Page 2, 22nd August 1986
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Bingo tops after Mass in US parishes
ONLY Mass beats bingo in attracting participation in American Catholic parishes, said a report released in August by the Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. Coming in as a distant third and fourth were adult religious education and children's religious education, the report added.
Trailing still further in popularity were parish school or sports activities, Lenten services or devotion to Mary, and parish social and fraternal organisations.
"Bingo is a curious phenomenon among Catholics,"
the report commented.
"Bingo as a social phenomenon has a staying power among many parishioners that has outlasted the concern expressed by many bishops, pastors and fellow parishioners about bingo as part of the regular parish budget and stewardship programme." Among pastors or administrators of 1,099 US Catholic parishes who were surveyed as part of the Notre Dame study, virtually all listed Mass at the top of "three activities . . . most well attended by parishioners."
Following Mass, it said, "60 per cent of the parishes listed bingo, 21 per cent listed adult religious education, 20 per cent listed religious education for children."
Data on bingo's popularity and importance in parish life were a sidelight in the report, which was devoted mainly to technical analysis of different kinds of services parishes offer people and how these relate to the needs that people feel. The report provided extensive data indicating that people are most likely to tarn to the parish for faith support, religious education, counselling or help at key times.
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