How might our parish churches look like in 2050? #4

 

How do we make space for people in church?  Could we run an experiment in one parish in just one diocese?  A practical step for pastor and people might be to remove the fixed pews and introduce comfortable, upright chairs. These could be stacked neatly to the side when not needed. For Mass, the chairs could be arranged in a semi‑circle around a central communion table, creating a stronger sense of community, participation, and closeness.

How might our parish churches look like in 2050? #1

 

In this and following blogs I explore some possible ideas for making better use of existing spaces in our churches. 

A word by way of context: as we are only painfully aware, Mass attendance is in freefall over recent decades, priests are ageing but here and there a few little green shoots of hope are sprouting up, unexpectedly.