In a word, converts and those who change jurisdictions often seek authenticity.

Ok please explain.

Does that need explaining?

"Who for us men and our salvation,"

"For he is good and loves mankind"

Nuff said. Let's not tamper with what doesn't need to be tampered with.

Fr Deacon Paul,



Excellent points. In my own business experience, I have been involved in trying to implement the Pareto rule, and it often does backfire.

But of course, a parish is a different situation than a business. What I think we must remember is that a parish is not primarily supposed to tailor itself to its members, but instead to the Deposit of Faith, found in the Scriptures and our Tradition. In doing so, many of the "80%" will come to be attracted to this more full experience of the faith. Will some of them also be turned away? Possibly, but it is not the duty of the Christian to work on harvesting, but instead to simply plant the seeds and let the Lord harvest the souls.

In practical terms, what I mean is this: if a parish embraces their faith in a deeper and more traditional way (as many converts desire), this faithfulness to the Lord will reap many new souls and lead many of the "80%" into a deeper relationship with our Lord. However, if one simply desires a "lowest common denominator" practice of the faith, then the "20%' will be alienated, and the "80%" will not be challenged in any way to grow in their faith.

A related post entitled "Why do converts leave?"

http://www.palamas.info/2008/08/why-do-converts-leave.html

Amen. I agree wholeheartedly. In business I have seen poorly executed "80/20" business plans destroy the economic lives of the employees' families -- so too will poorly executed plans in a parish or Church destroy many spiritual lives.

That is why we must pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire our clergy to truly become the "shepherd" of each individual in the parish. In general our parishes are small enough that this is possible. The shepherd should encourage those "on fire" so they can inspire the "quiet" souls so that their "lukewarmness' may turn to the fire of the Holy Spirit. This must be done in a manner that doesn't tempt envy or jealousy among the "old guard."
This is easy for me to say, but extremely hard to accomplish on a human level. ......"but with God all things are possible."


Not to change the subject, but I see a strong correlation between the "Why do converts leave" link that Byzantine TX left, and the "Medjugorje pilgrims" of a decade ago. They also came back to America "on fire" and ready for the fasting and prayer to aid their true conversion, only to be derided and avoided and told that they were being deceived by the devil. Those who persevered truly noticed a "quiet" conversion toward a "quieter but fulfilling" conversion in which the Mother of God led them to a better understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Deacon Paul

Virtually all of the comments here have to do with local parish issues and most have to do with feelings or fellowship. That's fine as far as it goes but people convert for far more serious issues than that, at least in my case and in the cases of most of the converts I know. I'm thankful for the comraderie at Annunciation and strive for more of it. Yet, most of the converts I know have a profound respect for the Truth that the Church proclaims. I would go so far as to say that I can find fellowship and hearty handshakes in many many places that do not demand anywhere near the allegience that the True Church demands. Moreover, those affiliations are much less financially demanding.

I sought and many of the converts I know sought a place for confession. I sought a place that respects ones own patrimony not as a passing fancy but as that which connects us with God and Truth. I sought a place in which Bishops and priests were respected for their loyalty to a patrimony that connects us to Christ and the Apostles. I sought a Church that respects its monastic patrimony.

What keeps me is the extent to which Annunciation remains focused upon that. What tempts me to look elsewhere is the lack of it and actual attacks upon it as represented by the forced feeding of a liturgy that sometimes panders ot passing femininism and by some in the hierarchy that say good thinks about our monastic heritage but do many things to destroy it. More could be said but perhaps not on a public forum and perhaps not yet.

CDL