Bill

Perry, does that relate to socio-economic level?

Perry

No. These were just general findings.

Mark

Were they mostly evangelical churches?

Perry

I was looking to see if these increases in church attendance were found in specific denominations.  However, they didn’t separate it by Judeo-Christian, Muslim etc.

Mark

The reason I asked is because I know that the evangelical movement has gained a lot of traction with youth. Although this attraction has been slipping of late, the attraction is much greater as compared to the appeal of the Catholic Church to youth. The attendance for youth at Catholic churches has been falling off dramatically since the 1950s and early 1960s. Kids are getting interested in church-related music. Music can get you into the door. Then I think it is the community that takes over. The music, at least for the Evangelicals is getting kids in the door. The importance of community comes with that.

Bill

In the old days it was the urban Catholic Church that was so much the source of support for families. You had immigrants who looked to the Catholic Church not just for music but also for education and many other human services. These support services have not been replicated in recent years. Here in Maine, for instance, there are Catholic communities that are made up of those French-Canadians who came down from Canada to find work in Maine.  Here in Maine, there are large cathedrals that at one point served as the life support for these French-speaking immigrant families. However, as you have indicated Mark, this support in urban areas has really gone away.

Perry

As church-attendance has dropped off in these communities, I’m sure that the social support offered by the Catholic Church has also dropped off. There are fewer donation funds to support various programs. I think it would be wonderful if a large percentage of the population was to re-embrace the attitude of caring—providing support for those living in their community. It would be a trend reversal that would do a lot of good for a lot of people.