IN recent years, many parishes have discontinued their Sunday evening Mass as congregations and clergy numbers have dwindled.
It is usually the first Mass to be chopped when rationalisation is required.
But, as a new study from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Pastoral Projects Office reveals, this could seriously affect Mass attendance by young people and young adults in a parish.
Younger Mass attenders find Sunday evenings a more attractive time to go to Mass and they should be encouraged to do so.
Where individual parishes are unable to support a Sunday evening Mass, perhaps there could be greater co-operation within clusters or deaneries to offer a ‘late’ Mass in that area.
