newman questionnaire report 2015 newman questionnaire report report... · newman questionnaire...

24
Newman Quesonnaire Report 2015 Presented by: Fr. Chris Cauchi and Patrick Douglas Newman Centre Report authored by: Oleh Iwanyshyn, ViewStats Research Inc. Report designed by: Maria Da Silva, Newman Centre

Upload: trinhtruc

Post on 19-Apr-2018

246 views

Category:

Documents


7 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Presented by:

Fr. Chris Cauchi and Patrick Douglas

Newman Centre

Report authored by:

Oleh Iwanyshyn, ViewStats Research Inc.

Report designed by:

Maria Da Silva, Newman Centre

Page 2: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

2

Contents

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………..3

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………..5

First Look Post Survey…………………………………………………………………………….7

Why People Come to Newman and Program Participation……………………..8

Demographic Information on the Newman Community………………………..12

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community……………….16

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………..23

Page 3: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

3 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Executive Summary A survey of its parishioners, past and present, was undertaken by the Newman Centre in November of 2014 to gain a better appreciation of who they were, and their attitudes and opinions about the various programs and activities at the Centre. Over 600 responded. Below is a summary of the key findings: The age distribution of the three primary study cohorts— current students, current non-students, and former members—was radically different. Current students were primarily below 30 years of age (81%); current non-students were primarily 30 or older (87%); former members since they included students and non-students were mostly from the 30-49 group (59%). Mass attendance was also significantly correlated with age. Among those below 30, 51% said they most often attend the Sunday 7 PM Mass. Only 11% said they attend the 11 AM Mass. Among those 50 and older, 61% indicated they most often attend the 11 AM Mass, while only 11% said they most often attend the 7 PM Mass. The net effect is Mass attendance at 11 AM was mostly non-students while attendance at 7 PM was evenly split between students and non-students. While there is some evidence of overall shrinkage of Sunday Mass attendance at Newman, a more detailed analysis suggests there is a generational shift in favor of the 7 PM Mass stimulated by preferences of those below 30 i.e., the millennial generation. Many respondents noted the attraction of music and young people at the 7 PM Mass as reasons for attending. Factors that bind the Newman community and shared by all age groups are their reasons for coming to Sunday Mass and why they want to be part of Newman. The most frequently cited reasons are in the table below: When asked to describe in their own words what made Newman Centre a unique community, the three most cited categories were:

Its welcoming, caring and intimate quality -- 43%

The student focus -- 22%

Social diversity -- 17%

Reasons for attending Sunday Mass Reasons for coming to Newman Centre

74% -- For spiritual growth 61% -- Welcoming community

65% -- To receive holy communion 53% -- Presence of young people/students

60% -- Sense of community 45% -- Engaging homilies and lectures/speakers 57% -- Sunday obligation 43% -- Convenient location (especially students)

Page 4: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

4

Executive Summary….continued Comments about the liturgy were also quite complementary employing terms such as: “well done”, “wonderful”, “beautiful”, “deeply moving”, “joyful”, “peaceful”, “inspiring”. That’s not to say that everyone felt their experience at Newman Centre could not be improved upon. The majority of comments related to improving the liturgical experience e.g. change layout of the benches, include kneelers, etc., and to try to make Newman a more welcoming community than it is. A small minority felt Newman was too conservative and were in disagreement with its new directions. This criticism arose mostly from those over 30 and former members. The Newman community showed an abundance of enthusiasm in their willingness to volunteer for programs (41%) and attend events (44%). This enthusiasm was also evident in specific participation rates for programs, events and volunteer opportunities like Soup and Bagel Lunch (19%), Pray and Play (19%), Sacramental Preparation (15%), Liturgical Ministries (25%), and the annual Cardinal Newman Lecture (26%). Fairly significant differences in participation rates between students and non-students were found, depending on the program or activity. However, student enthusiasm to contribute to Newman Centre translated into higher aggregate (one or more programs or volunteer activities) participation rates than non-students for both programs and volunteer activities. Only about half of respondents were aware of Cardinal Newman’s holistic message about the relationship between spiritual and intellectual development. However, among those who had an awareness, their insights as expressed by their own verbatim comments, were impressive. Most understood that to produce a fully human being one cannot have spiritual development in isolation with intellectual development and vice versa. There needs to be a balance.

