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The Power of the Priest

Based on my interviews with Catholics in Fort Wayne, IN, a majority of those who regularly attend Mass are indeed sorting themselves, although they might not identify it as such. By far the most common reason given by these Catholics for choosing particular parishes is the priest. Either they attend a parish because they resonate with its priest or because they did not connect with a priest at another parish.

One woman told me that she and her husband originally chose their parish based on the priest. When he was transferred, his replacement was a non-native speaker. While the couple responded well to him personally, they lamented that they were getting less out of the homilies due to his accent. They decided to try out different parishes and found one where Mass was more accessible and moving for them.

Another interviewee talked about the importance of good teaching. She said if her parish ended up with a “poor priest, [someone] who was teaching heresy from the pulpit,” that would be all the reason she’d need to move to another church.

Common Reasons for Sorting

Beyond the priest, my interviews highlighted several common reasons that have led Catholics in the Fort Wayne area to choose one parish over another.

Music plays an important role in deciding on a church. Some prefer very traditional music while others have a penchant for the contemporary. One thing became increasingly clear: almost no one had a neutral opinion on music choice. A retired music director at one parish highlighted this determining factor. He told me that when he retired, many of the long-time members moved to a different parish. He explained that he usually played contemporary music while his replacement was much more traditional. In another interview, when I asked a man why he had chosen to attend his parish, his answer was short and to the point: The traditional music.

Some Catholics, especially those with young families, sort themselves for the sense of belonging. One woman explained that her family chose their parish because it was the first time that they felt truly welcomed and accepted. Another interviewee told me, “To say every homily resonates with me would be a lie, but it’s a place where the connection in the community is so profound. It makes you want to come back.” Yet another emphasized the importance of her children being around a community of friends who were being raised with the same beliefs. All three of these women are mothers with young children and said finding a parish where they felt that their families were part of a larger community was the most important factor in choosing their church.

Many Catholics chose their church based on its associated parish school. A husband and wife told me that their church has a growing number of young families because many families send their kids to the school. The husband said, “I think that the caliber of the school is influencing the parents to return to the church. It’s gotten younger.” Another woman told me that they switched parishes when they had children because they wanted to attend the church connected to their kids’ school.

Maybe It's Okay to Stay

The days of simply attending your neighborhood parish may seem to be a thing of the past (if you live in an urban or suburban area, that is). For many Catholics, choices on everything from a priest to a music style can influence where they decide to attend and for how long. Yet, there are some Catholics who choose to stay regardless of change—whether from the church or their own circumstances.

In fact, some of the Catholics I interviewed described the same reasons that others are sorting as their reasons to stay in their current parishes. One woman initially sorted into a congregation based on a friend’s recommendation and the priest, but when the priest relocated, her family tried another parish based on its priest. After a few months, they knew the priest was less important than the community they had made at the other parish. Another couple sent their child to a Catholic school across the city, and while they debated moving closer to the school and attending its associated parish, they decided to instead commute to the school on weekdays and remain close to home for Mass.

Although proximity was at one time the number one deciding factor for many, now its influence is considerably less. Several interviewees began attending a church because it was the closest to their house, but even after new churches were built closer to their homes or they moved to other parts of the city, they remained loyal to that original parish. Many met their spouses there or fostered such deep communities that leaving for a closer parish would feel counter-intuitive.

Sorting is certainly happening and will likely continue as values and preferences evolve, but perhaps a stronger tie than personal choice is collective community—that connection with others supersedes individual preference. The question remains: What factors shape that sense of belonging? Cultural outlook? Political alignment? Consumer preferences? These aren’t unique to Catholic parishes as American congregations of many denominations ask themselves the same questions every day.

Lauren Palmer

Lauren Palmer graduated from Marian University with a double major in Spanish and French. She received her Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish from Indiana University Indianapolis. In the past, Lauren has taught as an adjunct professor of Spanish at both Marian University and Indiana University Indianapolis. Lauren has worked as a graduate assistant on Religion and Urban Culture 2.0. Lauren is currently working on her dissertation in the American Studies Ph.D. program at Indiana University Indianapolis, focusing on the state of global learning in Indiana.