not spiritually mature.

• (3) Do you give people the chance to serve the church doing “what they do best”?
• (4) Do you thank or compliment members of the church who make a positive contribution?
• (5) Do you take an interest in a person whose gifts can be developed?

That’s especially important if you’re in a position of leadership. That’s not just the parish priest. The senior altar server, the head of Mother’s Prayers, the Faith & Light leader, the top catechist… You have many leaders in a parish.

• (6) Do you support members of the parish in their spiritual growth?

I belong to a community called Sion Community. We have some things we do to support one another. Sometimes – especially on birthdays – we honour people. Everyone in the room has a turn to say something positive about the birthday person. Or we do an exercise called “I see in you.” This is about a positive quality in someone’s character. “I see in you a hidden strength…” – something like that. I won’t ask you to do this right now. I am not confident you could form groups where you all know each other well enough. This is why small groups are important in a church. This is where you can know and be known. Being “known” might feel scary. But if you get positive words from people who know you, it will feel safe.

This is your goal. Can you make this parish a safe place? Will members feel safe enough to experiment, and get things wrong? Will they feel safe enough to hold each other accountable? Will they feel safe enough to share the things and ideas that they have? I would like to belong to a parish like that.

Third Stage: DO I REALLY BELONG TO MY CHURCH?

The Catholic Church is journeying towards a global Synod. Pope Francis wants to listen to the voice of the Church – in all her members. At the start of this year, Catholics around the world were asked to speak. Now a committee is putting together responses from across Europe. Next year, the Vatican will bring together the voices from each continent.

Gallup notes that if you really belong to your church, your opinion matters. Pope Francis thinks your opinion matters. The Synod doesn’t mean the Catholic Church has become a democracy. Sometimes when we hear what people say, it’s right to do what they ask. Other times, mother church has to explain what Jesus says. We are sinners, so we don’t always instinctively agree with Jesus!

So Gallups’s point (7) has two parts.

• (7a) Is my opinion sought?

Pope Francis wants to know. He wants us to be a church which listens. We should listen especially to outsiders. There is a famous saying: If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you walk together, you will go slowly. In a listening church, we travel slowly. But we will take more people with us.

• (7b) Am I told about significant changes?

The Vatican is brilliant at writing documents. But not so many people read Vatican documents. Parish priests have a difficult job. They have 7-10 minutes to preach a message each week. They know many members of their congregation don’t come every Sunday. If they want everyone to hear a message, they have to keep giving it for three or four Sundays. But they need to keep it fresh so you aren’t bored if you come faithfully every weekend! That’s not easy, so have patience with your priest.

The next point assumes that the parish has made clear what it expects of its people.

• (8) Can I see that I have an important share in my parish’s stated purpose?

Take a moment to reflect on that. Do you realise how important you are, to the mission Jesus has for Kretinga parish?

The British Cardinal, St John Henry Newman, wrote a famous reflection:

God has created me to do Him some definite service.  He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.  I have my mission.  I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.  I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.  He has not created me for nothing.  I shall do good;  I shall do His work.

You have a task which God has prepared for you, personally. Jesus made this clear in his parables. If you bury your gift in the ground, God will not be pleased. You must use your gifts to grow the Church. But you are not called to do this alone.

In a church of real belonging, you share the journey. (9) Are other members of this congregation committed to their spiritual growth? This is a sign of a church truly reaching for success. St John of the Cross spoke about a coal in the fire. When a hot coal is in the fire, it stays hot. When you take it out, it cools quickly. Jesus invites us to burn with his love!

But a really successful church invites new people to share the journey. So Gallup also asks this question:

• (10) Do I have a close friend in this congregation who is not a family member?

The purpose of a Catholic parish is not providing you with Mass. It is to provide you with an opportunity to bring other people to Mass. It is also so you can love and support the other people who come to Mass. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the last supper. You don’t have to be a priest to be Jesus to other people. Parish social events help build community. You can go to social events, or just talk to someone after Mass.

Fourth Stage: AM I GROWING SPIRITUALLY?

What is spiritual growth? It’s about my friendship with Jesus. We start our religious lives by being told ABOUT Jesus. We grow when we realise that he is a living person we can connect with. When we first make a connection with Jesus, it is wonderful. It is like the honeymoon of a new marriage. But then Jesus asks us a question. Do you love me? Or do you only love the feeling of being close to me? So Jesus tests us. As we grow, we leave the honeymoon behind. Now we know Jesus is real, will we serve him for no reward? Spiritual growth can be painful. But we also grow by meeting Jesus in reading the Bible and entering into prayer.

There are many kinds of Christian Prayer. We can meditate quietly, use our imagination, or use a prayer book. But prayer doesn’t just happen. It’s always a choice, to turn our attention to God. Jesus says we will be known by our fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 says: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Even when God feels far away, spiritual growth results in fruit like this. St Teresa of Calcutta was called to help poor people in India. For six months, she heard God speak to her clearly, asking her to do this. Then she suffered 50 years of darkness, not feeling the presence of God again. But the fruit of her work was amazing! Hundreds of sisters and brothers joined her congregation! Thousands of poor people were helped! Spiritual growth can be painful, but it is always good.

 Here are Gallup’s last two questions.

• (11) Has any member of the church asked me about my spiritual growth during the last six months?

