Okay, so I am Catholic. I am also Catholic in a very rural area. The closest Catholic church is about ten miles away from my house. That doesn't seem that far. But say you live where I was born, in Davenport, Iowa. How far away is the closest Catholic church? Since Davenport has a lot of Catholics, probably pretty close. In rural South Carolina, I see Baptist churches all over. Baptist, Methodist, and AME, especially in rural areas. Do you know why? Because they evangalised those areas. They were the only Christians that established churches in those areas and provided spiritual needs. I feel that, we as Catholics, make excuses, that there is no need for us to build churches and set up parishes in rural areas. Well, why not? Of course there's a need. You want everyone to be Catholic, no? Well, some of those people have never so much as met a Catholic. In an area with few Catholics, the benefits could immense. I know it takes money, but I, for one, like being able to walk to church. I don't want to leave the rural area I live in at this time though. If we, as Catholics, are not willing to go to the margins (the rural poor, by the way, are quite common), can we really call ourselves Christians? Petition your Diocese, and give them compelling reasons why there should be a Catholic community in your area. This is Father Wilson, he is currently the Pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken. Listen how close the closest Catholic Church to him was when he was growing up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqyq7JbbRVU&list=PL9CQlldupc5_steLbpdA1mGXQQSXDD5DZ&index=38
We can't evangelise somewhere if we're not there.
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