Page 5: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

5 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Introduction In 2013, Newman Centre celebrated 100 years since the founding of the Newman Club in Toronto. At the centenary celebration the pastor, Fr. Chris Cauchi, introduced a process for the community to take stock of Newman Centre’s purpose and direction. At the beginning of 2014, a strategic planning project was initiated to evaluate and refine the organization’s mission and vision. For months, a team of staff and experts diligently reviewed the community’s understanding of mission during different periods in its history. It is interesting to see how the philosophy of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman has been alive and active throughout these years, and how Newman Centre’s ministry has impacted students, families, the academic environment, leadership in the Church, and society at large. The vision of Cardinal Newman sees the integration of faith and reason on campus and beyond through intellectual, spiritual and human formation - he was interested in the development of the whole person. Newman Centre is currently taking an active part in implementing the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Pastoral Plan, introduced last year. Founded on prayer, the Pastoral Plan follows the two-fold mission of the Church, pastoral and apostolic (inward and outward), to announce the Gospel. Cardinal Collins often speaks of this as caring for the “gathered” and reaching out to the “scattered”, rooted in prayer. The plan lays out five core directions to fulfill this mission: Parish Life, Vocations, Catholic Outreach in Justice and Love, Evangelization of Society, and the Cathedral as Sign of Our Mission. Cardinal Collins highlights, “To do our work effectively we must ensure that we: engage the family, especially youth; celebrate our cultural diversity; use resources wisely; and communicate effectively.” Newman Centre is in a unique position to carry out this plan under different aspects of the core directions as a Personal, Quasi-Parish - established as such by decree of the Archbishop of Toronto. In the Church, there are various entities of ministry, beginning with individual, then chaplaincies (hospital, military or university), then quasi-parishes, and finally parishes. Quasi-parish is a term in canon law, meaning a definite community in the Church that is effectively equivalent to a parish, but is not established as such due to particular circumstances. Those circumstances can be related to language, rite, the transience of a community, resources, or being entrusted to a particular mission. Toronto’s Newman Centre is entrusted with a mission of campus ministry as a university parish. As a campus ministry, its planning efforts and measures of success intend to follow the standards set out by the Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry, a “national lay association of the faithful” supported by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). These standards comprise 12 elements of effective campus ministry, collated through the experience of the various campus ministries across the country. Newman’s leadership is working on adapting the Archdiocesan objectives to its campus ministry objectives and activities, allowing it to fulfill and grow Newman Centre’s mission.

Page 6: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

6

What does all of this mean for the Newman Centre community? It means there is a recognition of a common mission. In order to articulate this mission in the context of this Newman Centre, the community’s help was sought. The strategic planning team developed a questionnaire to be completed by all past and present parishioners, students, faculty, University of Toronto staff, donors and others associated with Newman Centre. Many stakeholders contributed to the development of this questionnaire with much thought, input and counsel, starting with the Pastoral Advisory Council. Two independent focus groups were critically organized, comprised of people from diverse backgrounds to contribute with their reactions, ideas and suggestions. The questionnaire was launched in November 2014 and was open for the entire month. The questionnaire itself was conducted by Forum Research and was available online and in hard-copy format. The questionnaire link was shared with everyone with a current or previous affiliation with Newman Centre. The information collected in the questionnaire was kept strictly confidential and all results were aggregated to ensure anonymity.

Acknowledgements We would like to recognize the dedicated contribution of all of its members: Fr. Chris Cauchi (Pastor and Executive Director), Erin Kinsella (Associate Director of Campus Outreach), Sonal Castelino (Associate Director of Formation and Programs), Johan Demeester (Chair, Pastoral Advisory Council), Sandra Oh (Parishioner, Volunteer and Senior Manager of Business Transition Strategy with RBC Wealth Management) and Patrick

Douglas (Director of HR and Operations).

