RON Parker of Beachmere (CL 11/4/04) points out the fact of ‘the disappearing flock’ in Catholic churches.
I have wondered at the reasons myself for some time and was struck by a few thoughts as I sat in Mass on Palm Sunday.
I arrived early as I have done for years so I could get a seat. Surprise, surprise! Plenty of seats!
The Church in Brisbane and, indeed, the entire developed world must look at itself seriously and face the real issues if we are to counteract the fact of less love and more selfishness in this country.
The Catholic Church must take the lead and look at what Christ really asked us to do to spread the Good News.
He exhorted us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and comfort the sick.
I find I must now ask how do we do this when such a great amount of Catholics’ money is spent on Catholic schools?
Has the increase in enrolments at Catholic private schools resulted in an increase of people going to church? Has the increase in enrolments at Catholic schools resulted in any increase in vocations? Now we have a Catholic university. Has this made any difference?
I’ll gladly retract my questions if someone can point out the part of Scripture that shows where Jesus said to establish schools.
I propose we show our children real love and faith in action.
Send our Catholic teachers out into state schools to live their faith and take religious classes in the midst of the community. Show the faith by the love and care they extend to everyone.
Each Catholic diocese could ‘adopt’ another in a developing country and connect with them directly through prayer and financial support.
Let’s have the next school fete for people who really need it here in Australia or overseas. Just imagine the response to a fete for the homeless with the funds to go to build housing or to establish a drug and alcohol support network!
Oh, I know. You’ll tell me the Church already does this stuff. But do we really? Or is it just a sidebar to the real dollar glutton of Catholic schools?
Radical? Yes! But wasn’t the message Jesus brought radical? ‘Love your enemy. Do good to those who hurt you.’ Not ‘How good is the rugby team?’
Events were held last week to mark 10 years since the genocide in Rwanda. Isn’t it about time we did a bit more than put some spare change in the Project Compassion box for the missions.
Where does the real money go? What is the newest Catholic structure in this city? The university! What an opportunity missed!
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we are going to bring hundreds of young people from the developing world to the university here in Brisbane and educate them so they can return and help their people?
L.M. WRIGHT
Teneriffe, Qld
