Boston College and Notre Dame present 20-year

Father Leahy said that events on the campuses of Catholic institutions, high schools, and elementary schools would significantly impact how the Church is renewed. (Photo by Josh Applegate from Unsplash)

Boston College and Notre Dame presented a 20-year vision for revitalizing the Church during the luncheon event "A Conversation on the Catholic Church."

Rev. William Leahy, the university's 25th president, represented Boston College. Meanwhile, Rev. John Jenkins, the university's 17th president, spoke for Notre Dame.

Charles I. Clough, current chairman of Clough Capital Partners and a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Boston, moderated the discussion.

The Issue

Clough stated that the mission of renewal "is becoming increasingly onerous" and is no longer as easy as attempting to reverse a 50-year decline in vocations to the priesthood.

At a time when Catholic schools and parishes are continuing to combine or disappear, seminaries are under pressure to consolidate.

That said, Clough reported substantial reductions in sacramental participation, religious practice, and allegiance among the faithful.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University released data that supported Clough's claims.

The data showed a significant decline in sacramental marriages, the first Holy Communions, confirmations, and baptisms since 2000.

Data also showed that the number of Americans who identify as former Catholics are high as 30 million. However, less than one in four self-identified Catholics attend Sunday Mass.

Addressing the Challenge

According to Father Leahy, dioceses should adopt the boards of lay trustees that Catholic colleges have established.

The board would comprise the bishop, who would continue to have complete authority over religion and morality.

Father Leahy said that such a board would provide expert advice on facilities, fundraising, operations, and other issues.

Father Jenkins agreed, at least in terms of the general idea, that lay participation is crucial to the long-term health of the Church.

He asserted that the dioceses that "de facto bring in lay persons" to leadership and consulting roles are the strongest.

Aside from adopting the model of having a board of lay trustees, Father Jenkins stated that they should look for opportunities within the changing trends in culture and religious organizations.

He stated that societal trends away from marriage, family life, and political engagement present an opportunity for them to intervene.

He said that it's obvious that young people nowadays are fairly lonely.

While they may not attend Church, they still have a spiritual need.

According to the two priests, education will be important at all levels.

Father Leahy said that events on the campuses of Catholic institutions, high schools, and elementary schools would significantly impact how the Church is renewed.

For this reason, he stated that keeping many of those schools open is crucial.

The two priests also touched on issues regarding women as leaders in the Church.

While Father Leahy stated that he expects to see married priests in his lifetime, he does not anticipate the issue of women's ordination to be resolved anytime soon.

This is less due to theology than it is due to social reality and the need for coherence in a global Church that is not yet prepared to accept such a move.

However, as much as structural or doctrinal changes strengthen the Church, Father Jenkins stated that the Church's greatest power relies upon the holiness of its members.