• (12) Do I have opportunities to learn and grow in this congregation?

“Learning” might be through study groups to look at church teaching. “Growing” might be through shared prayer – not Mass, but other kinds of prayer. Or it might be taking on the challenge of a leadership role – more responsibility.

 So let’s recap. If you want people to be engaged in a parish, what should the leaders do?

Let people volunteer according to their strengths. There shouldn’t be pointless rules about having to “move on” from ministries. Of course, if someone’s doing a really bad job, you might have to move them on. Every volunteer should have an opportunity to “renew or change” each year. It might be worth having a re-commitment service for volunteers each year. Who here volunteers for this parish? Raise your hands. You are working for God – thank you!

Sometimes, a parish has to introduce a major change. That could be a new priest, a different service time or a new music style. When this has to happen, leaders should give very clear communication. Make the practical details very clear. Make any new expectations very clear. Repeat the message in different ways – aloud, in writing and online.

Every parish needs to be open to new people. We need to avoid using “insider language” that only regular people will understand. Get a second person to check for clear language in surveys and signup sheets.

Now let’s look at example of a parish which was really successful in raising engagement. It’s St Gerard Majella in Long Island, New York. It had 1200 worshippers and two priests, Frs Bill Hanson & Chris Heller. When they arrived 1991, there was nothing special about the parish. It was in debt – half a million dollars.

The new priests worked out a mission statement based on Acts Chapter 2. Four banners stated clearly what was expected of parishioners. They were expected to pray, to help people, to share the Good News of Jesus, and socialise. Parishioners were challenged to take a 1% step closer to giving 10% of their income to the church. A room in the church became a “gift exchange”. The secretary there matched parishioners with volunteering work most suitable to their talents.

Often we ask why people leave church,  or why they don’t volunteer  or who they don’t give generously. St Gerard’s priests asked the opposite question. Why did the people who do good things, do the things they do? Gallup doesn’t just publish a book; it can conduct surveys in individual parishes. The surveys measure engagement – and disengagement! Disengagement is a terrible thing. When someone in the parish talks negatively about projects, this has a huge influence. One person saying “that will never work” stops many others from trying.

Over a four year period, St Gerard’s grew active engagement from 34% to 46%… And it saw active disengagement drop from 22% to 12%.  The $½M debt became a $2M surplus.

Taking a survey helps leaders deal with criticism. “So you don’t like the new things we’re doing?” “13% of our worshippers agree with you… but 45% agree with what our leaders have done.”

Then one of the two priests was moved to serve elsewhere. In most parishes, people would complain. In St Gerard’s, the people said “No problem” and stepped up to fill the gap!

The tool used to survey people in St Gerard’s was called M.E.25 That’s Measuring Engagement 25 – 25 questions. Unfortunately, it is only available in English and Spanish. Gallup also offers another tool to help people look at their personal strengths. It’s called the Clifton StrengthsFinder. It was developed by a man called Clifton. This is available online by Gallup in English and Russian, but not in Lithuanian. St Gerard’s used this with members of their Small Groups.

The Clifton test asks you to answer many questions. You do it online –  the computer ranks you against 34 possible personal strengths. The basic test reports your top five strengths. For the premium fee, you are placed against all 34 possible strengths in order. Now like all these self-test questionnaires, we only get out what we put in. But it’s often helpful to hold it up, like a mirror, so we can see ourselves more clearly. Monsignor Bill Hanson was the priest who at St Gerard’s until 2015. He wrote an introduction for the Catholic Edition of CliftonStrengths His parishioners were often “amazed at the accuracy” of the results. They are sometimes surprised to see their character traits identified as “strengths”. You can do the StrengthsFinder in a small group. It can be a powerful bonding experience. People have in-born talents, skills they have trained in, and learned knowledge.  A personal strength is built on a base talent enhanced by skills and knowledge. The Clifton idea is that volunteers and employees should be selected for their strengths. It’s better to do what you’re good at than work on overcoming weaknesses! But often a strength is about HOW you do something rather than whether you can do it.

Last night I spoke about the Divine Renovation parish in Halifax, Canada. They raised their parish level of engagement from 10% to 45%. They also use the Clifton StrengthsFinder tool.

Engagement is key to parish success. If you don’t have people emotionally committed to the parish, you can’t do much. If you don’t have a clear vision of what the parish is called to do, you won’t achieve it. If your vision doesn’t align with God’s vision, you won’t go far either. Psalm 127 begins saying: Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.

The first step of parish success is to build a team. But do the team members share the vision? Do they love Jesus? There are two traps we can fall into. One trap is that we love other people more than we love Jesus. We must love other people! It was the second most important command Jesus gave us! But he said, love God first. If you only love other people, you might not take time to pray. You might avoid some of God’s hard teachings. Jesus said some difficult things about lust and divorce. The Catholic Church doesn’t want to make life hard for people whose marriages break up. But the Church must teach what Jesus taught. I’m not here to speak about that tonight.

The other trap is that some people love the Church more than they love Jesus. They love certain traditions! We must sing these Latin songs! We must wear these special robes! Things like this help some people feel safe in church. But they can get in the way for other people. Can we help everyone feel safe while making space for people who are different? It’s not easy.

