Bruce Cecil What Catholics can learn from Protestant
megachurches  A few years ago my uncle asked, half in jest, “Do
you know which is the largest Catholic church in town?” When I
pleaded ignorance, he answered with a smile, “Southeast
Community Church!” He pointed to a Protestant megachurch just
off the expressway and explained, no longer in jest, that many
Catholic families who used to attend his parish on the east side
of Louisville, Ky., were now attending Southeast Community
Church. National studies indicate that 40 percent of Protestant
megachurch members are former Catholics.  Why are Protestant
megachurches successful in attracting Catholics? A frequent
explanation is that megachurches provide “entertainment”—lively
music, glitzy videos, coffee shops, food courts and more. While
that may be true, such reasoning demeans the spirituality of
former Catholics (and others who attend these churches) by
implying they are superficial in their faith. The answer must
lie deeper. Perhaps these megachurches truly