Seven Simple Ways to Help a Byzantine Parish Grow

By Anthony T. Dragani

In my years with Protestant Christian communities, I had
the opportunity to witness some very effective methods of
evangelization. Many of these techniques were elaborate and
complex, while others were simple yet astonishingly effective.
Now, as a Byzantine Catholic Christian, I have been blessed with
the riches of the Eastern Christian Tradition. I have a desire to
share this wealth with anyone who will listen.

The sad truth is that most Byzantine Catholic parishes have
never had the opportunity to evangelize, nor are aware of how to go
about it. In the past evangelization may not have seemed
necessary, as there was an overflowing immigrant community whose
spiritual needs had to be ministered to. But with increased
migration throughout the U.S., a large number of our parishes have
witnessed a sharp drop in membership. In some tragic instances,
the children of the immigrants are no longer interested in the
Eastern Tradition, which they associate with ethnicity, and opt for
an “American” religion. In either case, it has become apparent
that the Byzantine Catholic Church will either have to evangelize
or downsize.

This brief essay is in no way a plan for evangelization or
outreach. Instead, I intend to present seven very simple,
inexpensive means that many Protestant communities use to boost
membership. I have personally encountered the use of every one of
these techniques, and can attest to their effectiveness.
As Eastern Christians, our greatest tool of outreach is our
magnificent liturgical life. This alone has the power to attract
and convert countless new members. Therefore, the secret to our
growth lies in opening up our liturgical treasury to those on the
outside. That is the guiding principle behind each of these
suggestions.

1. Erect a large, visible sign in the parish’s front yard. This,
surprisingly, can be enough to draw lots of curious inquirers. To
be effective, this sign should include a schedule of weekend
services, as well as the caption “Everyone is Welcome!” This is a
key point. Many neighbors have driven past Byzantine parishes for
years, wondering what goes on inside. Often they are not aware
that visitors are welcome. As a new convert to the Byzantine
faith, I can personally attest that the common assumption is that
the Byzantine churches are only for ethnic folk, and that non-
ethnic visitors are not welcome. A clearly visible sign stating
the opposite can go a long way in dispelling this myth.

2. Have the schedule for weekend and holy day liturgies announced
on the answering machine. Doing so makes it far easier for a
visitor or traveler to drop in for services. Rather than calling
and speaking directly to the priest, which can intimidate curious
newcomers, it is more convenient for them to call and hear an
updated schedule. In some cases the priest is away from the
rectory for a period of days, and the inquirer doesn’t want to
leave a message on the machine. In any case, having a schedule of
services on the machine contributes greatly to the feeling of
openness, that this is a parish that welcomes new members,

3. Print an open invitation to visitors on the back of every
bulletin. One of our parishes, Holy Protection of Mary in Homer
City, PA, is doing this already. Holy Protection’s invitation
stresses that “My Father’s House is a Place of Worship for All
Peoples,” and invites anyone from any “racial or ethnic background”
to join the parish if they are looking for a spiritual home. This
is wonderful, and very needed! Speaking from personal experience,
for years I visited Byzantine parishes and secretly wished that I
could be Byzantine. If only I had been born into a Ruthenian
family, I thought to myself. I honestly was not aware that non-
Ruthenians were welcome to become Byzantine. When I discovered
that it was possible for me join, I jumped at the chance (thanks to
Father Chura, who brought me in to the community). There are many
others out there who would join if they knew that they are welcome.

4. Distribute a “visitor packet.” This can be as simple as placing
a few leaflets in a folder affixed with the parish’s name and phone
number. There are some excellent leaflets available from Byzantine
Seminary Press which offer introductions to the Divine Liturgy and
the interior of a Byzantine church building. A leaflet explaining
the history and spirituality of the Byzantine tradition would also
be useful. The importance of these leaflets is that they make the
Divine Liturgy more accessible to visitors, who may come back for a
second visit - and never leave.

5. Distribute a free audiocassette of the Divine Liturgy in
English. This can get a tad pricey, but is worth it in the long
run. Among the Vineyard movement of Protestant communities, it is
common for each visitor to be given a tape of charismatic praise
and worship music. These visitors often listen to the tape
throughout the week in their car stereo, and find the praise and
worship tunes to be catchy and inspiring. The Vineyard community
has encouraged more than one visitor to return through these
tapes. For the Byzantine Church, our greatest treasure is the
Divine Liturgy, with its haunting music and doctrinally rich
chant. When I attended my first several Divine Liturgies, I found
the music stuck in my head throughout the week. This made me come
back for more (the Trisagion can be very catchy). Giving each
visitor a free tape of the liturgy would certainly go a long way
towards bringing back more visitors, and eventually drawing new
members into the community.

6. Place a small advertisement in the Yellow Pages. While this can
be a little costly as well, the marked increase in attendance will
certainly cover the cost in the long run. Again, the key to
running a successful advertisement is to highlight our prime asset:
the awesome liturgy. The advertisement only has to be a small one,
perhaps only a few boldfaced words in the “church” section.
Something along the lines of “beautiful, mystical liturgy… everyone
is welcome” would be very appropriate and inexpensive. Many Yellow
Pages customers automatically discount Eastern parishes when
looking for a new spiritual home because they are under the
impression that our parishes are only for ethnic eastern
Europeans. Therefore it is very important to emphasize in this ad
that everyone is welcome in your parish.