So, first form a team of people who love Jesus. With these people take time to write the vision for your parish. Every parish must be Jesus’ body on earth. But some parishes are in cities and others are outside. Some have people from many nations. Some only have local people. Some have lots of people who have no connection with church, and never did. Others have lots of people who used to come to church, then left. Your vision will say something about how to be the right church for your place. It may take a few months, even a year or two, to write the vision. That’s OK. What is important is to get it right.

The next question, is how to live the vision. Your starting point is your people. The gifts that you need to begin are in the people God has given you. Don’t try to do too much or go too quickly. Do what you can with the people you have! But you probably need to do something new. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you got.

I don’t know if this is true in Lithuania, But in England the Catholic Church is good at two things. We lose our old people slowly. We lose our young people quickly! It can be different. But we must build an engaging church. Young people should serve according to their strongest gifts. Just like all the other people!

How can you help the people who come to Mass become more engaged? Small Groups are very helpful. Perhaps you can start with running the Alpha Course. The Alpha Course is available in Lithuanian. I know many of you have tried Alpha. Sometimes we can learn a lot from the way other churches run it.

There is a church in Vilnius called “Journey Church”. They use Alpha to engage people. You could look at their website. Ask: what do they do to attract people? What do they do to keep people? They are not Catholic. We couldn’t do everything they do in a Catholic service. Catholic Liturgy can never be as relaxed as a church which is a coffee shop! But we can look at their ideas and ask “How could we make that work here?” I don’t know your parish very well. You are the experts! So look at which other successful churches do, and learn!

To be an engaging church, people must talk to people. It’s probably not enough to do it in the street after Sunday Mass. This is where small groups are important.

Nativity Church in the USA gives some advice on how they engage people. Every volunteer agrees to follow five standards.

• Show up for ministry.
• Don’t be too formal or “official” in the way you do it.
• Come prepared to do what you’re going to do.
• Give glory to God by what you do and how you do it.
• Come expecting to bless others and succeed yourself.

They suggest you try to start a new ministry team as an experiment. Not altar servers or readers or communion ministers. Something more connected to people. For example, greeters at the front door. Or refreshments after Sunday Mass. Try to invite some new people who have never served before, as well as regulars.  Appoint a team leader you know and trust.  Give him or her real authority as well as responsibility. Invest in your leader and team. Give them lots of your time as you launch your ministry.  Bring the team together. Reflect on your standards and values. What does “success” look like for this team? Will you wear something in common – a badge, a lanyard, a T-shirt?

Launch the project quietly. Don’t make a big announcement to the wider congregation. This is about under-promising and over-delivering.

Expect things to go wrong. One of your leaders will quit. Key members won’t show up for duty. People in the church will complain about the project. But keep going! Keep encouraging your team. Once it’s working well, start a second team for another task. It will get easier!

I think that is enough for tonight. But before I take questions, I will ask you a question. What kind of team could you start in your parish? Please gather in groups of 3 or 4 and discuss!

Kretinga 1: Why Parishes Do Well

#1 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 18 August 2022.

Our topic tonight is “What makes parishes successful?” To answer that question, we must know what a parish is trying to do. So I will start by asking you: What does success look like in a Catholic parish?

It seems to me that every parish needs to do certain things:

• Look after its buildings
• Make Sunday Mass available
• Care for poor people in that place
• Respond when people ask for baptisms, weddings, funerals…

The key task of a parish is to make disciples. That is, to make sure each member has decided to follow Jesus. If the people who DO come to Mass are disciples,  they will give generously of their money and of their time.

What about the people who don’t come to Mass? I’m not talking about people who are worried about their health because of covid-19. I mean the people who stopped coming for other reasons. If they decided to follow Jesus, they would become disciples too.

And what about the people who live in that town who never followed Jesus? If they will start following him, they will come to church too. I will say a lot more about this in the later seminars.

But for today, I will say this. A successful church makes disciples. In some parishes, that means people who stopped coming to Mass, come again. In other parishes, it means people who only came to Mass, now get involved and volunteer. Tonight we will look at some successful parishes. Why are they successful? What can we learn from them?

A book was published in English in 2016. It’s called Great Catholic Parishes. The authors worked in North America. They studied 244 successful parishes. So what did they discover?

Successful parishes have Listening, Learning Leaders. The parish priest (pastor) doesn’t do it all himself. Successful parishes have leadership teams.  Some parishes have more than one priest, or a deacon. Some parishes can afford to employ pastoral workers. Some parishes have religious sisters or brothers involved. Some parishes only have part-time volunteers. Some parishes have a mix of all of these.

There has never been a perfect person on earth since Our Lord and Our Lady went to heaven. There will never be a perfect parish priest in charge of a parish. There is no such thing as a perfectly well-balanced human being. We all have our quirks. But there is such a thing as a well-balanced team. A good team allows one person’s strengths to cover another’s weakness. The team leader knows he is not perfect.

In the Catholic Church, the parish priest is the chief executive. He gets to make the decisions. He takes the final responsibility. But if he is sensible, he listens to other people first. That doesn’t make the Church a democracy. But it does mean a healthy priest is an accountable priest. A healthy priest is willing to learn from other people. He know he doesn’t have all the answers. He will entrust decision-making power to some people – though he may also give them a list of do’s and don’ts. He will trust his team, and they will trust him. There will be enough trust that they can say “Bad idea, Father!”

