A very curious look at the world of parishes who don't like young people, people with beards, or anything new?

But in 2012, coinciding with the appointment of a new pastor, the "inner circle" of long-time parishioners began agitating against the ascendant TLM. They insisted that the TLM community hadn’t been giving enough "time, talent, and treasure" to the parish. When evidence was provided showing that the TLM community had brought in approximately two-thirds of the parish revenue, the inner circle demurred. "No matter what we did, no matter what we showed them, it was never enough," Begin explains.

The animosity from the “inner circle” and parish leadership eventually drove over half of the TLM community away. But the dwindling attendance affected the "inner circle" at this Detroit parish not at all; there was no reckoning or come-to-Jesus moment; there was seemingly no self-reflection or attempt to win back the souls who had fled. Rather, the “inner circle” considered the departure of these families to be addition by subtraction. "They were happy that we were leaving," recalls Begin. "They considered it a success."

Seems to be a combination of paroiachalism (if you'll excuse the phrase), old people just liking anything different, and professional managers being trained in managing decline, but not in supporting living organisms.

Labels: catholic