Monday, June 26, 2006

Confirming the confirmed

Bishop Richard J. Sklba in the "Herald of Hope" column in our Catholic Herald gets around to discussing recent confirmations via the keynote address at last month’s National Workshop for Christian Unity, given by Dr. Richard Mouws, president of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Speaking about the experiences of his growing Evangelical Churches in our nation, and in particular about the successes of the new larger mega-churches, he noted that their current strength often stems from the fact that they provide small group experiences in which individuals can share their respective faith journeys, relate the Scriptures to those personal experiences and join together in projects of outreach and community service to the needy.

This surprising description would mean these churches' approach is much like that of many parishes in our Archdiocese.
I immediately realized this is precisely what our most successful parish confirmation programs provide for our young Catholic adults!

I assume he would also say that about the Renew program.

I had the impression that the Catholic Church here and elsewhere faces a challenge from these mega-churches. From what I've heard from co-workers, my extended family, and even someone on our parish mission to Guatemala, the appeal of mega-churches (like the local Elmbrook Church) was and is not countered by anything they found at their parishes. Some have been drawn away to evangelical, pentecostal, or fundamentalist churches regardless of size. (That's also true in Guatemala.) I've noticed, though, that our clergy and archdiocesan and pastoral staffs are quite determined to deny there is a problem, or at least any problem that would require examination of their preferred ways of doing things. This column by Bishop Sklba is just the latest example.

P.S. Guess who gave the keynote address at last year's NWCU.

7 comments:

  1. "Six Flags Over Jesus" (Elmbrook,) lik all other similar churches (see the Dallas 40K+ nave...) are in essence, churches of the Eternal Feelgood.

    No sin, no repentance.

    Fits very well into the Calvinism of this country--where money=holiness.

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  2. Here's their What We Believe.

    Here's what looks like the closest counterpart by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

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  3. Actually, we recite (or sing) our counterpart each Sunday and Solemnity at Holy Eucharist. It begins "I (or We) believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of the heavens and the earth......."

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  4. Karen Marie is mistaken on two grounds.

    First, the Catholic Church is not unique in professing the Nicene Creed.

    Second, it is common for priests in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to omit the Creed.

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  5. Omission must be a suburban thing --- I've lived in Archdiocese for 32 years and never found it omitted, but then, I don't drive so don't attend Mass in the suburbs.

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  6. It's possible that local suburbanites dissatisfied with the beliefiness they find at their parishes find actual belief appealing.

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  7. Anonymous9:09 AM

    I am a Wauwatosa resident who drives to Chicago each Sunday, yes, wife and kids and all, to attend Mass that is not offensive to our souls.

    St John Cantius www.cantius.org

    St Bernards is two blocks from my house, but I refuse to be insulted by the like of Fr Peter simply because we prefer to receive the most Holy of Holy on our tongue.

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