ACUSHNET — A little church in a small town, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church was facing tough times. The congregation was dwindling, and Mass attendance was at an all-time low. The empty confessional was collecting dust, and donations were dismal.
But then the unthinkable happened.
Today, St. Francis Xavier is one of the most vibrant parishes in the diocese with standing-room only Masses, confessional lines, a busload of parishioners participating in the March for Life, and an abundance of freewill donations that will make them debt-free by April.
“Jesus is on the property,” said Mary Cardoza, the spark that inflamed the parish. “We are a church on fire.”
Brought up in a Catholic family, Mary Cardoza attended Catholic schools.
“I had one foot in the world and one foot in the Church,” she said.
But although she fulfilled her Sunday obligation, she never participated in church activities and often rebelled against the laws of the Church.
“I was always a zombie Catholic,” she said laughing.
When she turned 40, she decided it was time to cultivate a relationship with God.
“You only go to Him when you are in trouble,” she said. [Source]
The rest of this must-read story explains how Eucharistic Adoration transformed the parish and parishioners.
