Revitalizing Catholicism in America: Nine Tasks for Every Catholic

How did the Church in the U.S. go from a vital, thriving institution with active parishes around the country to a corporate body barely breathing? A major contributing factor, according to the authors, was the easy assimilation of individual Catholics en masse into secular culture. Even before the pews started emptying, parishioners prioritized fitting in to their social circles rather than evangelizing them. The Church and the faith of Jesus Christ ceased being the organizing principle of people’s lives. Their minds and hearts had left the Church long before their hands and feet. Some of the clergy provided reasons to ignore ecclesial life. Now, the statistics compiled by organizations like the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate confirm the exodus.