A good friend of mine who works for the make-up brand Clinique recently moved to London. My friend is not only a pro when it comes to make-up; she also has evangelisation down to a fine art. In the two months she has worked in her new store, two of her colleagues have come to Mass with her, one wants to start an Alpha course, and another returned to Confession after many years. “Everyone is way more open in London,” my friend tells me excitedly over a glass of wine. “Evangelising has never been so easy.”
Indeed, her experience seems to be backed up by data on religious practice in the capital. Analysis by NatCen Social Research, commissioned by the Financial Times, recently found a “dramatic” increase in those attending church services in London since 2001. Unsurprisingly, this increase owes itself to a rising tide of immigration, and has led to a widening gap between the values and attitudes of those who live in the capital and those in the rest of the country. Just under one in three of those who identify as Christian attend church at least once a week in London, compared with just 16 per cent outside the capital.
In a melting pot metropolis such as London, it goes without saying that young people are seeking to connect with others and escape anonymity. After her first time back to Mass in many years, my friend’s colleague texted to say how she had loved her experience, and how overwhelmed she had been by the other twenty-somethings she had met who had wanted to talk to her. Another young girl who worked in the beauty industry, and who had been dragged to Mass by a friend, found herself downstairs in the church crypt afterwards, surrounded by other young adults devouring fajitas, and deep in conversation with my friend about skincare. As well as this search for connection with others, there also seems to be a certain openness to other ways of life.
Last Sunday, a young couple, one who had not been to church for years and the other an atheist, told us that they had discussed and debated the priest’s homily all the way home. This openness among millennial Londoners is perhaps not a search for faith. But their seeking for connection, community and friendship, and – underlying this – for deeper purpose, is something we must learn how to respond to as a Church.
The million-dollar question is whether we are ready for it. In our parish, we have been holding a series of drinks parties in parishioners’ homes. The intention is for Catholic neighbours to get to know each other: we know that increasing the sense of community in our parish is one of the best ways to attract people and keep them. At one of the evenings, the conversation turned towards evangelisation. “I discuss religion with one of my colleagues,” said one woman, “but do you mean I should want them to become Catholic?” A lively conversation ensued, and it became apparent that evangelisation, the desire for others to know friendship with Jesus, was a new concept for the majority.
A recent US Pew Research Centre study revealed that only 24 per cent of Catholics spoke about religion at least once or twice a month with those outside their family, compared with 55 per cent of Evangelical Christians. There are many factors holding Catholics back when it comes to evangelisation: not least, in Britain, the experience of persecution over centuries, forcing Catholics to be private and hidden about their faith. In the post-modern world, this has translated into a lack of confidence and pride in what we believe. Many have the impression that we should share our faith through acts of love and service, but keep our beliefs to ourselves. In fact, not sharing what we believe with others relativises it. It says: “This is something that I find meaningful and real in my life, but it is not meaningful or real enough to tell you about.”
A man in our parish recently told me that he recognised a woman at his work from church. “I think I saw you at church,” he said, going to introduce himself. The look of panic that crossed her face clearly told him that church was part of her private life, to be kept completely separate from work. And yet, how many of the people in our workplace would in fact be interested in our Catholicism if they knew about it? If we are going to respond to the spiritual hunger out there, our parishes have to be places where people find a hospitable and connected community. Indeed, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37).
Hannah Vaughan-Spruce is director of evangelisation and discipleship at St Elizabeth of Portugal parish, Richmond. She blogs at www.transformedinchrist.com
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