In
a determined bid to boost Mass attendance, a priest of the church of
Saint Martin in Trignano, commences the sharing of free alcohol to
adults and crisps to children.
A priest in a rural village of central Italy has started offering
free alcohol to adults and crisps to children in a bid to boost Mass
attendance, as part of a supermarket-style loyalty programme.
In a tongue-in-cheek post on his Facebook profile, Father
Gianfranco Formenton of the church of Saint Martin in Trignano, a hamlet
of 1,500 near the Umbrian town of Spoleto, announced that the rewards
scheme would apply from July 2.
Father Formenton offered prosecco from his home region of Veneto
and crisps mixed with Communion wafers as snacks, but only to owners of a “Mass Attendance Card.”
He also stressed that the church premises are air-conditioned and available for hire for birthdays and other events.
In an interview with Il Messaggero newspaper, which first reported
on the unusual initiative on Sunday, Father Formenton said the idea was “born as a game, thought up with the youth members of the parish and mainly targeted towards them.”
“Every Sunday, at the end of Mass, I put a stamp on the card, to certify [the owner’s] attendance.
“It’s just a game, but it helps to remind everybody that faith is a commitment and, as such, it does not go on holiday,” Formenton said.
NAN
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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