Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century Author:Charles E. Zech, Mary L. Gautier, Mark M. Gray, Jonathon L. Wiggins, Thomas P. Gaunt The local parish is where Catholics experience their faith first hand. It is where members worship, attend classes, receive their sacraments and form communities. All parishes are complex social organizations, combining varying elements of leadership, finances, worship styles, community outreach programs, and approaches to religious education. P... more »arishioners are also complex, made up of diverse generational cohorts and ethnic groups, each with their own concerns and traditions. Nevertheless, they are all members of the universal church. While all parishes share some commonalities, they are all different. It is vitally important that church leaders understand the reality of local parish life. A seminal moment in the study of U.S. Catholic parish life came with the publication in the 1980s of a series of reports from the ground-breaking Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. Much has changed in the last 30 years. Some of the topics that were not considered then (the mobility of Catholics, the increase of cultural diversity, and the rise of lay leadership) have attained new significance and deserve an in-depth look. The authors employ data from a variety of recently completed studies to both update and expand on the Notre Dame Study. The data include not only factual information but also parishioner opinions on parish activities. Like the Notre Dame Study, their findings will surprise many, and will contribute to the conversation about the way parishes can better serve their members and the wider parish community.« less