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	A Call to Come Back to the Fold Church Leaders Hope Pope's Visit Has Lasting Impact By Corrinne Hess and Ashok Selvam Daily Herald April 21, 2008 http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=177050&src=1 Pope Benedict XVI's six-day pilgrimage to the United States has ended, but church leaders say his visit will resonate with area Catholics for months to come. Chicago Archdiocese Vicar General John Canary said the pope's visit will encourage younger Catholics to participate in their faith, while giving those who have drifted a reason to return. "There are many different forces that pull at people and sometimes church just becomes one of many things, instead of the central part of life," Canary said. "That's why the Holy Father's words of encouragement and of living our faith will be important." The effects of the pontiff's message can already be seen, said Canary, who attended Mass at Antioch's St. Raphael the Archangel on Sunday and said both services were full. St. Raphael's pastor, the Rev. John Jamnicky, estimated a 10 percent to 20 percent attendance boost but doesn't expect the enthusiasm to last. "It is much easier to be enthusiastic in the heat of the event," Jamnicky said. "His visit definitely made an impact, but I don't think the fervor will be lasting." Doug Delaney, executive assistant to Joliet Bishop J. Peter Sartain, is more optimistic. "I know in the past when the Holy Father has come to the United States it has increased people's interest and they have come back to the church," Delaney said. "Hopefully, once people attend their own parish, they will feel nurtured and welcomed and continue going back." The Catholic church monitors attendance annually through a monthlong process called the October count. Canary said the numbers have declined since 2001 but are beginning to level off. "I think some of it is connected to the sexual abuse issue," he said. "It is very important that he addressed that issue while he was here, and even more significant that he met with the victims." The Rev. Don McLaughlin, pastor at St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton, said he didn't see an increase in weekend attendance but hoped to see one in the future. "We would hope that excitement of the people who attended in either Washington or New York, or the people who watched on TV would translate into evangelizing our brothers and sisters who have been lax in their practice of faith," McLaughlin said. At St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, the Rev. Bill Zavaski said weekend services were well attended, as usual. He praised Benedict's willingness to tackle the scandal. Zavaski emphasized the visit as a positive, saying the pope proved he loved America. "It was something that had to be done. The church has got to ask for forgiveness," Zavaski said. Sheila Haennicke, a spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said it was too early to track if the pope's visit increased donations. Penny Wiegert, spokeswoman for the Rockford Diocese, said the pope was the subject at Mass across the country. "The theme of his visit was hope, and I think he definitely fulfilled that theme," she said. "His visit gives most of us affirmation, it strengthens our commitment to our faith and is like a vitamin for all of us."
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