France, June 7 -- Despite a fall in the number of people entering the priesthood in France, a recent study of church life in multicultural working-class suburbs pointed to a spiritual renewal in some areas, which often face higher-than-average poverty and unemployment.

"These working-class neighbourhoods have churches that are packed every Sunday," said Father Patrick Gaudin of the Missionary Brotherhood of the Cites (FMC), which carried out the study based on interviews with 30 priests.

"Even the weekday masses draw big crowds. There's a real sense of witness," Gaudin told KTO Catholic TV.

"And when we send these young people out on mission into much more conventional neighbourhoods, they set the place alight, quite frankly. These wor...