Do you know someone who has left the Church?
Posted by Sister Therese Ann on March 17th, 2010
Most of us do not have to look very far to find “non-practicing Catholics” in our circle of family and friends. Many of us are concerned about these loved ones however we don’t know how to help them. Obviously, most of them are searching, but how can we help them find their way home?
As baptized, practicing Catholics we have a precious gift of faith and love from the Lord that needs to be shared with our non-practicing brothers and sisters.
First, we need to pray for them. Secondly, we need to extend a personal invitation to them to come home to the Catholic Church. Most non-practicing Catholics are waiting for an invitation to return. Many mistakenly think they are excommunicated and are not welcome to return for a variety of reasons.
Many non-practicing Catholics carry a tremendous amount of guilt and misinformation about the Church so they are afraid of approaching the Church for fear of being rejected. You can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life simply by reaching out to them and telling them that we miss them and would like for them to come back home to our Church family.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:02 am
“I don’t know how I left the Church. There wasn’t really any one reason. Life moved on, and so did I. Career, relationships, other concerns…perhaps no one noticed I was gone. And maybe I wished someone would have come looking for me. But lately, I feel Some One has—is it God’s Spirit within, calling me home? Where can I re-connect?”
March 21st, 2010 at 9:05 am
Mary, give us a call. We can sit down, have a cup of coffee and see where God is leading you.