Study Documents the 'Supersizing' the US Catholic Parishes 

In the last decade, the numbers of Catholic priests and Catholic parishes have declined in number, but the scale of parish life in the United States has expanded along with the nation’s growing Catholic population. Bigger parishes, more Masses, and ministries in languages other than English are becoming the norm. This is one of many new findings from the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership project that just released the first report, The Changing Face of U.S. Catholic Parishes details the findings from the first phase of the study, a 2010 national survey of pastors and other parish leaders at 846 randomly selected U.S. parishes. Link The Changing Face of U.S. Catholic Parishes

 

 

 

America Magazine Reviews The Next Generation of Pastoral Leaders

Click here for the insightful review of The Next Generation of Pastoral Leaders by Susan Lang Abbot that appears in this month's America magazine, the Jesuit Newsweekly. Among the insights highlighted by Abbot is Edward Hahnenberg's  (who teaches theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati and was a consultant to the bishops’ Subcommittee on Lay Ministry) comment: “If there is a single finding that summarizes this study, it is this: those young adults who are active in the Church find it easier to imagine staying active. So if our goal is to promote the Church leadership of tomorrow, we ought to be asking how we foster Church involvement today.”  Copies can be ordered directly from Loyola Press (see below) or through the Emerging Models collaborator organizations.

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Next Generation of Pastoral Leadership Symposium 

This Fall, the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project held a one-of-a-kind national gathering: the Next Generation of Pastoral Leadership Symposium. This project gathered gifted young adult pastoral leaders (ranging in age from 18 to 39) serving in parishes, campuses, and other settings around the country for a conversation about how they are meeting the challenges of ministry.

The symposium was held at the Washington Theological Union (www.WTU.edu) in Washington, D.C., November 9 through 11, 2010. It: 

• Collected research information about the experience of young adults working in ministry for the Catholic Church.
• Laid the groundwork for creating a national conversation about young adults in ministry to help cultivate a young adult responsive workplace within the Church.  

The results of the symposium will be studied and shared with parishes and leaders across the country by the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project in Spring 2011.

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Two New Titles in the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Series!

The Changing Face of Church:  

Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership

Changes in the Catholic Church are happening everywhere, not least in the area of pastoral planning. Based on the experiences of more than 500 of today's pastoral leaders in the Catholic Church, The Changing Face of Church documents the best practices for approaching the massive, rapidly evolving challenge of pastoral planning.

A hopeful view of the Church's future and its leadership comes through clearly from those who were interviewed for this book, and the you-can-do-it-too message is sure to bolster readers in their own pastoral planning efforts.

The Next Generation of Pastoral Leaders: 

What the Church Needs to Know

Based on a survey conducted by the renowned late sociologist Dr. Dean R. Hoge, The Next Generation of Pastoral Leaders provides a unique glimpse into the thinking and attitudes of young Catholic adults as it relates to pastoral ministry. The findings contained in The Next Generation of Pastoral Leaders are essential for anyone in Catholic ministry to understand if the Church is to successfully develop both lay and ordained pastoral leaders for the future, and, more immediately, if the Church is to involve young people in parish life and campus ministry today. Looking closely at what hundreds of young Catholics think about the faith, what they like and don t like about the Church, and other key issues on their minds today, this book should prove instrumental in guiding pastors and pastoral planners, vocation directors and ministry program directors, to a new way of visioning and developing strong future leaders in the Catholic Church.

The book was authored by Dr. Dean R. Hoge, PhD and Marti Jewell, DMin. Hoge was a sociology professor at Catholic University who, over his storied career, helped write many influential studies of religion in America. Jewell, now on the faculty of the School of Ministry at the University of Dallas, was the director of the Emerging Models Project from 2003 to 2009.

Other titles in the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Series:

♦ Shaping Catholic Parishes: Pastoral Leaders in the 21st Century

♦ Parish Life Coordinators: Profile of an Emerging Ministry

 

♦ Pastoring Multiple Parishes

 Order now from: 

www.loyolapress.com

 

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Latest News and Reports

The Changing Face of U.S. Catholic Parishes
by Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D., Mark M. Gray, Ph.D.
July 18, 2011
The Changing Face of U.S. Catholic Parishes details the findings from the first phase of the study, a 2010 national survey of pastors and other parish leaders at 846 randomly selected U.S. parishes. In the last decade, the numbers of Catholic priests and Catholic parishes have declined in number, but the scale of parish life in the United States has expanded along with the nation’s growing Catholic population. Bigger parishes, more Masses, and ministries in languages other than English are becom

"Roamin' Collar: Multi-parish Pastoring"

April 30, 2010
Emerging Models leaders Mark Mogilka and former director Marti Jewell weigh in on the challenges and opportunities of multi-parish pastoring. With valuable data from research Sr. Katarina Schuth, as well.

