Generational Differences with Mike St. Pierre, Paul Morisi, and Friar Rick Riccioli
Religion To Reality
Religion to Reality Episode 4: Generational Differences in Discipleship Quick Summary In this thought-provoking episode of Religion to Reality, hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich explore the significant generational gap in Catholic discipleship and church attendance. Drawing from their recent discipleship study of mass-attending Catholics, they examine why younger generations are largely absent from churches and what can be done to bridge this divide. The hosts speak with three experienced Catholic leaders who share practical insights on meeting the unique spiritual needs of different age groups: Mike St. Pierre (Diocese of Allentown Superintendent and former Catholic Campus Ministry Association Executive Director), Paul Morisi (Principal of Bay Ridge Catholic Academy and former Director of Youth and Young Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Brooklyn), and Friar Rick Riccioli (Franciscan Pastor in Brooklyn). In this Episode, We Explore: Opening Discussion: The Generational Church Gap [00:00:00 - 06:00] Study results showing 75% Baby Boomer/Gen X participation vs. 2% Gen Z Why young people aren't attending mass The hunger for in-person community among digital natives The impact of mediated society on human connection Interview with Mike St. Pierre [06:00 - 15:30] Moving from "saying prayers" to "prayerfulness" [07:00] Family prayer laboratory concept [11:00] COVID as catalyst for spiritual leadership [10:30] The challenge of spiritual parenting and overcoming resistance Conversation Analysis [15:30 - 21:00] Practical prayerfulness: 3 minutes of intentional listening [18:00] Individual spiritual charisms and the "spiritual laboratory" approach [20:00] Moving beyond one-size-fits-all religious education Interview with Paul Morisi [21:00 - 32:00] Adapting Catholic education for 2024 realities [22:00] Finding "on-ramps" for individual students [25:00] Measuring interior spiritual growth [27:00] The shift from factory model to individualized formation Interview with Friar Rick Riccioli [34:00 - 42:00] Managing parish demographic shifts and legacy infrastructure [35:00] The heartbreak of failed faith transmission [38:00] Funerals as powerful evangelization moments [40:00] Working with aging congregations while attracting youth Closing Reflections [42:00 - 48:00] The limitation of Eucharist-centered faith without life integration [42:00] Mortality encounters and ritual hunger [44:00] The importance of welcoming rather than judging returning Catholics Key Takeaways The "How-To" Gap: Churches excel at teaching doctrine but struggle with practical spiritual formation Individual Approach: Moving from factory-model religion to personalized spiritual development Family as Laboratory: Homes should be experimental spaces for different prayer styles and spiritual practices Generational Bridge-Building: Older parishioners can be allies in youth ministry when they understand the mission Crisis as Opportunity: Major life events (especially funerals) provide powerful evangelization moments Integration Over Compartmentalization: Faith must pervade all of life, not just Sunday worship Meet Our Guests Mike St. Pierre Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylv...