Praise the Lord (prosecco and crisps if you do)

AN Italian priest has come up with a novel way to lure parishioners to Mass – free prosecco and crisps.

There is a supermarket-style loyalty card to tempt Catholics to the pews and, as Italy roasts in temperatures of up to 100F (38C), the promise of air conditioning.

The initiative is the work of Fr Gianfranco Formenton, the parish priest at San Martino church in the village of Trignano, Umbria.

He announced on Facebook: “Attention! From Sunday July 2, Mass will be celebrated at 11am, (we have) air conditioning, and for the holders of a ‘Mass Card’, there’s an aperitif – prosecco for the grown-ups and Communion wafers and crisps for the

‘I put a stamp on their card. It reminds us all that faith is a commitment. It doesn’t go on holiday’

little ones.” He also reminded parishioners that the church was available for “meetings, conferences and birthday parties”.

Offering prosecco was particularly apt because Fr Formenton is from Veneto, the region which produces the popular sparkling wine, which in the UK has comfortably overtaken sales of champagne.

The idea of a loyalty card started as a bit of a joke, the 57-year-old said.

“It came about as a game which was thought up with the younger parishioners and mainly targeted towards them.

“Every Sunday, at the end of Mass, I put a stamp on the card, to certify their attendance.

“It helps remind us all that faith is a commitment. It doesn’t go on holiday.”

The priest said he was amazed when his initiative was picked up by several Italian newspapers.

In a post on his Facebook profile earlier this week, he wrote, in Venetian dialect: “All this fuss for a prosecco and a few crisps?”