7. Produce and distribute parish bumper stickers. Once again this
entails a modest startup cost, but can reap eternal rewards. A
single bumper sticker is read by thousands of people, and can be a
relatively inexpensive means of reaching a large audience. The
sticker itself need only include the name of the parish (with the
words Byzantine Catholic, of course) and a phone number. A catchy
slogan or even visual may be possible as well. The importance of
the bumper sticker is that it raises awareness that we exist. So
often people assume that Christianity is composed only of Roman
Catholics or Protestants. Just getting the word out on the street
that Byzantine Catholics exist is a worthwhile mission in itself.
And some curious individuals will call the phone number and pay a
visit to the parish, just to learn what a “Byzantine Catholic” is.

Again, these are only suggestions that I am making, although I have
seen them used with great success in the Protestant world. These
are all relatively simple measures, none of which are outrageously
time consuming. Yet they may yield great fruits if we give them a
chance. We in the Byzantine Church have such a great treasure.
Yet we must begin to get the word out if we are going to preserve
this legacy.


[This message has been edited by Dragani (edited 04-29-2000).]

I saw a bumper sticker awhile back that said, "Byzantine Catholic--There is a difference"

I've been driving for over two years now with a "Slava Isusu Christu" bumper sticker on my car. Many times I get asked "What the heck does that mean?" I smile and say "Thank you for asking" and then proceed with my homily!!!

Joe Prokopchak
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

Dear Anthony,

Christ is Risen!

You make some excellent points -- "doable" things for almost any parish to follow through with, and I hope that those which haven't done these things may put them on their to-do list.

But regarding a Yellow Pages listing, in a few cases where I've mentioned to a Byzantine Catholic priest the lack of even a one-line listing of the parish in the local Yellow Pages, their rationale seems to be this:

In parishes where they've been that had *anything* in the Yellow Pages, the listing brought in absolutely no visitors or new members, but an endless stream of solicitation for $$ handouts.

Another problem with the Yellow Page listings which *do* exist is this: all too often the parish is listed in the "Roman Catholic" section and sometimes does not even put the word "Byzantine" in its name. Other times I've seen only Ruthenian & Melkite churches in "Churches-Catholic-Eastern Rite" or "Churches-Catholic-Byzantine" and seen Ukrainian churches in the section "Churches-Catholic-Latin Rite". Likewise, some of our parishes have signs in the yard which say "St. so-and-so Catholic Church" and either have "Byzantine Rite" so small it's unreadable, or don't mention it at all. The largest parish in our Metropolia is one such example.

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 04-29-2000).]

While I'm at the complaining (who, me?), another example of a missed opportunity is (sorry to pick on them, but-) our St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church in Monessen, Pa.

The parish cemetery sits on a hillside overlooking busy Interstate 70 in southwest Pennsylvania. The parish has erected a large crucifixion shrine (Latin style with statues and such) at the edge of the property, directly facing the highway, which is clearly and unmistakably visible to thousands of commuters every day. The sign identifying the shrine says only this:

ST. MARY'S
of Monessen, Pa.

[This message has been edited by RichC (edited 04-29-2000).]

Rich and Joe,

Thanks for the feedback! Regarding theyellow pages listing, I think that in order
to be effective it needs to state Byzantine Catholic in the listing, and also give a little pitch. A yellow page listing with a small pitch will bring visitors, in my humble experience. Something with "everyone welcome" is also important, as it makes people realize that they can come and visit.

Regarding the Latin shrine and sign facing the highway, that is a real shame. For so long we advertised our parishes as "St. So and So," with Byzantine rite in small letters below. It is as if we want to play down what makes us distinctive. So many of our young people have assimilated this idea that they grow up and go to the most convenient parish - which is always Latin.

In order to grow, we need to advertise that which makes us distinctive. We have such a rich tradition, and we can't afford to keep playing it down. I became Byzantine Catholic because I WANT to be Eastern. Not so that I can play down my Easterness and pretend to be Latin. To attract new members, we must capitalize on what is unique about us.

To everyone,

Hey, if you like any of the ideas above, please mention them to your pastor. Feel free to print out the article and give it away! I wrote the essay to be implemented, not just read. Give it a try.

Anthony

[This message has been edited by Dragani (edited 04-30-2000).]

I would like to visit. Please let me know where I can find Byzantine in Northern Alabama. Thank you

Dear Dominic,
Unfortunately, there are no Byzantine Catholic Churches in or very near Norhern Alabama. If, however, you will go to the Directory of Parishes, and click on either "AL" or "TN", you will find contacts who may be able to tell you if and when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Don't despair, if you are truly drawn to us, your contact to one of these individuals may "put us over the top" for increased missionary work in your area.
I have also found that the Directory is not always up to date. For example, I discovered that the Divine Liturgy is celebrated once a month in Louisville, KY by a bi-ritual priest.
Good topic! We ARE out there; we DON'T do a very good job of making ourselves known or accessible.
Christos voskrese,
Christopher