….I know that even suggesting that our current model of youth ministry is flawed will raise the hackles of the Catholic professional class, in spite of the current model’s evident failure. For some reason, youth ministry is a sacred cow. However, we can’t avoid the grim reality of millions of Catholics growing up and then moving out, even after having been involved in “good” youth ministry. Surely many youth programs are orthodox and very well-intentioned. This is my point. So why are young people still leaving? And how can we change this?
….Research points to the vital role specifically of the father’s faith. A 2000 report in Population Studies magazine concluded that “it is the religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children.” More specifically, it states:
In short, if a father does not go to church — no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions — only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular)….
The father is the “mediator” — the “priest” — of the family, the domestic church. Therefore it makes sense, both sociologically and theologically, to focus on fathers in order to save the children….
The primary thing that needs to be done is to destroy the current ambiance found in most parishes, which is only attractive to gay men of the 1970s. Merely entering a typical suburban Catholic parish is emasculating, from the architecture to the music to the felt banners to the limp homily to the army of elderly female Eucharistic ministers. What red-blooded male would be interested in that if he did not already have a faith strong enough to see beyond it to the underlying reality? Parishes are sending a strong message without even realizing it: young virile men are not welcome….
The above excerpted from the Jan. 9 issue of Crisis Magazine. Read entire article here.
Young men need strong masculine MEN to challenge them to lead authentically Catholic lives. They may love their grannies but an army of middle aged women aren’t a substitute for real men. Duh!
The whole article is a screed of red meat for trad Catholics. The first recommendation is to celebrate Mass ad orientem because men want to follow a leader into battle? Get real. Clueless. First Latin was the magic bullet that would save the Church. Now it’s ad orientem. Next what will it be? I can tell you, most of the recommendations made in the article will drive 80-90% of Catholics away.
What article are you reading Susan?. I have read it on 2 separate days and wonder how your comments apply to this article. I see nothing about Orthodoxy or Tradition in the article. Are you suggesting the research and current status of youth in the church sited are incorrect?
Are you even making a recommendation to help young people, especially young people find their vocations within Christ and the Church?.
As male EM, this is very noticeable – that it is difficult to get men to come up on the altar, while the women easily come up and serve. Surprisingly, this is due in great part because men are trained in a traditional Catholic role – that of politeness and kindness to women. That is, men will allow women to come before them, and defer to them at masses. There has to be a strong push to get men to serve, while at the same time, 3 or 4 women are coming up the aisle… A suggestion is to have at least one Mass a week, at which only men may serve as EMs. And even this may require some time before the men finally come up to the altar. And there is another problem – some people will take this to be sexism, male chauvenism, etc. So, it would be good to have a males only EM Mass, but it is going to take much preliminary preparation, and explaining beforehand, by the clergy, and even then males may refuse to serve for several weeks. They may even have to see the priest in difficulty, serving the Eucharist alone. But this is really necessary – men must serve, and, told that they have to serve.
I would ignore silly, worldly, sociology and psychology, and all their dumb, useless, worldly studies! St. Paul didn’t need all that “baloney,” when he became an important Apostle for Christ! St. Augustine’s alcoholic, abusiv, pagan father, made no difference– his devout Christian wife, St. Monica, prayed for her beloved son’s conversion, for many years– and her prayers were answered! Prayer works wonders– forget the worldly, liberal-leftist fools, in the social sciences!
Anonymous: In our parish we have married couples serving as EM’s and as lectors their ages range from 22 to 58. It is the most beautiful and admirable thing to see something to be very proud of and thankful to our Lord ! Just thought I would share with you.
What a bunch of psychological, sociological, nonsensical gibberish! If Mr Bartoni wants a more manly church…fine! Myself and many other women will make room for them by leaving. I suspect many men stay away from the Church because of the sexual abuse scandal!
your comments prove you are more loyal to feminism than Christ Himself.
Siobhan, I must differ with you on why men stay away from religious observance. Men have balked at religion long before any notion of abuse was known. No — I think men like to follow other men who themselves are strong leaders — at least that is surely my preference. Paradoxically, perhaps, that is why I greatly prefer ad orientem, for it puts a man before God leading the congregation to focus not on himself but on God. That’s the focus, IMO, that diminishes intersectionality in worship. One last thought: I have read elsewhere that the most important factor in youth perseverance in Catholicism is the active participation of the father. If this article is correct, then anything that can be done to draw men to active participation should be embraced, not belittled.
Don’t go away mad just go away