STRUGGLING THROUGH MY FAITH JOURNEY
I was baptized in the Catholic faith (Latin Rite) and for most of my years, I have been happy with the pomp and circumstance that is Catholicism. Being a follower of rules, I believe that if you follow a certain order and live your life with that order, you will live a content life. I am not going to lie, there were times that my faith was weak, but after my husband and I both experienced life -threatening illnesses I realized it was faith and the belief that God had a plan brought us through. I know by the grace of God, my husband and I were healed. Perhaps because we were still needed in out earthly life. But, lately I have been struggling, not with the faith but with the “powers that be” …not the pope but my local diocesan bishop. I believe changes he is making are not for the better. The staff at the pastoral office is getting larger and larger every time I check the staff page. Directors abound, fancy titles seem the norm, then coordinators or office assistants to support each department. Yet, the advisement is to regionalize parishes to cut down on staff…I guess so any assessed monies go to supporting the large staff in the pastoral office. In my opinion the regionalization is destroying the community feel of parishes.
In an attempt to determine WHY people are choosing a different path or denomination, a new director of Faith, Family, and Discipleship was hired. Regional directors were assigned to Faith Formation, Youth and/or Campus Ministry (where applicable). The cost is a huge burden on the smaller parishes and changing the way the new director wants to teach Catholicism is sending many in a tailspin. I have tried researching the Curriculum Vitae of the person hired and cannot find anything but a great public relations campaign from other parishes in which they were employed. It is odd that in this age of technology nothing concrete can be obtained. I will note that I have asked for qualification information on the director along with the regional directors hired. During the course of the conversation this requested was passed over and discussion was channeled in a different direction. Blame was placed on the people being lukewarm Catholics.
My opinion and many other people I have spoken with agree that Catholicism was “dumbed down” in the 1970’s making it a breeding ground for lukewarm Catholics. By shortcutting prayers, teachings, and Canon laws associated with Catholicism we lost a number of people in the young and middle age group. Most of the older generation stayed the course and kept the faith. But, now the struggle is real among many I have talked with; they feel that the hiring people to change the way Catholicism is taught yet again is a mistake and we need to address WHY we can’t keep youth interested beyond the Sacrament of Confirmation. Catholicism is not easy, if it is practiced as it has always been meant to be…”I believe in one holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”….and I hope many other people in my local diocese do as well and it is not destroyed from within.

S