Adult Children Returning to Church

[pm41923]

I understand the need to show Christ’s love in our families and to be good examples of practicing the Catholic faith. What specific steps are recommended to encourage adult children who have received a Catholic education through high school, practiced their Catholic faith even after marrying a non-Catholic, but now with two young children of his own no longer practices any religion let alone return to his Catholic practices. What can a parent do or say to motivate this adult child to care enough about his soul and his family’s souls to return to church?

 

[TxGodfollower]

I understand the need to show Christ’s love in our families and to be good examples of practicing the Catholic faith. What specific steps are recommended to encourage adult children who have received a Catholic education through high school, practiced their Catholic faith even after marrying a non-Catholic, but now with two young children of his own no longer practices any religion let alone return to his Catholic practices. What can a parent do or say to motivate this adult child to care enough about his soul and his family’s souls to return to church?

I can’t imagine how this makes you feel. I think the best course of action you can take is twofold. First, pray for your son, his wife, and their kids. Secondly, I think your only option for other things you can do is to be subtle. Religious Birthday cards, small Scripture references, stuff like that. If you try to push church on them, they will cut you out from their lives completely.

I will be praying for them to see God’s Love, mercy and grace.

 

[pm41923]

Thank you for some very helpful advice. You are correct: if you strongly pressure an adult child about returning to the church you may very well lose contact with them for a time or perhaps a long time.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will change them. I do think you can pray and fast for their intentions and be the best example you can of a joyful, practicing Catholic.

 

[1ke]

Patrick Madrid wrote a book called Search and Rescue. It’s about bringing family members and friends to or back to the Church.

Perhaps his suggested approaches would be helpful for you.

 

[canadiannurse]

Prayer, prayer, and more prayer! Although I’ve had low periods in my faith life, it was a lot more helpful when my mom stopped pushing me and trying to guilt me into going to church (this was even as an adult in my 20’s living far away from home). I am now quite deep in my faith and involved in my Parish (I even moved back to my hometown, but I was single so had the luxury of trying to start a little life here). But this was due to my own research, my own decision, and because I had seriously been thinking about my relationship with Christ.

My brother married an atheist and they have a child together (who is not baptized). It is unusual because we had quite a strong Catholic upbringing, but he does not attend Church and their wedding was done by a justice of the peace in their backyard. However, his wife tells me he is still quite aware of God and the Catholic Church. Both my mom and I pray for him (and their little family), and I occasionally will send a book he might like. Both he and his wife were open to putting up little things around their house, like those wall decals with a Bible verse.

Prayers and space to find their way are very helpful, as it worked for me!

 

[PennyinCanada]

Pray for the people who are in their lives to be a witness to them. People they work with every day are with them more hours in the course of a year than parents or anyone else really.

 

[gardenswithkids]

Prayer and sacrafice.

I’m sure I was brought back into Saints are what causes thhurch by my mother’s “offering it up” as she greatly suffered from an illness. My husband was Protestant and about the same time I returned to the Church, he decided to join the Catholic Church. My parents said very little about it when I was away from the Church. They didn’t have to because I already knew how they felt about it. They were kind. They witnessed the faith well through their actions. And because I knew my mother, I am sure that she offered up her suffering for my salvation, just like Jesus.

Be Jesus for them. Grow in your own faith and holiness.