Page 7: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

7 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

First Look Post-Survey

The first wave of results from the community-wide survey was released in March 2015. The final report preparation was delayed slightly due to the data coding and validation requiring greater attention, which arose from the volume and quality of the open-ended responses in the questionnaire – people had a lot to say! The results were presented to the community in the monthly Newman Bulletin and on the newmantoronto.com website as below: April: Why people come to Newman and program participation May: Demographic information on the Newman community June: Open-ended responses to enhancing our mission and areas for

growth in the community In March 2015, the community was informed that the overall response to the questionnaire was highly impressive. There were 641 respondents who partially or fully (516) completed the questionnaire. Most respondents completed the questionnaire online, while others filled out the paper questionnaire. In order to ensure reliable, honest responses, respondents were given the assurance that all their information would be held in confidence. The survey was anonymous in that no information was collected that could link a questionnaire with the respondent's identity. Also, all results were produced in aggregated form, again to assure respondent anonymity. A vigorous effort was made to ensure that all the diverse groups of the Newman Centre community were fairly represented in the final sample. The contact process involved email notifications and reminders from a variety of databases maintained at Newman Centre. It also included invocations to participate by the presiding priest at the Masses, social network appeals involving Facebook and other social sites, as well as intercepting participants directly at meetings, after Mass and other group activities. Most of this work was undertaken by members of the strategic planning team. With such a fluid community, ranging from university students, to faculty and staff at the University of Toronto, to individuals residing in the wider community, to visitors temporarily resident at the University, reliable population figures across these diverse groups was difficult to obtain. The questionnaire was sent to 1,894 mail and email addresses from various databases at Newman Centre, but was also available in the church and house after Masses to those we do not have contact information for. The best guesstimate on those who were presented the questionnaire is 1,900. It was determined that the response rate to the questionnaire is just over 33% or one in three. This is a fairly respectable result, as far as most surveys go. As the following sections of this report will demonstrate, the Newman Centre is a highly engaged and welcoming community that encompasses a wide diversity of people who find joy and meaning in their experiences at Newman.

641

Survey Respondents

Page 8: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

8

Why People Come to Newman and Program Participation

This study is quite exceptional in that many of the results, particularly the grouped responses to the open-ended questions, are what people have said in their own words. This section presents what the community thinks of itself and of the mission entrusted to it.

Why Newman Centre? In 1912, a group of Catholic students at the secular University of Toronto formed the Newman Club. Its purpose, as expounded in an article in the Torch newspaper in 1931, was as follows: “(its purpose)...is to make its members intelligent and courageous Catholics, to guide them in the pursuit of knowledge and truth, to protect them from intellectual pride that sometimes comes with new learning, and to help them to attain a balanced knowledge of the sciences they approach.” Over the past 100 years this Club, now known as the Newman Centre, has become a spiritual home on campus, providing a welcoming and warm environment for all who come, renowned for its social conscience and helping people to encounter Jesus. In the context of this recent study, how closely do these elements define and bind the Newman community today? The following most frequently cited reasons for coming to Sunday Mass and for wanting want to be part of Newman were shared by all age groups:

Reasons for attending Sunday Mass Reasons for coming to Newman Centre

74% -- For spiritual growth 61% -- Welcoming community

65% -- To receive holy communion 53% -- Presence of young people/students

60% -- Sense of community 45% -- Engaging homilies and lectures/speakers

57% -- Sunday obligation 43% -- Convenient location (especially students)

Page 9: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

9 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Why People Come to Newman and Program Participation...continued Welcoming Community All groups were not identical in sharing these opinions about their reasons for coming to Newman Centre. "Welcoming community" was more often cited by non-student parishioners than students (62% versus 56% respectively); "presence of young people and students" was more often cited by students (61% versus 49%). Among former members, the most highly cited reason was “welcoming community” with 67%, followed by “engaging homilies and lectures/speakers” with 61%. Also highly cited was “intellectual stimulation”. In general, their comments were as positive if not more than current students and non-students. Notable differences between students and non-students on why they came to Newman Centre were: "Engaging homilies and lectures/speakers" -- 48% for non-student parishioners versus 31% for students. "Convenient location" was cited by 58% of students versus 35% of non-students. "A place to drop-in and pray" was cited by 45% of students and only 19% of non-students. “Presence of young people” and “music” are also highly cited reasons among those attending the 7 PM Sunday Mass

