Visalia, California — For Catholics in Central California, larger means higher — and St. Charles Borromeo Church feels heaven-sent. The largest Catholic parish church in North America has 3,200 seats, sprawls nearly an acre and value $21 million to construct.
“This is a Catholic megachurch,” said Bishop Joseph Brennan, who leads the Diocese of Fresno.
Father Alex Chavez, a pastor on the church, continues to be struck by its massive scale. And as big because it is, it may very well be even larger.
“There’s room for growth. I could all the time add masses,” Chavez said.
The Catholic Church is facing a labor crisis many years within the making. Over a half-century, the common size of a parish increased by 60%, while the variety of priests dropped by 40%, in keeping with the Center for Applied Research within the Apostolate.
“It’s huge, and it’s really across the board,” Brennan said. “It’s complicated, but there are all types of issues.”
Among them are inadequate recruiting of young men, societal issues including materialism and profession success, family issues corresponding to broken homes and the legacy of the church’s sex abuse scandals, in keeping with Vocation Ministry.
The Fresno Diocese recently ordained six latest priests — their most since 1968. But Brennan says he could use 25 every yr.
“I believe nowadays, especially for my generation, commitment’s a powerful word,” said Jimmy Millan, one in all the brand new priests at St. Charles Borromeo.
Joseph Klinge, one other newly ordained priest, says the Catholic Church’s history of sexual abuse have marred the image of the priesthood.
“I’ve had people call me a pedophile, only for wanting to turn into a priest. There’s wounds or scars, because that is a horrible thing,” Klinge said.
Still, the brand new priests are hopeful things could turn around.
Until it does, this megachurch merges 4 parishes into one behemoth. Across three Sunday masses, 8,000 parishioners in total fill the pews.
“We’re responding to a really real need. So Jesus would walk through the door and say, ‘Well it is not what I had in mind, but strategy to go, guys. It’s a creative approach.'”
