The Diocese of Rochester will soon be handing out their first ever “Excellence in Catechesis” awards, a honor which will be given to those who “exemplify leadership, creativity, and collaboration in the many manifestations of catechesis.” Eight members of the diocese will be honored at a May 20th award banquet, and of these eight winners, zero are men. Yes, not a single male catechist in the Diocese of Rochester has been found worthy of this honor.
The Diocese of Rochester under the leadership of Bishop Clark has done everything that it possibly can to alienate male Catholics. Take a look at our parishes if you require proof. How many pastoral associates are men? How many “liturgy coordinators”? How many music directors? How many “youth ministers”? The answer to all of these questions is: very few. Reaching out to the allegedly alienated women of the Church has been a major pet project of Bishop Clark. He even wrote a pastoral on this topic. Could it be that while our bishop has been focusing so hard on reaching out to women that he has neglected the men under his care? I think the dwindling number of men in the pews is the answer. Where are the young men in many of our parishes? Where are the altar boys? Related to this, where are all the seminarians and priests which we should’ve had these past 30+ years?
It is not women who are alienated in the Diocese of Rochester; it’s men. I hope that our next bishop will deviate from the Bishop Clark course and find ways to bring men back into church. We need to focus on making ALL people welcome, not just one gender.
Here is a conversation starter from Michael Voris:
Tags: Bishop Clark, Reflection
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He’s making his final rounds. So that, later, “they will welcome him into their homes.” Lessons from the Unjust Steward. He has wasted his master’s resources.
How many men have applied to the jobs of youth minister? Pastoral associate? Etc? Not many.
Mostly women apply for those jobs because they don’t pay well. Usually women can take jobs like that as second incomes at best.
When the Church becomes more like the Fellowship of the Ring, men will be pounding down her doors. I’m watching this series of films for the first time since I saw them in the theater (first time as a Catholic). Wow – these films are powerful! I first started re-watching them to have a better context for some of Kreeft’s lectures (http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio.htm) and am glad I did. The parallels to life in general are astounding.
I am no fan of Voris but with the exception that he states as brusque fact what are really only opinions (albeit reasonable), I think his piece is quite insightful.
The (over-)feminization of the Church has been a quite widespread problem for some time, a couple of decades or so. Indeed the Protestant-based FInders Keepers movement came about at least in part because of this in their circles, and the men’s complaint of “what about us?”. Our Church has e.g., the KingsMen (sp?), and I have been part of a men’s/father’s ministry at my parish. Apparently this movement has gotten quite a head of steam in many dioceses, although I am not surprised this is not one of those.
Wow – these {LotR] films are powerful! I first started re-watching them to have a better context for some of Kreeft’s lectures
YMMV, but I suspect you are in for a world of Joy (in the C.S. Lewis sense), both with reviewing the films (do the extended versions if you can) and the lectures. I literally finished Dr. Kreeft’s last lecture today (I have them all through iTunes) and he rocks. If you end up liking him, The Philosophy of Tolkien is his more in-depth look at much of the same stuff. I would love to compare notes with you at some point if you feel so inclined.
And to tie these two threads together, this is doubleplusgood. (Sorry Michael V. :))
Wow – these films are powerful! I first started re-watching them to have a better context for some of Kreeft’s lectures (http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio.htm) and am glad I did. The parallels to life in general are astounding.
You should read Dr. Brad Birzer’s Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth. I met Brad at Hillsdale College and he was instrumental in my conversion. He occasionally posts at CatholicVote.com
P.S. He also has a new book out about the sole Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.
PPS: Make that CatholicVote.ORG. Or better yet, go here: http://catholicvote.org/index.php