Successful parishes have Vibrant Volunteers. In small parishes, there is the danger of putting square pegs in round holes. There are jobs that need to be done. We need a catechist to work with the young people! We need a sacristan for Mass! We need someone to answer the phone in the parish office. What if the only person willing to help doesn’t have the right gifts? In a successful parish, we start by asking: “What gifts does this person have?” Then we give them a job which matches their gifts. I will say more about this tomorrow evening.

Successful parishes are marked by Intentional Interactions.  The people in the parish choose to meet together regularly. Coming to Sunday Mass is not enough. At Mass, we meet with God but not with one another. The Church is built of people. The Church is only as strong as the relationships between the people.

If I only go to Mass, do I know the names of the people who sit around me? If I meet the same people at other times, I get to know them. If they are sick or sad, I am able to visit them. If they are happy, I can share their joy. Many evangelical churches expect their members to be part of small groups. This is not so common in Catholic parishes. But successful Catholic parishes do invite their people to be part of small groups. Some parishes choose to have very small groups, of 6 to 10 people. Others had larger groups of about 25 members. In some parishes, all the groups follow the same programme of teaching. In other parishes, different groups do different things. But either way, the relationships in the groups made the parishes strong.

I went to a seminary called St John’s. It was just outside Guildford, a large town south-west of London. The Guildford Parish had a network of small groups. I was introduced to the homegroups in my second year by a friend. Seminary is not an easy place. It is like being a goldfish in a bowl! Everyone is watching you! You are surrounded by many men and few women. In the homegroups I could meet with ordinary Catholic families.

About 20 people met in each house.  Sometimes there were only two houses meeting. Later the homegroups grew and four houses met at the same time. They met once every two weeks on a Thursday evening. We came together and sang worship songs. Then someone gave a teaching, which had been written for all the groups to share. Then there was tea, coffee and cake! I was usually one of the last people to leave. I made really strong friendships through those homegroups. I left St John’s in 2006. My diocese is a 3-hour drive away from the seminary. But I still visit my friends in Guildford every year. They pray for me in my work as a priest. Jesus had Bethany to rest with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. I have Guildford as my place of rest. I call that a success.

Successful parishes have Evident Expectations.  If you are a member, you will know what is expected of you. As Catholics we know we are expected to go to Mass on Sunday. It is a rule of the Church! We know it is a sin if we don’t go… But then covid-19 happened. We didn’t have to go to Mass. People started watching Mass on YouTube. Now, in England, our bishops have asked us to go to Mass again. But they don’t focus on the idea of sin. Rather, they remind us we all need to support each other. And we are strengthened by Jesus in Holy Communion.

I don’t like the idea of going to Mass being an obligation. I do like the idea of Sunday Mass being an expectation. A great Sunday Mass needs readers, servers and singers. If people don’t go, how can we produce that every Sunday?

But God expects more of us than just going to church on Sunday. In my last parish, I made six banners. Each one was about something I expected people to do in the parish. Each banner was in the main languages people spoke in that parish. Welsh, English, Tagalog – from the Philippines – and Malayalam – from India.

• VOLUNTEER – I’ve just talked about that.
• CONNECT – be part of a small group!
• EXPLORE – learn about your faith. That can happen in a small group or in other ways.
• WORSHIP – Mass on Sunday and personal prayer.
• INVEST – because a parish can’t run without money.
• INVITE – because your parish is also for the people who don’t come.

We’ll think about how to invite people in Saturday’s sessions.

Take a moment to reflect and perhaps write down: What do you expect of your parish? What does your parish expect of you? What does Jesus expect of you?

 Successful parishes enjoy Superb Sundays.  Sunday Mass is when most people come together in the parish. How can you make the Sunday experience the best that it can be?

The message by the preacher should be engaging. How many of you here today get to preach at Mass? Not many? OK, I won’t focus on that. But some quick tips. People remember the main message in the sermon when it’s mentioned again at the end of Mass. Perhaps it’s also in the Parish Newsletter. Or a tweet on the parish Twitter account!

The music should draw people in. Is it easy to sing or hard to learn? Are the words available? Does the meaning of the music match the message? Do the songs say more about God or more about us? How many of you can sing or play an instrument? How many of you are involved with parish music?

Then there is the way we welcome people. If I visited your church for the first time, would someone say hello? If there was a car park, did anyone show me where to park? What would happen when I walk through the door. Would someone show me where to sit? Would someone show me what to do? Is there a toilet easily available? If I can’t hear well, is there a hearing aid loop? If I can’t see well, is there a large-print song book? If I need a gluten-free host for communion, who should I tell? If I can’t walk and need communion brought to me, how does that work? If I have small children, is there a place where they can make noise? If I brought a baby, where can I change the nappy? Would I want to come back next time?

Last year I was on mission in an English town called Tamworth. They had built a coffee shop on the front of their church! They also had a special shop were you could buy food cheaper than a supermarket. I think I’d go back there!

So these five things make parishes successful: Leaders who listen and learn. Volunteers who give according to their strengths. People who meet together because they are parish members. Clear expectations. A great Sunday experience!

A successful parish looks outwards. Who is missing from Mass? How do we invite them in? Who is in need in our local community? How can we help them? Some also partner with a poorer town in their own country or another country. How can we support them?

I want to share with you two examples from North America.

