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College years represent some of the most difficult, but promising years of spiritual search for individuals. This presentation uses sociological data to show both the current crisis and opportunity of these years for the Catholic faith.
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Crisis and Opportunity Crisis and Opportunity on College Campuseson College Campuses
Jason Simon, Executive Director
www.evangelicalcatholic.org
A Real-Life Story of Conversion
The Crisis
UCLA’s 2004-2007 Study: Spirituality in Higher Education
Percentage Frequently Attending Religious Services
Freshman: 43.7% Juniors: 25.4%
Almost 1 in 5 stop attending church.
The Crisis
UCLA’s study found that:
Students say they are becoming
less religious and more spiritual
YET…
“my life is filled with stress and anxiety”Increased 16%
“overwhelmed by everything I have to do”Increased 14%
“depressed”Increased 3%
The Crisis Pre-Vatican II Generation
Catholics (66+ yrs old in 2008) attend Mass once a week
45%
Millennial Generation Catholics (18 to 26 yr old) attend Mass once a week
18%
Georgetown’s CARA Study: Sacraments Today (2008)
The Crisis
Roughly 10% of Americans are former Catholics (2008 PEW “Religious Landscape Survey”)
36% of former Catholics say they stopped thinking of themselves as Catholic between the ages of 18 and 29. (CARA 2008)
The Crisis
91% of the Millennial Generation Catholic men have never considered becoming a priest (2008 CARA Study).
The Opportunity
INVOLVED IN PARISH OUTSIDE OF MASS Attended a Catholic College and took part
in the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) – 31% VERY INVOLVED
Catholic College but NO CCM – 14% Non-Catholic College but CCM – 72% at
least a little Non-Catholic College and CCM – 54% at
least a little
Most likely to receive ashes and abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent?
18 to 26 year olds that attend Mass frequently
Among Catholics who attend Mass at least once a month, who is most likely to agree that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist?
Pre-Vatican II Catholics (66+ Years)Vatican II Catholics (48 to 65 Years)Post-Vatican II Catholics (27 to 48 Years)Millennial Catholics (18 to 26 Years)
– 85%
– 86%
The Opportunity
WEEKLY MASS ATTENDANCE
CARA Campus Ministry Impact Study
Attended a non-Catholic College but participated in the Catholic Campus Ministry
48%
Attended non-Catholic College and did not participate in the Catholic Campus Ministry
32%
The Opportunity
CATHOLIC FAITH AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF DAILY LIFE
Attended a Catholic College and participated in the Catholic Campus Ministry
65%
Attended a Catholic College but did not participate in the Catholic Campus Ministry
52%
What Students Don’t Want
A Formula Too simplistic and absolute
An Institution Prefer to float rather than identify
A Rescue Plan Don’t fear hell
What Students Do Want
Authentic Relationships Meaning & Purpose Love
Pope Paul VI, “need witnesses not teachers”
Is the Catholic Church in Trouble?
Authentic Relationships
Meaning Purpose
A Formula Too simplistic and
absolute An Institution
Prefer to float rather than identify
A Rescue Plan Don’t fear hell
They want… They don’t want…
Isn’t the Catholic Church in Trouble? NO!
Pope Benedict XVI in the opening paragraph of Deus Caritas Est:
“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction (1).”
The Church needs to focus on facilitating this encounter with Christ through authentic, loving relationships that draw people to Christ in both Word and Sacrament.
