In response to the issue of declining Mass attendance, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has commissioned a research project called Absent from the Table to provide in-depth information about contemporary religious practices and beliefs of Catholics in Australia.
In 2007, the ACBC commissioned a project, Catholics who have stopped attending Mass, which focused on once active Catholics who had ceased participating in Mass and their parish, and the interpersonal, cultural and societal factors that led to their disengagement with liturgy and ecclesial life.
In the decade and a half since, there has been a continuing decline in the participation of Catholics in the sacramental life of the Church, not only in the Mass and Eucharist at its heart but in other sacraments, including baptism and matrimony.
The pastoral issue of declining Mass attendance was raised during the Plenary Council and the Synod of Bishops processes.
“Attention to falling Mass attendance” was one of the key themes raised in the Final Report for the Plenary Council Phase 1: Listening and Dialogue where participants voiced concern over the diminishing number of attendees. Decree Nine of the Plenary Council acknowledged the need for greater “renewal in catechesis, formation, and devotion” to the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Synod of Bishops Australian Synthesis report identified the “Importance of liturgy to faith” as one of its key themes, with respondents noting the reality of many Catholics not participating in the liturgical life of the Church for a variety of reasons and calling for “life-giving, faith-supporting celebrations with the opportunity to share their faith, and to heal and build community relationships”.
The Absent from the Table project explores these concepts in more depth and seeks to provide a contemporary picture of the motivations behind declining Mass attendance among Catholics.
The project is being undertaken in two phases. The first phase, which will take place from June to November 2024, will include an online survey that will be distributed to a wide population of Catholics.
The second phase, which will be undertaken in 2025, will include in-depth interviews with 20 participants, based on a geographical and demographic mix, from those who have indicated their interest to be involved during the first phase.
The findings from these studies will provide insights into the contemporary reasons why participants do not attend and the implications of this for the wider Catholic community and the Catholic Church in Australia.
The insights would enable parishes, movements, and school communities to respond to the trends in participation we are seeing in the Church, update the Church’s awareness and understanding of the present-day context, and enable responses and collaboration around the underlying factors for non/dis-engagement.