Traditional Catholic parishes
grow even as US Catholicism declines

Sadly, the Vatican socialists will be all over this parish in 5..4..3....

It's a pity that the nearest parish is a two and a half hour ferry ride/drive from me. I miss the Latin Mass and have ever since I made my Confirmation in Latin in 1965, and the following week began to learn the New Liturgy because the old Baltimore Catechism theology was "banned".

Allow me to reminisce about my Roman Catholic days. I was born and baptized into the faith in 1939. And from 1951 to 1955 I was an altar boy, learning Latin to give the responses to our priest's Latin liturgy. The Mass was a quiet time for contemplation. Congregants didn't pray out loud, except for the Apostle's Creed, didn't sing, but found affirmation in the solemn occasion. Sermons were short - 15 minutes at best - and if you attended the 8 AM Mass on Sunday, there was no sermon at all. Taking Holy Communion required confession first, done on Saturday. The priest assigned, as penance, several Hail Marys, which I always found odd. The process required faith - faith in God, His son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. It also required faith in the priest, who was an admired figure in the community, a belief that he had the power of transubstantiation - that the host was turned into the physical body and blood of Christ by the power vested in the priest through ordination.. Then in the mid 1960s, along came the effects of Vatican II. Liturgy in the native language, congregants fully engaged in the vocal prayers, guitars over the peaceful organ, way too much singing. Confession became obsolete. Mass went from a quiet time of contemplation, concerning the mystery of the faith, to full engagement. Young priests came along, some of them as effeminate as Liberace. Nuns shed their habits, and went from being quiet efficient teachers to loudmouthed social workers/social justice warriors.. Catholic schools were shuttered, mostly because the nuns were turned off by teaching, turned on by social work. And I tuned out. It was all too much for me.

Two things the church needs to do: 1) allow priests to be married 2) elect a Pope who is not a socialist.

The evolution of the world as changed many things, including religion and the way we practice it. The Catholic Church is still a solid community even with all the recent scandals and the socialist Pope. Many churches are now offering a modern service and a traditional service from which to choose. I can still remember reciting the old Latin responses to the priest and to me those always feel more solemn.

#4 - I don't think you'll find too many married men who will spend 8 years in college for a job that pays $15,000 per year. I wish this order would open up a church where I live.

How does allowing priests to marry solve the problem of rampant homosexuality? Oh, wait - - it's 2019 - - the priests marry each other. Good - - I'm glad i thought of that.

Yay baby! Rain in the desert.

Here's a map showing where to find 'em. Gonna go...

I suspect that the growth in the "traditional" parishes is due to the influx of people who have left those under the socialist guidance of Pope Frank but still have allegiance to the Catholic Church. Two thousand years of survival through much worse still make it a strong and respected institution in their minds. Don't let that $15 thousand salary mislead you. The priest usually receives a free house, a housekeeper, food, a car and expenses along with his allowance and access to a lot of tax-free cash which some also consider a bonus. They must report donations to the area Bishop but ready cash is "flexible" as my old parish priest took advantage of. In a small Pennsylvania town of coal miners and factory workers he was the only one with two cars, a boat and enjoyed regular hunting and fishing trips to Canada. But he was not a homosexual nor did he abuse the altar boys except by regularly cussing us out when we made mistakes during mass.

Bravo, #3. You say it for me, but far better than I could. I was seven years an altar boy in the late 50's - early 60's. When the guitars came in, I went out. The trivialization of the sacred music was appalling, and continues apace. BTW, one of the early debauchers of this music, guitarist and Jesuit seminarian Paul Quinlan, who wrote so much of the early dumbed-down Mass music with guitar, left the order and spent most of his working life as a UPS driver.

But many of them have switched to services in Spanish. Could that have any connection to the Church's position of open borders and sanctuary cities?

Watch and listen to any of Malachi Martin's videos on You Tube. He predicted it all. He was a prophet for our time.

There’s a traditional priest blogger I follow at https://wdtprs.com/ There’s still hope for the church.

For #3, I grieve your loss albeit from the Presbyterian perspective. Put away the hymnals and flash the words on a screen! Switch from the time-honored KJV to some modern translation that sounds more like a trashy comic book than Holy Scriptures. Leave off singing the Gloria Patri because the new people don't know it. There is grief enough to go around. We'll all get a taste of it.