Father Dennis Gonzales welcomes his congregation to St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. Photo provided
By Janis Fontaine
Father Dennis Gonzales, pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, says Easter is always the busiest time of year, but he felt new energy at the church in 2026 as Easter Sunday approached on April 5.
“I think people are seeking for truth, are seeking for God in their lives and they’re coming back to church. Not only the Catholic Church, but I have friends who belong to other religious denominations, and they feel the same way. People feel the need for and the longing for God.”
New research by Barna Group and Gloo says Gonzales may be right. Their studies revealed a shift in church attendance. For the first time in decades, younger adults are surpassing older generations who have traditionally led in church attendance. Both Gen Z’s and millennials’ average attendance is approaching two times per month. Pew Research said about 67% of Americans say they attend services a few times a year or less.
Father Dennis thinks the political climate, headlines about war in the Middle East and the rise of violent antisemitism both locally and nationally are behind the trend. He hears the fear behind people’s prayers for peace.
As the first American pope, Leo XIV, prepared for his first Easter as the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, he asked that they consider a new kind of fasting for Lent: “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor.”
Leo has been outspoken in his opposition to war, but Lent, he said, is about “listening, fasting and community.”
He further asked Catholics to listen more because only by listening can we “hear the voice of the oppressed” and the word of God.
Father Kevin McQuone, an academic who shapes the curriculum for priests at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, said, “It’s a hard thing to have the government be in opposition with something that’s so fundamental to what we believe — that peace is the answer and diplomacy works.”
Father Kevin points to Paul’s letters where he tells us to pray for those who are in authority over us. “We are called to pray and fast for our leaders so that they make wise and just decisions.”
First Timothy 2:1-2 says: “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”
Certainly, a life of tranquility and dignity is what we all seek. To that end, Father Dennis said, “We need to pray for leaders of the world that the Holy Spirit, the risen Lord, will grant them guidance and wisdom.”
How listening helps
That addresses the big picture. Day to day, Father Dennis said, we need to rethink the way we communicate. And silence plays a part in that.
“We call it the ministry of presence,” Father Dennis said. His parishioners, he says, don’t want their priests to quote scripture or repeat platitudes or offer solutions to their problems. They just want to be heard; for someone to be present and hear their expression of grief or anger without trying to quash it or explain it away.
“Sometimes when we are confronted with difficulties, the tendency as a human being, we want to talk right away, we want to advise right away or we find solutions right away to the problem,” Father Dennis said.
“But most of the time, what people need is just listening ears. When I go to ICU or hospice care, family members ask a lot of questions, but I don’t really have answers to those questions. But the most powerful thing that I witnessed was just being there to listen to them, they feel heard and that’s what the world is really looking for. Someone to listen to them. I think they know there’s probably no solution at hand at the moment. But we still need someone to listen to us.”
Listening to our neighbors is good practice, Father Dennis said, because it also helps us be quiet so we can hear the word of God.
But it takes commitment, Father Kevin said. If we want to builder a stronger, safer world, we need to start in our own backyards.
“What the world needs is to develop trust between neighbors. If we have trust between neighbors, we don’t need to have a ready bomb. But that’s hard. It takes time. But love is patient, and you have to be willing to develop that level of rapport and trust.”
A time to reflect
Father Brian Horgan, pastor at St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach, wrote in his weekly note to his parish: “The holy season of Lent offers each of us a precious opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew our relationship with the Lord. It is about opening our hearts more fully to God, allowing His grace to transform us, and preparing ourselves to celebrate the great joy of Easter. I encourage you to bring a friend, invite a neighbor, or come as a family. The more we gather together in faith, the stronger our parish community becomes.”
Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.
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