Pastors should Spend more time on church suppers

As I write on this Tuesday morning I am thankful that our first Lenten soup supper went so well. Ed Sirois gave a great presentation on Mark’s Gospel, the RCIA class did the serving, 70 people came to the Mass and down to the hall afterwards. Following breakfast I went online and read an article forwarded to me by a good friend. The article was entitled “Researcher’s advice to pastors: Spend more time on church suppers” by Nancy Frazier O’Brien. She quotes Robert Putnam who suggests that pastors spend less time on the sermons, and more time arranging church suppers.” The study shows that the more church friends a person has, the happier he or she is. Sitting in the pew alone is not enough. Putnam writes “only when one forms social networks in a congregation does religious service attendance lend to a higher life satisfaction.” The parish that eats together stays together. What is so wonderful about the Barron Sunday night Catholicism series is that half the folks eat together before the session. As we move forward as a parish family it is my hope that we create multiple opportunities for people to gather and socialize. Jesus is present in the word, the Eucharist and, yes, even among His people. Fr. Bob Hawkins