Unique Qualities When asked to describe in their own words what made Newman Centre a unique community, the three most cited categories were: Its welcoming, caring and intimate quality -- 43%

The student focus -- 22%

Social diversity -- 17 %

Another unique attribute noted was Newman Centre's sanctuary-like quality, a "peaceful oasis in a large secular campus" and a safe place to share beliefs and opinions with other Catholics. This was particularly popular among students (21% vs. 8% for non-students).

Page 10: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

10

Why People Come to Newman and Program Participation…continued

Volunteering and Program Participation The second last question of the survey showed that there was no lack of enthusiasm on the part of Newman Centre parishioners to go out and do good work. 41% showed a willingness to contribute by volunteering for programs and events. Also, a willingness to attend events was expressed by 44%. Less frequently cited was donating (28%), mentoring (16%), and taking on facilitator/teaching roles (15%). The survey also found that students expressed significantly more enthusiasm than non-students. For example, contributing by volunteering was cited by 67% of students versus 38% of non-students; attending events was cited by 66% of students versus 42% of non-students. That enthusiasm was very much in evidence in the participation rates of students in some of the programs. For example, Soup and Bagel Lunch had a 37% participation rate among students versus only 10% for non-students; Pray and Play had 37% among students versus only 9% among non-students. On the other hand, the Annual Cardinal Newman Lecture was more balanced--29% for students versus 24% for non-students (and 35% for those 50 and older); Sacramental Preparations was 8% for students versus 19% for non-students (and 25% amongst the 30-49 group). Since a small sample size among some individual programs and volunteer activities makes it difficult to draw reliable conclusions, it was decided to look at the response for all program types as a group, and similarly for volunteer activities. This analysis revealed that students participated more than non-students in one or more of the seven program activities listed -- 62% versus 47%. Similar results were found for the volunteer activities queried -- 40% for students versus 30% for non-students. Clearly, the enthusiasm to contribute to Newman Centre was reflected in higher participation rates among students for both programs and volunteer activities.

Generally, participation in program activities produced significantly higher levels of respondent engagement than volunteer opportunities. Volunteering for Liturgical Ministries was the only volunteer opportunity with a significant participation rate--25%. It should be noted that job responsibilities likely may have prevented older members of Newman Centre from dedicating more time to volunteering. On the other hand, many older members were in a better position to contribute financially to Newman Centre's programs and activities. The important point is that both younger and older member contributions were needed to successfully realize projects.

Page 11: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

11 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Why People Come to Newman and Program Participation…continued

The impact of Cardinal Newman's philosophy While only about half of respondents were aware of Cardinal Newman's philosophy in which spiritual growth and human growth combine with intellectual growth to foster a holistic development of each person, their insights were impressive. The questionnaire results show that:

The most frequently cited aspect, with 27%, had to do with the interconnectedness and interdependence of the human spirit and the intellect. To produce a fully human being you cannot have one without the other.

The second most frequently cited interpretation, with 15%, had to do with the need to find a balance between faith and intellect. Ultimately faith and reason together better informs our understanding of God.

Many also lauded the philosophy not only as a good guiding principle for Newman Centre but more broadly for all of U of T. It was seen as a way to bridge the world of faith and the secular world.

Many felt it still had current relevance and was a good model for all Catholics.

A fair number felt his message was a call to action for Catholics in outreach and community work, not just attending Mass.

