While Christianity in the United States and most of the Western Hemisphere faces diminishing attendance across most denominations, Archbishop James Checchio joined WWL's Dave Cohen to relay that, this year, for New Orleans and many parishes nationwide, attendance, confirmation, and baptisms have bucked the trend.
"Mass attendance is up. Our number of converts is up," says the Archbishop. "At Easter vigil, we baptize people, confirm people, and give (first) communion. We have close to 750 coming into the church this year. That's the most in the history of the Archdiocese. A couple of years ago, it was 200."
What's behind the rise? Checchio says that, as much as he'd like to, the credit is not his to take.
"Obviously, it's the Holy Spirit. It's going on across the country. Many dioceses and archdioceses have seen great increases this year," Checchio reveals. "I think there's an awakening. People want more and something deeper, something that gives meaning to their lives. I think the church, 2,000 years after Christ came, has a lot to offer. I think people are realizing that."
Checchio explains that much of the decline in attendance in recent years ties back to major impacts of both the church's sex abuse scandals and the COVID pandemic.
"So much of what we do is habit. People get in bad habits - with COVID, that happened. People stopped going to church because they couldn't go to church," says Checchio. "They get out of the habit of going and don't. And they might not notice a big difference at first...But when you're not going, it changes you. The Eucharist and the Mass do something for us. It helps us. Nourishes us. Strengthens us. We have to get back in the habit and invite people to come back."
However, despite the struggles, the new Archbishop of New Orleans remains committed to the power of the message the church offers.
"We're going through Good Friday right now, and we read about the agony in the garden. The apostles fell asleep on him as he was going through this excruciating pain," Checchio says. "The apostles fell asleep with Jesus at that time. We fall asleep sometimes, too. All of us."
Checchio also shared thoughts on his acclimation to New Orleans.
"It's a beautiful city. I'm honored to be a part of it. And I'm thankful for the warm welcome," Checchio says. "The people are so welcoming and gracious and loving that it makes it easy to love them. And that's my job - to love them."
Hear the Archbishop speak on the meaning of Good Friday and about the almost 750 attendees who will be baptized, take first communion, or be confirmed this easter Sunday.
