The DMI is not a medical procedure. The DMI is the Disciple Maker Index—that survey that 105 of you filled out during Lent. In 2023 the Archdiocese of Chicago asked parishioners to complete this same survey. Two weeks ago I reported on some general findings from the survey: your perceptions of Assumption as a welcoming parish and the extent to which we need to change in order to better meet the needs of the congregation and the larger community.

One area that is of great concern to people in leadership is how attuned people are to basic church doctrines. In every case an overwhelming majority of you either agreed or strongly agreed with each statement. However, in every case, the percentages were slightly lower than in 2023: “I believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead for my salvation”: 85% (94% in 2023). “I believe that the Eucharist really is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ”: 78% (88% in 2023). “I believe that the Scripture is the Word of God”: 79% (88% in2023).  “I believe in the teaching authority of the Church”: 73% (78%). “I believe that the Church is critical to my relationship with God”: 82% (83%). “I believe in Jesus’ moral teachings for my life as taught by the Church”: 86% (89%).  

Some would undoubtedly think that anything less than 100% agreement with these core Catholic principles is a cause for alarm, but it is important to note that those who did not mark “agree” or “strongly agree” mostly marked “neither agree or disagree” or “I do not know” or in some cases gave no response. Only a tiny percentage marked “disagree” for any of these statements. It is also not the case (at least, based on this survey) that our younger members have less of a commitment to core Catholic beliefs than our more seasoned members. Among those under 35, 75% agreed or strongly agreed that the Eucharist really is the Body and Blood of Christ, while among those 66 to 75, only 57% agreed or strongly agreed.

The other thing to keep in mind is that part of the hesitation by some to agree or strongly agree with these statements may be due to the way they interpreted the statement. In stating these beliefs in the broadest possible way, the survey gave no room for nuance. For example, what does the “teaching authority” of the Church mean to me? The infallibility of the Pope (that the Pope cannot lead the whole church into error) is a core Catholic belief, but every time the Pope opens his mouth, he is not speaking infallibly. You don’t have to cheer for the White Sox in order to be a good Catholic! Documents come from Rome with all different degrees of seriousness. There are encyclicals (which are the most authoritative), but there are also apostolic letters, apostolic exhortations, and letters issued by various departments in the Vatican. To some degree this happens on the local level too. The same is true about our belief that Scripture is the Word of God. Does that mean that every word is inspired by God? Catholics are not fundamentalists. We are not required to believe that the earth and everything on it and in it came into being in six days. Since the 1940’s the Catholic Church has accepted a moderate view of evolution and has encouraged the work of Scripture scholars to help us understand the historical and cultural context in which the Books of the Bible were written. The authors were inspired by God to deliver a message, but the message was written down by human beings who had to express this message in words that were available to them. We believe the Bible of free of error about what God wanted communicated.

Let me also say a few words about the Eucharist and the Real Presence. It is indeed a core Catholic belief that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, not simply a symbol and not just a reenactment of the Last Supper. At Mass Christ becomes present to us under the appearance of bread and wine; but it is a sacramental presence and not a physical presence in the sense that you and I are flesh and blood. The traditional explanation of what happens at Mass goes back to the Middle Ages (and has its roots in Greek philosophy). The ancients held that each being possessed both a substance (or essence) and accidents (appearance). Collies and poodles are different in appearance, but are of the same essence (dog). The doctrine called “transubstantiation” holds that at Mass, the “substance” of the bread and wine changes into the Body and Blood of Christ while the “accidents” (the appearance) does not. What is missing here is the dynamism of the encounter that we have with the Risen Christ at Mass. Christ is alive and wants to live within us and not just appear before us.

                                 Fr. Joe