Near Washington DC is a town called Timonium. Its church is called the “Church of the Nativity”. In the late 1990s, it had a new parish priest, Fr Michael White. The parish also employed a youth worker, Tom Corcoran. Lots of people wanted the parish to do something for them.

“We want a baptism.”

“We want a wedding.”

“We want First Communion.”

“We want good food at the free suppers during Lent!”

Few people wanted to do anything for the parish. Fr Michael started asking: What are we here to do? They realised they had a mission to do two things: Reach the Lost. Make Disciples. Who were the lost? They realised there were a big group of Catholics who weren’t coming. Dads in their 30s and 40s. Men who had been raised Catholic but had stopped coming to Mass. If Dad comes to Mass regularly as well as Mum, it doubles the chance his children will stay Catholic. So how could they make the church attractive to the missing Dads? They changed the preaching so it would be meaningful to Dads. They put volunteers to direct people in the car park. They made childcare available during Mass. They chose music that men in their 40s would appreciate. It worked! The congregation grew from 1500 to 4000. Some people left. But a lot of lost and new people came.

Then there’s the story of Halifax in Canada. There used to be three parishes in Halifax. All three churches were closed, and one new church was built. It was called St Benedict’s. Six months after the new church opened, it got a new parish priest. His name was Fr James Mallon. He decided the parish needed something to help people get involved. He ran a course called Alpha. It’s a course with 12 or 13 sessions and a weekend retreat. Alpha was developed in England by Anglicans. But they designed it to give a simple message about Christian faith… a message that Catholics and Protestants would agree on. Alpha talks about who Jesus is and why he matters. Alpha talks about what it means to follow Jesus. Alpha talks about the Holy Spirit.

The Alpha Course is delivered using pre-recorded films. One of the speakers is Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa – the official preacher to St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis! Fr James asked everyone in the parish to try Alpha. When someone completed the course, they were invited to help lead the next one. After a year or so, they would join another kind of small group. In the groups, people’s gifts and talents would be spotted. People were invited to volunteer for a role which suited their gifts. In a typical parish, about 10% of the people volunteer to do things. Halifax was like that. After 5 years of focussing on Alpha, 45% of the people volunteer. The total number of people in the parish hasn’t grown. There are still about 2000 worshippers. But the parish is stronger because more people do things. Fr Mallon wrote a book about his experience. The book gave rise to a movement. The movement is called “Divine Renovation”.

Fr Michael White also wrote a book, with his parish assistant, Thomas. That book is called Rebuilt.

You can try the Rebuilt approach. Ask: What is the mission of this parish? Ask: Who is missing, and what can we do about it? This approach needs a good number of committed people to work on the problem.

You can try the Divine Renovation approach: Ask: What can we do to raise the level of engagement in the people we’ve already got? Any parish can start with the people who already come!

Tomorrow’s talk will be about raising engagement. One of the sessions on Saturday will be about reaching people who stopped coming to Church. Another will be about the people who have never tried coming.

Pope Francis says that all of us, who are baptised, are missionary disciples. We are missionaries to the people we meet at home, at work, at school. I will say more about that on Saturday. But we are missionaries together in our parish. This parish has a mission. The mission will be most effective when priest and people work together to realise a vision. First you need to be clear about your vision. What are you trying to do? If you don’t know what you are trying to do, you can never succeed. Tonight is not the night to write the vision statement. Tonight is not the night to form the team to work with the Parish Priest. But tonight is the beginning of the conversation about what can be done.

I would like you to form groups of 3 or 4 people. In your group, suggest one thing that would make a difference in this parish. Say what could be done. Also say who should do it! Ideas do not come to life by themselves.

Remember the five kinds of things which make a difference: Listening, Learning Leaders; Intentional Interactions; Vibrant Volunteers; Evident Expectations; Superb Sundays.

Thank you for listening. Praised be Jesus Christ.

The Narrow Gate

Homily in Kretinga at the conclusion of the parish festival and outreach training, for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C.

I would like to believe in a God who creates a world without suffering. But I look around the world and see sickness,death, war, and hunger. So either there is no God, or there is a God who exists alongside all this brokenness.

Our Christian faith tells us that God stepped into our world. He came in the person of Jesus; he took the violence and sickness upon himself.

Today’s second reading says that suffering is part of God’s plan. In another place, Saint Paul gives us hope: God will turn all things to the good for those who love Jesus.

There was a woman named Crystal McVea. She had many reasons to hate God. She was abused as a child. Aged nine, she turned to God for help; she chose to be baptised – but her suffering did not end. Later, her six-year-old son suffered severe brain damage because of a traffic accident. Aged 33, Crystal herself was taken into hospital with pancreatitis – and during treatment she was clinically dead for nine minutes.

When this happened, she had an experience of meeting God in heaven.

You would have expected her to blame God or ask all the obvious “why” questions. That’s what she expected of herself. But that’s not what happened.

She became aware of a loving presence she identified as “God”.

Her instinct was to fall down and worship.

She didn’t ask “Why didn’t you love me?”

She didn’t ask “Why did you let this happen?”

Only one question remained:

“Why didn’t I do more for You?”

Revived, her life was changed and her love for God was immeasurably deepened!

She can’t remember the logic of how the suffering made sense. But she has peace from remembering that it did!

Heaven is God’s plan for us to live in a world without suffering.

Will everyone go to heaven?

Jesus warns us that it is not so easy. The gate is narrow, and few find it.

