There are a lot of protests going on in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Ever since Archbishop Chaput announced which schools would be closing and/or merging, there has been a flurry of activity on Facebook and elsewhere imploring alumni of these schools to band together, protest and even donate money toward the cause.
A letter writer to the Philadephia Inquirer posed a simple question, and I think it's one that begs to be asked:
How many of those protesting these closings can be bothered to go to Mass every Sunday?
Not just Christmas or Palm Sunday, but every Sunday?
Perhaps if those filling the streets had bothered to make more of an effort to fill the pews, they wouldn't be facing the agony of losing their schools.
At the heart of it, we need to reclaim our Catholic identities and that means Mass, Confession, knowing and living the tenets of our faith in order to teach it to our children....
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
It was last year for us that our archdiocese closed down a bunch of schools here. People here didn't like it either. It is sad, but you can't keep schools open when you don't have a minimum enrollment to keep it fiscally feasible. I haven't heard any complaints this year, so I imagine people have accomodated.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that Joyce. We have to get back to the basics of our faith and really, we cannot do it without the Catholic Church. I agree with Allison about reclaiming the mass as part of the Catholic identity. I heard recently that a large percent of Catholics do not believe that it is truly the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We've forgotten what it means to be Catholic.
ReplyDeleteWell, many Catholics certainly behave as though they don't believe. Take a look at how they talk at Mass, dress for Mass, etc. When reverence at Mass and respect for the Blessed Sacrament waned, everything else went with it. I pray people wake up before it's too late.
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