Bishops Barron and Paprocki stress importance of ‘inviting Catholics back to Mass’ – Catholic Telegraph

CNA Newsroom, July 26, 2024 / 11:30 a.m.

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester and Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield — both Chicagoans who have known each other since the early days of their priesthoods — recently sat down to discuss key aspects of living the Catholic faith today, including the importance of inviting Catholics who have stopped practicing their faith to return to Mass.

The two bishops, who have both gained a following in the media – Barron through his Word on fire ministry of media and Paprocki for his expertise as a canon lawyer — appeared with Andrew Hansen in the Diocese of Springfield Dive Deep Podcastrecorded during the National Eucharistic Congress last week in Indianapolis.

In light of the National Eucharistic Revival — the culmination of which was the July 17-21 congress — both men agreed that attending Sunday Mass and receiving Christ in the Eucharist is an “underrated” and crucial aspect not only of being Catholic but also of earthly happiness.

“The majority of Catholics, at least in our country, don’t go to Mass every Sunday… but actually, going to Mass on Sunday for us Catholics is the fulfillment of the third commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, and the Sabbath is Sunday, and that doesn’t happen twice a month or twice a year — it happens every week,” Paprocki said.

“(If) you want to be not only a good Catholic, but also happy, you should go to church every Sunday… As for closeness, (Jesus) comes directly into our hearts when we receive him in Holy Communion and it is a way of coming close to our Lord in terms of the body of Christ, the Church.”

Barron shared how as a bishop he visits parishes in his diocese and always ends his sermons with a call to “bring someone back sometime this year.”

“And that’s low-hanging fruit. You all know someone in your family, someone at work, some of your kids, whoever… bring that one person back, and we’ll double the size of this parish,” Barron said.

“Catholic people themselves must realize what Bishop Paprocki said, that in many ways they are the main evangelizers… bring them to Mass.”

Paprocki also noted that if children are raised with the expectation that attending Sunday Mass is a “given” and not optional, they are more likely to practice their faith as adults.

“Sometimes I talk to young children and we try to talk to them about the importance of going to Mass on Sunday, and they say, ‘Well, I want to go to Mass on Sunday, but my mom and dad don’t go, and they won’t take me’… and I think that’s really sad, because the children know they have to go to Mass on Sunday, and they want to go, but their parents don’t want to take them,” Paprocki said.

“When I was growing up, (going to Mass) was just a given… it wasn’t even a question. It’s Sunday and we go to Mass on Sunday, it’s just what we do. So I think if you can develop that habit and (your) kids go to Mass on Sunday, it’s something that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

During their half-hour conversation, Barron and Paprocki also discussed the importance of open dialogue about faith within families, and the need to counter the misconception that science and faith are incompatible.

“The Catholic Church is the great religion of ‘yes.’ It affirms life. God wants us to live fully and that includes every aspect of life,” Barron said.

The full video podcast is accessible here.