Virtual viewing outstrips Mass attendance, parish survey shows

Mass attendance in the Archdiocese of Vancouver has plummeted by about 80 per cent since spring, when a 50-person limit was set on gatherings in B.C., a survey by The B.C. Catholic shows.

Based on responses from nearly every parish, about 17,700 people were going to Mass regularly in the archdiocese’s 77 parishes, just 21 per cent of the numbers who were attending regularly a year ago. 

In cooperation with the Archbishop’s Office, The B.C. Catholic surveyed 68 parishes in November and found that despite the low numbers attending, most churches were filling up to the 50-person limit each week. 

One in four parishes reported using an overflow space, like a gymnasium or parish hall with a livestream, to accommodate more people.

Thirty-six parishes reported they had to turn people away because they exceeded the 50-person limit. The number of people turned away varied widely, from 1 to 25. They also reported an average of 9.5 people register for Mass but who do not show up, and an average of 3.6 show up without registering.

But while a fraction of Catholics could access the sacraments at a time, online options for viewing Mass during 2020 have skyrocketed, with parishes attracting more worshippers online than in person.

A large majority, about 74 per cent of parishes, are currently livestreaming Masses. On an average weekend (including Sunday and anticipated Mass), parish livestreams are viewed nearly 24,000 times.

Each “view” could represent entire families. If an average of three people per household view Sunday Mass together, the number of online participants triples.

Of parishes who livestream, the survey found most (64 per cent) do so once or twice a week. The third most popular frequency for offering livestreamed Mass, chosen by 6 parishes (12 per cent), is seven times per week.

The number of viewers watching livestreamed Masses have followed the curves of COVID-19 infections, hitting peaks in April when churches first closed, and October, when the “second wave” of case numbers rose.

The pandemic has disproportionately affected access to the other sacraments. The most affected are confessions and weddings, with 52 per cent of parishes reporting a drop in both. When it came to baptisms and funerals, 16 per cent and 15 per cent saw a decrease, respectively.

About one quarter of parishes said the number of reconciliations and weddings stayed the same during the pandemic, and nearly half said the number of baptisms and funerals have also stayed the same. A few churches even reported an increase in the sacraments during this time. (Eight reported an increase in confessions, seven in funerals, five in baptisms, and four in weddings).

Most people preparing for confirmation this year were able to receive it; 84 per cent of parishes confirmed a combined total of 1,797 children in 2020. Similar numbers were reported for first confession and first Holy Communion (1,824).

That compares with 2019, when 2,731 children and adults received their First Communion and 2,593 were confirmed.

PREP and RCIA classes have also been disproportionately affected this fall. While 40 per cent of parishes (the largest group) have chosen to offer PREP in a mixture of online and in-person classes, only 25 per cent of RCIA programs have gone that route. Meanwhile, 34 per cent of parishes report they are not offering RCIA right now (that drops to 14 per cent for PREP).

Full in-class learning or full online learning for PREP and RCIA are steady. In-class learning is the preferred method for 22 and 24 per cent of parishes, respectively, and online was chosen by 24 and 18 per cent.

Not every parish has jumped on the bandwagon of offering events and Masses online. The 18 parishes who reported not livestreaming Masses offered various reasons: a lack of available technology, insufficient funds to purchase equipment, or being uncomfortable with setting it up.

Others said many high-quality online resources already exist and they are happy with directing their parishioners to them.