A Call for Revival As the Church Nears Its 2,000th Year Anniversary
- Michael Snellen
- May 19, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 4, 2024
Could what is happening in the grassroots of the Archdiocese of Louisville spread throughout America?
This solemnity of Pentecost, May 19th, 2024, marks the birthday of the Catholic Church—now 1,991 years old.
Today is also a particularly special day for the American Church, as crowds depart from the four corners of the country for an adventurous Eucharistic pilgrimage that will culminate this July in the first Eucharistic Congress since the times of the Second World War.
At a time when only 20% of American Catholics attend Mass at least once a month, and a third don't understand the fundamental reality of the Eucharist, this nationwide Eucharistic revival is desperately needed.
But can more be done after this summer?
Here in Kentucky, some old folks still remember the days of public Catholicism, when Corpus Christi processions, Catholic Students' Mission Crusade rallies, huge parish picnics, and Adoration at Churchill Downs showcased a visible allure of faith.
Even amidst discrimination in the wider society, whether from the Know-Nothings or the Protestants, glorious traditions of unity stretched back to the times of the Apostle of Kentucky, Rev. Charles Nerinckx. Here is his remembrance of an 1807 Corpus Christi procession:
"The canopy, which I had made myself, was held aloft by four men, and immediately behind the Blessed Sacrament followed fourteen armed men, led by a uniformed sergeant. Three other men on horseback, also uniformed, with drawn swords, brought up the rear, and held back the surging crowd following and saying the [Rosary] beads. Choirs of men and women sung alternately hymns in honor of the Blessed Eucharist, until we arrived at the residence of the Trappists, where a repository altar had been erected. Rev. Badin, assisted by two Dominicans, officiated, and I acted as master of ceremonies; a squad of horsemen acting as marshals saw that every thing proceeded in an orderly manner, and every thing passed off with more decorum and piety than the most enthusiastic had dared anticipate. Our rites and ceremonies exert a powerful influence upon sectarians, many of whom are favorably impressed by them, and are led to investigate the claims of the Catholic Church on their allegiance, and are led into its fold..." [1]
The Throes of American Catholicism
In the late 50s and 60s, something religiously seismic happened. For Americans, it wasn't the Second Vatican Council, the attack of the Sexual Revolution, or any other of the obvious guesses. It was the breakdown of ethnic Catholic communities and the loss of mission.
For the Catholic nurtured in the summer air suffused with incense, he was about to undergo a winter of puberty.
When Catholics were outcasts, they had no choice but to form tight-knit families, fraternities, and schools. This separate culture was a source of resilience and encouragement. Their traditions were necessary to preserve their identity amidst a society that stood opposed to them on many levels.
In the two decades following the Second World War, one of the largest migrations in American history occurred with 10-15 million rural citizens moving to the cities. Those who grew up in the Church were exposed to new novelties, beliefs, and neighbors who were not Catholic. A tendency for acceptance, and the root of indifferentism, began to grow. John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic President, was elected in 1960, marking a new level of acceptance for Catholics.
The cultural upheaval rampaged amidst this time of change. As the differentiating traditions were being left behind, narrowing was the gap between a true believer and a nominal Catholic who was merely raised in the religion.
There was also a deeper issue at play tearing apart the Catholic identity. Striving for the "Salvation of Souls" all across the world was deemed antiquated and harmful by Catholic academia. At the height of the Cold War, missionaries, still respected by the people they were serving, were shot in the back from their own trenches and discredited with one word: "Imperialists."
As moral was disquieted, a global humanitarian agenda was proposed to replace the task of evangelization. Proponents such as Rev. Ronan Hoffman stated that missionaries should present the "Gospel in a much more secular fashion" through concern for the poor and service. This vague and distracted veneer brought with it uninspiring catechesis, a catastrophic drop in priesthood and religious vocations, and a whiplash for all aspects of Catholic life, most notably in marriage and in education.