The survey also found a positive correlation between awareness and age. Awareness between those less than 30 was 39%, rising to 44% among the 30-49 and to 64% among the 50 and over. With Cardinal Newman's message working so well among those who had some awareness of it, its potential missionary appeal seems undeniable. While our survey found that many were comfortable with sharing their Catholic faith with others, other respondents were less comfortable. In that context, our survey suggests the universality and undogmatic reasonableness of Cardinal Newman's message would provide a comfort level even for those somewhat reticent to take on the missionary challenge. Of course, a good starting point would be that half of Newman Centre parishioners who either were not aware or were uncertain of Cardinal Newman's ideas. Cardinal Newman’s philosophy of religious and intellectual growth finds its home in the university, the place where ideas are exchanged, debated and built upon. It is a place of diversity in the characteristics of its people which forms its strength. These forces are naturally at play at our Newman Centre.

Page 12: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

12

Demographic Information on the Newman Community

The following section presents the unique dynamics and diversity of the Newman community.

Demographics of Newman Centre Participants

The total sample distributions for age, education, and marital status are shown in the charts below accompanied by comparisons with the Toronto GTA population. Data on Number of Children and Gender were also collected in the questionnaire. The data show that Newman Centre attendees are, on average: Much younger than the surrounding GTA population for

those 30 and over

Very highly educated when compared to the GTA

Many are married while many are not

Few have children, and

The gender balance is fairly evenly split.

Page 13: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

13 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Demographic Information on the Newman Community….continued

Relationships with the Newman Centre Community In order to analyze the internal dynamics at Newman Centre, the questionnaire targeted three broad groups: students, non-student parishioners, and former members. For many respondents, the relationship to Newman changed over time. They may have started as students at U of T, they may have come back to do graduate work; they might have got a job teaching or working there; they might have settled in the general community and continued coming to Newman Centre. The table on the right identifies these relationships. More specifically, we wanted to draw a comparison with those who currently are students i.e. not including those who earlier in their lives were students. This would identify the many in this group who demographers term as millennials i.e., below 30 years of age. Based on the responses to the above question and other data in the survey, we were able to extrapolate who were current students or not. This reclassification also includes a third category ("Other") in which respondents are difficult to classify in that they are not current students but do have a transient aspect to them e.g., visitors, friends of students. The table to the right shows the percentage distribution of current students versus current non-student parishioners after filtering out former members.

Page 14: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

14

Demographic Information on the Newman Community….continued

Belonging to Newman Centre Interestingly, over half (55%) of respondents either don't know or are not sure whether they are registered parishioners of Newman Centre. Only 28% indicate that they are. Clearly, the idea of officially belonging to Newman Centre is not a big deal amongst most people. The questionnaire also identifies who are the current parishioners versus former parishioners. 17% of the sample consists of the latter.

In terms of the distribution of who officially registers at Newman Centre, 10% of current students are registered, while 70% say they are not registered. The rest are unsure. On the other hand, current non-students are more or less evenly split as to whether they are registered or not. While at first glance the reticence current students to register may seem odd, it is not inconsistent with the reserve of those under age 30 towards joining established social institutions. At the same time, the affiliation of younger people to Newman through social networking (965 likes on Facebook and 1005 followers on Twitter) and signing up to the chaplaincy's newsletter email list (899 subscribers) may define a new form of registration.

Attending Mass While three quarters of all respondents indicate they attend Sunday Mass, students and non-students radically differ on which Mass they attend. 14% of current students say they attend the 11 AM Sunday while 44% non-students reported their attendance for this Mass.

Page 15: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

15 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Demographic Information on the Newman Community….continued

For the 7 PM Sunday Mass, the figures are reversed (23% of non-students vs. 44% of current students). However, since non-students outnumber students by two to one, that 23% translates to 53% of all those who say they most often attend at 7 PM -- a fairly even balance between students and nonstudents (see chart). This complete reversal in attendance between 11 AM and 7 PM Masses is also reflected in the age distribution of the attendees (see chart to the right). Note that the Mass attended most often is not the same as the frequency with which Mass is attended. The latter could be frequent or infrequent. These data clearly demonstrate that the 7 PM Sunday Mass appeals to a wider cross-section of Newman Centre parishioners than the 11 AM Mass. That appeal is most evident amongst the millennials and is reflected in the higher turnout at 7 PM as measured by Archdiocese census data collected over the past two years (will be discussed further next month). Those encompassed in the Neither or Not-Relevant categories in the above chart would include those who have a different Sunday Parish (primarily commuter students), but attend Newman on weekdays. As to the latter, the survey also shows that those attending the 7 PM Mass tend to show up during the weekday Mass proportionately more often than the 11 AM attendees (approx. 30% versus 20% respectively).

