Are you part of the Great Catholic Migration of the 21st Century?

Ever since my post “My Initial Doubts about the Latin Mass” also known affectionately as the “Grover Mass Post,” I have been receiving numerous Facebook messages, emails, and comments from Catholics who read this blog and want advice about their current “parish crisis.” The messages go like this:

• My priest tells off-color jokes in the homily. What should I do?
• The local RCIA instructor taught that contraception is a “personal decision” and when I asked the priest about it, he didn’t think it was a big deal.
• In confession, my priest said that “the pill” is okay in certain situations.
• The nuns at my parochial school are promoting {insert something sketchy}, should I talk to my priest about it?
• Our parish promotes Eastern non-Christian mystical practices and prayers? Should I say something?
• My pastor has forbidden Communion on the tongue. What should I do?
• The priest at my parish changes the words of the liturgy, for example “Son of Man” to “Son of Humanity” in order to be gender inclusive. Should I talk to him about this?

What do you now do?

My advice is that you should join the Great Catholic Migration of the 21st Century. Most people recognize that there is a de facto division growing within the Catholic Church. It’s not popular are “ecclesiastically correct” to talk about this, but it’s the elephant in the living room.

There are those cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and laity who are 100% supportive of the Holy Father and Catholic Tradition and then there is another group that is not 100% supportive.

My experience, and the experience of others, confirms that Group B is not sympathetic or helpful to the lay people belonging to Group A. I realize that this is a controversial analysis. I’m avoiding the terms “liberal” and “conservative” so that this comment feed doesn’t spin out of control. However, we can all readily identify the theology, liturgical styles, magazines, publications, Catholic schools, politicians, and Catholic universities that belong to Group B. Group B is, no doubt, still the majority in America.

Join the Great Catholic Migration:

Yet in the last several years, since the beginning of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, a migration has been occurring. The folks in Group A are growing weary and discouraged. They love Christ, love Mary, love the Pope, love traditional devotions, they love traditional Catholic architecture (not white-washed auditoriums or modern “worship spaces”), they love Gregorian chant, reverence, beauty, and anything else that brings glory and honor to Christ. These people are those that pray and give the most, and they are tired of being beat up. They are now migrating.

Parish Migration

Here is what I mean by migration. These Catholics are not physically moving to new geographic areas (though some Catholics do literally move to be part of a wonderful parish). They are realigning their attendance, resources, skills, and money to those parishes, orders, schools, colleges, and other institutions that support and promote traditional Catholic orthodoxy and practice. These Catholics see beyond the slogans, clichés, and gimmicks of Group B’s institutional advantage, and they are becoming aware of Catholic leaders and clergy who are spear-heading this great migration.

Financial Migration

This migration is made possible through public transportation and the internet. People can now drive to the “solid parish” in the diocese. They can now have fellowship and friendship with like-minded Catholics via the internet. They can refuse to put their money in the local parish collection and instead send it the FSSP, the Norbertines of Orange County, the Canons of St John Cantius, or to a solid orthodox College that promotes the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church. A large network is currently being extended and strengthened. It’s unstoppable.

What we have is a Catholic realignment and people are talking about it every day. It is only a matter of time before more and more people vote with their feet and vote with their pocket books. The dissenting parts of the Church will wither and die. Their influence will shrivel up.

For those that have written to me about their crises of conscience, my advice to you is this: begin the migration. I’ll probably catch flack from this, but I have prayed about it and asked Christ to lead me on this question. I’d encourage all of you to do the same. Ask Christ our Lord where He wants you to be.

Is it a form of good stewardship to tithe your money to dissenting priests and parish staffs? Is it a form of good stewardship to submit your children to lame homilies, banal liturgy, and heterodoxy? I’ve only been given one life to live and Christ will ask me to give an account for each and every moment. I don’t want to waste it and I bet that you don’t want to waste it either.

Begin migrating to the good and holy priests who offer themselves as living sacrifices…for our spiritual well-being. Support these holy men!

1. Find a monastery and get to know the religious there. Are they solid? Then support them with your money and prayers. Where is the closest discalced Carmelite convent to you? Start supporting them asking for their prayers?
2. What about seminaries? You don’t need me to tell you that not all seminaries are faithful and orthodox. There are still rotten seminaries out there. Research and ask about the seminaries near you. Visit them and learn about their curriculum and liturgical practices. Support the best seminaries. Focus your resources there.
3. Begin researching Catholic Colleges that actually instill a deep Catholic faith in their students. Are these colleges equipping 22-year-olds to live debt-free, have large families, or find vocations? Support them. These institutions are the future of Catholicism.

Don’t waste your God-given time and money on apostolates, parishes, and schools that are not fully supporting the one true Faith without which it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).

I’d like to hear from you:

1. First, is the Great Migration an over-reaction? I don’t think it is, but there may be those that beg to differ.
2. Second, have experienced a crisis in your own parish life. If so, pause, take a deep breath and don’t write anything scandalous in the comments. Show respect and restraint. Instead, share with us how you fixed the problem or migrated with your family.
3. Third, I’m advocating a positive approach. I don’t think we should be a crusade to rip apart the dissenting parts of the Church. I prefer to be a gentlemen about it. I’m not going to fight or argue about it. I’m just going elsewhere. I’m going quietly, but I’m bring people with me.
4. Fourth, please subscribe to my blog for daily updates on this subject an others. You can get a daily email with posts like this, free, by clicking here and signing up for the email feed.

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