An Italian priest held Mass among the flashing lights of pinball slot machines and video games at an amusement arcade this week after he became concerned that young people in his parish were failing to turn up in church.
Father Duilio Testa, the 78-year-old parish priest of Trasacco, L'Aquila, went in search of the younger members of his flock on the town's streets after he noticed they were shunning formal services.
''It wasn't difficult to get near to the young people. I went to find them in the games arcades,'' Testa said.
''At the start, they were all a bit surprised,'' he admitted. ''But then they stopped playing and helped to prepare an altar and volunteered to read bits of the Gospel. Everyone paid attention throughout the Holy Mass''.
Testa said he drew on his experience as an overseas missionary to come up with the initiative.
''I lived in Africa for 33 years, especially in the Congo - a zone of major rebellions,'' he said.
The priest said he had been responsible for three missions spread over 60,000 sqm of forest that served almost 250 villages in the African country, which had given him good experience of bringing people together.
''I hit upon this idea thinking about the fact that so many young people are distancing themselves from the church and choosing to hang out together in different ways and in different places, whether they be discos and games arcades, away from parents with whom they don't feel at ease,'' he explained.
Despite its success, Testa said he had no plans to stage arcade masses on a regular basis.
''Things done on the spur of the moment work better,'' he explained.
The Bishop of Avezzano, Pietro Santoro, gave his blessing to Testa's initiative.
''Any idea that, in a missionary context, manages to reach young people along the road they are taking to distance themselves (from the church) should be taken into cosideration,'' he said.
Attendance at Mass has been gradually falling in Italy in recent years.
According to a 2006 report by the Milan-based IARD research institute on behalf of the Italian Catholic Church, only 17% of young Italians go to mass regularly, compared to 25% in 1992.