Page 16: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

16

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community

In the last section, we present the areas of growth and challenges in the community that our study has revealed, and

in particular what defines and drives the millennial generation. The key findings are detailed here below.

60%

40%

40% OF PARISHIONERS OFFERED ONE OR MORE CRITICISMS ABOUT NEWMAN CENTRE

…THOSE CRITICISMS BROKE DOWN INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES RELATED TO THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT (BASED ON THE 40%)

41%

49%

10%

Figure 1

Page 17: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

17 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

Opinions on the Liturgy The vast proportion of comments on the liturgy were commendatory. Only about one in five respondents contributed one or more negative comments. Of the 20 categories that were coded for this question, the top three account for almost 60% of all comments.

Most frequent with 43% were comments like well done, wonderful, beautiful, deeply moving, joyful, peaceful, inspiring.

Next with 9% were comments related to good preaching, relevant homilies and occasional references to Fr. Chris.

The third category with 8% related to the music and the 7 PM Mass.

Negative comments were mainly directed at the layout of the benches with 5%, the absence of kneelers with 3%, a general lack of reverence and too much noise during Mass with 4%, and complaints that the music at the 7 PM Mass was too noisy and inappropriate with 3%.

…THOSE CRITICISMS BROKE DOWN INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES RELATED TO THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT (BASED ON THE 40%)

TOP CRITICISMS CITED FROM BOTH CATEGORIES

Students were more critical of the physical environment whereas non-students were more critical of the social environment

Page 18: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

18

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

Things that detract from the Newman Centre experience The enthusiasm of parishioners for the institution, however, does not mean that everything was as perfect as could be. When asked if there was anything that detracted from their experience at the Newman Centre, about 40% of parishioners had something to say (see Figure 1 below) Those attending the 11 AM Sunday Mass were twice as likely to have critical comments as those attending the 7 PM Mass. Also those holding negative opinions on the liturgy were twice as likely to proffer negative comments as those holding positive opinions. Demographically those least critical were less than 30 years of age and had lower educational attainment. Finally, former members tended to be far more critical than current members. As with the question on the liturgy, the primary target of criticism related to the physical and organizational environment at Mass. The main themes here had to do with the layout of the benches, lengthy announcements and uninspiring homilies, music that was not relevant to the faith, the absence of kneelers, and too much socializing that detracted from the religious experience. The other key area of criticism related to the social environment at the Centre. The latter involved comments that Newman Centre was not welcoming enough, although clearly from earlier questions, for many a welcoming community was its great virtue. Others complained that it was too conservative, while others said it was too modernist. One had the impression these were crosscurrents emerging from a liberal versus conservative divide. It was interesting to see the differences between students and non-students as it relates to these two broad areas of criticism. The most frequent criticisms of the physical and organizational environment came from students, while the most frequent criticisms of the social environment on the other hand, generally came from non-students. On some social environment criticisms this reversal did not hold (see chart above).