What do you have to do to get to Heaven?

If you open the Bible on different pages you will find different answers.

The sheep and the goats suggest that it is all about helping people.

John chapter 6 suggests that it’s all about receiving holy communion.

John chapter 3 suggests it’s believing in the name of Jesus.

Mark 16 suggests that what is really important is to get baptised.

God’s plan is bigger than our human actions.

Our church is optimistic about people who have never heard the gospel. Did they follow their conscience? Then they can hope for heaven. But Jesus gave us a clear command: Go and make disciples of all the world, proclaiming my Good News.

We don’t need to get caught up in an argument about whether we need to do this. Jesus told us to go. We are missionary disciples. Our task is to proclaim the gospel.

Many of you have been with me for seminars over the last few days.

We’ve looked at how to proclaim the gospel to people who come to church, to people who stopped coming to church, and to people who have never come to church. We’ve looked at how we can rebuild a parish to welcome the lost or renovate one to engage all its people.

In today’s gospel, Jesus doesn’t spell out what makes the gate narrow. But there are things we need to leave behind. Our sin; our pride; our selfishness; our comfort.

It’s been my privilege to be here with you in Kretinga these last three days. I don’t know if we shall meet again on Earth, but I look forward to meeting you in heaven.

You will not be alone. You will be with all the people who find the narrow door because of you – because of the work you will do here in the years to come. The first reading declares that all nations will come to the Lord. You needn’t worry about other nations – your mission is here in Lithuania. I wish you well with the next step on the journey.

Go out to the whole world. Proclaim the Good News.

Call Your Mother (One Hour a Week)

Homily at St Andrew’s, Tenterden, for The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2022.

Do you remember those BT telephone adverts where Maureen Lipman played a Jewish mother? In the most famous one, she was delighted her grandson had got an “ology” – that made him a scientist! In another advert, she was griping to the world in general that her son never got round to picking up the phone and calling her… until, one day, he did; and then she griped that he never visited!

When we hear reports of the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing in various places around the world, we might be tempted to think that she’s also the kind of Jewish mother who will never be satisfied. At Lourdes, it’s “Please come here on pilgrimage.” At Fatima, it’s “Please pray the rosary every day!” Why does our Blessed Mother need all this attention?

Today’s celebration is about who Mary really is. At the end of her earthly life, Mary’s body was taken up into heaven. Her body was the Ark of the New Covenant, the vessel in which God’s presence had entered our world. It was right and fitting that this holy Ark be taken up into God’s heavenly Temple.

This means that Mary is now, what each one of us shall be in the future – if only we stay faithful to God. We too can become part of the new heaven and new earth which God has prepared for the end of time. (The Bible speaks of this as “perishable nature… putting on imperishability”.) Blessed Mary has no insecurities, no “need to be needed”. She already enjoys the nearness of God, who is love, and she can no longer be tempted to sin or self-doubt. She prays for us; and her Immaculate Heart grieves when she sees broken families on earth.

Our Lady cares deeply about the unity of families, and she invites families to pray together. In one of the lesser known places where she spoke – to a Hungarian woman called Elizabeth Kindelmann – she called for family prayer. She asked that families should gather for an hour on Thursdays or Fridays and spend an hour praying together. That hour could begin with a time of reading from the Bible. It could include the Rosary. It might include a visit to church, if there’s a church open nearby.

This is not a rule. This is not a demand. It’s an invitation, from a mother who loves you and wishes you to spend time with her. It was on a Thursday night that the Lord’s closest disciples failed to spend an hour keeping him company in prayer. It was on a Friday that most of the apostles ran away from the foot of the Cross. Surely we can do better than that!

What if you live alone, or you’re the only believer in your family? This is where your parish is meant to become your family. Maybe there’s someone else here at Mass today you could connect with, and once a week, especially on a Thursday or Friday, spend an hour praying together. You could visit each other at home, or connect using the phone or online.

Our prayers matter. Blessed Mary, assumed into heaven, has been sent back to earth to encourage us and to warn us in equal measure.

Just over 100 years ago, she appeared in Fatima. The three visionary children were shown the suffering of souls in Hell, and asked to pray and make sacrifices so that people still alive would be converted, repent of their sins, and be able to go to heaven. One of the ways of praying for this was to add a prayer to each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need of your mercy.”

If Mary invites us to pray the rosary daily, it is not because she needs the affirmation. It’s not because the gates of heaven would be closed to us, people who follow Jesus, if we didn’t do so; rather, it is because she’s inviting us to become part of her network of prayer. She holds before God all the children which Our Lord placed under her care, with his dying breath upon the Cross. Praying to save souls is our privilege; and when we do reach the gates of heaven, we will experience great joy for each and every rosary, every family prayer meeting,  and every invocation of Our Lady, which we uttered during this earthly life.

I doubt that they make adverts in heaven, but I can just imagine Our Blessed Mother standing in the courtroom of heaven, speaking with Our Lord and the angels about her children on Earth. Of this I am sure; that she will not be complaining about the children who aren’t calling her, but she will be pointing out all those who have faithfully gathered, in homes and churches to pray their rosaries, and invoked her prayers. I can almost hear her words: “For their sake, My Son, send your angels to protect the Earth, so that hearts may be converted and peace may be restored. Let the flame of your love which burns in my heart spread out and fill the whole world.”

