WHEN FR. MICHAEL Nguyen began his assignment at Santa Clara de Asís parish in Yorba Linda back in 2023, he had many fresh and innovative ideas. A collaborative effort with staff members ensued, and Mass quickly emerged as the central area of focus.
The tagline, “Reclaim Sundays” summed up the direction he wanted to proceed.
“We have fallen into the trap of just going to Mass, one hour accomplished and check mark, done,” shared Fr. Michael. “The TEN is where people intentionally choose to come to worship at Mass and stay for community, fellowship and formation.”
The first task that needed to be accomplished to create this new Mass experience was changing two Mass times. The Sunday noon Mass was moved to Sunday at 5 p.m. to accommodate a new 10 a.m. Sunday Mass. With this change in place, plans could be made to accommodate the anticipated larger attendance at “The TEN”.
The current parish hall and surrounding area were transformed into various indoor and outdoor seating areas. The inside transformation included expanding the back area of the hall to accommodate additional seating. However, it was the outside seating area that required tents, TV monitors, blankets for cold days and other amenities to make this experience comfortable and welcoming.
The new configuration is working, with an average attendance of approximately 900 parishioners. An all-time high of 1,200 attendees was reached in April, which was not on Easter Sunday. Again, in anticipation of this larger attendance, volunteers were solicited to assist with a variety of tasks. A welcoming committee was formed, along with parking assistance and set-up and tear down teams. A meal is provided after Mass, and in many instances, funded directly by parishioner donations.
Two key components that were also planned were a contemporary music element for the Mass, set up coordinated by members of Fr. Michael’s family and a post-Mass faith formation program called Connect. After Mass, another “quick response” team of volunteers transforms the hall in a matter of moments into three separate classrooms for Connect.
The program is offered approximately every two weeks and is divided into three groups: children, youth and adults. The integration of adults, along with children and youth, is an essential aspect.
“Children aren’t just dropped off at Faith Formation,” said Fr. Michael. “The parents stay and are participating as well.”
Fr. Michael explained The Ten like this: “The TEN is similar to a meal; the main entrée is the Mass, the dessert is faith formation, fellowship and community.”
He added, “Jesus said ‘Come and see.’ The TEN says ‘Come and stay.’”