Does Pope Francis’ homily on St. Matthew which he gave in Cuba on his recent visit (cf. previous blog) offer an insight to a pastoral approach that our north American church might learn from?

“I know the efforts and the sacrifices being made by the Church in Cuba to bring Christ’s word and presence to all, even in the most remote areas. Here I would mention especially the “mission houses” which, given the shortage of churches and priests, provide for many people a place for prayer, for listening to the word of God, for catechesis and community life. They are small signs of God’s presence in our neighborhoods and a daily aid in our effort to respond to the plea of the apostle Paul: ‘I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’” (cf. Eph 4:1-3).

What are “mission houses” where “many people find a place of prayer, for listening to the word of God, for catechesis and community life?” Obviously, they’re not established parishes or churches. We usually measure the vitality of the church by the number of people who go to parish churches for Mass and the sacraments. But Francis is describing a missionary approach that’s been taken by the church in South America, where people have been encouraged to meet in homes for prayer, reflection on the scriptures, catechesis and community life. The approach is described in this article from Crux.

Pope Benedict in his pontificate encouraged established parishes and centers to create a “Court of the Gentiles” where Christians could dialogue with people outside the traditional church structures, including non-believers. But Francis’ approach goes further than that.
It seems to me, our North American approach to evangelizaton is centered almost exclusively on making the parish the means to evangelize. The pope’s approach seems broader than that, and it’s worth asking whether we should try it.