More Fruits From The Way

The Guam Daily Post cites that Catholic baptisms, weddings, school enrollments, and Church attendance has decreased while the population continues to increase in Guam.  The Archdiocese of Agana is taking a survey from the folks in the pew to present their thoughts and input in their future as Catholics.  "How would you like to envision the Archdiocese of Agana in the year 2028?  We know where we are now, but, where do we, as a people of faith, want to be going?" the survey asks.  According to the Guam Daily Post: 

In several recent presentations, Archbishop Michael Byrnes has advised that Catholic Baptisms, Weddings, School enrollment and even church attendance is down while Guam’s population has increased. In spite of local belief, we are probably less than 50% Catholic and its time for us, the folks in the pew, to present our thoughts and have some input in our future.   

While Catholicism has declined in Guam, it increased significantly in the continents of Asia and Africa.  Vatican statistics show an increase in Catholic baptism worldwide especially in Asia and Africa.  Priestly vocations also increased in Asia and Africa. According to National Catholic Reporter (the bold is mine):

Although the number of priests has increased globally, the number has decreased slightly in Europe and Oceania, according to the Vatican's Central Office for Church Statistics.

The figures are presented in the "Annuario Pontificio 2016," the Vatican yearbook, and will appear in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which gives detailed figures on the church's workforce, sacramental life, dioceses and parishes as of Dec. 31, 2014...............

Despite the increase of Catholics worldwide, the yearbook noted a "less dynamic" growth of only 2 percent in Europe. While the continent is home to almost 40 percent of the Catholic global population, the percent of the world's Catholics living in Europe has slowly decreased over the past nine years, it said. 

However, with the exception of Oceania, the number of baptized Catholics has grown faster than the general population growth on every continent.

"The African continent remains without a doubt the one with the highest growth," the report said; the number of Catholics in Africa increased by 41 percent, while the number of Catholics in Asia grew by 20 percent. 

Christian Europe has declined, and Oceania is following the same trend.  This is one of the reasons why the Neocatechumenal Way was sent to Europe.  Europe needed to be re-evangelized.  The Neocatechumenal Way has met with much success in Northern Europe.  According to an article in Catholic revival:

In Scandinavia, the Neocatechumenal Way - mission-focus community founded by Spanish painter Kiko Arguello - is playing a key role in evangelization.  Denmark, a country with just 40,000 Catholics, has 18 Neocatechumenal seminarians, while Finland, with just 10,500 Catholics, has 15.  Meanwhile a growing number of Scandinavians are becoming nuns; their numbers have inched up to 680.

Also, according to the Catholic World Report:

Finland’s high statistical ratio of seminarians to Catholics is attributable to the controversial presence of a Neocatechumenal Way seminary in the nation’s sole diocese of Helsinki.  

There were some Traditional Latin Mass Catholics who claimed that the NCW is not needed in Guam simply because Guam is 85% Catholic. Well, according to Archbishop Byrnes, that number may be less than 50%; therefore, it seems that like Europe, Guam also needs to be re-evangelized. 

In Guam, the Way started with one community and has grown to more than 20 communities.  There is also a community in the Department of Corrections.  Guam had a Redemptoris Mater Seminary in which 17 priests were ordained for the Archdiocese of Agana.  The RMS in Guam could have provided declining Oceania with more Catholic priests.  Before it was closed down, seminarians from Western and American Samoa were sending their seminarians to Guam rather than to Fiji.  The NCW in Guam had inspired men into the priesthood and women into the religious convent. 

The NCW had also evangelized door to door and brought back some fallen away Catholics and a few Protestant converts.  The NCW has inspired more people to be committed into the parish life through volunteer work.  This is seen not only in Guam, but worldwide. The NCW has stirred some controversy among Catholics who prefer the days of Pre-Vatican II, but it has also inspired commitment to the universal Church, the Catholic Church.  According to a news report in Malaysia:

The Neocatechumenal Way is helping people who have experienced difficult times living as Catholics in the the Malaysian state of Sabah.

“When Islamisation increased during the 1970s, people began to ask ‘What next?’ Many were in difficult financial positions. They were desperate.”

“They once had everything and enjoyed everything and suddenly there was nothing,” said Stephen Chu, a member of the Way

“When the Neocatechumenal Way came here initially no one expected that it would stay but it thrived,” said Chu.

The Way numbers about 1,000 members and it is growing. The Catholic population in Sabah is around 370,000........

The first community in Malaysia was formed from a core group of about 20 or so in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital city. 

Now there are 30 communities.

The growth took place when the Catholic community in Sabah was in a state of flux when the country’s leaders were prioritising Islam at every level. 

The Archdiocese of Agana wants the opinions of the Catholic priests and people.  Here is one opinion.  Allow the NCW in Guam to do its work here.  After all, someone needs to go out on foot and bring our brothers and sisters back to the Catholic Church.