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Why small faith communities matter more than ever in Catholic parishes
The Official Catholic Directory highlights parish size, but the article argues small faith communities foster deeper connection, spiritual growth, friendship and shared faith.
By Julie A. Ferraro | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
The “Official Catholic Directory” has been published by P.J. Kenedy since 1817. It is “the ‘GO-TO’ source for detailed information on the Catholic Church in the United States,” according to their website.
It is also the way to verify whether a Catholic institution is tax exempt — but that’s for another day.
The OCD, as it’s abbreviated, contains listings for over 17,000 parishes, as well as more than 5,700 Catholic schools, the names of priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals serving in the U.S., and a lot more. It’s even available in an online format these days, saving a few trees — because it’s a really thick book.
This is more than a trivia lesson, however.
If you look at the statistics for the parishes listed in the OCD — whether leafing through that book or on the web — the number of families or registered parishioners is a key factor. These numbers range from small to large, in the thousands.
Imagine, for a moment, hundreds or thousands of Catholics gathered in one church to celebrate the Eucharist. The crush of bodies can be quite impressive, and intimidating.
Some people — visitors, especially — might feel totally anonymous or like a non-entity among the “regulars.” They might feel they don’t belong among those who cheerily greet each other because they’ve shared this weekly community engagement for years.
Not to mention the reaction of those who suffer from social anxiety disorder, for whom being in any crowded space can cause a panic attack or other physical and mental health issues.
The value of small faith communities
This is where small faith communities come into the picture. While participation at Mass is essential for all Catholics, small faith communities offer a chance to actually nurture community in a more intentional way.
Joining anywhere from five to 10 others on a regular basis for prayer, Scripture reading and discussion or a picnic, outing to a park, etc., creates bonds of friendship and faith — an extended family with a common focus on growing spirituality by sharing God’s love with others.
Being part of a small faith community is a deliberate choice to live more intentionally, cultivate friendships that foster mutual kindness, compassion, selfless service, genuine listening — not just “surface” acquaintances masquerading as closeness in order to use the goodwill of others for one’s own agenda.
Small iIntentional communities grow Christian character
Unlike a playground game of football or dodgeball, where appointed captains pick their preferred teammates from a lineup of available youngsters, the randomness and sheer diversity of small faith community participants add to the opportunities for practicing virtues like patience, tolerance and unconditional love.
Not everyone will agree with viewpoints expressed during faith sharing or other conversations, but cultivating respect beyond the need for agreement will strengthen connections within the community, while offering opportunities to learn from the varied experiences and opinions of others.
Parishes have coordinated the creation of small faith communities in some places, but it isn’t necessary for a parish to sponsor such groups. The call of the Holy Spirit is expressed in many different ways, and if a group of the faithful believe they can benefit from forming a small faith community, they should continue that discernment and move forward with their plans.
Smaller gatherings discern the community’s charism together
Taking this dynamic one step further, some small faith communities intentionally adopt a specific charism, such as the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, or practices developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola — known as Ignatian spirituality — into their gatherings.
While vowed Franciscans, Benedictines, Dominicans and other religious communities welcome lay people to affiliate themselves with the various ministries and spirituality as associates or oblates, it is not necessary for a small faith community to have a “sponsoring” body. The writings and examples of the saints are open to all, without restriction.
Some small faith communities, especially those who have a chosen charism, take that intentionality even further by living together and sharing their daily lives more fully.
Perhaps, for those reading this, a quiet but persistent voice has been speaking to your heart for some time, seeking the type of connection a small faith community can offer.
If such groups aren’t active where you live, consider starting one. The possibilities to delve more deeply into a life of faith are worth the effort!
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Well said. I started a book group at my parish where 5-10 of us meet weekly to discuss books by Catholics (and sometimes non Catholics). We often end up going out to lunch together after and we’ve become a pretty tight knit group. Since we got to a very large parish (St Pius CdA), these small groups (which non denominational churches excel at and us Catholics could learn from) is key and something I am working at fostering more of.