Medford parish seeks to evangelize through Mass Mob approach
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
With an eye toward broadening evangelization opportunities and attracting a lot more people into the pews, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, has adopted its own version of a Mass Mob, and is planning to hold three such events in the coming months – on Jan. 14 at 9 a.m., on Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. and on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
The idea to hold the Mass Mobs, according to Father Daniel Swift, pastor, was based on having seen Flash Mobs on YouTube and elsewhere asking people via social media to show up at a time and place for whatever the occasion. And there have also been some inner-city parishes, which had seen their heyday because the neighborhood changed years ago, that took the idea and offered Mass Mobs to help bring their church alive for a Mass or a weekend.
So Father Swift reasoned, “Why not a Mass Mob at a thriving suburban parish like St. Mary of the Lakes?” and offer an opportunity to invite the approximately 75 percent of the people who do not come to Mass to join the celebration.
Father Swift said further motivation to hold the Mass Mobs was based on the trial Mass Mob held in St. Mary of the Lakes on Sept. 11, 2016, in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The Mass was celebrated on Sunday at 6 p.m., during which the church usually is only half-filled. That evening of the Mass Mob, he said, the church was full.
Briefly describing the upcoming Mass Mob events, Father Swift said the “Meat and Potatoes” Mass on Jan. 14 will include the traditional adult choir, while the Feb. 4 Mass will be for children, and the Feb. 11 Mass will feature the parish’s contemporary music group, Redemption. He added that Confessions will be heard before and after Mass and at the doors of the church, and nametags will be available to worshipers.
In addition, he said that all Masses will begin with an opportunity for faithful to greet one another, and after the announcements are read, a “ministry minute” highlighting a parish ministry will be included. Each of the Mass Mobs will wrap up with hospitality in the parish’s Emmaus Center. As for being an effective evangelization tool, Father Swift said, if the usual crowd at St. Mary of the Lakes on a Sunday evening Mass is between 400-450 people, and at the end of a Mass Mob, there was an additional 400, and if 10 percent decided to return or become regular communicants, “that’s evangelizing 40 disciples.” The parish has seen an increase in attendance over the past three years.
St. Mary of the Lakes Parish is located at 40 Jackson Road, Medford.
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With an eye toward broadening evangelization opportunities and attracting a lot more people into the pews, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, has adopted its own version of a Mass Mob, and is planning to hold three such events in the coming months – on Jan. 14 at 9 a.m., on Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. and on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
The idea to hold the Mass Mobs, according to Father Daniel Swift, pastor, was based on having seen Flash Mobs on YouTube and elsewhere asking people via social media to show up at a time and place for whatever the occasion. And there have also been some inner-city parishes, which had seen their heyday because the neighborhood changed years ago, that took the idea and offered Mass Mobs to help bring their church alive for a Mass or a weekend.
So Father Swift reasoned, “Why not a Mass Mob at a thriving suburban parish like St. Mary of the Lakes?” and offer an opportunity to invite the approximately 75 percent of the people who do not come to Mass to join the celebration.
Father Swift said further motivation to hold the Mass Mobs was based on the trial Mass Mob held in St. Mary of the Lakes on Sept. 11, 2016, in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The Mass was celebrated on Sunday at 6 p.m., during which the church usually is only half-filled. That evening of the Mass Mob, he said, the church was full.
Briefly describing the upcoming Mass Mob events, Father Swift said the “Meat and Potatoes” Mass on Jan. 14 will include the traditional adult choir, while the Feb. 4 Mass will be for children, and the Feb. 11 Mass will feature the parish’s contemporary music group, Redemption. He added that Confessions will be heard before and after Mass and at the doors of the church, and nametags will be available to worshipers.
In addition, he said that all Masses will begin with an opportunity for faithful to greet one another, and after the announcements are read, a “ministry minute” highlighting a parish ministry will be included. Each of the Mass Mobs will wrap up with hospitality in the parish’s Emmaus Center. As for being an effective evangelization tool, Father Swift said, if the usual crowd at St. Mary of the Lakes on a Sunday evening Mass is between 400-450 people, and at the end of a Mass Mob, there was an additional 400, and if 10 percent decided to return or become regular communicants, “that’s evangelizing 40 disciples.” The parish has seen an increase in attendance over the past three years.
St. Mary of the Lakes Parish is located at 40 Jackson Road, Medford.
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