Reply #46: just my obervation of the followers

[galledgoblin]

what inspiration they found, they generally found on their own. the church was hollow for many except at holidays... even then, followers only showed up because they felt obliged, and they weren't so much touched by the Holy Spirit and by the celebration as by their own seperate memories and thoughts.

of the 10 or so officially-Rome recognized ordained priests I've known, only one really ever whipped the community together... and he was kicked out in less than 3 years.

another is just an amazing guy who inspires by his presence (he served in WWII and went on to be a bodyguard at Nuremberg where he decided he heard the call) but I only met him after he'd retired and wasn't allowed to run the parish anymore.

several more were nice men, and they did some community outreach, especially to the sick, the dying and the bereaved (bless them), but never really pulled together the community or reached out to those who felt the church did not want them.

a couple were just assholes.