Why My Church Grew During the Pandemic

We can't find seats. The pews are full. This has been my family's experience at St. Rita Catholic Church most Sundays since the pandemic began. Some weeks, there's barely enough standing room in the vestibule. When other churches were shutting their doors, ours remained open. Sure enough, the faithful flocked. I recently asked one of our three priests, Father Nicholas Schierer, what explains St. Rita's dynamism. He was in front of the church greeting parishioners, and I'd been outside for a few minutes, bouncing a whiny 10-month-old while my wife wrangled our other children in one of the back pews. More than a few moms and dads were outside with me. It's another sign of a thriving parish: The dissonant choir of kids, which often drowns out the priest and competes with the organ in volume.