American Catholic demographics and the future of ministry

April 30, 2010
NCR Vatican correspondent John Allen's thoughts on trends in ministry, trends in the growth and makeup of the American Catholic community, and possible future outcomes for ministry. An article that derives from Allen's recent talk to the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA), an Emerging Models collaborator.

Survey finds signs of hope, challenges among younger Catholics

February 25, 2010
American Catholic adults under 30 share the commitment of older generations to philanthropy and volunteerism, but are more likely to believe that morals "are relative," according to a new survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus. The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., conducted the survey Dec. 23-Jan. 4 among 2,243 Americans, including an oversample of 1,006 "millennials" -- those age 18 to 29.

The Changing Face of Church

February 5, 2010
"Where are we headed, what does it mean, and how can Catholic parishes thrive in the years to come?" The Changing Face of Church: Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership documents the best practices for approaching the evolving challenge of parish ministry.

Pastoring Multiple Parishes
by Mark Mogilka, Kate Wiskus, D.Min.
February 4, 2010
The priest shortage is resulting in changes in the Church in the United States. The most common solution is multiple-parish pastoring. In Multiple Parish Pastoring, readers learn what works and what doesn’t when parishes must turn to multiple-parish pastoring as a pastoral solution.

Parish Life Coordinators
by Kathy Hendricks
February 4, 2010
More and more, Catholic parishes are being entrusted to religious, deacons and lay pastoral leaders. Sometimes called "Parish Life Coordinators," they offer unique gifts to the Church. This book outlines how the PLC model works, shares best practices, offers practical implementation ideas, and more.

"Co-Responsibility" Studied By Emerging Models Project
July 4, 2009
The co-responsibility of the entire parish, called "total ministering parishes" by the Project, called for by Pope Benedict XVI, and reitered by Bishop Gerald Kikanas at a gathering of the Leadership Roundtable, was studied by the Emerging Models Project.

Fired! Study on Unemployment Benefits for Church Employees

June 20, 2009
"There's an art and a science to the human resources function. The art component is critical. The church should represent the best practice for all corporations in America, but we're just not there yet."

In Search of the Emerging Church

June 20, 2009
After attending the National Ministry Summit, and listening to the stories of Catholics as they describe the nature of the life and changes in their parishes, Tom Roberts, editor at large for the National Catholic Reporter, began a road trip to meet and further exploring the emerging reality.

Benedict XVI Call for Recognition of Co-Responsibility of Laity

May 26, 2009
Benedict XVI, in addressing diocesan delegates at a conference in Rome, called for recognition that the laity are not just collaborators of the clergy but truly share "responsibility for the mission and existence of the church."

Emerging Models: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going
by Marti Jewell, D.Min.
April 30, 2009
As the research and conversations of the first phase of the Emerging Models Project are being analyzed, the face of the future is coming into focus. A PowerPoint presentation.

Short Summary of Major Findings of Phase I
by Marti Jewell, D.Min.
April 25, 2009
After five years of study and conversation with lay and ordained pastoral leaders across the country, the extensive findings, an in-depth study, can be summarized as representing a paradigmatic shift in how parish life is structured and served.

Linking Parishes: 6 Strategies for the Future
by Marti Jewell, D.Min.
April 7, 2009
With the diminishing number of clergy available to pastor parishes and the movement of Catholics from the Northeast to the South and West, the need to reorganize parishes is becoming increasingly acute. Providing leadership for parishes is one of the greatest challenges facing dioceses, today.

Project to Continue!

April 2, 2009
The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project has received a $1 million renewal grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to begin a new set of research initiatives focused on parish leadership.

Shaping Catholic Parishes
by Carole Ganim, Ph.D., Editor
June 2, 2008
First in the Emerging Models of Catholic Leadership Series, "Shaping Catholic Parishes" published by Loyola Press is a "must read'" and can be purchased now from any of the Project Partners or from Loyola Press.

Multiple Parish Pastoring
October 10, 2006
One of the significant changes in leadership in American parishes is the movement toward asking priests to pastor multiple parishes. This has an impact on pastors, lay ecclesial ministers, and parishioners alike. The results of a symposium designed to study this reality is available on this website. Please read the full report.