Parish roundup: Accused priest supported; selling urban parishes; millennial requests

In Bakersfield, California, an overflow crowd of parishioners comes out in support of their pastor accused of sex abuse. Not everyone is happy about the turnout.

Why are urban Catholic parishes closing? One answer is that in flourishing cities there are few Catholics amid valuable real estate. That combination creates a temptation to sell church property for more condos.

Some donors to the Catholic Charities Appeal in Buffalo, New York, don't want their funds going to the local diocese.

The priest who officiated at her wedding is a sex abuser. A writer reflects on what that means.

How evangelical megachurches are incorporating Catholic prayer styles.

A snapshot: Catholic Church membership in Michigan is down by 17% since 2000.

St. Mary of the Springs Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas, marks its 150th anniversary, with a history that includes life in a town with a colorful history more noted for its sins than its sanctity.

What do millennial Catholics seek from parishes? A millennial focus group in Boston has its say. (Hint: Schedule parish activities beyond times convenient for retirees.)

[Peter Feuerherd is a correspondent for NCR's Field Hospital series on parish life and is a professor of journalism at St. John's University, New York.]

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