In small towns like this mountain one a couple of hours east of Rome, and all across Italy, life has changed over the last generation as the Catholic faith loses relevance in people’s routines and choices.
From cradle to casket — from buying contraceptives at the pharmacy to gathering for funeral wakes — the church and its teachings no longer drive daily rhythms. Local parishes have stopped functioning as the towns’ gathering spot, where families congregated each Sunday and youth found extracurricular activities from sports to music that schools rarely provided.