Reformed missiologist David Bosch insightfully recalled, "It was perhaps only to be expected that the almost complete identification of the church and its calling with the world and its agenda would eventually lead to such embarrassment and frustration with the inability of the church to carry out the world's agenda that many people despaired of the church and regarded it as expendable."
Meanwhile, the harbinger Rev. Avery Dulles, addressing Hoffman in a 1967 debate [2], warned that he himself "should be very much afraid of any revolution which attempted to achieve the true good of humanity apart from the knowledge and love of God."
By then, the table had been fully set for a change of the public Catholic into the "anonymous Christian" as termed by Karl Rahner. The revolution was well on its way.
A few years earlier, in 1958, Fr. Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI), noted that:
"For the modern Christian, it has become unthinkable that Christianity, and in particular the Catholic Church, should be the only way of salvation; therefore, the absoluteness of the Church, and with that, also the strict seriousness of her missionary claim, and, in fact, all of her demands, have become really questionable...
He continues, "So being somewhat confused by this, the believer asks himself: Why can those outside the Church have it so easy, when it is made so difficult for us? He begins to think and to feel that the faith is a burden, and not a grace. In any event, he still has the impression that, ultimately, there are two ways to be saved: through the merely subjectively measured morality for those outside the Church, and for Church members. And he cannot have the feeling that he has inherited the better part; in any event, his faithfulness is grievously burdened by the establishment of a way to salvation alongside that of the Church. It is obvious that the missionary zeal of the Church has suffered grievously under this internal uncertainty."
The joy and goodness of faith was obscured and so, for many American Catholics, doctrines became unintelligible, and thus doctrine was felt as optional or outdated when compared with the ostensible freedom of their secular neighbors. The burden became heavy.
"Internal uncertainty" is perhaps the key phrase to keep in mind. Rev. Thomas Stransky, a prominent observer of Vatican 2, claimed that "no other world church...had undergone such an intensive examination of consciousness and conscience about mission as did the Roman Catholic Church [during the Council]." The newfound skepticism and self-doubt could be likened to what a teenager feels during their formative years.
But now, dare I say, the American Church is yearning to reach its maturity and a renewed Catholicity. It must cast off this awkward insecurity and take Jesus to the nation with confidence!
What Does Revival Look Like in America?
As his own Romantic musical tradition was collapsing around him, Gustav Mahler's creative spirit could be summed up by his statement: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."
The decline of the Church has simultaneously followed the destruction of American society. From the war against the family, the plague of abortion, the breakdown of community, and the decay of morality, our nation is filled with ashes.
These ashes have clouded the beauty of Catholicism for decades now. It is imperative that the Church reclaim her mission, which is to share Jesus with the world. "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you." (Matt 28:19)
"In the long run, the Church cannot avoid the need to get rid of, part by part, the appearance of her identity with the world, and once again to become what she is: the community of the faithful. Actually, her missionary power can only increase through such external losses. Only when she ceases to be a cheap, foregone conclusion, only when she begins again to show herself as she really is, will she be able to reach the ear of the new pagans with her good news." (Fr. Ratzinger)
In addition to this central mission of evangelization, Fr. Ratzinger lays out three important points that could lead to its accomplishment.
Firstly, he says, the Sacraments "must be freed from a certain simple confusion with the world, which gives either the impression of something magical, or reduces the sacraments to the level of being mere ceremonies {Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Burial}. It must, once again, become clear that Sacraments without faith are meaningless, and the Church here will have to abandon gradually and with great care, a type of activity, which ultimately includes a form of self-deception, and deception of others."
The second point is proclamation. The Church must distinguish itself from the world, holding fast to the teachings of Scripture and to what is "really Christian." In this, Christian teaching acts as an "open invitation to the divine banquet." My takeaway: Make outsiders curious and attract by being "the light of the world". (Matt 5:14)
Lastly, fraternity is recommended. "Naturally, among the faithful gradually something like the brotherhood of communicants should once again be established who, because of their common participation in the Lord’s Table in their private life, feel and know that they are bound together. This is so that in times of need, they can count on each other, and they know they really are a family community...This should have no sectarian seclusion as its result, but the Catholic should be able to be a happy man among men—a fellow man where he cannot be a fellow Christian. And I mean that in his relations with his unbelieving neighbors, he must, above all, be a human being...He should not be just a preacher, but also in a friendly and simple way, a fellow human being who cares for others."
