Friday, August 20, 2010

Catholic Church Sees Big Decline in Weddings; "Church Not Relevant" for Many Young People

The Everyday Christian website reports today (August 20, 2010) that the number of church weddings among Boston area Catholics is dropping rapidly. The local diocese reports that less than half as many couples are tying the knot in a traditional fashion as a decade ago.

Catholic priests in Massachusetts said there are a number of reasons for the decline: the growing popularity of "destination weddings," higher numbers of unwed couples living together, and the fact that there are fewer practicing Catholics than in the past.

Exacerbating this matter, is the fact that many longtime Catholics were driven out by the priest abuse scandal, and the younger generation is not producing as many churchgoers.

The Rev. Dennis Nason, pastor of All Saints Parish in Haverhill, Massachusetts, said the church is just not relevant for many young people today. "They don't go to church, so it doesn't have any meaning to them," he said.

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