Page 19: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

19 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

The context for criticisms

While the above seems like a long laundry list of criticisms, it’s important to understand its context. The percentages quoted in Figure 1 on the previous page mostly relate to the 40% that found something to criticize -- 60% did not. That means that the 25% of students who found Newman Centre not welcoming enough translates to 10% of the total sample of students. The 16% of non-students with the same criticism translates to 6% of the total sample of non-students. Together, that represents about 8% of the sample. Secondly, this was a multiple response question meaning that a person could end up in multiple categories of criticism. The third and perhaps the most compelling point of context is that many of these criticisms raised by a small minority are massively outweighed by positive comments from other questions in the survey. For example, on the issue of Newman Centre being a welcoming community, 61% cite this as the reason for coming to Newman Centre in the first place. Furthermore, where respondents describe in their own words how Newman Centre is unique, 43% cite its welcoming, caring, intimate quality. While these numbers dwarf the 8% who find that Newman Centre isn’t welcoming enough, they do suggest it’s a challenge for Newman to do better. Given the large influx of new students every year and the necessity to integrate the established community with new members that is no simple task. To open oneself constructively to all these criticisms, it is important to establish the context from within which they arise, and especially their statistical basis. An important question upon which these criticisms may shed some light is why the 11 AM Sunday Mass attendance has fallen about 20% from 2013 to 2014 according to the archdiocese attendance survey. Was it due to some of the criticisms noted? Or were other, more significant factors at play?

Discussion of Results

The yearly Archdiocese Mass attendance survey found that in 2014, the attendance at the 11 AM Sunday Mass had decreased about 20%. During the same period, however, attendance for the 7 PM Mass increased by 7% (see Figure 2).

Page 20: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

20

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

A reason for leaving? One hypothesis for the drop in attendance at 11 AM is a dissatisfaction among some parishioners with the changes at the Newman Centre, causing them to leave the parish. The distribution of this discontent among current students, non-students and former members of the parish is shown in the chart below (Figure 3).

However, while one in five former members may have left because they were unhappy with the changes at the parish, four out of five left for other reasons. In addition, Figure 3 shows that about one in 10 of non-students who voiced similar complaints, continue to remain as parishioners of Newman Centre. While their disagreements may have impacted on how often they attend the 11 AM Mass, they did not cause them to leave the congregation. It may well be that the key trigger in the decision-making process to stay or to go was the impact of the Courage controversy; however, the purpose of the survey was not to explicitly target specific criticisms. The open ended nature of the questions left such decisions with respondents. Some respondents did specifically note in their verbatim comments that the reason they left the parish was disagreement with actions taken related to Courage. The number who did so, however, was small. Perhaps the most interesting result for those who took issue with changes at the parish was that almost all of them were over 30. Figure 4 shows that for those under 30, the whole flap had almost no impact on the group as it relates to either voicing criticism of the changes or possibly leaving.

Figure 3 Figure 4

Students are least discontented while former

members are most discontented

Those under 30 rarely expressed criticism,

whereas older age groups offered more criticisms

Page 21: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

21 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

This generational difference alluded to earlier as pitting the millennials on one side and older generations on the other in their demographics, attitudes and behavior at Newman Centre, is central to the understanding of the dynamics measured in the archdiocese attendance data.

The shift by the <30

Rather than looking at the archdiocese numbers as an indication of deteriorating Mass attendance, the data suggest we are seeing a generational shift in the makeup of the community of Newman Centre. The archdiocese numbers show that although the 11 AM attendance decreased by about 20%, the overall decrease between 2013 and 2014 was only 5%. Losses at 11 AM were to a fair degree compensated by increases at the 7 PM Mass. Attendance at the latter is in large part students and those below 30. As members of older generations disappear from Newman Centre attendance rolls (for all sorts of reasons most of which have nothing to do with disapproval of changes at the parish), they are replaced in large part by a younger generation that demographers have come to define as millennials. Our survey has clearly revealed these generational cleavages. In addition to millennials preferring the 7 PM Mass over the 11 AM service, the survey also found that music plays a big part in the celebration of the 7 PM Mass. They seem to have boundless enthusiasm, showing great willingness to volunteer and engage in some of the programs at Newman. They also tend to be fairly supportive of how Newman Centre is run, far less critical than older generations of parishioners. For them Newman Centre is like a home, a place of safety where they can mingle with spiritually like-minded peers. For that reason the handy location of Newman Centre on the U of T campus makes it a very desirable feature for students.