To be a child of Mary, to be someone who invokes her prayers, is a great privilege which God offers to members of His family. Mary keeps inviting us to join in this task; it must be important. So not for guilt, not for obligation, but as an act of pure love: Call your mother! All she wants is an hour a week with you. She’s waiting to hear from you!

The Flame of Love

I first came across the “Flame of Love” devotion some years ago, at the back of a random church on some rather inelegantly typed duplicator paper. At the time, I dismissed it as one of many alleged private apparitions. But it was recently drawn to my attention again, and through the wonders of the Internet I find that it is a devotion with full church backing from the local ecclesiastical authority in Hungary. It is rooted in the spiritual experiences of Elizabeth Kindelmann – orphaned by the age of 13, widowed at 33 and called to a life of suffering by Jesus for the salvation of souls. Elizabeth kept a spiritual diary between 1962 and 1966 recounting various inner locutions from Our Lord and Our Lady.

Much of the diary recounts Elizabeth’s own personal calling to fast and offer other sufferings and humiliations. Our Lord asked her to do this for the salvation of souls, and for the rapid deliverance of souls, especially those of priests, from purgatory. He asked her to spread the devotion for the same purpose, and also to restore the unity of families.

As in many such cases of private revelation, the Lord instructed Elizabeth to obey her confessor above what she believed she heard directly from Himself. She experienced a roller-coaster ride with terrible doubts from Satan and glorious ecstasies with the Lord, in equal measure. But a significant part of the locutions concerned a devotion to be spread throughout the world, which I will describe below.

The revelations took place during the work of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and both Our Lord (25 Oct 1964) and Our Lady (early 1965) spoke positively about the Council’s work and fruits. The Flame of Love devotion will not, then, be favoured by those who believe the Catholic Church lost its way at the Council!

On 27 March 1963, “the Lord said that the Spirit of Pentecost will flood the earth with his power and a great miracle will gain the attention of all humanity”. On 15 May 1965 the Lord again promised “the repeated coming of the Holy Spirit”. The Pentecostal movement, which had already begun to touch Episcopalian and Lutheran churches since 1960, spread through the Catholic Church from 1967. Could this – with many millions of people experiencing baptism in the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of extraordinary charisms – be the prophesied miracle?

Suffering

Elizabeth was called, through her conversations with the Lord, to be a victim soul. This call is not for everyone – the Lord made this clear to her:

A newspaper fell into my hands. After I read a few words, the Lord spoke, “I reserve you totally for myself. Do you prefer this reading that distracts you? Do I not give you all that you need? I do not demand this strict sacrifice from others, but you are my beloved. Even one instant away from me is too much. My love does not rest.”

30 Aug 1964, Diary of Elizabeth Kindleman – emphasis added by blogger

Nevertheless, others who do not have the same spiritual dialogue with Christ are also called to suffer:

My daughter was sick, and I thought of going to the doctor. The Lord said, “Do not go anywhere. It will be better if your daughter is not cured.” I grew depressed because she has a husband and a child. Jesus told me why: “Your daughter always has temptations. By a long sickness, I will fill her with abundant graces and her soul will be purified.”

February 1963, undated

Some Christians who teach on healing ministry claim it is never God’s will for a person to suffer on earth, and we should always pray in the expectation that immediate healing is available. This is not consistent with the words of Jesus here. (Bear in mind that these locutions have been approved as “not inconsistent with Catholic teaching” but that doesn’t mean that all questions are settled. Catholic teaching allows room for the conclusion that there is a vocation to be a victim soul, and for the alternate view that God wills to heal all on earth as it is in heaven. But if the latter is true, than Kindelmann could not have been hearing Jesus authentically, at least on these occasions.)

Teachings

These four teachings were given on 11 July 1975:
(1) Our Lady spoke: “Many are blinded by material things. They cannot come closer to God because material goods are a wall. Even well intentioned souls only make sacrifices from time to time. Blinded by earthly goods and desires, they cannot receive special graces. They do not follow God’s inspirations and do not want to believe that God will lead them.

(2) Our Lord spoke: “People make donations, but they want their name listed. This remembrance is for their own glory. Give your donations anonymously, and the heavenly Father will reward you.”

(3) The Flame of Love prepares our souls for the Lord’s inspirations. If we depend on the Flame of Love, the Lord will enlighten our intellect and show us the most perfect will of God.

(4) The heavenly Father says that in the measure that we love God, the world will be freed from sin. We are responsible for one another, for our family, and our nation. Feel responsible for the fate of all humanity. Our Lady said, “All will see the results of their labours on behalf of the Flame of Love.”

General Devotions

Make the sign of the Cross five times, each sign honouring one of the Five Wounds of Christ in turn. This devotion can be practiced on waking, before sleeping, during the day, and to open and close a time of family prayer.

Parishes should form communities of prayer; people should bless one another with the sign of the Cross.

Spend time in night vigils; such prayer is powerful to save dying souls from damnation.

Anyone in a state of grace who attends Mass without obligation will “blind Satan” during Mass.

Anyone who fasts for a deceased priest will free that priest’s soul from purgatory on the eighth day after death.

The Hail Mary should be prayed with an extra phrase:

Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

October 1962, request from Our Lady

Three modified Hail Marys will free a soul from Purgatory – and one, in November, will free 10 souls.

