www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Declining attendance in the Byzantine Catholic Church

I read on another thread that church attendance is declining. What are the reasons why this would be happening?

Where would this be happening? In my parish it's the opposite.

Checking back over the attendance figures published in our weekly bulletins (comparing one Sunday in mid-May for 2003-2007), I find that our attendance figures have remained stable.

I think it all may depend on geographical areas. Some of the original parishes formed over one hundred years ago in small coal mining/steel mill towns are declining. At a fast rate, too. But then there is growth in other areas. Some small towns may only have less than twenty parishioners all together. And their average age is up there. Other churches have closed entirely. Time will tell how things turn out. I think there is a very good opportunity for growth. I just hope the right decisions are made to achieve that potential. And I don't claim to be an expert and know all the answers. I wish I did or I would wave my magic wand and every church would be filled.

Oh, and it all depends on which Byzantine church you are talking about. There are several. Some may be in decline while others are in growth mode.

Tim

On the whole, are numbers in the Byzantine Catholic Church in America on the decline?

One Magazine's Nov 2006 article said the BCA is on a steep downward trend. See the entire article here [cnewa.org].

Terrtullian,

here are stats from 2005

http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat05.pdf

Overall 268,161(1990) 99,381 (2005) -62.939801%

Pitts 143,784(1990) 60,100 (2005) -58.201190%

Parma 22,202(1990) 12,401 (2005) -44.14467%

Passaic 85,050(1990) 24,031(2005) -71.744856%

Van Nuys 7,125(1990) 2,849(2005) -83.365036%


Doesn't look too good does it?

Sounds like the magazine article that Wondering posted has some veracity.


Monomakh

That might also be because we both used the same source.

One magazine belongs to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

Are these declining numbers because of members joining Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions?

The linked article seemed to think that most of them either go to the RC church or no church at all, or to a much lesser extent to Protestant churches. It didn't seem to indicate a large portion of those people becoming Orthodox.

To be honest, I do not think so, otherwise we (the Orthodox) would have heard about it.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

What are the reasons for this decline?

Quite a few of the newer UGCC immigrants are not exactly forthcoming in polls and statistics due to obvious immigration concerns; I suspect the number is higher.

I think CNEWA's numbers, researched and tallied by Fr. Roberson, are from diocesan/eparchial reports.

In the case of the BCA, we discussed in the passed that the drastic "decline" from 1990 total figures to the 1995 results (the year when an official census was first undertaken worldwide by the Catholic Church) was perhaps the "unofficial," and, therefore, estimate of the 1990 base figure. The 1995 to 2005 figures might be more accurate.

At any rate, the current numbers are net of (1) death and (2) conversion or transfer to another Church. Replacement numbers come from (1) infant baptism and (2) conversion or transfer from another Church.

Thus, we can readily see that a parish/diocese will decline in numbers if the death and/or separation of members are not constantly replaced by births and/or conversion (mostly as a result of evangelization). Immigration from the old country should not be relied upon as a source of "new" members simply because of its unpredictability.

In contrast, the Latin side of the Catholic Church in the U.S. had the trend reversed a long time ago that she is now able to maintain its 23% share in the total U.S. population. That is, she is matching the growth in the general population by having about 1 million infant baptisms annually (meaning, Latin Catholics are bearing enough children as their own replacement) and about 150,00 conversions annually as a result of active evangelization. Immigration from traditionally Catholic countries in Latin America is an added bonus.

We have also debated the general effects of ethnocentricity on the "survival" of the Eastern Catholic Churches (which also afflict all other Eastern Churches) and I am unsure whether it is still a factor in the apparent decline in the numbers of Eastern Catholics.

Although some of us have gone Orthodox, I believe we are a small number...Unfortunately, I see some going to the Roman Catholics (so much for being eastern) and I have seen a good number over the years leave and go nowhere...I think the trends show that the Eastern Catholics are viewed as "Not Orthodox" (ask an older person and see the faces you get) and "Not Catholic" (since it is only our bretheren of the Latin Rite who are "really Catholic" ;))...The BCC has failed in its responsibilities over the last 100+ years in America...and therefore have left people with an identity crisis...

Chris