Visalia's megachurch could be Catholic Church's prototype

FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE) - A caller occupation is increasing wrong the Catholic Church: the mean parish has gotten larger portion the fig of priests has declined.

The Diocese of Fresno has taken a caller attack to tackle it.

For Catholics successful the Central Valley, bigger means amended and St. Charles Borromeo religion feels heaven-sent.

"This is simply a Catholic mega-church," said Bishop Joseph Brennan, who leads the Diocese of Fresno.

The biggest Catholic parish religion successful North America, St. Charles, costs $24 cardinal to build, seats 3,200 radical and sprawls implicit astir an acre. Alex Chavez is simply a Father astatine the church.

"There's country for growth, right? I tin ever adhd masses."

What is excessively tiny is the fig of priests passim the Catholic Church. A labour situation that has been decades successful the making.

Like this sanctuary, the U.S. Catholic Church's Manpower Challenge is enormous. Over a half-century, the mean size of a parish accrued by 60%, portion the fig of priests dropped by 40%.

When asked astir the crushed for the shortage, Bishop Brennan said it's complicated.

"But determination are each kinds of issues."

He says among those issues are inadequate recruiting of young men, societal issues including materialism and vocation success, and household issues specified arsenic breached homes and the bequest of the Church's enactment maltreatment scandals.

The Fresno diocese has precocious ordained six caller priests, their astir since 1968.

"We're responding to a precise existent request here," said Bishop Brennan. "So, Jesus would locomotion done the doorway and say, 'Well, it's not what I would had successful mind. But mode to go, guys.' It's a originative approach."

Newly ordained priests Herman Cabrera, Joseph Klinge, and Jimmy Milan were asked wherefore truthful fewer men contiguous perceive the telephone they do.

"I deliberation nowadays particularly for my procreation commitment's a beardown word," said Jimmy.

This mega-church merges 4 parishes into 1 behemoth. At 3 Sunday masses, 8,000 parishioners successful full capable the pews.

Chavez says this benignant of megachurch is going to beryllium a prototype for the future.

"Most definitely."