This reminds one of the saying of St. Paul: "...I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some." (1 Cor. 9:22)
It is upon this scheme of rebuilding the Church that we will now investigate the Great Novena initiative in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Could it be a beacon of hope for the American Church and the spark of a nationwide movement?
The Great Novena
Last night, I attended the opening information session of this nine-year initiative to welcome in the 2,000th anniversary of the Church. Led by local leaders, Bryan Cain and John Sohl, this movement, in its year-long invitation phase, is set to spread throughout the Archdiocese, having gathered the ready support of numerous lay leaders, clergy, and Archbishop Shelton Fabre.
With each year up to 2033 having a different theme, such as a "year of wonder" or a "year of healing," the Great Novena is set to work throughout many personal, parish, and community encounters.
The "four grassroots entry points" are:
Prayer & Fasting
Discipleship & Formation
Family Outreach & Community Service
Cultural Renewal
Prayer, of course, should be at the core of all movements; "...apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Next, study, as our Bishop Flaget knew so well, is what will ensure any long-term success.
John Sohl, during his speech, enthused: "Imagine your priest giving a homily that relates to a theme of this Great Novena?"
Could parish missions, pamphlets, and workshops be in order? Certainly these could renew interest in the Sacraments and in Gospel proclamation.
The emphasis on the family can trace its inspiration back to the local theology of the body apostolate, Family Renewal Project, which both Sohl and Cain are involved with. In the Archdiocese itself, this non-profit has already enacted many great programs.
All this said, potentially the most unifying element of the cause could be a focus on community service. Collective Catholic action, or "public Catholicism," as showcased in the introduction of this report could see a reemergence. This requires stepping out of one's comfort zone, but I think community is what most yearn for as we exit the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Imagine Catholics gathering together as a visible family again? Don't just imagine. Seek to make this happen!
Surprisingly, the idea behind this Great Novena comes from Poland. As recounted by the Great Novena website, "In 1953 in Poland, Bl. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was imprisoned for three years by the occupying Communist regime. The fruit of his prayer in prison was the launch of a nine-year national initiative of prayer and study that would lead up to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland in 1966...In 1979, St. John Paul II’s visit to Poland sparked the Solidarity Movement which would overthrow the regime. It was Cardinal Wyszyński’s Great Novena that laid the moral and religious foundation for the success of Solidarity and the liberation of Poland." [3]
With this Polish precedent of success, the opening session was optimistic. With a diverse audience, the founding masterminds explained their vision underneath the towering Cathedral of the Assumption, inside the Archdiocese History Center, a museum where you can imagine the majesties of previous times, from the many entrancing golden monstrances to the solemn paintings of Frs. Badin and Nerinckx. A heavy focus was placed on unity, and many inspiring references to St. Pope John Paul II, the patron of the New Evangelization, were included.
Afterward, some participants eagerly discussed the National Eucharistic Congress or how the U.S. Bishops were coming to town in mid-June for their Plenary Assembly.
It is an exciting time for the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Louisville. For me, and many others, this is my home. We wish to share our fire and Our Lord with the nation.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
Fr. Nerinckx, intercede for this cause.
References
[1] The Life Of Rev Charles Nerinckx, by Camillus P. Maes
[2] The Conciliar-Evangelical Debate 69-94, McGavran
*American Crusade, Catholic Youth in the World Mission Movement from World War I through Vatican II, Fr. David J. Endres
*The New Pagans and the Church, 1958 Lecture by Joseph Ratzinger. Translated by Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.
*Catholics invited to help organize Great Novena, a nine-year prayer initiative, The Record
This is an excellent article. It's so good to hear about a different reason for the secularization and watering down of the Catholic faith, which has nothing to do with Vatican Council II.