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Responses of Roman Catholic Parishes to the Market Situation

Summary: Now that religious participation largely depends on individual choice, parishes find themselves confronted with the challenge of organizational renewal. How to cope with this new 'market-situation'? Scholarly literature suggests two strategies. The first strategy is that of the service institution, the second that of the exclusive firm. A survey carried out in the Netherlands shows that parishes do not differentiate along these lines. The data do indicate, however, different ways of coping with the strategic challenge parishes are faced with: holding on to a Christian profile while trying to stay in contact with the public. Thus, three parish types could be discerned: the open parish, the inviting parish, and the 'parochial' parish.