Poll: Catholics embrace faith, not Mass
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer
April 13, 2008

NEW YORK - American Catholics said in a new survey they were pleased with the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI, ahead of his first visit to the U.S. since he was elected. The study also found intense interest in faith among some young people.

Yet, few parishioners overall said they go to confession, and most believed they could be good Roman Catholics without going to Mass.

The poll, released Sunday (today), was commissioned by the nation's bishops and conducted in February by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

… The poll found that Catholics born before 1960 - among the most faithful parishioners - and those born since the 1980s have similar outlooks.

For Catholics who attend Mass at least once a month, an overwhelming majority of the young and older generation believe Christ is present in the Eucharist.

Even more, the younger, regular Mass-goers surpass their elders in observing Lent, with nearly all saying they abstain from meat on Fridays and receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. The young people are also more likely to consider devotion to saints very important to their faith.

However, the study found that only 36 percent of the younger Catholics attend Mass at least once a month, compared with 64 percent of the older generation.

Sixty-eight percent of all Catholics surveyed said they agreed that they believed they could be in good standing with the church without going to weekly Mass.

The poll, "Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics," found that nearly one-third of the nation's 64 million Catholics attend Mass in any given week. That figure has remained the same in the last five years, according to the report.

Thirty percent of the respondents said they go to confession less than once a year and 45 percent said they never go.

Regarding the church's social justice teaching, two-thirds of Catholics said helping those in need is a moral duty for Catholics.

The survey also measured satisfaction with the American church hierarchy. Seventy-two percent of Catholics said they were somewhat or very satisfied with the bishops' leadership, a 14-point jump since 2004.

Four weeks into our Easter Season, the faithful of our Church are now at the point where the luster of the Easter faith may long be forgotten. The fact is that the Easter Candle that is located in our sanctuary may be one of the only reminders left that the Easter Season is still upon us in our life of faith. Outside of those individuals who are preparing for First Communions or other sacraments of the faith, most of us have returned to the normal lives that we lead throughout the year. Families have returned back to their respective parts of the country; people are now thinking about summer vacation and the fate of our respective baseball teams. Decorations are back in their boxes and farmers are preparing to plant the seeds which will produce their fruit in the upcoming months. Coming to Mass or the sacraments on a frequent basis might be a subject for the back burner of faith, so to speak.

As our history moves even further away from the resurrection event that we commemorated four weeks ago, I fear that society has taken the same approach with Jesus Christ as well. For those in the world very much aware of the resurrection story, the newness of the faith has worn out to such a degree that, outside of Africa and Latin America, that attendance at Mass and Church events has declined significantly. The same media outlets that provided our newspaper article for today's homily also state that the Church in Europe is in significant decline and that, although Catholics in this country claim this particular title, they do not choose to follow the tenets of the faith associated with the word "Catholic." Mass attendance has declined nationally. Participation in the sacrament of reconciliation has sharply fallen. Whether the problem be due to our poor economy or our sullen national spirit, the Church in the United States has felt the sting of these problems as well.

Here at St. Patrick's, we, too, have experienced the same tendencies reflected in today's poll. Similar to the national average, attendance at weekly Mass averages to about one quarter to one third of our registered families each week. Participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is often limited to the Easter or Christmas obligation. And although many of us associate the title "Catholic" to our lives, I think most of us would be hard pressed to list the Ten Commandments or the Precepts of the Catholic Church if someone put us on the spot.

Many of these observances sound depressing. Many of these facts may make some people think that our faith is in decline (which, in many ways, it appears to be). And yet, even with all of these polls and observations that sometimes attempt to cast fear and doubt among the members of the faithful, there is a great hope to share for all of us in this Church who are committed to following Christ in the long run. And so the theme of my homily and the word for the day is "character." For those who attest to living the Catholic faith and then actually live it, not because others are watching or out of some sense of guilt but because the person of faith knows in their gut that the Catholic faith is the right way to live and is the way of showing our Lord that we truly are committed to living the life He challenges us to live.

The most fitting and timely example that I can provide that reflects this theme comes from Mrs. Celeste Jay, our science and math teacher at St. Patrick's. In today's Herald News, Celeste was chosen as one of the 14 teachers of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry to receive "The Joliet Area Great Teachers" Award, recognizing the best and brightest educators in the Joliet area. In this article, the Herald News writes,

Celeste Jay, a sixth-grade teacher at St. Patrick School, stresses character in her classroom. The quote, "character is who you are when no one is watching," is posted in her classroom.

(Of this quote, Colleen Rife of Hufford Junior High School writes,) "The quote is of great inspiration because it is a challenge," Rife wrote. "Students should not require what I call 'teacher discipline,' they should command themselves to 'self-discipline.' This 'self-discipline' goes beyond having your body under control; it expects that you have your mind under control. This type of control commands a personal best. This is what I strive to provide for each of my students. Students that can develop 'self-discipline' are students that will be successful at whatever they choose."

For those of character, for those who do not just know the Catholic faith but live it, we find great examples in our community of those who very much carry forth the greatest tradition that St. Patrick's Church can offer those of our parish: The faith of a Christian is a life well-lived, a life filled with the presence of Christ.

Today's scripture readings from The Acts of the Apostles and The Gospel on John provide us with a type of kerygma (or gospel message of Good News) that the faithful who band together will never be lost. For those of us who choose to remain in this "sheepgate" of faith, those of us who choose to be guided by the shepherd and his teachers of the faith, that eternal life awaits us in the New Jerusalem. Both St. Peter and the Lord Jesus present us with a challenge to live this life of "character," a life devoted to serve others and to pray for others not because we are obligated to or so that we can just fulfill this obligation, but because, in our minds and in our hearts, we commit ourselves to living the life of Christ. We live this life of character, not because we want others to know of our deeds, but because in our hearts we know that this life is the right type of life to live. And if we hold ourselves to people of tradition, then we realize that the most important tradition in our lives, the only one that really counts, is that we hold to the tenets of our faith and put God first in our life. Truly, that is the only tradition that will get us to heaven.

And what was the response of the first century Christians who listened to this kerygma, or "Good News" of St. Peter, who held to this tradition of the faith? The answer was obvious - those of good character, those centered on living like Christ, come forward by their own volition to serve the needs of others as Christ served us. As a continuation of today's first reading, the Acts of the Apostles summarize the response to the words of St. Peter from the people of faith. The Book of Acts states,

(And those who accepted his message) devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need.

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 42-47)

Los hermanos eran constantes en escuchar la enseñanza de los apóstoles, en la vida común, en la fracción del pan y en las oraciones.

Todo el mundo estaba impresionado por los muchos prodigios y signos que los apóstoles hacían en Jerusalén. Los creyentes vivían todos unidos y lo tenían todo en común; vendían posesiones y bienes, y lo repartían entre todos, según la necesidad de cada uno.

A diario acudían al templo todos unidos, celebraban la fracción del pan en las casas y comían juntos, alabando a Dios con alegría y de todo corazón; eran bien vistos de todo el pueblo, y día tras día el Señor iba agregando al grupo los que se iban salvando.

May we, too follow the response of the Church of the first century. May we strive to live as people of good character, as people who choose to follow the ways of God because we know this is the right thing to do. This is how we enter the sheepgate of the faith.

This is our prayer.