For the first time in 15 years, the Archdiocese of Detroit is asking
Detroit-area Catholics — from those who are registered parish members to
those who have fallen away from the faith — to answer an anonymous
survey about parish life and issues facing the church.
The Survey of the Faithful is available at www.aod.org
through Sunday.
It asks participants to rate parish ministries, the
quality of worship services, financial transparency and characteristics
they value most in a pastor, such as an “engaging preaching style” and
whether he “invites people into a personal relationship with Jesus.”
The
survey asks Catholics who don’t attend Sunday mass regularly to rate,
for example, whether it’s because they find the pastor or parish “not
welcoming” or find services “boring.”
The archdiocese said the
survey will help officials shape opportunities for involvement and
improved communication, and for future planning.
The survey avoids
asking participants’ opinions on controversial issues such as the
church’s teachings against female or married priests, contraception and
gay unions.
It does, however, ask parishioners whether the priest
shortage, parish closings and the priest sex abuse scandals should be
rated as serious, moderate, minor challenges.
It also asks Catholics to rate whether the Catholic Church “has changed too much” or “ has not changed enough.”
Recent
surveys show Catholics divided between those who say the church should
maintain traditional positions and those who favor a more modern church,
open to allowing priests to marry or be women, for example. As many as 1
out of 3 people raised Catholic have left the church, studies suggest.
The
archdiocese said there are 1.38 million people in its six counties who
identify as Catholics. About 700,000 are registered at about 240
Catholic parishes in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Livingston and St.
Clair counties. About 220,000 attend mass every week.
The
archdiocese said it will make the survey results available on its
website in early 2014.
Participants will be asked which parish they
attend, and results will be grouped by parishes and shared with parish
leaderships.
The results aren’t “intended to grade the performance
of your pastor,” said Joe Kohn, an archdiocesan spokesman, but they are
“meant to assess the effectiveness of the parish.”
It’s the
Archdiocese of Detroit’s first comprehensive survey of parishioners
since 1998-99, when officials began a new round of streamlining parishes
because of the priest shortage and changing demographics. That survey
drew about 94,000 responses. Kohn said Monday that church officials also
want to hear from lapsed Catholics.
“One of the main mission
priorities that we have — one of the most important things we do — is
evangelize,” said Kohn. “Participation in the survey from Catholics who
... are not practicing much can inform us on how to engage.”
In a letter published in parish bulletins, Archbishop Allen Vigneron urged participation in the survey.
“It
is important to be aware of how, you, the faithful, regard these
endeavors as well as your awareness of opportunities to engage in the
sacramental and ministerial life of your parish,” Vigneron wrote. “It is
additionally important to obtain your views on various aspects of
parish life and the challenges facing the church.”
Kohn said
Detroit archdiocese officials decided last spring to conduct the survey,
as the archdiocese continues to deal with merging and closing parishes.