Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century [Hardcover]

A seminal moment in the study of U.S. Catholic parish life came in the 1980s with the publication of a series of reports from the ground-breaking Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. These reports are now badly outdated, as Catholic dioceses grapple with new challenges that didn't exist in the 80s. Topics that were not considered then, like greater Catholic mobility, increased cultural diversity, and structural re-organization as well as the rise of lay leadership, have attained new significance.

This timely book, based on more than a decade of research, provides an in-depth portrait and analysis of the current state of parish life and leadership. Unique in the scope of the research and the timeliness of its findings, the book critically examines the current state of parish life. The authors draw on data from national polls of Catholics, national surveys of parishes, and thousands of in-pew surveys which explore parishioners' needs, experiences, and satisfaction with parish life in the twenty-first century. The book provides a unique 360-degree view of parish life from the perspective of pastors, parish staff, parishioners, as well as the larger Catholic population.



Foreword

Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: A Quarter-Century of Change
Chapter Three: Changing Demographics in Pastoral Leadership
Chapter Four: Parish Reconfiguration Strategies
Chapter Five: Parish Administration
Chapter Six: Catholic Parish Finances in the Twenty-First Century
Chapter Seven: Who's in the Pews
Chapter Eight: Cultural Diversity in Parish Life
Chapter Nine: The View from the Pews
Chapter Ten: Summary and Conclusions

Appendix
Notes
References
Index

Much needed, intellectually rich, and clearly written This ambitious project is a highly commendable work that is a vital resource for understanding American Catholic life and, specifically, how parishes operate and function in the context of the twenty-fl%