By John Cooper
Guest Column
He just moved onto Rockingham Road. She just moved south of Locust Street. They just moved onto Tremont Avenue. Each will soon receive something very, very important from us. It might be exactly what they need.
Those streets all fall within the geographic boundaries of St. Anthony Parish — a section of Davenport stretching from the Mississippi River north to Locust Street and from Division Street on the west to Main, Brady, Perry, Iowa, and Tremont on the east. Most Catholics today don’t even realize parishes have boundaries. Yet those lines on a map aren’t meant to keep people in or out. They’re a reminder that every home inside them has been entrusted to a parish family. What’s all this mean to you? A parish boundary isn’t a fence that keeps people out. It’s a promise that no one is forgotten. It marks the neighborhood that a parish has been entrusted to serve. Of our 1,200 parish households, I would estimate that 250 households live within our boundaries. In 2025, an average of 43 households moved into our parish boundary each month. Beginning this summer, we will do a monthly mailing of a postcard, with the help of a company called Outreach, inviting those new to the area to join us for worship.
There was a time in the history of the Church in this country when Catholics normally registered in the parish whose geographic boundaries included their home. Today, Catholics feel freer to choose among available parishes. This is reflected in the fact that more than 20% of our parishioners come from across the river in Illinois. Many others pass several Catholic churches on their way to worship with us. We have become, in many ways, “roaming Catholics.” At the same time, we must remain hospitable to those with no church home, the so-called “nones,” as well as to Catholics who have drifted away and families searching for a place to belong.
Hospitality is about more than simply opening our doors. It is about intentionally reaching out to those who may never have considered walking through them. The stakes become even higher when people reach out to us first. While traveling across the country as a Catholic parish and school consultant from 2006 to 2011, I would occasionally conduct a simple experiment. I’d send an email to Catholic parishes and schools that read, “Hello, my name is John. My family recently moved here, and we’re looking for a parish to join. Could you share some information about your parish?” I included my address, phone number, and email. The results were remarkably consistent wherever I went; only about one-third responded. Most never replied at all. We kind of optimistically assume that if someone is interested in practicing their faith, they’ll eventually find their way to Mass. But assumptions can work both ways. What if we instead assumed that people need someone to reach out to them, welcome them, and encourage them to take that first step?
In reality, we don’t know what the person who just moved onto Rockingham Road, Locust Street, or Tremont Avenue is experiencing right now in their lives. Maybe they just buried a spouse. Maybe they’re lonely. Maybe they’re searching for purpose. Maybe they’re looking for God. Or maybe God is looking for them.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he points to our baptism as an act of God’s hospitality, inviting us into the body of Christ. Patrick Schmadeke, the outgoing director of evangelization in the diocese, says Bishop Dennis Walsh was successful in making that first intentional contact with those new to the area while serving as a pastor in the Diocese of Toledo. Schmadeke said, “I’ve heard him encourage pastors to use it.” Schmadeke encouraged parishes to embrace that type of evangelization. He referred to such proactive communications as a “good appetizer” for those who might not know that your parish even exists.
Pope Francis reminds us that “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 47). Mother Teresa reminds us, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” And St. John Paul II’s challenge continues to inspire the Church today: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.” Note: We are sad to say goodbye to Schmadeke as he leaves our diocese to take on a new position at Notre Dame University to work on the ethics of artificial intelligence in pastoral ministry. Thanks for your good work, Patrick!
(John Cooper is pastoral associate and business manager at St. Anthony Parish in Davenport.)
