There is no doubt regarding the steep decline in the number of Americans who attend Mass, or even practice religion.
Statistics Reveal Men are Leaving the Church in Droves
A closer look reveals that the decline in male church goers is an even steeper decline. Eighty percent of Catholic men believe that “How one lives is more important than being Catholic.” This a Catholic heresy. Yet, 8 out of 10 Catholic men believe it to be true, showing an insufficient knowledge of the Catholic faith. Only 40% of Catholic men believe that Catholicism has “a greater share of truths than other religions.” For these men, it is just not important to be Catholic, even though the Church teachers all salvation must go through the Church. In a real lack of cultural confidence, only 38% of Catholic men strongly agree that they are proud to be Catholic. When this many men are not proud of what they are, it cannot long before they end all identification with that identity. Only 26% of Catholic men consider themselves to be “practicing Catholic”. Furthermore, empirical studies demonstrate that roughly ¾ of all Catholic men reject their Catholic obligations. Only 1/3 (34%) of Catholic men strongly agree that Catholicism is “among the most important parts of life;” thus, they are only culturally Catholic and really not part of the Church.
There are copious survey results that can be found in the top bar of this site under Kerygma/Research. They demonstrate that throngs of Catholic men are leaving the Church. With these appalling numbers, obviously we must place primary focus on attracting the men back to and into the Church. If parishes are looking to stabilize and then grow, they must have well designed systems, not just programs, for fathers, adult sons, and newer husbands to participate in the parish.
Men Still Lead by Example
Even though political correctness rejects the concept of father-led households, data provides overwhelming evidence to support that traditional model. When men covert to a religion, 93% of the time their entire families convert with him. This would also apply to men who revert to their Catholic roots. In contrast when a woman coverts, only 17% of the time will the entire family follow her. When the father regularly attends Mass, and the mother does not or only attends irregularly, 82% of the child will be regular church goers as adults, after they leave the home. When dad does not go to church and mom does, only 2% of the children will be regular church goers and 61% of the children will leave the Church entirely. For a parish not to have strong outreach programs, within systems, to attach and maintain male participation, the parish cannot be serious about growing and surviving. Parishes must focus on families, with a fine focus on the father.
Absence from Mass Leaves Dark Souls
Lack of an affiliation with a Church can have devastating effects on men. Without a connection to prayer and the Almighty, many men will fall into dark practices. There is an emptiness in their lives. Modern men have lost their place in a society that scorns the concept of manliness. Many gravitate toward extremes, with barbarians objectifying woman because they were never taught how to behave as a manly gentleman. On the other extreme, men act more effeminate. They are dominated by both woman and more masculine men. Many more on both extremes and those in between fill that emptiness with the malevolent darkness of pornography. Many become addicted. Reports say that roughly 85% of men regularly view pornography on the web. During much of our research, we ran into a good number of Christian men’s groups that focus on getting men away for pornography. We were confused by huge emphasis on freeing men from porn, until we reviewed the devastating statistics.
As we look around our society, we see many men also enslaved by drug addiction that now claims nearly 27,000 male lives a year. We also see a real uptick in the number of suicides each year, with nearly 70,000 people taking their own lives, almost 50,000 of whom are male. These poor souls have lost all hope. Life without God is often one without hope, and we see the inimical consequences. We all know that there is much suffering in normal life and going it alone, without Christ, can be dark and foreboding. Notice the great decreases in church attendance and belief in God’s presence and the commensurate increases in pornography, overdoses, and suicides. It is not a coincidence. The Church must commit itself to rescuing these abandoned souls.
Understandably, most of the absent male parishioner are not drug addicts or on the verge of suicide, but their lives may be just as dark, without a relationship with our Savor. In 1943 C.S Lewis wrote The Abolition of Man, about men without chests—mid 20th century Englishmen who had adopted a culture of relativism and had rejected the notion of manliness. We see now, Lewis was a prophet for both the English and for what happen to later 20th century and early 21st century American men. These are the men who have left our Church.
Where Can Men Be Men?
Contemporary men are crying out for institutions where they can learn to be heroic, virtuous men. Unfortunately, many in the church just don’t comprehend their yearnings. For example, a priest once said, “We don’t have many seminarians today because men can now easily become social workers.” Clearly, the good father did not comprehend what young men were looking. In addition, he did not realize that 82% of social workers were female and social work is considered a female field! Young men look to be valiant and serve something greater than themselves. Like Marines who will sacrifice their lives to advance the causes of the United States, young men will join the priesthood to heroically bring men and women to Christ’s salvation. Like Rangers or SEALs, they will sacrifice for a greater good. Young men who marry will also nobly serve the Church, in a familial quest to serve something beyond themselves. Here, we have a great pool of generational parishioners.
Not all heroic men are called to the priesthood or military service, but they respond best to calls for martial-like, heroic sacrifice for their families or communities. As Catholics, they long for a Church that will call them to Ecclesia Militia, a Church Militant, that battles ignorance and evil in the world today. St. Paul combatted the evil that still wishes to dominate the Earth and that it is necessary for men to enter battle. Men understand the military references that St. Paul uses in 1 Tim 6:12. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. They realize that Christian men must fight evil up unto death. Paul describes fellow Christians as “fellow soldiers” and he shows that we must wear the armor of God for the battle. In Ephesians 6:13-17, we see the Apostle say, Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Catholicism is not a passive activity.
Men respond well to formal, rituals, whether it is: a High Mass, a military procession, a Presidential Inauguration, a serious graduation, inter alia. Heroic men look towards service and virtue over vice: sin & addictions. They embrace leadership, whether of the family or in ministries, especially, if they see their leadership and participation as a necessary.
Parishes Grow as They Appeal to Men
If parishes want to survive and grow, they must appeal to men. Many times, the Mass or parish atmosphere has a feminine motif that repeals many men, both young and old. Men usually will not fight a feminine environment in this politically correct society; they just fade away. Parishes must appeal to the heroic male and teach men their masculine Catholic obligations to both their families and to their Church. Too many times we see a secular, worldly onslaught to deemphasize the masculine role. Unfortunately, many parishes have grabbed this modern, therapeutic mindset and have run with it. Nevertheless, the empirical data is overwhelming. Men are leaving in droves. Those who do come back bring their entire family and those who remain resolute teach their children to be faithful. Thus, we must focus on bringing men home.
Kerygma has many plans to pursue the men of your parish and bring them back to the Faith of Our Fathers.