Just over a year ago in County Wicklow, Ireland, three young men decided to sidestep the secular Christmas season tradition of hitting 12 pubs and instead visited 12 different churches for Sunday Mass.
Forty churches later, Luke Doogue, 20, and his friends Neil, 19, and Stephen Patterson, 17, have found themselves explaining on Irish national radio how on earth they decided to swap "pints for pews."
"This journey didn't start with holiness; it started as an alternative to the traditional '12 pubs of Christmas,'" Doogue told EWTN News.
He continued: "We were looking for a reason to get up on a Sunday morning that didn't involve questioning our life choices the night before. What we called '12 churches' began half as a joke and half as a challenge: Could we replace pints with pews and still enjoy ourselves?"
The initial idea came from Patterson, a promising golfer who is now on scholarship in Rome, Georgia.
"We went to Grangecon first; Mass was said by Father Ger Ahern. We got nine churches done, but we didn't get 12 before Christmas. So we said 'lads we have to get our 12.' Twelve came, 15 came, suddenly we were looking down the barrel of 40. It stopped being a challenge and became something we genuinely looked forward to."
Doogue told EWTN News: "Getting to know people in our own parish proved just as important as traveling further afield. Mass became something we shared. The breakfast table often became the place where the readings were unpacked, how Communion tasted was discussed, and the homily was debated — usually between bites of a fry."
One of the trio's earliest Masses was in Bolton Abbey in nearby Moone. "It's tiny, there isn't a sound when you walk in, and there's three or four monks saying mass at 8:30 a.m. Stepping into places like Bolton Abbey reminded us that Mass can feel like an experience. Quieter, more reflective, suspended from normal routine."
And the hook — is it the spiritual element? The travel? The novelty?
"It's a mix of all," Doogue said. "Starting it was great socially. As it went on, it got more spiritual."
The three of them have received invitations from priests across Ireland to attend Masses in their local churches, but far from being a "Tripadvisor" for parishes, the trio said that while they maintain a high degree of reverence at liturgies, they now fancy themselves "connoisseurs" of what ultimately makes a "good" Mass.
Doogue told EWTN News that for them there is a near-perfect Mass length. "In our view, it sits comfortably in the 35th- to 42nd-minute window. Too short it feels rushed; too long, and you find yourself mentally planning your breakfast order."
He continued with a laugh: "Sometimes there's nothing beats a sub-30 Mass. Last week we got a 27.5-minute one!"
The said their favorite Masses contain the right elements, including, crucially, the Nicene Creed. "Why anyone thought it was a good idea to shorten a creed so great remains a mystery to us," Doogue said.
And the million-dollar question: How long should a homily be?
According to Doogue: "Not too long, not too short. Four to six minutes. More than seven minutes is too long."
Music also plays a huge role, he said, and a good choir adds to the experience.
Sunday Mass attendance and Catholic devotion in Ireland isn't what it used to be. What do the friends of these Gen Zers think?
"Honestly, they thought we were mad. But over the months, we've had people come with us. We've had a few more people join the group. We love our faith, but the social element's huge, like meeting people after Mass, chatting with the priest."
For Patterson, Sunday Mass is now something he looks forward to. "I'm watching a video, playing golf, or a bit of football, and then on to Mass on a Sunday. I take it as a complete recess and you can reflect on what you did during the week, what you're going to do next week."
Doogue admitted that before their new Sunday obligation, he would miss Mass once or twice in a month. He summed up the attendance pattern of many of his Catholic peers as "CEO or CFO Mass-goers." CEO stands for "Christmas and Easter only"; CFO denotes "Christmas and funerals only." He said the interest in their "12 churches" demonstrates a newfound hook in attracting people to attend Mass and suggests a curiosity in the Catholic faith.
Many priests enjoy seeing the trio at the end of Mass and hearing their story.
"The bishop thought it was brilliant. So did our old parish priest," Doogue said. The parish priest in question enjoyed the stories so much he invited the trio to the parochial house where they tucked into Chinese food before discussing the fine details of diverse congregations across dioceses.
"We've had friends say, 'You know what, it's a good idea, we might try it out,' and people text saying, 'Whenever you're in our parish, tell us and we'll go to Mass with you,'" Doogue said.
One thing has become clear to the young men: Priests who smile, make eye contact, speak plainly, and take time to chat before or after Mass transformed their experience. Conversations at the church door made them want to return.
The trio said they have no intention of giving up their alternative to the "12 pubs of Christmas" with its very different spiritual appeal.
Doogue told The Way, the Irish Bishops' media platform: "We don't know how many churches we will end up visiting, and we are not in any rush to stop. If loving Mass, community, friendship, and breakfast makes us mad, then we are more than happy to be."