Elizabeth was also taught a new prayer, the Unity Prayer:

May our feet journey together.
May our hands gather in unity.
May our hearts beat in unison.
May our souls be in harmony.
May our thoughts be as one.
May our ears listen to the silence together.
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other.
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.

Weekly Devotions

Early in 1962, Our Lord proposed, through Elizabeth, a weekly pattern of devotions (no instructions were given for Sundays).

Monday – to fast on bread and water, at least until 6 pm, to obtain the promise that many souls will be liberated from purgatory each time that week when the one fasting receives Holy Communion (or if the one fasting is a priest, celebrates Mass). Medicine can be taken, but the food used should be bland. The one fasting should offer five decades of the rosary for Holy Souls (it is unclear if this is a substitute for attending Mass, or in addition). A night vigil is recommended – it’s unclear whether this is neccessary for the grace. The person who offers this fast will be liberated from purgatory 8 days after death.

Tuesday – make spiritual communions for each member of the family. Offer each person, one by one, to the Blessed Mother. Offer night prayer for them.

Wednesday – make a Night Vigil for the intention of vocations to the priesthood.

Thursday and/or Friday – Families should make a Holy Hour. This need not be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – begin this hour with a spiritual reading followed by the Rosary or other prayers in an atmosphere of recollection and fervor. Begin and end with the fivefold sign of the Cross. One day of fasting by a member of such a family is sufficient to free a deceased member from purgatory. Family prayer will also save souls from eternal damnation.

Friday – recall the Lord’s Passion throughout the day, and especially from noon until 3 pm, if possible.

Saturday – venerate the Blessed Mother. Seek for priests in agony the grace of a holy death, and offer the night vigil for this intention.

Analysis

Private revelations are a challenge to every believer. They are, by definition, not essential for our salvation. On the other hand, if heaven is choosing to communicate with earth in a given age, we should sit up and take note. I’ve reflected before on how it would be impractical to try to embrace every possible devotion proposed by the gamut of approved and plausible private revelations; each one is an invitation to a loving response, and we must discern how and when we can engage.

That said, if we believe that Our Lord and Our Lady have spoken to many mystics through the ages, with messages intended for a wider audience, we do well to see if there is any pattern which invites us to a consistent response. I note the following links between Kindelmann’s diary and other private revelations:

• The “Flame of Love” devotion is about passing on the love of Mary’s heart for the salvation of souls and the healing of families. A similar promise was attached to the Green Scapular bearing an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary aflame, revealed in 1840.
• There are explicit links with Fatima (1917). The very first time she spoke to Elizabeth (13 April 1962), Our Lady expressed her regret that so few people had embraced the First Saturdays as an act of reparation. Fatima also requested an addition to a popular Marian devotion, adding the “Fatima Prayer” for the salvation of souls to each decade of the Rosary.
• The Rosa Mystica apparitions of 1947 and 1966 (not fully approved by the Church yet, but recognised as an official shrine) began with a sign of Mary’s sorrow for priests and religious who fall into sin, and continued with a call for the faithful to practice reparation (penance on behalf of others as well as penitence for their own sins). The reparation was not explicitly linked to clerical sin, but presumably includes it and is consonant with Kindelmann’s call to pray for priests in purgatory.
• In the “Fourth Teaching” of 11 July 1975, the Father told Elizabeth that “We are responsible for one another, for our family, and our nation.” Responsibility for the nation was apparent in numerous Marian messages. Our Lady’s messages to Belgian mystic Berthe Petit resulted in both Belgium and England being consecrated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1916, with powerful results in the context of World War I. Similarly, Fatima included a focus on Portugal (through the 1916 apparition of the Angel of Portugal), and the Virgin appeared in L’Île-Bouchard in 1947 to call children to pray for France in the aftermath of World War II.
• At Medjugorje (not fully approved by the Church yet, but recognised as an official shrine), the locutionist Jelena Vasilj received a prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1983. This included the words:” May the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend upon all peoples,” and concluded with the words “converted through the flame of Your Heart”.
• Medjugorje also established a pattern of prayer with bread-and-water fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays (for peace in the world) and an invitation to a time of prayer on Thursday evenings reading anew the “Do Not Worry” passage from Matthew’s Gospel (6:24-34). The style of fast, though not the timing, echoes Kindelmann’s Monday fast; the Thursday night prayer, in families or prayer groups, echoes the invitation of the Flame of Love.

All of these connections build up into a consistent pattern: heaven is inviting the faithful to offer prayers of reparation for sin in general and fallen clergy in particular, along with prayers for the salvation of each member of the human race. Passing on the love of Mary’s heart – through Jelena’s prayer, the Green Scapular or the Flame of Love prayers – is a gift for the healing of families. There is also a call for people to pray especially for their own nation, entrusting it to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

There is a noticeably strong emphasis on prayer for priests in the devotions entrusted to Elizabeth Kindelmann. Wednesday focuses on prayer for vocations, Saturday includes the intention of priests in their death agony, and in some contexts, the Monday fast seems to be dedicated for priests in purgatory. Why so much prayer for priests? They (we) are a target for the Enemy, and by embracing celibacy have no family of their own to pray for them. Only the Rosa Mystica messages have a similar emphasis on prayer for priests. So of your charity, please pray for the significant priests in your life, living on earth or in eternity!