Profiling the millennial generation Apart from being below 30, the Barna group (see reference below) identified three words in their study of millennials that went a long way towards explaining how they differed from earlier generations: access, alienation, and authority. As the authors of the report noted, through the Internet and social networks, millennials are more connected to the body of information about the world than any generation before them. It is one reason they are perhaps the most highly educated generation in memory. One consequence of this access is that millennials have become aware more than any other generation at such an early stage of their life of the massive corruption of our most venerated political, economic and social institutions and their leaders. Millennials have lived through the most devastating economic meltdown in modern history. This has alienated them from those institutions whose job it was to keep us safe from such events. It is little wonder millennials are skeptical of the call of institutional authority. As such, the Barna study concludes institutions like the church needs to undertake a special effort “to make space for their cultural expressions”.

Page 22: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

22

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

A study from the Pew Research (see reference on pg. 6) that compared millennials to previous generations when they were of a similar age, found millennials were far less likely to affiliate with an established religious group— about one in four were unaffiliated. For boomers the corresponding figure was half that. The Pew study also found that millennials attach much more importance to things like being a good parent (52%) or having a successful marriage (30%) than having a successful career (15%). It is the one generation in which the work ethic takes a backseat to leisure activities such as technology use, social media, and music to uniquely define themselves.

The future for millennials The economic prospects for millennials do not look promising. In spite of the fact that one in three millennials are unemployed, Pew Research found most were optimistic about their economic outlook. Many felt that the government would help solve the economic problems. This seems a bit unrealistic given that reliable research (see reference on pg. 6) has shown that being unemployed for an extended period after graduation tends to have a long-term negative impact on earnings and career success. Perhaps this is one area where mentoring advice from more experienced Newman Centre parishioners could help their millennial colleagues develop insights for a more rewarding economic foundation. After all, the spiritual world and the material world do not exist as islands unto themselves (reference here Cardinal Newman's philosophy in which spiritual, intellectual and human growth combine to foster a holistic development of each person). The survey showed an overall participation rate for the mentorship program of 10% and only 5% for students. A successful mentoring program of this nature would certainly strengthen the bonds between generations and provide real substance to the meaning of welcoming community.

A successful mentoring program

would strengthen the bonds between generations

Page 23: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

September 2015

23 Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

Appendix

Links to Millennial Research: MILLENNIALS A Portrait of Generation Next: Confident. Connected. Open to Change. http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change.pdf Millennial Generation Less Religiously Active than Older Americans http://www.pewforum.org/2010/02/17/millennial-generation-less-religiously-active-than-older-americans/ Religion Among the Millennials http://www.pewforum.org/2010/02/17/religion-among-the-millennials/ Making Space for Millennials https://www.barna.org/spaceformillennials Lisa B. Kahn. “The Long-Term Labor Market Consequences of Graduating from College in a Bad Economy,” Yale School of Management, Aug. 13, 2009 (forthcoming in Labour Economics).

Areas of Growth and Challenges in the Newman Community...cont’d

Concluding thoughts None of these findings identifying millennial differences, or parishioner experiences that may have detracted from their time at Newman Centre, however, should diminish the central message of the survey. Shared passionately by both millennials and older generations is the extraordinary sense of community that Newman Centre offers its attendees. Community is what brings people to Newman Centre. It is what sustains their presence. It is the fond remembrance of those who have left the community. Inextricably related to that is the presence of young people and students. They add a sense of vitality and enthusiasm that make life at Newman Centre absolutely unique. It is the common ground of a welcoming, diverse, energized community inspiring spiritual growth and intellectual development that makes the bridges connecting the different generations of Newman Centre parishioners. Hopefully the survey will instruct us where bridges need be buttressed, where bridges need be built, and where bridges stand strong where they are.

Page 24: Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report Report... · Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 Newman Questionnaire Report ... Newman Questionnaire Report 2015 ... The

Newman Questionnaire Report 2015

September 2015

24

The Newman Centre Catholic Mission is a university chaplaincy and parish on the St. George campus of the University of Toronto. We serve an inter-generational and diverse audience of students, staff, faculty, alumni, donors and parishioners by enriching the community through Christ’s teachings of love and service to all. 89 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E8 | 416-979-2468 www.newmantoronto.com

Newman Centre Catholic Chaplaincy @NewmanUofT NewmanUofT