What makes a healthy parish?

[Desert Walker]

My parish has been led by liberal priests for the past 15 years and is slowly but surely crumbling. It is NOT growing.

That's my experience with how liberalism IN Catholicism does not grow a healthy Catholic parish.

I'd love to hear other thoughts on this. I am utterly frustrated with it.

[Era Might]

Well I guess it depends on what you mean by "healthy".

There are a lot of parishes staffed by heterodox Priests that are thriving (I know of one or two in my own Archdiocese). But a vibrant community does not necessarily mean it's a healthy CATHOLIC parish, in the sense of the fullness of faith is being received, the Sacraments celebrated correctly, etc.

[Donna]

Bless your heart, DW.

[Fixxxer]

Some fruits, veggies and some Christ. enjoy!

[morostheos]

I have found that heterodox priests are more popular and "successful" at running a parish on a short term basis in large part, but after they've been there a while things start to catch up to them and start to fall apart. When a priest's ministry is not founded on grace through the Sacraments, concupiscence begins to kick in and before you know it things are a mess.

Orthodox priests are often less popular and cause more issues within the parish in the short term (usually by doing things as they should be done), but in the long run much more successful and cohesive. When parishioners are fed substance, they grow in their faith and their example is a witness to others.

[Jaime]

adoration

Once that happens, everything else falls into place.

[Cam42]

[quote name='hot stuff' date='Feb 19 2006, 11:22 AM']adoration

Once that happens, everything else falls into place.
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Yep. Stand behind that 1000%. I have shared in the past what happened when I got my parents pastor to start adoration at their parish in Iowa, after a 20 year absence. It is amazing.

[Myles Domini]

Adoration+orthodoxy+outsanding liturgy+Our Lady=Happy parish :

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Feb 18 2006, 07:04 PM']Well I guess it depends on what you mean by "healthy".

There are a lot of parishes staffed by heterodox Priests that are thriving (I know of one or two in my own Archdiocese). But a vibrant community does not necessarily mean it's a healthy CATHOLIC parish, in the sense of the fullness of faith is being received, the Sacraments celebrated correctly, etc.
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Same here in Chicago.

[dairygirl4u2c]

Thought I'd throw some randoms in as a former Catholic. One, if it were a conservative priest, it wouldn't necessarily be any more attended at least as far as attendig goes. Often times conservative priests scare away the public. Then you'd complain about the liberal laity.

[Cam42]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' date='Feb 19 2006, 12:42 PM']Thought I'd throw some randoms in as a former Catholic. One, if it were a conservative priest, it wouldn't necessarily be any more attended at least as far as attendig goes. Often times conservative priests scare away the public. Then you'd complain about the liberal laity.
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Gotta love stereotypes.....

[MC Just]

Orthodoxy makes a healthy parish. Plain and Simple. Orthodoxy meaning, they didnt slaughter the VII documents with misenterpratations. Ya know that phony "spirit" of Vatican II.

Edited February 19, 2006 by MC Just

[Cam42]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Feb 19 2006, 01:07 PM']Orthodoxy makes a healthy parish. Plain and Simple. Orthodoxy meaning, they didnt slaughter the VII documents with misenterpratations. Ya know that phony "spirit" of Vatican II.
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I don't think that it is fair to label the spirit of Vatican Council II as "phony."

I mean seriously, you could as easily say,"that phony 'spirit' of Quo Primum Tempore." And you'd be more accurate. The schismatic SSPXers have completely misunderstood the papal bull from 600 years ago.

[MC Just]

[quote name='Cam42' date='Feb 19 2006, 11:53 AM']I don't think that it is fair to label the spirit of Vatican Council II as "phony."

I mean seriously, you could as easily say,"that phony 'spirit' of Quo Primum Tempore."  And you'd be more accurate.  The schismatic SSPXers have completely misunderstood the papal bull from 600 years ago.
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i'm not talking about the council, i called the so called "spirit" that the liberals apply to it phony..

[Theoketos]

Mostly what makes any institution healthy is the truth.

[Cam42]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Feb 19 2006, 02:19 PM']i'm not talking about the council, i called the so called "spirit" that the liberals apply to it phony..
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You sure are talking about the Council. If there was no Vatican Council II would there be a "spirit" of Vatican II? No.

So, [i]de facto[/i], you are talking about the Council and the fruits of that Council (ie. documents of VII).

I could easily say, and probably should have said, in order to be consistent.....

Orthodoxy meaning, they didnt slaughter the Tridentine document (Quo Primum Tempore) with misenterpratations. Ya know that phony "spirit" of Trent. In relation to the SSPX. Doesn't sound so nice, now does it? However, it is more accurate.

[Socrates]

My parish is orthodox, and generally fairly "conservative." It has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past 20 or so years, and there is high mass attendance, as well as participation in such activities as Eucharistic adoration. There are usually long lines for confessions.

There are many younger people and large families at the parish - it is not "old people only" like some parishes I've seen.

The growth in the parish can in part be explained by demographics, as the area has been rapidly growing, but orthodoxy I think is definitely a factor. Many have moved to the area from elsewhere specifically because of the orthodox Catholic community that has grown up here.

The dicocese, which also tends to be one of the most orthodox and "conservative" in the country has also seen comparitively large numbers of vocations, while "liberal" dicoceses are suffering a "vocations crisis."

There does seem to be a connection between orthodoxy and growth - something which "liberal Catholics" seem to "just not get."
I know of few willing to travel great distances, or even relocate, to be part of a liberal parish.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Socrates' date='Feb 19 2006, 12:41 PM']  Many have moved to the area from elsewhere specifically because of the orthodox Catholic community that has grown up here.

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Before I moved to my present house, I went to Mass at the local parish to check it out. When I saw they did not use altar girls (this was before the Vatican removed the ban), I decided to go ahead and move into the neighborhood.

[Cam42]

[quote name='Socrates' date='Feb 19 2006, 02:41 PM']My parish is orthodox, and generally fairly "conservative."  It has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past 20 or so years, and there is high mass attendance, as well as participation in such activities as Eucharistic adoration.  There are usually long lines for confessions.

There are many younger people and large families at the parish - it is not "old people only" like some parishes I've seen.

The growth in the parish can in part be explained by demographics, as the area has been rapidly growing, but orthodoxy I think is definitely a factor.  Many have moved to the area from elsewhere specifically because of the orthodox Catholic community that has grown up here.

The dicocese, which also tends to be one of the most orthodox and "conservative" in the country has also seen comparitively large numbers of vocations, while "liberal" dicoceses are suffering a "vocations crises."

There does seem to be a connection between orthodoxy and growth - something which "liberal Catholics" seem to "just not get."
I know of few willing to travel great distances, or even relocate, to be part of a liberal parish.
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I think that all things being equal, because you included adoration, it speaks directly to hot stuff's point. I think that you'll find that most parishes, liberal or conservative that flourish have some form of adoration.

People, whether liberal or conservative, are moved by the Real Presence. I firmly believe that it is this phenomenon, coupled with regular applications of the other Sacraments that makes the parish flourish, not liberalism or conservatism.

[Norseman82]

Oh, and what I think MC/Akalyte the Just is referring to is the fact that "the spirit of Vatican 2" is often used as a "code word" to try to impose a heterodox agenda on the church. I would like to think that we ALL know that Vatican II did NOT get rid of the 7 sacraments or the 10 commandments.